Case Study: Custom Coded WordPress Blog Theme Development

Project Overview

I undertook the development of a custom coded WordPress blog theme for ZenMaid, a leading provider of maid service management software. The goal was to create a tailored online platform that enhances engagement, provides valuable insights, and supports the growth of ZenMaid's community and user base.

Client Background

ZenMaid offers comprehensive maid service management software designed to automate, simplify, and facilitate the growth of maid service businesses. Their platform includes features for scheduling, customer management, invoicing, and more, aimed at streamlining operations and improving efficiency for their clients.

Scope of Work

I developed a custom coded WordPress blog theme to meet ZenMaid's specific needs, focusing on creating a user-friendly and visually appealing platform for their blog content.

1. Blog Home Page:

•Main Title and Subtext: Introduction to the blog.

•3 Categories Call to Action Sections (Static): Highlight three main blog categories with engaging call to action elements.

•Top 5 Blog Module (Custom Algorithm): Showcases five blogs with the maximum number of views. This module will use a universal algorithm based on the total number of views for each blog, showcasing the top 5 blogs across all categories.

•Facebook Community Call to Action Module (Static): Promotes Facebook community engagement. This section will be consistent across all category pages, with fixed content, icon, and links.

•Most Recent Blog Cards (Dynamic): Displays the most recent blog posts, fetched from the post module content.

•Pagination (Custom Algorithm): Displays 15 articles per page, arranged in 5 articles per row and 3 rows per page.

2. Blog Individual Category Pages (#01, #02, and #03):

•Main Category Title and Subtext: Introduction to the specific category.

•Top 5 Blog Module (Custom Algorithm): Similar to the home page, showcasing the top 5 blogs with the highest views across all categories.

•Facebook Community Call to Action Module (Static): Consistent with the home page’s Facebook CTA.

•Most Recent Blog Cards (Dynamic): Displays the most recent posts within the specific category.

•Pagination (Custom Algorithm): Displays 15 articles per page, arranged in 5 articles per row and 3 rows per page.

5. Individual Blog Detailed Page:

•Blog Title (Dynamic): The title of the blog post.

•Total Number of Views Count (Custom Algorithm): Displays the number of views the blog post has received.

•Total Number of Likes Count (Custom Algorithm): Displays the number of likes the blog post has received.

•Last Updated Date (Dynamic): Displays the last updated month and year.

•Category Name (Dynamic): Displays the category of the blog post.

•Intro Verified Banner (Static): Consistent across all individual detailed blog pages.

•Blog Intro Subtext (Dynamic): Introduction to the blog post content.

•Table of Contents (Dynamic): Optional section where the author can choose to display a table of contents for the article.

6. Sidebar:

o Top Right Featured Image (Dynamic): Displays a featured image relevant to the blog post.

o Top 5 Blog Module (Custom Algorithm): Showcases the top 5 blogs with the highest views across all categories.

o Facebook Community Call to Action Module (Static): Consistent with other pages, promoting Facebook community engagement.

•Quick Tip from Author Section: Post module will have an option to choose which template is required for a specific blog

o Version 1 (Static): Image on the right, text on the left, including image, title, bullet points, subtext, and link. Five templates with consistent UI, differing only in content and image.

o Version 2 (Static): Image on the top, text below, including image, title, bullet points, subtext, and links. Five templates with consistent UI, differing only in content and image.

•Post Article Section: Post module will have an option to choose which version (1 or 2) is required for a specific blog

o Version 1 (Static): Single template including title and four bullet points with text and links, no image or icon. Consistent content across articles.

o Version 2 (Static): Single template including a title, four bullet points with text and links, icons, image, and one Subscribe CTA. Consistent content across articles.

7. Navigation Menu:

•Header: Simple design without submenu, including links to the 3 main category pages and a logo redirecting to the Blog Home page.

•Floating Notification/Sticky Bar: Call to Action button for important notifications.

•Footer: Includes relevant links, social media icons, and logo.

•Pagination (Custom Algorithm): Consistent 15 articles per page, arranged in 5 articles per row and 3 rows per page.

8. Additional Specifications

•Facebook Community CTA in Individual Blog Detailed Page: On hover, the card will elevate slightly (translate Y by 3px), change background color, and intensify shadow according to design.

•Top 5 Blog Module in Individual Blog Detailed Page: On hover, the title opacity will drop by 20%, and the cursor will change to a pointer.

•Mobile Bottom Sticky Banner: For Facebook Community CTA, appearing at the bottom of the screen on article pages.

•Header Behavior: When scrolling up, the top header will show; when scrolling down, it will hide. The navigation menu is not sticky.

•Mobile Bottom Sticky Banner: Will fade out when readers reach the bottom of the article to focus on post-article CTAs.

Design Integration:

The project commenced with a detailed review and integration of the client-provided Figma design into a WordPress environment. This involved translating the intricate design elements into functional website components.

Custom Theme Development:

I executed custom coding to develop a comprehensive WordPress theme tailored to the client's specifications. This included:

Implementing custom post types and taxonomies to organize content effectively.

Incorporating advanced custom fields for flexible content management.

Integrating custom widgets and plugins to enhance functionality.

Responsive Design: Ensuring optimal performance across various devices and screen sizes through responsive design principles.

Performance Optimization: Implementing optimizations to enhance site speed, including caching mechanisms, image optimization, and minification of CSS and JavaScript files.

Security Measures: Integrating security best practices to safeguard the website against potential vulnerabilities and threats.

User Training: Providing client training sessions to familiarize them with the WordPress dashboard, enabling them to manage and update content independently.

Technologies Used

WordPress: Utilized as the core content management system (CMS) for its flexibility and scalability.

PHP: Leveraged for backend customization and theme development.

HTML/CSS: Implemented to ensure precise rendering of design elements.

JavaScript: Employed for interactive components and functionality enhancements.

Figma: Served as the primary design tool for creating and refining the website layout and visual elements.

Project Completion :

The project is complete and handed over to client, with the main blog page and individual category pages.