Darko Gjorgjijoski, Developer in Skopje, Macedonia
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Darko Gjorgjijoski

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Bio

Darko is a professional with several years of experience in software development and knows how crucial quality code, hard work, and excellent communication is to a project's success. Along with having in-depth knowledge of WordPress plugin and theme development, WooCommerce, custom web app, and REST API development, he's also skilled in server and performance optimization. Darko is passionate about learning new things and improving his existing skills.

Portfolio

MegaOptim
Adobe Photoshop, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), HTML5...
CodeVerve
Web Hosting, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), ACF PRO, WP-CLI, WordPress API...
Propellor BV
WordPress, WordPress Themes, WordPress Design, HTML5, WordPress Plugins, PHP...

Experience

  • PHP - 10 years
  • JavaScript - 10 years
  • MySQL - 10 years
  • REST APIs - 10 years
  • BuddyPress - 10 years
  • WordPress - 10 years
  • WooCommerce - 10 years
  • WordPress API - 9 years

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Slack, PhpStorm, Unix, Windows

The most amazing...

...thing I've developed is an image optimization service called MegaOptim used by over 1,000 websites and applications.

Work Experience

Senior Full-stack Developer

2017 - PRESENT
MegaOptim
  • Built image compression APIs in the Lumen framework from Laravel that serves more than 1,000 web apps and sites. The resulting images are up to 92% smaller in size after optimization.
  • Developed a WordPress plugin that utilizes the image compression APIs and automates the image optimization process in WordPress sites.
  • Constructed a support-and-billing panel for customers to purchase premium plans, monitor statistics, and open-support requests.
  • Created a PHP composer package and CLI tool that utilizes the image compression APIs and allows the optimizations APIs to be integrated into any application.
  • Developed a WordPress website to showcase the service and documentation page for REST APIs.
  • Created a load-balanced set up to offload requests to multiple servers and speed up the processing time.
Technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), HTML5, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), LAMP, MySQL, Front-end, Back-end, Git, Redis, Laravel, WordPress, JavaScript, PHP, REST APIs, APIs, HAProxy, Load Balancers, DevOps, Web Development, UI Design, API Integration, Page Speed Optimization, Web Applications, DB

Senior WordPress Developer

2016 - PRESENT
CodeVerve
  • Built the WordPress plugin "WP Vimeo Videos," currently used by more than 500 sites. The plugin integrates WordPress with Vimeo and allows users to upload Vimeo videos from the WordPress dashboard or Gutenberg editor.
  • Developed the GravityForms Handmade Signatures plugin that allows the site owner to embed a signature field in any form created with GravityForms.
  • Helped existing clients with bug fixing, website performance, and page-speed optimization to at least 90% percent and up to two seconds of loading time.
  • Developed a custom WooCommerce solution and integrated various payment gateways for the clients' needs.
  • Created an internal licensing plugin for WordPress that validates license keys and handles auto-updates of the premium plugins.
  • Built the Digital License Manager plugin for WordPress that provides functionality for selling license keys for software and acts as a software licensing server. The solution can be used with or without WooCommerce.
Technologies: Web Hosting, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), ACF PRO, WP-CLI, WordPress API, HTML5, WooCommerce, MySQL, Front-end, Back-end, Git, REST APIs, WordPress Plugins, Gutenberg Editor, Gravity Forms, APIs, Vimeo, WordPress, PHP, JavaScript, Leaflet, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Web Development, Site Speed Optimization, Web Applications, DB, Stripe Checkout

WordPress Developer

2022 - 2023
Propellor BV
  • Refactored an eCommerce WordPress plugin and optimized its performance and security while improving code quality. Sites that used the secure plugin became 100% faster.
  • Developed new features, fixed bugs, and rewrote existing functionality for better performance and security.
  • Created a customized Linux hosting environment to host the client's sites that utilize their services. The new hosting environment improves the sites' performance and security and simplifies the development work and website provisioning using a command line interface.
  • Implemented a GitLab CI/CD flow with pipelines on the new Linux hosting environment. This allowed developers to automatically deploy versions to both production and development sites based on certain GitLab repository actions.
  • Created a custom plugin that serves as an Elementor support layer used on the clients' sites to improve the main eCommerce plugin compatibility.
  • Prepared the eCommerce plugin for WordPress.org plugin directory submission, which required significant codebase changes to use WordPress coding standards and requirements that were not used before.
Technologies: WordPress, WordPress Themes, WordPress Design, HTML5, WordPress Plugins, PHP, CSS, eCommerce, Headless Commerce, GraphQL, Astra, Web Development, DB

