Ratko Solaja
Verified Expert in Engineering
WordPress Developer
Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia
Toptal member since September 7, 2016
With over 10 years of WordPress expertise, Ratko specializes in crafting bespoke websites that are tailored to each client’s unique needs. His experience spans custom plugin and theme development (classic, hybrid, and block-based), API integrations, and eCommerce solutions. From creating custom APIs to managing complex migrations, Ratko’s focus is on delivering high-quality, fully customized solutions that engage and inspire, going beyond generic approaches to meet specific business goals.
Portfolio
Experience
- WordPress Plugins - 10 years
- WordPress - 10 years
- PHP - 10 years
- HTML5 - 9 years
- WooCommerce - 9 years
- Object-oriented Programming (OOP) - 7 years
- WordPress Theme Design - 7 years
- Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) - 4 years
Availability
Preferred Environment
WordPress, MacOS, WordPress Plugins, WordPress Themes, WP-CLI
The most amazing...
...project I’ve worked on was a fully bespoke help center for a clinical research company featuring BigQuery integration, a custom forum, a marketplace, and LMS.
Work Experience
Senior WordPress Developer
Simplicity, LLC
- Developed websites for the country's largest media and news organizations, including prominent names like Dnevni List Danas, Radar, CityMagazine, and Nasa Mreza.
- Engineered a versatile booking plugin featuring a dynamic calendar that handles single or multiple-day bookings, even when split across weeks or months.
- Built WooCommerce stores with advanced features, such as custom payment methods, memberships, and subscription services, tailored to meet unique client needs.
Senior WordPress Developer
CRIO, Inc
- Developed a fully tailored marketplace for purchasing study designs, including features like product tracking and a CSV import script that seamlessly adds, updates, or removes products.
- Designed a comprehensive partner directory from scratch, enabling partners to showcase their profiles and services and connect directly with clients through the help center.
- Crafted a new marketing website from the ground up, utilizing Bedrock and Sage 10 for a modern, efficient, and scalable solution.
- Implemented robust user authentication flows—including login, registration, and password recovery—while managing site options across various user roles.
Senior WordPress Developer
Speck
- Spearheaded the development of an LMS tailored for medical professionals, enhancing their training, education, and certification.
- Innovated a chat system that connects WordPress users in real-time during webinars, boosting engagement and collaboration.
- Designed and launched a dynamic website using Elementor for a client, supporting the creators of Epic Sum Up for Jira.
- Provided expert guidance in setting up a robust server infrastructure for the project, ensuring seamless performance.
Junior/Medium WordPress Developer
MediaNovak
- Developed WordPress websites for clients globally, with a focus on photographers and videographers. Given the media-rich content, optimizing performance was a top priority, ensuring fast load times and a seamless user experience.
- Developed and sold custom WordPress themes and HTML templates on Envato’s ThemeForest marketplace, adhering to industry standards and best practices for design, functionality, and performance.
- Provided support for premium themes, assisting clients with functionality set up and troubleshooting. Ensured timely resolution of technical issues, delivering high-quality customer service to enhance user satisfaction.
Experience
CRIO Marketing Website
https://clinicalresearch.io/Website for A1 Group
https://nasamreza.rs/Marketing Website for Epic Sum Up Jira
https://epicsumup.com/Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science
Univerzitet PIM - Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Skills
Libraries/APIs
REST APIs, Animate.css, jQuery UI, jQuery, Sage, WordPress API, BuddyPress, Stripe
Tools
Terminal, Sublime Text 3, Git, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Oh My Zsh, LearnDash, WP-CLI, Gutenberg Editor, Figma, Mailchimp, GitHub, NGINX, Litmus, Confluence
Languages
SCSS, PHP, CSS3, HTML5, CSS, HTML, PHP 8, JavaScript, SQL
Frameworks
ZURB Foundation, Redux, Bootstrap 3+, Bedrock, Tailwind CSS, Alpine.js, Bootstrap
Paradigms
Functional Programming, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), UI Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), UX Design
Platforms
MacOS, WordPress, WordPress Theme Design, WooCommerce, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Shopify, cPanel
Industry Expertise
Web Design
Storage
MySQL, MySQL/MariaDB, JSON, Redis Cache
Other
Command-line Interface (CLI), WordPress Multisite, Ajax, WordPress Plugins, CSS3 Animation, Machine Learning, WordPress Themes, Computer Science, Sage 9, Elementor Pro, Elementor, Sage 10, WordPress Design, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Responsive Design, Web Development, WordPress SEO, WordPress Security, SEO Tools, API Integration, APIs, WordPress Customization, Third-party Integration, Figma to WordPress, Communication, Payment APIs, Websites, Mobile UI, Yoast SEO, Payment Gateways, Full-stack Development, Marketplaces, Subscriptions, eCommerce, Email, Foundation Inky, Gravity Forms, Servers, DNS, Ubuntu Server, Google Analytics 4, OneTrust, FTP/S, IT Support, MemberPress
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