John is available for hire
Hire JohnJohn LaPointe
Verified Expert in Engineering
Web Developer
Edmonton, AB, Canada
Toptal member since January 9, 2020
Bio
John has been working as a web developer since 1999 and has specialized in WordPress since 2008. His expertise includes responsive HTML and CSS template development, as well as PHP and MySQL application development. He also focuses on custom WordPress theme development, including programming advanced components, integrating APIs, and incorporating popular tools such as Advanced Custom Fields and Elementor.
Portfolio
Prioritize Wellness LLC
WordPress, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, API Integration, Stripe...
Alpha Media LLC
WordPress, PHP, JavaScript, WordPress Themes, API Integration, Next.js, React...
Checkr INC - Tessera Data Inc
WordPress, Figma, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), SEO Tools, PageSpeed...
Experience
- HTML5 - 18 years
- CSS - 18 years
- PHP - 14 years
- WordPress - 12 years
- API Integration - 12 years
- JavaScript - 12 years
- jQuery - 8 years
- Elementor - 5 years
Work Experience
WordPress Developer
2025 - 2025
Prioritize Wellness LLC
- Fixed bugs and errors as their team discovered them.
- Created new design elements for several pages and implemented them using Elementor.
- Cleaned up general website bugs, developed new header and footer, cleaned up pages, and redeveloped several pages using Elementor.
Technologies: WordPress, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, API Integration, Stripe, GoHighLevel, Elementor, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Core Web Vitals, Technical SEO, Database Optimization, Web Performance Optimization (WPO), Site Speed Optimization, Staging, Payment Gateways, Workflow, SQL
WordPress Developer | Media Company
2025 - 2025
Alpha Media LLC
- Worked on maintaining more than 100 radio station websites while they were making a transition to new ownership.
- Investigated and fixed multiple bugs that came up throughout the radio websites throughout all the various technologies and APIs used to make it all work.
- Updated plugins across all sites using MainWP and updated their themes as required through Git.
Technologies: WordPress, PHP, JavaScript, WordPress Themes, API Integration, Next.js, React, Custom WordPress, Privacy, Airtable, Core Web Vitals, Technical SEO, Database Optimization, Web Performance Optimization (WPO), Google SEO, Site Speed Optimization, Performance Tuning, Staging, Workflow, Artificial Intelligence (AI), SQL
WordPress Front-end Developer
2025 - 2025
Checkr INC - Tessera Data Inc
- Developed a system to manage a new Customer Stories post type, displaying both customer story pages and testimonials, individually and in sliders, by integrating ACF, shortcodes, and Elementor.
- Converted a multi-page Figma design to a new WordPress theme to replace their older website.
- Handled all the SEO and optimization tasks to ensure a smooth transition from old to new pages and set them up with fast-loading pages.
Technologies: WordPress, Figma, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), SEO Tools, PageSpeed, Optimization, Animation, CSS3 Animation, Custom WordPress, Security, Cloudflare, Core Services, Technical SEO, Web Performance Optimization (WPO), Google SEO, Site Speed Optimization, Performance Tuning, Staging, Plugins, Front-end Development, Back-end Development, Website Migration, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Back-end, SQL
WordPress Developer
2024 - 2025
Arbel Growth partners - Main
- Converted a Figma design to desktop and mobile web pages using Elementor.
- Set up Cloudflare with a LiteSpeed cache to significantly improve PageSpeed scores and performance.
- Set up courses in LearnPress and connected the courses to WooCommerce products.
- Set up WooCommerce purchases with Stripe, including developing the checkout, single-item cart, and launching the course from the thank you page after purchase.
Technologies: WordPress, Figma, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Responsive Web Design (RWD), Web Design, Elementor, LearnPress, WooCommerce, Stripe, Cloudflare, Optimization, Performance, Custom WordPress, Security, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Stripe API, eCommerce, WP Engine, Technical SEO, Database Optimization, Web UI Design, Web Performance Optimization (WPO), Google SEO, Site Speed Optimization, Staging, Salesforce API, WordPress eCommerce, WordPress Multisite, WooCommerce API, Back-end Development, Payment Gateways, Integration, SQL
Senior WooCommerce Developer
2024 - 2024
Resonance Botanicals, LLC
- Set up a WooCommerce store from scratch based on a design in Figma.
