How to check a developer has built stores that actually trade
Verify your e-commerce developer actually builds stores that trade. Search registers, check live stores, and call references about real results.
Most e-commerce developers show you a portfolio of beautiful, finished builds. What they rarely show you is whether those stores are still live and whether they're still generating revenue for their clients. A slick screenshot proves nothing about real-world performance or whether the business kept running after launch.
You need to verify that a developer's past work has translated into actual trading stores. This protects you from hiring someone whose builds look impressive but don't function as working businesses. The difference between a visually polished store and one that reliably processes orders month after month is what you're really paying for.
Search the registers and trading records
Start with the obvious: ask the developer for at least three store references and look them up online. Go to CIPC and search each business name. A legitimate trading store has a registration number and active status—this takes two minutes and confirms the business exists and is current, not abandoned or struck off.
Next, visit the actual stores and test them yourself. Try adding an item to the cart, see if the checkout flow works, check whether the payment gateway loads. Spot fake reviews and outdated content. If a store hasn't been updated in over a year, that's a red flag; it suggests the developer set it up but the relationship didn't outlast the launch handover.
Use Google Search to see if the store appears in search results for its product category. A store the developer built two years ago for a furniture seller should still rank when you search "furniture [city name]" or similar. If it doesn't appear at all, either the developer didn't bake in search fundamentals, or the business failed and took the website down.
Check the domain registration. Use a WHOIS lookup tool to see how long the domain has been registered and whether it's current. Abandoned stores often have expired domains. Ask the developer whether they retained access to any of these stores' admin panels—they should not. Clients own their own logins; a developer hanging onto access is a governance risk.
Call the references and ask about longevity
Don't email; call them. Ask directly: "Is that store still taking orders?" and "Are you still running it without major issues?" If they hesitate or say "sort of" or "it needs work," that's honest and useful. Real traders will tell you whether the store is profitable, whether they needed to hire a developer afterward to fix things, and whether they'd use the same person again.
Ask specifically how long the store has been live and ask the business owner whether they've switched developers or platforms since launch. If they moved to a different developer within six months, that often signals the first developer handed over something incomplete or difficult to manage. Conversely, if a store has been live and trading for three years with the same developer handling occasional updates, you've found solid evidence of competence.
Find out whether the developer provides ongoing support and whether there's a cost. Then ask: "Would you recommend them for an e-commerce build?" Their answer matters more than their polite agreement. If they say yes but add caveats—"they're good at design but slow at launch" or "they don't really understand payments"—you now know the gaps.
Request screenshots of live analytics if the reference is willing to share them. A store that's genuinely trading should show visitor traffic, order volume, or conversion data. You're not asking for revenue figures, just proof of activity. A year-old store with zero traffic suggests something failed silently.
Once you've validated that a developer's past work is still earning revenue for their clients and that those clients would hire them again, you've moved past portfolio theater. You're looking at someone with a real track record in live, functional e-commerce. When you're ready to vet candidates who have proven themselves this way, Strove lets you search verified web developers and read client reviews that flag exactly this kind of outcome.
Common questions
- What should I look for when I visit a developer's portfolio store myself?
- Test the cart and checkout, check that the payment gateway loads, look for recent content updates, and search for the store online to see if it ranks for relevant products. Abandoned or broken stores suggest the developer didn't prioritize ongoing quality or that the relationship failed after launch.
- Why is calling references better than emailing them?
- A phone call prompts honest, nuanced answers. You can ask follow-ups and hear hesitation or caveats that reveal hidden problems—like "they're good but slow" or "we had to hire someone else after". Email responses tend to be polite but vague.
- Is it okay if a developer's portfolio store is no longer live?
- It depends on why. If the store is gone because the business closed, that's neutral—the build may have been solid. If it's gone because it was broken or poorly handed over, references will tell you. Always ask references how long stores have remained live and whether they're still trading.
- Should I check CIPC for every store a developer lists?
- Yes. CIPC registration confirms the business is real and still active. It takes two minutes and rules out obviously fake references. Combine it with live testing and reference calls for a complete picture.
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