SAM HENDERSON

WEB DEVELOPER – PHP, FRONTEND & WORDPRESS

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4 years industry experience in responsive WordPress websites

About me

WHAT I DO

I’m an experienced web developer with over 4 years working in the industry. I specialise in WordPress websites and front-end development but with my background in ethical hacking and web security, I’ve built various full-stack solutions for more complex web applications.

I consider myself a team player and love collaborating with other designers to create new and exciting things. I use a wide variety of tools in my work and am always learning new skills and ways to develop. Over the last 4 years, I have played significant roles in the design, development, and maintenance of over 50 websites, including personal clients, Rose&Co dental websites, and BlueCoo ecommerce websites.

Portfolio

RECENT PROJECTS

Henderson Digital

www.hendersondigital.co.uk

  • Launched May 2022
  • Responsive design
  • Focused SEO for web design and digital marketing in Dundee and Scotland

  • Ecommerce subscriptions, products and memberships

  • Built on WordPress

  • Custom branding and logo

  • Independant design, development and branding for personal portfolio
View site

Exile Fitness Academy

www.exilefitness.co.uk

  • Launched May 2022
  • Responsive design

  • Focused SEO for online fitness coaching and local keywords

  • Ecommerce subscriptions, products and memberships

  • Built on WordPress

  • Custom branding and logo

  • Independant design, development and branding for personal client

View site

Sam Henderson Fitness

www.samhenderson.fitness

  • Launched January 2022
  • Responsive design

  • Ecommerce subscriptions, products and memberships

  • Focused SEO for personal training, online coaching and local keywords
  • Built on WordPress

  • Custom branding and logo

  • Members area with appointment booking system

  • Independant design, development and branding for personal portfolio

View site

Falkland Performance Centre

www.falkland.co.uk

  • Launched December 2021

  • Responsive design

  • E-commerce shop for ordering vehicle upgrades and performance packs

  • Built on WordPress

  • Custom animations and CSS styling

  • Lead design and development role for Interphase Design

View site

Lochside House

www.trossachsselfcatering.co.uk

  • Launched September 2020
  • Responsive design
  • Focused SEO for Airbnb, self-catering and local keywords
  • Built on WordPress

  • Custom branding and logo

  • Independant design, development and branding for personal client

View site

Thermaflow Heating

www.thermaflowheating.co.uk

  • Launched June 2021
  • Responsive design

  • E-commerce catalogue showcasing products and specifications

  • Built on WordPress

  • Accordion-style FAQs to aid SEO

  • Lead design and development role for Interphase Design
View site

UK Sedation

www.uksedation.co.uk

  • Launched June 2021
  • Responsive design

  • Custom membership platform with user logins, forums and personal profiles

  • Built on WordPress

  • Integrations with Google Cloud Platform APIs and Google ReCAPTCHA

  • Lead development role for Rose&Co Creative

View site

IMPC

www.impc.co.uk

  • Launched August 2020

  • Responsive design
  • Built on WordPress

  • Independant design and development for personal client

View site

Career

MY EXPERIENCE

I have been working in the creative industry for over 4 years in various roles:

DESIGN AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

DECEMBER 2021 – CURRENT
SELF-EMPLOYED

Henderson Digital

I set up a new company to build my personal portfolio and market digital design and marketing services, targeted towards Dundee and the surrounding areas.
  • Securing new projects by producing modern and bespoke concept designs tailored to the client brief.
  • Building digital marketing strategies to ensure clients reach new customers through search engine optimisation and paid ads.
  • Ensuring a great user experience on websites by developing responsive breakpoints for every screensize using CSS.
  • Leading the development of complex applications such as login systems and ecommerce platforms, working with WordPress plugins and custom development including PHP, HTML, CSS & Javascript
  • Improving client Google rankings with search engine optimisation techniques, including on-page keywords, meta titles & descriptions, schema structured data and Open Graph entries.
  • Creating beautiful graphics, photos and videos using Adobe Creative Cloud apps to populate and compliment the themes of websites.
  • Producing printwork graphics and designs for client advertising material, tailored to their brief.
  • Keeping websites secure and up to date and advising the team on web security best practices.
  • Keeping customers happy by actioning website updates, support tickets and publishing blogs, complete with SEO enhancements.

DUTY MANAGER

DECEMBER 2021 – CURRENT
PART-TIME

JD Gyms Dundee

Employed part-time as the Duty Manager, this provides me with a secure income and valuable management experience. My role includes:
  • Ensuring an excellent customer experience by coordinating a team of 6 on-shift personal trainers to keep the gym clean, tidy and safe.
  • Meeting and exceeding JD Brand Standards by performing regular maintenance checks and arranging the replacement and upkeep of gym equipment and facilities.
  • Keeping customers happy by responding to queries and complaints with empathy and efficiency.
  • Assisting the General Manager in the day-to-day running of the gym by completing daily, weekly, and monthly business management tasks.

