You know WordPress is great – easy to use, powerful, popular – but it’s still a long way from the idea to a finished, custom-tweaked site. So what do you do?

It’s always possible to save money by doing it yourself. There are many online tutorials, and sites that explain how to do WordPress setup and configuration (like this one). However, if your primary goal is to make money, it pays to stick to what you’re good at.

But if you prefer to get someone to set up your WordPress blog, add features to it, customize the design, etc., here’s some hiring tips:

• A website is like a house. You pay for the amount needing to be done. Do you have a domain name? A website hosting plan? If someone has to clear the field and dig the foundation to make way for your site, then their time will cost.
• WordPress uses themes to change the look. There are many available for free, but they may not suit, so you’d be paying for modifications (it’s also VITALLY important to get someone to check over a theme, as it can have malicious/spam code in it). Generally, the fewer the modifications, the lower the cost.
• Much of your expense will likely be extras. For example, do you need your blog set up, are there any other items on the site to be set up or connected to the blog (forum, helpdesk), etc.
• Selecting and setting up plugins are another aspect – these are code pieces that ‘plug in’ to your blog to add features. For example, one plugin takes care of comment spam (which can be a time-consuming chore daily).
• Finally, you will want your blog to be search engine optimized, which means an edit or two of the theme to add SEO options. For example, you should do tracking of your site, which will require a setup of Google Analytics (a free but powerful tool).

You’ll notice I never mentioned quality of work, references, or the usual stuff. That’s because I’m sticking to WordPress in particular here. General hiring tips should always apply of course, and just because someone says ‘WordPress Pro’ doesn’t mean they can be trusted. Get to know them if possible, and see what work they offer.

Nonetheless, it’s not easy finding reliable people. So as a service, you can open a held desk ticket on this site and ask me! I meet (and get to know) a lot of WP techs online, and I may know of someone who’s a good fit. If nothing else, I may be able to steer you towards a way to save money.

And of course, I still recommend a little bit of getting your hands dirty – and what better way than with a membership in ActiveBlogging, and the ‘Knowledge You Need For The Blog You Want!’