Jayson Gumanid
Jayson Gumanid

Lead WordPress Developer

WordPress Technical Support

Development Project Manager

UX / UI Design Expert

Client Success Representative

Jayson Gumanid
Jayson Gumanid
Jayson Gumanid
Jayson Gumanid
Jayson Gumanid

Lead WordPress Developer

WordPress Technical Support

Development Project Manager

UX / UI Design Expert

Client Success Representative

Download CV Schedule Interview
About Me

Hi, I’m Jayson Gumanid, a dedicated WordPress developer and team leader with a passion for innovation and problem-solving.

 

Born and raised in Davao City, Philippines, I bring over a decade of experience in creating impactful web solutions, mentoring teams, and delivering exceptional client results.

 

Beyond my work, I’m an advocate for continuous growth, drawing inspiration from self-improvement books, motivational films, and the resilience of everyday challenges.

 

When I’m not crafting websites or exploring new tools, you’ll find me dreaming of Switzerland’s majestic mountains or planning my next adventure.

  • Age 34
  • MBTI PERSONALITY INTP
  • DISC PERSONALITY S/CD
  • Address Davao City, PH
Expertise
WordPress Development

Expert in building custom WordPress solutions, from themes to plugins, ensuring scalability, responsiveness, and performance optimization.

Development Project Management

Skilled in managing end-to-end project lifecycles, aligning team efforts with client goals, and delivering on time and within scope.

UX/UI Design

Adept at creating user-centric, visually appealing designs that enhance usability and align with brand identities.

Client Success

Experienced in providing proactive, empathetic, and efficient support, resolving technical issues while maintaining high client satisfaction.

Recommendation
What really impressed me about Jay is his ability to quickly adapt to a fast-paced challenging environment. He is a highly capable technical person that understands the field and is ready to take on daunting tasks. He is a naturally curious person and loves to learn. Any team would be lucky to have Jay as part of the team.
Sheeba Arun Thomas
Agile Lead
Jay is pleasant, kind, and a hard worker. He treats his co-workers and customers respectfully and is eager to improve himself and those around him. He takes instruction without complaint or hesitation and is quick to share ideas to help improve processes. He understands the fundamentals of WordPress, HTML, and CSS, and is familiar with a wide range of WordPress themes and plugins. Jay would be a great addition to any support team.
Matthew Zak
Support and Development Manager
I was privileged to work on various projects with Jayson and I was impressed by his manner of doing business. Careful expert with a great skill to analyze and solve problems. His constant quest to learn, adapt and apply professional lessons proves out Jayson's ability to be an active individual contributor and participant on any team. He is extremely creative and knowledgeable. I would recommend him to anyone.
James Verkerk
Account Manager
Fun Facts
100+ WordPress Websites Developed
13+ Years in the Industry
10,000+ Lines Written
10+ Cats Adopted
Resume
WORK Experience
Nov 2022 - Nov 2024 · 2 years
Dev Project Lead / WordPress Developer
Ooze Studios (Melbourne, Australia)

A digital agency based specializing in web solutions and marketing strategies. Contributed as WordPress Developer and later as Dev Project Lead.

  • Advanced from WordPress Developer to Dev Project Lead, managing teams and delivering high-quality projects.
  • Created knowledge bases and tutorials to streamline team workflows and processes.
  • Developed and launched a profitable Website Management and Maintenance service.
  • Optimized workflows to significantly reduce development time and improve efficiency.
  • Implemented cost-saving tools and enhanced client communication strategies.
  • Delivered diverse web solutions using platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Magento.
Read detailed contributions
Jul 2022 - Nov 2022 · 5 mos
WordPress Customer Success Representative
Sitecare (Georgia, US)

A digital agency providing website support, maintenance, and marketing services.

