The Beginning
In 2022, I was approached by a consulting firm in search of a software engineer specialized in custom web development. This company possessed extensive expertise in Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, yet lacked the capacity to design and develop tailor-made additions. Consequently, whenever they encountered an obstacle with the CMS or a client requested a custom solution, they found themselves without an immediate means to fulfill the service.
After meeting with their team to discuss their requirements, my skill set, and how I could offer the most assistance, we commenced collaborating on an as-needed basis. Instead of recruiting a full-time engineer, a position that might not have had sufficient tasks to warrant its existence, they opted to engage an external individual. This arrangement afforded them the necessary expertise and flexibility, all at a cost that they found reasonable.
Projects & Support
Unlike many projects, most of the work performed for this company and their clients is contained in bite-sized pieces. Projects are usually already underway when I first begin work on them, and from my positon only require small additions or fixes.
Mailchimp Email Implementation
This project commenced with a review of a client's existing website, which incorporated a non-functioning email newsletter signup form. Although all the components were present, the signup form was not operational. Additionally, being a prebuilt solution, its design didn't seamlessly align with the overall aesthetics of the website.
My role was to design a new, more simplified form to match their website's current design, then connect it to an emailing service called Mailchimp. Within one day of the work beginning, the client's website was able to accept email signups and keep in touch with their own customers via newsletter.
Website Down
I received an urgent request to assess a website that had recently undergone a significant update. While the website remained accessible for browsing on the internet, its design exhibited numerous problems, and errors were visible on several pages. A website's unavailability or malfunction can significantly impede a business's sales, customer communication, and overall professional image.
Without being involved in this update, it took several questions and an extensive investigation into the website's backend before uncovering the root causes of the issue. My initial discovery was that a plugin (prebuilt code) was conflicting with the update. Disabling this plugin fixed most issues immediately.