WEB DESIGN ASSISTANT

AUGUST 2020 – NOVEMBER 2021
FULL-TIME

Interphase Design
BlueCoo Creative
Rose&Co Creative

Employed full-time by Interphase Design, I was also subcontracted to work on creative development projects for BlueCoo Creative, and Rose&Co Creative dental websites:
  • Ensuring a great user experience on websites by developing responsive breakpoints for every screensize using CSS.
  • Tailoring unique concept designs according to client briefs and direction from senior designers.
  • Leading the development of complex applications such as login systems and ecommerce platforms, working with WordPress plugins and custom development including PHP, HTML, CSS & Javascript
  • Improving client Google rankings with search engine optimisation techniques, including on-page keywords, meta titles & descriptions, schema structured data and Open Graph entries.
  • Building and populating new websites around the theme of concept designs produced by senior designers.
  • Creating beautiful graphics, photos and videos using Adobe Creative Cloud apps to populate and compliment the themes of websites.
  • Producing printwork graphics and designs for client advertising material, tailored to their brief.
  • Keeping websites secure and up to date and advising the team on web security best practices.
  • Keeping customers happy by actioning website updates, support tickets and publishing blogs, complete with SEO enhancements.

PERSONAL TRAINER

DECEMBER 2018 – MARCH 2020
SELF-EMPLOYED

DW Fitness First

Self-employed as a personal trainer, I marketed my business to members of the gym and the online community via instagram and a website to showcase my services and testimonials. My role as a personal trainer included:
  • Guiding and supporting a large client-base through their individual fitness journeys, through careful tracking and planning of training, nutrition and lifestyle.
  • Providing 1:1 training sessions to ensure safe and effective use of equipment.
  • Providing group exercise classes for a range of clients, motivating and instructing members to help them achieve their goals.
  • Ensuring adherence to company safety regulations for equipment through regular safety checks and making the gym a safe and enjoyable environment for members.
  • Welcoming members at reception to allow them access to the gym.

DIGITAL DESIGNER

JUNE 2018 – AUGUST 2020
FULL-TIME

IMPC Ltd.
The Dundee Gin Company
The Vine Dundee

Employed full-time by IMPC Ltd, I was subcontracted to other businesses in the same building and was highly successful in my role. My accomplishments and responsibilities in the role included:
  • Increasing unique user traffic on The Dundee Gin Company website by 250% by designing and developing a modern, responsive new website and implementing Google Advertising.
  • Increasing unique user traffic and customer bookings on The Vine Dundee website by 400% and 300% respectively by designing and developing a new website and implementing Google Advertising.
  • Improving customer experience on the IMPC, Dundee Gin Company, and Vine Dundee websites by methodically bug-testing websites and performing troubleshooting prior to deployment as well as continued maintenance, security updates and UI improvements after publishing.
  • Ensuring a reliable and smooth customer experience on the IMPC, Dundee Gin Company, and Vine Dundee websites by designing efficient and robust SQL databases and PHP applications for website back-ends.
  • Innovating new web and graphic designs for IMPC, The Dundee Gin Company and The Vine Dundee and managing a team of writers and product specialists to ensure the timely production of new websites and advertising material.
  • Providing user analysis and progress updates to company directors using Google Analytics.

Education

PROFESSIONAL & ACADEMIC

BSc Ethical Hacking

AUGUST 2017 – MAY 2020

Abertay University (Dundee)

HNC Computing

AUGUST 2016- MAY 2017

University of the Highlands and Islands (Kirkwall)

SQA Higher

AUGUST 2015- MAY 2016

Kirkwall Grammar School (Kirkwall)

Graphic Communication
Design & Manufacture
Physics
English
SQA National 5

AUGUST 2014- MAY 2015

Kirkwall Grammar School (Kirkwall)

Geography
Mathematics
Professional Development
REPS Level 3 Personal Trainer (2018)
REPS Level 2 Gym Instructor (2018)
RYA Dinghy Instructor (2016)
RYA Powerboat Instructor (2018)
Emergency First Aid at Work (2021)

My Work

FROM START TO FINISH

I’m passionate about creating great designs and developing them for a clean, lightweight user experience.
01. DESIGN.

Using a variety of tools such as Photoshop, front-end page builders and physical drafting, I produce high-quality design concepts that are based on thorough market research and tailored to the brief and requirements of the client.

02. DEVELOPMENT.

I build the majority of my websites using WordPress in conjunction with modern page builders including the Avada Builder, Elementor and WP Bakery, on a multipurpose theme such as Avada, Astra or Bridge. My websites are enhanced with integrations such as Google Cloud Platform APIs and Google ReCAPTCHA.

For special requirements I build custom web applications from the ground up using PHP, SQL databeses and JavaScript.

03. HOSTING & SEO.

I host my websites on Google Cloud servers with integrations to Cloudflare to give users the fastest experience possible and to ensure seamless reliability.

For search engine optimisation I provide a service including focused on-page keywords, targeted meta data and Schema.org structured data, including FAQ, organisation, review snippet and other search engine enhancements.

Skills

WHERE I THRIVE

I like to use a wide range of software, tools, and programming languages to build designs and web applications to ensure a versatile approach to any brief. I’m constantly sharpening my skills in the software I use and learning new software along the way.
WORDPRESS inc. PAGE BUILDERS, PLUGINS & THEMES
HTML & CSS
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION
PHP & JAVASCRIPT inc. JQUERY & JSON
GOOGLE APIS & INTEGRATIONS
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
LOGO DESIGN & BRANDING
ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD

Awards

NON-ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

Outside of professional and academic pursuits, I have excelled in powerlifting, sailing, the Cadet Forces and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
lords lieutenant cadet

Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet 2016

RYA Dinghy Instructor
RYA Powerboat Instructor
Kirkwall Dinghy Regatta Winner

Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award

National Powerlifting Gold Medallist 2019

GET IN TOUCH

Contact

LET’S TALK

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