  • Managed 10–20 daily support tickets, resolving 80% within 15 minutes.
  • Maintained proactive communication, achieving 95% client satisfaction.
  • Leveraged WordPress expertise to improve ticket resolution efficiency by 20%.
See recommendations
Feb 2021 - Jul 2022 · 1 yr 6 mos
Freelance WordPress Developer
Sumo Outsource (Remote, US)

A marketing agency specializing in conversion-focused web solutions.

  • Built high-converting WordPress websites tailored to marketing goals.
  • Streamlined workflows to improve delivery times and maintain quality.
  • Enhanced functionality and UX with advanced customizations.
  • Boosted client engagement with data-driven design strategies.
  • Integrated marketing tools and tracking for optimized campaign performance.
View listed work
Apr 2017 - Jan 2021 · 3 yrs 10 mos
Lead WordPress Developer
VPBN (Cluj, Romania)

A marketing agency specializing in networks of article-publishing websites.

  • Boosted productivity by 400%, increasing output to 10 sites per week.
  • Designed 1,200+ WordPress websites using various themes and builders.
  • Helped build a network of 50+ article-publishing websites.
  • Enhanced QA processes, reducing errors by 30% and improving satisfaction.
View listed work
Jan 2015 - Mar 2017 · 2 yrs 3 mos
Conversion-Focused Web Designer
Health Wellness and Fitness Guy (Hybrid)

Conversion-focused web design for health and wellness businesses.

  • Built 5-page websites generating 5–10 inquiries daily within 3 months.
  • Boosted social media engagement and lead conversion by 20%.
  • Created an onboarding process for clients launching digital marketing campaigns.
  • Leveraged WordPress, CSS, JavaScript, HTML5, and Elementor to deliver results.
View listed work
Aug 2013 - Jan 2015 · 1 yr 6 mos
Web and Online Presence Strategist
RealtyDavao (Office-based Davao City)

Enhancing the online presence of real estate businesses.

  • Built property listing websites generating 10–20 inquiries daily.
  • Designed social media and video campaigns, boosting lead conversions by 30%.
  • Managed and secured websites, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
  • Streamlined property listing processes, cutting publishing time from a week to a few days.
View listed work
Aug 2012 - Oct 2013 · 1 yr 3 mos
Lead Web Strategist
Dental Marketing Experts (Office-based Davao City)

Office-based role as a Web Developer and Lead Web Strategist.

  • Built and maintained websites for dentists and chiropractors, optimizing local lead generation.
  • Designed strategies to enhance customer engagement and conversion rates.
  • Improved content creation workflows by implementing Basecamp for project management.
  • Collaborated with teams to ensure high-quality and timely project delivery.
View listed work
Jul 2010 - Aug 2012 · 2 yrs 2 mos
Junior Web Developer
WP Local Builder (Remote)

Focused on web development and branding for local businesses.

  • Developed lead conversion-focused websites (WordPress) to boost online presence.
  • Redesigned client websites to align with updated branding using Photoshop.
  • Optimized online strategies with analytics and weekly client consultations.
  • Improved client satisfaction by 30% through effective social media communication.
  • Leveraged WordPress, Trello, Elementor, and Adobe Photoshop for projects.
View listed work
Education
Feb 2023
Shopify Essential Training
Linkedin Certification
Certificate
June 2021
WordPress: Speeding Up Your Site
Linkedin Certification
Certificate
May 2020
Customer Success Management Fundamentals
Linkedin Certification
Certificate
June 2019
Project Management Foundations
Linkedin Certification
Certificate
University of Mindanao
Davao City, Philippines