WordPress Developer

2020 - 2023
7055 Inc
  • Developed a multivendor marketplace plugin for WooCommerce that provides functionality where product vendors can sign up and post their products on the store where those products can be seen and purchased.
  • Integrated Stripe payments through the multivendor plugin and Stripe Connect, where vendors can set up their accounts and receive payouts through the store.
  • Developed a custom plugin for events that provides functionality to publish new events on the site. Both admins or regular users can publish events; if published later, then the event is subject to approval.
  • Deployed the website on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and set up the hosting environment using NGINX and PHP-FPM.
Technologies: WordPress, PHP, MySQL, CSS, HTML5, Figma, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), WooCommerce, WooCommerce API, PSD to WordPress, HTML to WordPress, WordPress Plugins, Stripe, Stripe API, Stripe Connect, Stripe Connect API, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Web Development, AffiliateWP, DB

WordPress Developer

2022 - 2022
Northeastern University
  • Developed a WordPress plugin that integrates and consumes custom AI-based API for content suggestions.
  • Created custom themes and various charts for displaying API data.
  • Worked together with another developer on planning the API and custom development.
  • Created AWS Lambda functions for various web automations.
Technologies: WordPress, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), APIs, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Python, MySQL, Web Design, WordPress Design, Bluehost, Figma, HTML to WordPress, WordPress Theme Design, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Visualization, Web Development, API Integration

Senior WordPress Developer

2018 - 2021
Land Title Association of Mississippi
  • Developed an identity verification plugin that utilizes the Stripe Identity Verification API to verify a user's identity.
  • Built a user directory that lists all the active user profiles that belong to a specific membership plan.
  • Developed a legislation tracking plugin for tracking specific US house/senate bills.
  • Built various directories like a state county directory with helpful information.
Technologies: WP-CLI, Gravity Forms, Bootstrap 3+, WordPress API, HTML5, CSS, MySQL, Back-end, Front-end, Git, jQuery, WordPress Plugins, Stripe, BuddyPress, WooCommerce, Stripe API, WordPress, JavaScript, PHP, WooCommerce API, LearnDash, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Custom Post Types, WordPress Multi-user, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Typeform.io, Web Development, API Integration

WordPress Developer

2017 - 2020
The St. Petersburg Group
  • Developed the St. Pete Catalyst news site in WordPress. The website handles thousands of requests on an hourly basis and several other plugins that provide various functionalities for this site.
  • Built a WordPress plugin and internal events API that hosts an events network used by pre-approved websites through the WordPress plugin, which consumes the events API.
  • Created a WordPress plugin for booking advertisements that integrate with Stripe. Clients can top up their accounts with credits that can be used to purchase advertisement slots on pre-approved sites in the network for a given time.
  • Developed various custom forms from XD designs used for data input by the guests, namely guest posts.
  • Implemented a business directory where local businesses can create their profiles and add information about their business.
  • Created a COVID-19 interactive map with several cases in zip-code regions in Pinellas county using Leaflet.js.
Technologies: WP Rocket, ACF PRO, WP-CLI, Gravity Forms, Bootstrap 3+, WordPress API, HTML5, CSS, MySQL, Google Maps, Back-end, Front-end, Git, REST APIs, WordPress Themes, PSD to WordPress, WordPress Plugins, Stripe, jQuery, JavaScript, WordPress, PHP, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Custom Post Types, Web Design, DevOps, WordPress Multi-user, Web Development, UI Design, API Integration

