Did you know that WordPress now commands 22% of the internet. Did you know that the Genesis framework is considered the benchmark for WordPress coding? Did you know this combination makes it incredibly difficult to hire a quality Genesis developer?
The Real-World Scenario
A number of months ago I received an inquiry from a very nice lady named Janet. She wanted to convert her e-commerce website to WordPress and wanted Genesis as her framework. Janet and I spoke in email and then Janet got sidetracked with life and a month or so passed. When Janet returned we were a bit overloaded with clients, so I could not provide immediate assistance to her. I liked Janet, so I tried to refer her to other Genesis developers. Unfortunately everyone seemed to be busy or unavailable.
It’s another month later and Janet is back and checking on our calendar. She is still looking for a Genesis developer who is WooCommerce savvy. Thankfully, this time our calendar isn’t as full.
The Variation in Genesis Developers
Below is a simple overview of Genesis developers and a breakout of different types of service providers.
It excludes websites like oDesk and Elance, because I don’t believe in this approach. I’ve fixed a lot of websites that were built for $7 per hour. You cannot expect to pay $7 per hour for quality code, so just don’t go that route.
- Part-Timer Developer – The part-timer is someone who has a regular 9-5 job and moonlights as a Genesis developer. They’ll be really cheap, but they’re also not always available and the skill-set is a mystery. If you decide to higher a part-timer, make sure you ask how long they’ve been working with WordPress and Genesis, then check their portfolio of work to make sure they have some experience.
- Fixer – The fixers are people who jump in when something goes wrong. You’d be surprised at how many funny situations I’ve read about in email. It happens. Especially if you’re a real person hacking a PHP file and you can’t read PHP code. WP Site Care is a perfect example of a fixer. They jump in and just fix things.
- Customization Specialist – The WordPress community has a lot of these types of developers. The customization specialist is someone who can take an existing Genesis theme and customize it to meet a client’s specific needs. Some of these folks have a solid eye for design, while others are stronger on the coding side. In a lot of cases these folks don’t have the skill-set of a more advanced WordPress developer, but they can create some really good websites and they can keep costs down because they use a stock Genesis theme as the basis of the project.
- Unicorn –The problem with this group is they are extremely rare. We lack people like this in our community because unicorns are hard to come by. I know of only two people that are unicorns within the Genesis community.
- WordPress Developer – They will eagerly identify themselves as “developers” and will also quickly state they do not do design. If you need solid coding, this is a great option for you.
- Hardcore Developer – You simply want their excellent coding skills. If you have a difficult job to do in Genesis, the hardcore Genesis developer will be able to get it done. The downside of this group is they are expensive and it is very difficult to get on their calendar because they have a long list of clients already waiting.
- Design Firm – On a Web Savvy project you get a graphic designer, a developer for PSD to Genesis conversion, a developer for code audit and server migration, a content entry specialist, an SEO consultant, and a project manager. That’s a whole lot of people, which provides a well-rounded project, but also higher project rates. Design firms can be smaller firms like ours or large firms that work on larger scale projects for enterprise customers.The downside is the firm take at least six weeks to execute the project because of the structure and comprehensive approach to website design.
The Frustration of Searching
I realized how frustrating it must be for real people (non WordPress people) to sift through software coders and locate the right type of web developer for their project. After all, real people don’t speak code so they probably have a really hard time telling one Genesis developer from another.
It is always doable, but sometimes there isn’t an easy option to convert a concept into reality. It requires an advanced coder to execute.
My heart goes out to these folks, because the level of frustration they must feel at times has to be high. It’s the negative part of WordPress’ growth.
The Bottom-line
Some web projects are quick and easy and some are highly complex and technical. And in between those two groups is a whole lot of everything else.
When sifting through your options, make sure you provide future developers with a good overview of your project and make you ask a lot of questions.
We don’t mind answering questions. We want to figure out if we’re a fit just as much as you do.
Keywords:
After the Genesis was discontinued, Majesco Entertainment released the Genesis 3 as a budget version in 1998. A similar thing happened in Portugal, where Ecofilmes, Sega’s distributor in the country, obtained a license to sell the Mega Game II. This version was more akin to the second first-party model, being noteworthy the inclusion of six-button controllers and a switch to alternate between different game regions, enabling this version to play all games without the need for any device or modification to bypass region locking. In 2009, At Games began producing two new variations: the Firecore, which can play original Genesis cartridges as well as preloaded games, and a handheld console preloaded with 20 Genesis games. Companies such as Radica Games have released various compilations of Genesis and Mega Drive games in “plug-and-play” packages resembling the system’s controller.
