PHP, Wordpress, Magento and Shopify Web Developer in Northern Ireland
Hello, I'm Keith.
I'm a Belfast, Northern Ireland–based senior web developer and technical lead delivering robust, user‑centred websites and web applications.
I work with PHP, WordPress and other platforms helping organisations turn complex requirements into elegant, successful and maintainable solutions.
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Core Web Vitals: Optimisation techniques
Google's Core Web Vitals have become the de facto standard for measuring user experience on the web. For years, developers have focused on the foundational trio: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). While addressing these metrics is essential, many high-traffic WordPress and e-commerce sites find themselves plateauing. They pass the threshold but struggle…
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WordPress plugin security auditing
In the WordPress ecosystem, plugins are the lifeblood of functionality, yet they represent the single largest attack surface for malicious actors. With thousands of new plugins submitted to the repository daily and countless others hosted on private repositories, the risk of introducing vulnerabilities into a production environment is ever-present. For senior developers and technical leads, relying solely on the reputation…
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Building cookieless tracking without Google Analytics
The era of ubiquitous third-party cookies is drawing to a close, accelerated by stringent regulations like the GDPR in Europe and the CCPA in California, alongside browser initiatives such as Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention and Google's phased removal of cookies in Chrome. For web developers and site owners, the reliance on Google Analytics (GA) as the default solution is becoming…
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WordPress 6.9.1
WordPress 6.9.1, released on 3 February 2026, is a short‑cycle maintenance update that follows the major 6.9 “Gene” launch in December 2025. Rather than adding new features, this point release concentrates on stabilising the core and the Block Editor by fixing forty‑nine bugs that were reported after the 6.9 release. The most noticeable improvements relate to the Block Editor itself.…
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Choosing the right content management system
Choosing the right content management system (CMS) is one of the most consequential early decisions when building a website The content management system shapes everything from how editors publish to how developers extend functionality, how secure the site remains, and how well it scales as traffic and content volumes increase. First steps The first step is to define your requirements…
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WYSIWYG or plain-text CMS editing?
Finding the Right Balance for Your CMS UsersWhen configuring a content‑management system (CMS), the choice between a WYSIWYG (What‑You‑See‑Is‑What‑You‑Get) editor and a plain‑text interface has far‑reaching implications for both usability and brand consistency. Choosing the right editor for a WordPress site is more than a matter of preference; it shapes how contributors create content and how reliably the design stays…
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General-purpose AI assistants
Four AI assistants compared by power, privacy, integration and real-time awareness. ChatGPT, Gemini, Lumo and Grok are all general-purpose AI assistants, but they are built around markedly different priorities: overall capability, integration with existing platforms, privacy, or access to live social data. OpenAI's ChatGPT ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is best described as the most balanced and widely used option. It…
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Website speed improvements
Website speed has become one of the most significant factors in determining user satisfaction and search performance. A slow-loading website can frustrate visitors, damage your brand’s credibility and, ultimately, cost you conversions. Search engines such as Google also use page speed as a ranking factor, meaning that improving load times not only benefits users but also your position in search…
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Structured data for SEO
Adding structured data to a website is one of those steps that often gets overlooked, yet it can make a real difference to how a site performs in search engines. While traditional SEO work such as writing strong content, refining keywords and building links is vital, structured data gives search engines an extra layer of clarity. It tells them precisely…
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Using WordPress as a static site generator
Static site generators have gained significant traction amongst developers, designers, and businesses seeking faster, more secure websites. Unlike traditional dynamic sites, which rely on a database to deliver content on demand, static site generators create pre-built HTML pages that are served directly to users. This approach might sound like a step backwards, yet it has proven to be an efficient…
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Simple steps to protect your privacy online
In today’s digital world, protecting your privacy online has become essential. With personal data constantly being shared, stored, and potentially accessed by unauthorised parties, safeguarding your privacy can help you stay secure. Here are some straightforward steps to help you maintain your privacy online. Use strong, unique passwords A weak or reused password is often the easiest way for cybercriminals…
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How to speed-up your Shopify Store
Website speed is one of the most critical factors in the success of any eCommerce business, and yet many Shopify store owners struggle with a slow-loading website. Page speed doesn’t just affect the user experience, it can also impact your conversion rates, bounce rate, and even search engine rankings. So if your Shopify store has been running sluggishly, you’re certainly…
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Moving a WordPress website with ACF and custom post types to Brightspot CMS
Migrating a website from WordPress to Brightspot CMS can seem daunting, particularly when the WordPress installation relies heavily on Advanced Custom Fields and Custom Post Types. Both ACF amd CPT give WordPress sites their flexibility, but they also mean there is more to think about when moving to a new platform. With some careful planning, however, the process can be…
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Ensuring a smooth deployment of a PHP website application
Deploying a PHP website application requires meticulous planning, a solid understanding of the environment, and a thorough execution process. To ensure a smooth deployment, it is essential to follow best practices that minimise errors and maximise efficiency. Below is a comprehensive guide to deploying your PHP application seamlessly. Prepare the development environment Before deployment, ensure your development environment mirrors the…
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Knack API Integration
Knack is a powerful low-code platform that allows you to build online databases and custom web applications. When integrating Knack with your own systems or custom front ends, you can use its REST API to access and manipulate your data programmatically. This guide introduces how to retrieve and list records from a Knack app using PHP. You’ll learn how to…
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Better WordPress Performance
A slow-loading website can be frustrating, not only for your visitors, but for you as a business owner. If your WordPress site is taking too long to load, you’re not just risking a poor user experience. You’re also potentially losing out on traffic, search engine rankings, and sales. In today’s digital landscape, speed matters more than ever. Fortunately, WordPress is…
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Switching to Eleventy
When I first set up my personal website it was powered by WordPress. It did the job for a while, but I soon found myself frustrated by the overhead and the need for constant updates. I wanted something simpler and easier to control, so I moved the site over to Jekyll. That felt like a good step at the time.…
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Brightspot CMS
Choosing the right content management system (CMS) is one of the most important decisions for any business that publishes online. WordPress has long been the go-to choice for organisations of all sizes, but in recent years a new generation of CMS platforms has emerged, designed to address the challenges of modern publishing, multi-channel distribution, and enterprise-level flexibility. One of the…
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Introduction to Brightspot for WordPress developers
For many developers, WordPress has been the entry point into professional web development. It is a flexible and approachable platform, with thousands of plugins and themes that make it easy to get a site running quickly. But when projects grow more complex—supporting multiple brands, delivering content across apps and devices, or scaling editorial workflows—WordPress can start to show its limitations.…
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Simple Analytics: A privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics
In an era where digital privacy concerns are at the forefront of online discourse, many organisations are reassessing their tools to ensure compliance with data protection laws and maintain user trust. One such tool ripe for reconsideration is Google Analytics. While it has been the gold standard in web analytics for years, its data collection practices and reliance on user…