Senior Web Developer

2013 - 2018
Freelance
  • Developed a web app game that primarily focused on people with diabetes (they answered quizzes and then gained points and levels in their accounts). The application served more than 1,000 users simultaneously.
  • Built a new functionality and improved the existing functionality to speed up the service phptopdf.com which serves more than 100,000 requests daily.
  • Developed, maintained, and hosted over 100 WordPress websites for local and remote clients.
  • Created HTML/JavaScript promotional animations for the Starbucks site used for promotion.
  • Developed engagestudio.com based on the PSD design, including integrations with HubSpot and Trustpilot.
  • Developed the loopsandbits.ch eCommerce site for music equipment. The eCommerce portion is based on WooCommerce and integrates with several payment gateways like PostFinance, PayPal, and Twint.
  • Developed the techgarage.blog based on Zeplin designs, including dark mode, integration with Campaign Monitor, and Gravity Forms.
  • Developed the Ilubooking.ee WordPress beauty-booking site and the booking REST API consumed by Android and iOS apps.
  • Developed a site for online learning based on LearnDash and BuddyPress where students can sign up, create their social profiles and start online learning.
Technologies: Web Hosting, Genesis Framework, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), ACF PRO, WP-CLI, Gravity Forms, Bootstrap 3+, WordPress API, HTML5, CSS, LAMP, WordPress Rescue, WooCommerce, MySQL, Google Maps, Back-end, Front-end, Git, REST APIs, jQuery, PSD to WordPress, Vue, Symfony, Laravel, WordPress, JavaScript, PHP, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Custom Post Types, Web Design, WordPress Design, User Interface (UI), YouTube API, DevOps, WordPress Multisite, WordPress Multi-user, Divi, GitHub, IT Security, Webflow, Web Development, UI Design

Experience

Loops and Bits WooCommerce Shop

I developed a custom WordPress site for Loopsandbits.ch based on WooCommerce and integrates with PostFinance, PayPal, and TWINT. The site also implements infinite load and grouping by brands in the shop page and various custom filters.

Engage Studio Custom WordPress Site

https://www.engagestudio.com/
I developed a custom WordPress website from Photoshop designs (PSD) for Engagestudio.com. The site was developed using ACF to provide a seamless editing experience and was integrated with Trustpilot, HubSpot, and Google Maps.

Tech Garage Custom WordPress Blog

https://techgarage.blog/
I built the Tech Garage blog from scratch based on Zeplin designs. Also, I developed various functionalities like dark mode, integration with campaign monitor, and terms of contents for the posts based on headings.

Triple M Metal WordPress Site

I developed a custom WordPress website for Triple M Metal from Adobe Photoshop designs (PSD). This also included the development of a custom yard locator plugin that allows the user to locate the nearest yards, using the Google Maps API based on his current location determined with browsers geolocation or IP geolocation as a fallback.

Area Calculator

http://areacalc.dg.mk
I developed an area calculator using JavaScript and Google Maps that allows the user to measure areas by drawing a rectangle on a map and showing the area size under the map element. Also, users can navigate to a specific area by simply searching the desired address.

WP Vimeo Videos WordPress Plugin

https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-vimeo-videos/
I developed a WordPress plugin that integrates the WordPress website with the popular video hosting service Vimeo. The plugin allows the admins to upload videos to Vimeo directly from the WordPress dashboard. The plugin also has a Gutenberg block based on React, making it easy to upload a video to Vimeo from the Gutenberg block editor and embed it in the post/page.

MegaOptim Image Optimizer WordPress Plugin

https://wordpress.org/plugins/megaoptim-image-optimizer/
I built a WordPress plugin for image optimization that automates the process of image optimization on websites. It provides a bulk optimization module for a media library, allows the user to select an existing filesystem folder containing images, optimizes it, and integrates with several WordPress plugins, such as NextGen Galleries.

Handmade Signatures WordPress Plugin for Gravity Forms

https://demos.codeverve.com/gravityforms-handmade-signatures/
I built a WordPress plugin that provides the signatures field for Gravity Forms. The signature field can capture a user's signature and store it securely in a digital form as an image. The plugin was developed with PHP and JavaScript.

Support and Billing Panel in Laravel

https://app.megaoptim.com
I created a Laravel-based web application that handles client billing and support ticketing, which integrates with an external payment gateway and the live chat service, Crisp. I developed both the back end and the front end of the application.

IluBooking WordPress site

I developed the IluBooking.ee site in WordPress, using PHP, JavaScript, and Ajax, and designed the app database. The site has multiple languages, a booking module, and a REST API consumed by the Android and iOS mobile apps.

Migonline Custom PHP Application

https://migonline.com
Developed the application based on a Custom PHP with JavaScript, jQuery, and MySQL. The website has multiple contact forms that collect client information in a custom database. Also, it is responsive and works with all devices.

Sardo Foods Website

A WordPress-based website for one of Canada's largest food suppliers/manufacturers. I developed this website based on a wireframe: the site contains a product database and integrates with Instagram and Facebook.

Sardo Foods B2B Application

A WordPress-based plugin that is used to create a business-to-business web application where businesses can order food products from the manufacturer. I developed various functionalities within this project, including support for different roles (B2B admin, B2B sales rep, etc.), an order form, product and customer import/export, and email notifications.