- Connected WooCommerce to ShipStation and the NMI payment gateway.
- Made the website live and set it up with Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Set up basic SEO on their websites, along with the means to monitor it using Yoast and Site Kit.
Technologies: WooCommerce, WordPress, WooCommerce Subscriptions 2, Pixel Perfect, Online Payments, Custom WordPress, Web UX Design, Payment Gateways, SQL
WordPress Developer
2024 - 2024
Atmosphere Enterprises, LLC
- Used Semrush to analyze weaknesses in overall website SEO and apply fixes based on suggestions, including removing harmful backlinks using Google's backlink removal tool.
- Set up the website with Yoast to manage page titles, descriptions, sitemap, and overall website SEO.
- Implemented changes to improve site load based on analysis from PageSpeed Insights, including troubleshooting with caching plugins and settings and other optimization techniques and plugins.
Technologies: WordPress, PHP, JavaScript, Elementor, Google Search Console, PageSpeed, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Semrush, SEO Tools, Yoast SEO, WordPress SEO, Custom WordPress, Security, Web UI Design, Google SEO, Performance Tuning, Integration, SQL
Senior WordPress Developer
2023 - 2023
Artizo Institute
- Developed both the parent website and the training microsite, Curriculum.artizo.org, from a PSD file to a complex WordPress theme.
- Created a sermon manager, allowing them to upload sermon recordings, categories by speaker, series, category, etc., and searchable by speaker, series, category, keywords, and date with paginated results.
- Built the only course microsite with custom content management and display, as well as a "viewer manager" that allows the administrator to create course content viewer accounts that expire after a certain amount of time.
Technologies: PHP, WordPress, jQuery, HTML5, Bootstrap 4, Cron, Mail, Custom Themes, Theme Customization, Stripe, Performance Optimization, Custom WordPress, Web UX Design, Site Speed Optimization, Staging, PSD to WordPress, Front-end Development, Back-end Development, Integration, Legacy Code, SQL
Web Developer
2020 - 2021
Mark Anthony Group
- Redeveloped the White Claw website, and developed new international variations for the White Claw family of websites: https://www.whiteclaw.com.
- Performed time-sensitive updates for all websites when required, including White Claw, Mike's Hard, Bearface Whiskey, Glendalough Whiskey, Free Earth Tea, and Cactus Jack.
- Launched new brands including Freed Earth Tea www.freedearthtea.com) and Mike's Lemonade Seltzer (www.mikeshardseltzer.com).
Technologies: JavaScript, APIs, Hugo, HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap 4, jQuery, Instagram, Animation, Figma, Technical Architecture, Google Analytics, Custom Themes, Localization, REST APIs, Theme Customization, Custom WordPress, Security, Web UI Design, Google SEO, Staging, PSD to WordPress, HTML to WordPress, Front-end Development, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Integration, Legacy Code, SQL
Contract Web Developer
2004 - 2021
Dominet Web Services
- Developed and managed consumer websites for the Mark Anthony Group for more than a year, including brands like White Claw, Mike's Hard, and Bearface Whisky.
- Developed a theme for the Festival of Authors event in Toronto for 2020 (festivalofauthors.ca). The work included advanced integration with the Tessitura Network event/resource management CRM, including custom login sessions and registrations.
- Developed a resources manager, FAQ manager, photo galleries, video galleries, and online courses with quizzes and audio files for www.thechidon.com.
- Developed a system for showing graduates of the Artizo Institute on a Google Map with pictures for icons and a custom pop-up info window at www.artizo.org/clergy-map.
- Developed a new responsive WordPress website specializing in identity theft awareness and prevention called Identity First (www.identityfirst.ca). The tasks included creating a custom MemberPress integration with an API.
- Developed an advanced API-based prize order form using WooCommerce for NSA Canada (www.nsacanada.ca) that created one big order form with two different pricing schemes and a credit system.
- Worked onsite as the lead developer for four months developing new websites for the Rogers Communications’ Cityfone line of websites, including www.cityfone.net and www.simplyconnect.ca.
