WordPress Developer in Ottawa
I build custom WordPress sites – not page builder templates, not off-the-shelf themes with your logo swapped in. Custom child themes built on WordPress core, clean markup, minimal plugins, and an admin interface your client can actually use without calling a developer every time something needs changing.
Who Needs a Custom WordPress Build?
Not everyone does. If you just need a fast, single-purpose page for a campaign, a landing page is a cheaper and faster option. But a custom WordPress build is the right call when:
- You need a site that matches your brand precisely – not a template that “almost” works
- You’ll be managing content regularly and need the admin interface to actually make sense
- Performance and SEO matter – custom builds are leaner than page builder sites by default
- You have specific functionality requirements: forms, WooCommerce, custom post types, gallery management
- You’re building something you’ll rely on for years and want to own it properly
How I Build
Mobile-first, always. WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance isn’t an add-on – it goes in from the first line of CSS. Every plugin gets justified: if it’s not doing something essential, it doesn’t go in. Page builders don’t go in at all. They generate bloated markup, fight you on performance, and create dependencies that outlast the project.
I build editor styles that match the front end so what you see in the WordPress block editor is what your visitors see. That sounds obvious but most themes don’t bother, and it makes a real difference when your client is managing their own content a year after the build.
The Stack
Every site I build runs on a consistent, vetted set of tools. No bloat, no guesswork:
- Gutenberg (WordPress block editor) – the native site builder built into WordPress core. Fast, lightweight, no paid license, actively maintained by the WordPress development team. No third-party page builders.
- Security – Wordfence for firewall and malware scanning, login attempt limiting, and a non-default login URL. These three together block the vast majority of automated attacks.
- SEO – Yoast SEO for metadata and sitemaps, custom schema markup in functions.php, and Site Kit by Google for connecting Search Console and Analytics directly in the dashboard.
- Email and forms – WP Mail SMTP for reliable email delivery (WordPress’s built-in mail breaks on most hosts), and Forminator for contact forms.
- Backups – UpdraftPlus on a scheduled automatic backup. Disasters happen – this costs nothing and saves everything.
- Images – EWWW Image Optimizer for compression and WebP conversion, Regenerate Thumbnails for keeping image sizes consistent.
- Speed – Autoptimize for CSS and JavaScript minification, plus Cloudflare in front of the site for CDN caching and additional performance gains.
- E-commerce (if needed) – WooCommerce, with Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer for transactional emails that don’t look like they were sent in 2012.
What’s Included
- Custom child theme built on WordPress core – no page builders
- Mobile-first responsive layout
- WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance
- SEO foundation – proper heading structure, image alt text, schema markup, XML sitemap
- Performance optimization – minimal plugins, clean markup, fast load times
- Editor styles matching the front end
- Contact forms via Forminator with reliable email delivery through WP Mail SMTP
- Basic content management training so you can handle day-to-day updates yourself
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on what the project actually involves. A simple small business site is a different scope than something with WooCommerce, custom post types, or extensive custom functionality. I quote based on what’s actually in the build – get in touch and I’ll give you a clear number before anything starts.
Depends on what you need. A well-chosen premium theme with your branding applied is a legitimate option – faster to build, lower cost. The tradeoffs are performance (themes carry code you’ll never use), flexibility (eventually you’ll want something the theme can’t do), and longevity (theme companies disappear or change direction). If you’re building something you’ll rely on for years, custom is worth the investment. If you’re early-stage and testing, a good theme is fine to start with.
WordPress.com is a hosted service – easy to start but restricted in what you can customize, and you’re paying them monthly for a platform you don’t control. WordPress.org is the open-source software you install on your own hosting – full control, your own plugins and themes, no platform restrictions. Everything I build uses WordPress.org on your own hosting. It’s the version that lets you actually own your site.
A typical small business site takes two to four weeks from signed agreement to launch. That includes design review, revisions, content loading, and testing. Larger projects with more pages or custom functionality take longer – I’ll give you a realistic timeline in the quote, not an optimistic one.
If you already have a site that needs a rebuild rather than a new build, the process is similar but includes mapping existing content and handling SEO redirects carefully so you don’t lose rankings. More on the redesign process here.
Start a WordPress Project
Tell me what you’re working on. I’ll get back to you within one business day.