St. Pete Catalyst - Business News Portal

https://stpetecatalyst.com
A website for a local news outlet in St. Petersburg, Florida. I developed the website from the ground, along with various tools for publishing and newsletter management. The website is modular, and every functionality is split into its plugin so that each feature can be enabled or disabled based on usage. The technologies used are WordPress, PHP, and JavaScript.

CityVerse - Virtual Cities

https://cityverse.life
A website for a news blockchain-based startup. I developed the website from scratch based on Figma design. The website is developed with Bricks builder and custom PHP/JavaScript where necessary. It also uses GravityForms for web forms.

Laravel Vue 3 Starter

https://github.com/gdarko/laravel-vue-starter
A starter project for Laravel that integrates with the new Vue 3 and utilizes the Composition API, along with Tailwind CSS, Vue Router, and Pinia. The project was created to help reduce the amount of work when bootstrapping new similar projects.

Digital License Manager

https://wordpress.org/plugins/digital-license-manager/
A WordPress plugin that integrates with WooCommerce and provides the functionality for selling software licenses through WooCommerce. The plugin also provides an update server that can be integrated to provide automatic updates through your application UI.

AIGraid

AIGraid is a WordPress plugin that revolutionizes the grading process for LearnDash users. It automatically evaluates and scores student essays using the power of AI. This plugin streamlines the grading workflow, providing instant and accurate assessments, thereby freeing up valuable time for teachers and educators. With seamless integration into LearnDash, it ensures consistent grading standards and enhances the overall e-learning experience.

Bajki.mk - Local Website for Fairytales

https://bajki.mk/
A WordPress website built with the Bricks page builder that lists various fairy tales for our local readers. It is responsive and built to work on every device. The site is optimized and outputs an outstanding Google PageSpeed score.

Education

2013 - 2019

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Engineering

Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje - Skopje, Macedonia

Skills

Libraries/APIs

WordPress REST API, WordPress API, Vimeo API, YouTube API, WooCommerce API, jQuery, REST APIs, BuddyPress, Google Maps API, Google Maps JavaScript API 3, Google APIs, Vue 3, React, Stripe Connect, Stripe Connect API, Campaign Monitor API, Vue, Leaflet, Google Maps, Stripe API, Shopify API, Stripe, Typeform.io

Tools

ACF PRO, PhpStorm, Slack, LearnDash, Git, Cron, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), GitHub, AffiliateWP, Stripe Checkout, WP-CLI, Trello, Subversion (SVN), Jira, Gutenberg Editor, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, C#.NET WinForms, The SEO Framework

Languages

CSS, HTML, HTML5, JavaScript, PHP, SQL, Java, TypeScript, SCSS, Python, GraphQL, C, C++

Frameworks

Genesis Framework, Divi, Laravel, Bootstrap 3+, Tailwind CSS, Angular, ASP.NET Web Forms, Symfony

Paradigms

Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Responsive Layout, REST, DevOps, Agile, Scrum, Database Design, Unit Testing, UI Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Platforms

WordPress, WooCommerce, WordPress Theme Design, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), LAMP, LEMP, Amazon Web Services (AWS), HubSpot, Windows, Unix, Android, Bluehost, Webflow

Storage

Amazon S3 (AWS S3), MySQL, DB, Redis, Redis Cache, Memcached, SQL Performance

Industry Expertise

Web Design

Other

Elementor, WordPress Themes, PSD to WordPress, Autoptimize, Back-end, Gravity Forms, Web Hosting, WordPress Plugins, PSD to HTML, PSD Slicing, Maps, Google Maps Styling, Performance, HAProxy, Custom Post Types, Bricks, WordPress Multisite, WordPress Multi-user, HTML to WordPress, WooCommerce Subscriptions 2, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Web Development, API Integration, Page Speed Optimization, Site Speed Optimization, Web Applications, Stripe Payments, WordPress Rescue, Front-end, Responsive UI, Responsive Design, User Experience (UX), Load Balancers, Ajax, Campaign Monitor Integration, Pop-ups, WordPress Design, eCommerce, Laravel Sanctum, Laravel Fortify, IT Security, Data Visualization, WP Rocket, Vimeo, APIs, PHP Performance, User Interface (UI), Headless Commerce, Astra, Pinia, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Software Engineering

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