- Developed a membership registry for interior designers of British Columbia. The work involved programming a form used to import members from a CSV file, member pages, and a search page that allowed searching for members by category, name, and more.
Technologies: WooCommerce, ZURB Foundation, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, WordPress, Bootstrap, CSS, HTML, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), SEO Tools, Elementor, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Content Management Systems (CMS), MySQL, Pixel Perfect, Responsiveness, Front-end, Accessibility, Web Development, SaaS, Web Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), PayPal, WordPress Design, Scripting, Technical Architecture, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Technical Leadership, Custom Themes, REST APIs, Plugin Development, Theme Customization, Membership Sites, Stripe, MemberPress, LearnDash, REST, Performance Optimization, WordPress SEO, Custom WordPress, Web Performance Optimization (WPO), Gutenberg Editor, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Data Migration, Workflow, Legacy Code, Back-end, SQL
Project History
De Dutch Website Redevelopment
https://dedutch.comThis new website was for a Canadian restaurant with 12 different locations in two Canadian provinces. I used the "Flexible Content" field in Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) to create a custom content editor allowing them to add any type of section used throughout their website to any page and in any order, including Carousels, Testimonials, Locations, and Menus. The new website was created based on the provided Figma designs, and when it was finished, I optimized it for speed and set it up with basic SEO before making the new site live.
Vancouver Maritime Museum
https://vanmaritime.comThis was a website built based on a new design to replace their outdated website. A designer sent me the Figma files, and I converted the look and feel to a WordPress theme. To manage their content, I set them up with a custom content editing system using Advanced Custom Fields with Flexible Content, which allows them to select from various section types to add to any page section, including videos, carousels, Instagram feeds, different content styles, and call-to-action buttons.
After the development was completed, I created 301 redirects, set them up with Yoast SEO, and replaced their production site with the new site that had been developed on a staging environment. I worked as a subcontractor for an advertising agency in Vancouver on this project.
After the development was completed, I created 301 redirects, set them up with Yoast SEO, and replaced their production site with the new site that had been developed on a staging environment. I worked as a subcontractor for an advertising agency in Vancouver on this project.
BC First Responders Mental Health | New Website
https://bcfirstrespondersmentalhealth.comThe website was completely redeveloped and designed to be more user-friendly and faster to access critical resources, with a complete overhaul of the resource manager.
The most time-consuming part of the development was coming up with a way to organize their large library of resources with advanced filtering when searching.
The most time-consuming part of the development was coming up with a way to organize their large library of resources with advanced filtering when searching.
SpineX
I redeveloped a WordPress website and reorganized content based on a new design delivered to me via Figma. I was responsible for the full development, creating the front end in Bootstrap. I also used Advanced Custom Fields for advanced content editing on each page, including the management of different content types like newsletters, publications, videos, and their different product pages.
Cost Estimator
There is a cost estimator form on the Bioreference.com website that allows to enter their personal data and get back a cost estimate for a lab test. My job was to take that HTML table of data that was returned and add a "print or email" functionality that allowed the client to have the results printed or emailed. Using PHP and the FPDF library, I was able to generate a nice PDF summary of the cost estimation results that would either prompt the client to print or allow the client to enter an email to have the PDF estimate emailed to them.
Lab Test Directory
I developed this to allow clients to search for lab tests by test code, test name, or CPT code. The page consisted of a form that allowed clients to enter text and PHP code for using the user-entered data to search for the corresponding tests using a company-built API that returned test results. Then the client could click on a test to see the full details for any test.
Mark Anthony Brand Websites
Developed new websites for popular international alcohol brands such as White Claw, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and Bearface Whiskey. The websites included all the international websites for White Claw (www.whiteclaw.com), Bearface Whiskey (www.bearfacewhisky.com), Mike's Hard Lemonade (www.mikeshard.com), Cayman Jack (www.caymanjack.com), Glendalough Whiskey (us.glendaloughdistillery.com), Freed Earth Tea (www.freedearthtea.com), and Mike's Lemonade Seltzer (/www.mikeshardseltzer.com.)
