The Engagement
What started as a content management contract became a full-scope platform engagement. I stepped in as Aera's sole website developer, maintained and extended their Contentful + React stack, and later executed a complete migration to WordPress.
Phase 1 - React Template Development
Aera Hub 2025 Conference Templates
- Built live and on-demand conference templates from high-fidelity Figma designs.
- Implemented speaker listings, session schedules, and HubSpot signup forms.
- Added gated on-demand video access for post-event content.
Gartner Ranking Campaign
- Built campaign landing pages with testimonial slider patterns.
- Implemented report download flows behind HubSpot lead forms.
- Coordinated publishing and governance constraints around ranking claims.
Content Type Expansion
- Added a new Reports content type in Contentful with editorial-friendly fields.
Phase 2 - WordPress Migration and Build
Migration Outcomes
- Migrated 644 content items across 11 content types with full data integrity.
- Migrated and optimized 1,371 media assets.
- Built a custom WordPress theme with 15+ templates.
- Mapped 600+ redirects and launched with zero 404 issues.
- Preserved rankings and delivered PageSpeed 90+.
Skills Section - Flagship Build
- Built a custom Skills post type with ACF-powered fields.
- Created two taxonomies to drive classification and filtering logic.
- Implemented AJAX filtering and search for the Skills archive page.
- Added gated video modal flows tied to HubSpot forms.
Results
| Metric | Result | | --- | --- | | React templates built | 4 | | Content items migrated | 644 with 100% data integrity | | Media files migrated | 1,371 optimized files | | PageSpeed score | 90+ mobile and desktop | | Post-launch 404 errors | Zero | | Developer time for updates | Reduced by about 80% | | Delivery timeline | 7 weeks |
Technical Stack
Phase 1
React, Contentful, Heroku, HubSpot Forms API, Figma
Phase 2
WordPress, PHP, ACF Pro, Custom Post Types, Custom Taxonomies, AJAX, WP All Import Pro, WP Engine, Cloudflare, HubSpot, GTM, GA4