BS Electrical Engineering

Skills
Technical Skills
  • WordPress
    90%
  • PHP / MYSQL
    75%
  • JavaScript
    85%
  • HTML / CSS
    95%
Knowledge
  • WordPress Development
  • Project Management
  • Team Leadership
  • Conversion Optimization
  • UX/UI Design
  • Performance Tuning
  • Client Relations
  • Marketing Technology
Soft Skills
  • Problem-Solving
  • Proactive Communication
  • Leadership
  • Time Management
  • Adaptability
  • Collaboration
  • Critical Thinking
  • Attention to Detail
  • Creativity
Portfolio
bodyboardshop.com.au
Body Board Shop
Development, Shopify
va4rei
Virtual Assistants for Real Estate Investors
Design, Development
Montefrio Garden Resort Website
Design, Development
Blog
January 15, 2025 How to Replace the WordPress Cron with a Real Cron Job Tutorial
hacker using a pc
January 3, 2025 Future-Proofing Your WordPress Site: How to Manage Security in 2025

WordPress still stands as one of the linchpins of the internet, running over 40% of all websites worldwide. Due to its versatility and huge ecosystem, it is still a darling for businesses, bloggers, and developers. At the same time, this makes it an extremely desirable target for cyber threats. Now, in 2025, against the backdrop of evolved cybersecurity landscapes, comes the time when some challenges and opportunities arise for WordPress users.

Take a deep dive through emerging security threats of 2025 with actionable strategies on how to protect your WordPress site from these evolving risks.

Threat Landscape – 2025: How to Understand It

  1. AI-Driven Cyber Threats. Artificial Intelligence is changing the face of cybersecurity, yet at the same time, it empowers cybercriminals to perform attacks that are even more sophisticated. AI lets hackers automate exploits, craft realistic phishing campaigns, and develop malware that adapts to evade detection.

    Key Risks:
    • Automated Exploits: AI tools can now find vulnerabilities quicker than ever before, most of the time leveraging outdated plugins or themes.
    • Personalized Phishing: AI-generated phishing emails use advanced language models to make them look like real communications, thus increasing their success rate.
    • Malware Evolution: The malware utilizes AI for learning and self-improvement, hence can bypass the traditional malware detection.
    Solution: Invest in security tools that have AI enhancement, like Wordfence or Sucuri, able to detect and mitigate the emergence of any threat in real time.

  2. Supply Chain Vulnerabilities. Connected issues make WordPress’s plugin and theme ecosystem more vulnerable to supply chain attacks. Attackers are looking for the weakest link in third-party components, which they target to compromise site after site at once.

    Example: An update of the plugin in 2024 resulted in the exposure of over 200,000 sites due to an injected malware code.

    Solution: Regularly audit plugins and themes, focusing more on those from trusted sources; stay ahead of vulnerabilities with tools such as Patchstack.

  3. Advanced Malware Techniques. Malware has become even more insidious: fileless attacks or polymorphic capability make them just harder to find.

    Key Features:
    • Polymorphic malware is a type of malware that will rewrite its code to avoid signature-based detection.
    • Fileless attacks run directly in system memory and do not leave any trace on disk.

    Solution:     Adopt behavioral analysis tools and regularly scan your site with plugins like MalCare to detect unusual activity.

  4. Ransomware Targeting Hosting Providers. Attacks through ransomware on hosting providers have also been a growing concern because these enable attackers to encrypt data across many sites hosted on the same platform.

    Solution: Choose managed WordPress hosts like Kinsta or WP Engine, offering a lot of security through robust measures and regular backups.

  5. Credential Stuffing Attacks. Billions of credentials were exposed from data breaches, and attackers use automated tools to test these username-password combinations on WordPress sites.

    Solution:
    • Enforce strong password policies.
    • Implement two-factor authentication (2FA) using plugins such as Google Authenticator.

Proactive Security Measures

  1. Zero-Trust Approach. Zero-trust security assumes all users and all requests are malicious. The model is all about constant verification.

    Steps to Implement:
    • Enable multi-factor authentication.
    • Limit access according to roles and responsibilities.
    • Use segmentation to limit the impact of breaches.
  2. Utilize AI-Boosted Security Tools. AI-powered tools are important in enabling organizations to stay ahead of sophisticated threats.