Toronto International Festival of Authors
https://festivalofauthors.caDeveloped a starter theme in Bootstrap 4 with a foundation for building a huge event management web application using the Tessitura Network API. I integrated logins, password resets, account creations, and event registrations into WordPress.
Maximizer CRM
https://www.maximizer.com/Worked on a 3-month contract to redevelop and simplify a 1,000+ page WordPress website for Vancouver-based Maximizer CRM. The tasks involved creating a new Bootstrap 4 theme based on a new design, setting up the site to use the WP Bakery visual editor and redoing all the pages to work with it, reorganizing the content and assets, removing the obsolete Blade templating engine from the core, and recreating all their sale and lead pages using Gravity Forms, various APIs, and custom functions.
Cityfone
I worked onsite as the lead developer for four months, developing new websites for Rogers Communications’ Cityfone line of websites, including www.cityfone.net and www.simplyconnect.ca. My duties involved front-end development using Bootstrap 4 to convert design files into responsive templates and employing jQuery at an advanced level. I also completed the back-end development using PHP, Ajax, an Oracle database, and the ExpressionEngine CMS. I created a highly advanced one-page app that allowed visitors to select phone plans and up to two different devices, while fetching pricing deals and bonus offers from the database. The result can be seen at www.cityfone.net/solution_builder.
Brick Search Microsite
https://bricks.uofscalumni.org/The purpose of this project was to allow administrators to add new bricks to the Historic Horseshoe on campus with people's names and inscriptions. A website viewer could search by name or inscription to find the brick.
Education
1998 - 1999
Diploma in Web Development
Praxis Training Institute - Ottawa, Canada
1995 - 1997
Diploma in Multimedia Learning Technology
New Brunswick Community College - Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada
1990 - 1994
Bachelor's Degree in Science
University of New Brunswick - Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Skills
Libraries/APIs
REST APIs, Google Calendar API, jQuery, WordPress API, WordPress REST API, Stripe, WooCommerce API, Stripe API, Salesforce API, Custom APIs, FPDF, ASPX, React
Tools
Google Analytics, ACF PRO, Figma, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), LearnDash, Gutenberg Editor, Cron, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop, PageSpeed, LearnPress
Languages
HTML, PHP, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, CSS3, SQL, Hugo
Frameworks
Bootstrap, Core Services, ZURB Foundation, Next.js
Paradigms
Responsive Web Design (RWD), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), REST, Web UI Design, Web UX Design, Web Performance Optimization (WPO)
Platforms
WordPress, WooCommerce, Oracle, Adobe ColdFusion, Unix, YouTube, GoHighLevel
Storage
MySQL, WP Engine, Databases
Industry Expertise
Web Design
Other
APIs, Gravity Forms, WordPress Themes, Elementor, Content Management Systems (CMS), Pixel Perfect, Front-end, PSD to WordPress, HTML to WordPress, Web Development, Custom Themes, Theme Customization, Custom WordPress, Security, Consumer-focused Web Development, Core Web Vitals, Technical SEO, Google SEO, Site Speed Optimization, Staging, Front-end Development, Back-end Development, Website Migration, Data Migration, Integration, Legacy Code, Back-end, API Integration, MemberPress, SEO Tools, WordPress Plugins, Responsiveness, Accessibility, WordPress eCommerce, SaaS, PayPal, WordPress Design, Scripting, CSS3 Animation, Technical Architecture, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Google Tag Manager, Technical Leadership, Healthcare IT, Localization, Plugin Development, Membership Sites, WordPress Multisite, Performance Optimization, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Yoast SEO, WordPress SEO, Cloudflare, Privacy, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Branding, eCommerce, RESTFul APIs, Database Optimization, Performance Tuning, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Payment Gateways, Workflow, ExpressionEngine, Bootstrap 4, Instagram, Animation, Search, Mail, Plugins, Graphic Design, Digital Graphics, Online Course Design, Multimedia, Web Marketing, Science, Figma to WordPress, Custom Post Types, Google Search Console, Semrush, WooCommerce Subscriptions 2, Online Payments, Optimization, Performance, Page Speed Optimization, Swiper, Airtable, Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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