WordPress developer to launch a finished business website (plugin, theme, setup and testing)

TITLE
WordPress developer to launch a finished business website (plugin, theme, setup and testing)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

I need an experienced WordPress developer to install, configure, test and launch a finished business website on a live domain. The site is already built as a custom WordPress plugin and a small companion theme. This is a setup and launch job. It is not a design or build job.

The site has about 130 pages, 16 city pages, 8 lead forms, a chat widget, SEO tags and schema, and 18 videos. Its purpose is to generate leads, so email delivery, redirects, speed and form testing matter most.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

1. Before any changes, make a complete backup of the existing website: all files, the database, the media library, the list of installed plugins and themes, and the DNS records. Export all blog posts (Tools > Export). Save everything as a downloadable archive and send it to me, with a short note on how to restore it. Confirm the backup opens or restores correctly. Do not delete or overwrite anything on the existing site until I confirm I have received it.
2. Set up WordPress with HTTPS on my hosting, or recommend and set up managed WordPress hosting. Use the latest WordPress and PHP 8.2 or newer, and update all plugins. Create a staging copy.
3. Install the plugin and theme, create and publish all pages from the plugin's Site Pages screen, and confirm the home page and permalinks are correct.
4. Import the old blog posts and keep every post URL identical.
5. Upload the video files and confirm they play.
6. Enter the settings I provide: Google Tag Manager, Cloudflare Turnstile spam protection, booking link, reviews link, Google Place ID and Places API key, and lead notification email.
7. Set up reliable email delivery with an SMTP service (Postmark, Amazon SES or Google Workspace). Install a caching plugin, daily offsite backups for the new site, and basic security with two factor login for admins.
8. Crawl the old site and save the full list of its URLs, then set up 301 redirects from old URLs to the closest new pages. The plugin already includes 28 redirects. You add the rest.
9. Test on staging, then again on the live site: every form, the chat widget, the file download, all menus, the vendor pages, the home page slideshow, mobile layout at 360 px, keyboard navigation, and page speed. Fix problems in your scope and report the rest.
10. Go live. Verify the domain in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster, submit the sitemap, confirm Google Tag Manager fires, and confirm a real test lead reaches my inbox and appears under Leads in WordPress.

WHAT I WILL PROVIDE

- The plugin and theme zip files, all video files, and a PDF download
- A developer handoff document with exact steps, settings and a full test list
- A setup guide, launch checklist and a static preview of the finished site to compare against
- The keys and links for each setting, and quick answers to questions

MUST HAVE

- Proven WordPress experience (plugins, custom HTML pages, redirects, SMTP, caching, Cloudflare)
- Comfortable reading PHP so you can fix small issues
- Clear written English and a short update at least twice a week
- Links to two WordPress launches you have completed

RULES

- Back up the existing website first and send me the backup before making any change.
- Work on a staging copy first. I will review it before anything goes live.
- Do not change page text, prices, legal pages or claims without my approval.
- Do not install a second SEO plugin that outputs titles or schema. The plugin already does this.
- I keep ownership of all accounts (domain, hosting, Google, Cloudflare). You will use a temporary admin login, which I will remove at the end. Never ask me to send passwords in chat.
- Keep the existing site's backup safe and private. Delete your own copies when the job is finished.

ACCEPTANCE (all required before final payment)

1. The complete backup of the existing website, delivered to me and confirmed restorable.
2. A screenshot of Settings > Launch readiness with all checks green.
3. A screen recording of all 8 forms and the chat creating leads, with the notification emails shown arriving in an inbox, not spam.
4. A spreadsheet of old URLs and where each redirects, with no errors.
5. A PageSpeed report for the home page, one vendor page and one city page.
6. A screenshot of a backup of the new site running and a restore tested.
7. Search Console verified with the sitemap accepted.

DELIVERABLES

- The backup archive of the existing website
- The live website with all pages published
- A short written summary of everything configured
- A list of any problems found and how each was handled, or what remains
- The test results

TIMELINE
5 to 7 days from start.

BUDGET
Fixed price. I will pay by milestone:
1. 20%: backup of the existing site delivered and confirmed, staging site running
2. 25%: all pages published, settings entered, email, redirects, backups, caching and security done
3. 15%: test results and screen recording sent
4. 40%: live on the real domain, Search Console verified, real test lead received

SKILLS TO TAG
WordPress, PHP, Website Testing, Web Hosting, SEO, Cloudflare

QUESTION FOR BIDDERS
Please answer in your bid: how will you back up the existing site and prove it can be restored, how will you confirm that form emails arrive in my inbox, and how will you handle redirects from the old site?