    Recommended Tools:
    • Wordfence: Uses real-time threat detection with machine learning.
    • Cloudflare: AI-empowered firewall and bot protection.
  3. Keep Plugins and Themes Updated. An outdated software is the common entry point for attackers.

    Best Practices:
    • Enable automatic updates for trusted plugins.
    • Remove unused or abandoned plugins.
    • Use scanners like WPScan to detect the vulnerabilities.

  4. Improve Authentication. Enhance the security of the logins of its users to avoid possible unauthorized access.

    Measures:
    • Enforce strong passwords.
    • Force 2FA for all users.
    • Install plugins like Loginizer which will help restrain the number of incorrect login attempts.

  5. Invest in Managed Hosting. Managed WordPress hosting companies specialize in the security of WordPress sites.

    Benefits:
    • Regular malware scans.
    • DDoS protection.
    • Daily automatic backups.
    Recommended providers: WP Engine and Kinsta.

  6. Educate Your Team and Users. Generally speaking, humans tend to be the weakest point in cybersecurity.

    Training Topics:
    • Recognizing Phishing Attempts.
    • Using secure passwords.
    • Regularly update plugins and themes.

  7. Include Steps for Automated Backups Backups make sure that your site can be up again right after the attack.

    Tools:
    • UpdraftPlus: The schedules backups with cloud services.
    • BlogVault: Offers incremental backups to save on storage.

Case Studies: Learning from Real Incidents

  1. Recovering from a Ransomware. The recent ransomware attack encrypted the course data in an educational platform. Since it is an educational platform and daily backups were done offsite, the site was restored—with less than a day’s worth of actual downtime—in 24 hours.

    Key Lessons:
    • Regular backups are non-negotiable.
    • Test recovery processes periodically.

  2. Supply Chain Attack Mitigation. A small business website had malicious code injected into it through a vulnerable plugin. The owner quickly scanned for the vulnerability with the help of a vulnerability scanner and had the problem removed.

    Key Lessons:
    • Monitor plugins for vulnerabilities.
    • Use trusted repositories for downloading plugins.

The Future of WordPress Security

  • Blockchain-based authentication: Decentralized credential management that reduces theft risk.
  • Quantum-resistant encryption: Essential as quantum computing makes traditional encryption obsolete.
  • Predictive security analytics: AI-powered tools to anticipate and mitigate threats based on historical data.

By adopting these strategies and tools, you can secure your site and thrive in 2025’s digital landscape.

man on his desk
December 10, 2024 Plugins That Transformed My WordPress Journey: A Personal Guide (2025 Update)

If there is one lesson I have taken away from more than a decade of experience with WordPress, then it’s this: the right plugins can make or break your website. When I initially started building sites on WordPress, the variety was somewhat overwhelming. Countless hours were spent installing, testing, and uninstalling until finally coming to a vital truth—not all plugins are created equal. Over time, I developed a clear set of criteria for plugin selection: they should be free or freemium and must prioritize performance to ensure the site remains fast and responsive.

This guide highlights my top plugin recommendations, each shaped by lessons learned and insights gained over the years.

1. Security Plugins

Earlier in my career, I didn’t take the importance of securing websites seriously until one of my client sites was hacked and littered with malicious links. That incident woke me up and served to prove very well that security is a need, not a luxury.

Wordfence Security

Why I Recommend It: After the hack, Wordfence became my go-to tool. The free version alone offers solid protection without slowing down your site, and its premium features enhance security further.

  • Real-time threat detection
  • Login attempt monitoring with two-factor authentication (2FA)
  • Country blocking (premium)

Sucuri Security

Why I Recommend It: For an eCommerce project, Sucuri’s free malware scanning and activity monitoring proved invaluable. Its lightweight nature makes it an excellent choice for reliable protection.

  • Activity auditing
  • Post-hack recovery tools
  • Free malware scanning

2. Performance Optimization Plugins

I’ll never forget working with a fashion boutique client whose visually stunning site was plagued by painfully slow load times. That project taught me the importance of performance optimization.

