Zackary Wika, Developer in Austin, TX, United States
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Zackary Wika

Verified Expert  in Engineering

WordPress Developer

Location
Austin, TX, United States
Toptal Member Since
June 30, 2021

Zackary specializes in all things WordPress. His process strongly emphasizes accessibility, SEO, security, optimization, custom theme, plugin development, WordPress conversions, and Gutenberg block development. For over a decade, Zackary has built the custom themes and plugins of WordPress websites for well-known companies such as IBM, Vitamin Angels, Motel 6, Joe's Crab Shack, NICE, Mr. Cooper, and CyrusOne.

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Slack, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Tower, WordPress, GitHub, Docker, Node.js, React

The most amazing...

...custom theme I've developed was a theme that improved a website's performance score from 2 to 92 and increased conversions by over 300%.

Work Experience

Lead Developer and Digital Strategist

2010 - PRESENT
LUNCH LADY
  • Supported WordPress assets over multiple iterations of growth for various companies as scale and integration requirements changed.
  • Audited, debugged, and optimized existing WordPress assets to attain higher rankings, better user experiences, and more.
  • Set requirements for web development teams in best practices concerning accessibility, SEO, security, optimization, and user experience, ultimately guiding the teams in implementing and maintaining those best practices.
Technologies: WordPress, HTML, HTML5, CSS, Sass, JavaScript, jQuery, React, REST, Interactive UX, User Experience (UX), Digital Strategy, PSD to HTML, PSD to WordPress, WordPress Themes, WordPress Plugins, WordPress Design, HTML to WordPress, Gutenberg Editor, Programming, Websites, PHP, WordPress API, WordPress REST API

Auditing and Optimizing for a Data Center Company

A WordPress installation with a custom theme had thousands of files that needed to be audited and optimized. I was the lead developer and digital strategist on the initiative that required the mapping and redevelopment of their custom theme and plugins. Ultimately, we successfully reduced their file requirements by over 90% for a more manageable file structure, leading to a higher ranking on Google.

Managed Integrations for Delivery App

A WordPress installation for a delivery service app needed custom integrations to connect their existing website to various third-party platforms. Partner management, employee recruitment, and app integrations were just a few of the requirements that needed to be integrated into their custom WordPress theme. I was the lead developer and digital strategist on the project that helped successfully connect these third-party platforms, which ultimately led to further growth and another investment round.

Modernization for Technology Manufacturer

A WordPress installation with years' worth of materials had an older branding needing a refresh for the modern web. I was the lead developer and digital strategist tasked with replacing the theme while still maintaining the structure and content of the site. By mapping the structure and requirements of the site, we were able to replace the current theme with a new custom theme in a development environment that we later successfully merged with the live environment. The new look and feel of the site maintained the website's material presence and ultimately led to an acquisition.

Languages

HTML, HTML5, CSS, Sass, JavaScript, PHP

Platforms

WordPress, WooCommerce, WordPress VIP, WordPress Theme Design, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Docker

Other

PSD to WordPress, WordPress Themes, WordPress Plugins, PSD to HTML, WordPress Design, HTML to WordPress, Leadership, WordPress eCommerce, WordPress Multisite, WordPress Optimization, WordPress Management, WordPress Page Builder, WordPress to PDF, WordPress Installation, Bootstrap to WordPress, Squarespace to WordPress, Material to WordPress, WordPress Multi-user, Sketch to WordPress, WordPress Rescue, CodeKit, Entrepreneurship, User Experience (UX), Graphic Design, User Interface (UI), Responsive Web Apps, Interactive UX, Digital Strategy, Programming, Websites, Communication Design, Interaction Design (IxD)

Libraries/APIs

jQuery, React, WordPress API, WordPress REST API, Node.js

Tools

Slack, MAMP, Tower, BrowserStack, Gutenberg Editor, Google Analytics, GitHub

Paradigms

REST, UX Design

2017 - 2019

Master's Degree in Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship

University of Texas at Austin - Austin, TX, USA

2010 - 2014

Bachelor's Degree in Communication Design

Texas Woman's University (TWU) - Denton, TX, USA

JANUARY 2023 - PRESENT

Certified WordPress Developer

Codeable

JANUARY 2022 - PRESENT

Certified WordPress Developer

LinkedIn