WP Fastest Cache

Why I Recommend It: This freemium plugin delivers essential caching and minification features while maintaining site speed.

  • Page caching
  • Minification of HTML and CSS
  • Lazy loading for images (premium)

Smush

Why I Recommend It: After optimizing hundreds of images for a photographer’s portfolio, Smush became indispensable. Its free version compresses images effectively without compromising quality.

  • Lossless image compression
  • Bulk optimization (up to 50 images in free version)
  • Automatic resizing

3. SEO Plugins

SEO is about more than just keywords—it’s about structure, readability, and analytics. These plugins have helped my clients stand out in search results.

Yoast SEO

Why I Recommend It: My first SEO plugin and still a favorite, Yoast offers robust optimization tools, even in its free version.

  • Real-time content analysis
  • XML sitemap generation
  • Breadcrumb navigation (premium)

Rank Math

Why I Recommend It: For a SaaS client, Rank Math’s advanced schema markup features were a game-changer. Its free version rivals many paid plugins.

  • Rich snippets support
  • Local SEO features
  • Advanced analytics integration (pro)

4. Backup Plugins

A single late-night mistake taught me the value of a reliable backup system.

UpdraftPlus

Why I Recommend It: When I accidentally deleted a homepage, UpdraftPlus allowed me to restore it in minutes. Its free version is powerful and performance-friendly.

  • Incremental backups (premium)
  • Automatic and manual backup options
  • Site cloning and migration (premium)

Backup Guard

Why I Recommend It: Simple and efficient, Backup Guard handles backups and restores with ease.

  • One-click backups
  • Manual restoration
  • Cloud integration (premium)

5. Form Builder Plugins

Forms are essential for user engagement, and these plugins make creating them seamless.

WPForms Lite

Why I Recommend It: Ideal for clients needing simple yet effective forms, like a nonprofit organization I worked with.

  • Pre-built templates
  • Drag-and-drop form builder
  • Payment collection (premium)

Forminator

Why I Recommend It: Despite being free, Forminator offers advanced features like polls and quizzes in a lightweight package.

  • Conditional logic
  • Multi-page forms
  • Stripe and PayPal integrations (premium)

6. eCommerce Plugins

Building online stores has been one of my most rewarding experiences, and these plugins are essential for a smooth shopping experience.

WooCommerce

Why I Recommend It: Perfect for eCommerce projects, like a handmade crafts store I built. Its core features are free and highly customizable.

  • Product and inventory management
  • Multiple payment gateways
  • Seamless theme compatibility

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)

Why I Recommend It: EDD is the go-to solution for clients selling digital products, offering a simple and efficient approach.

  • Secure file delivery
  • Discount codes and promotions
  • Customer management (premium)

7. Content Optimization Plugins

These plugins help turn good content into great content by improving its presentation and readability.

TablePress

Why I Recommend It: TablePress transformed clunky pricing tables into sleek, user-friendly designs.

  • Import/export tables in CSV, Excel, or HTML formats
  • Responsive design support
  • Custom CSS for styling

8. Social Media Plugins

Social media is crucial for driving traffic, and these plugins ensure seamless integration.

Social Warfare (Free)

Why I Recommend It: Social Warfare offers stylish, shareable buttons while keeping site speed intact.

  • Customizable button placement
  • Share count tracking (premium)

Conclusion

Plugins have evolved from simple tools to indispensable assets that foster creativity and efficiency. The ones I’ve shared here have been tested across a variety of projects—from personal blogs to high-traffic eCommerce sites. They’re reliable, lightweight, and effective.

Remember: less is more. Too many plugins can slow down your site or cause conflicts. Choose carefully, keep them updated, and let your WordPress journey flourish.

What are your favorite plugins or memorable WordPress experiences? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Get in Touch

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