Web Development

Web Design in Portugal: WordPress, Shopify and React

I'm a freelance web developer offering web design in Portugal from Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. I design, build, and maintain WordPress websites, Shopify stores, and custom React applications, so the site behind your business is fast, secure, and actually easy to keep running.

Book a free 20-min call
What I Build

WordPress and Shopify development in Porto

I work as a WordPress developer and Shopify developer for businesses in Porto and abroad, and build custom web applications when a platform isn't the right fit. Every site is set up to be found on Google from the first day, not fixed for SEO afterwards.

WordPress Development

Custom WordPress builds and theme customization, not a stack of plugins bolted together. I work across Elementor, Divi, Bricks, WPBakery, and Oxygen depending on what a project actually needs, plus fully custom themes when it doesn't fit a builder.

Custom themes, and theme customization on Elementor, Divi, Bricks, WPBakery, and Oxygen
Advanced Custom Fields, Custom Post Types, and Gutenberg blocks
WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, JetEngine, and Crocoblock builds
Performance optimization, security hardening, and plugin/theme cleanup

A WordPress site that stays fast and secure as it grows, not one that slows down with every new plugin.

More about my WordPress development work

Shopify Development

Shopify store builds and theme customization in Liquid, including the Dawn theme, with the app integrations a growing store actually relies on.

Theme customization in Liquid, including the Dawn theme
Storefront API and Admin API work for custom functionality
App integrations, including Appstle and Recharge for subscriptions
Store customization built around how customers actually shop
More about my Shopify development work

Custom Web Applications

When a business needs something beyond WordPress or Shopify, I build it directly: React or Vue on the frontend, PHP (Laravel, CodeIgniter) or Node.js/Express on the backend, backed by a real database.

React and Vue.js frontends, built responsive from the start
Laravel, CodeIgniter, and Node.js/Express backends
MySQL, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL for database-driven applications
REST APIs, JWT and OAuth authentication, and webhooks for third-party integrations

Built to fit how the business actually works, not forced into a template it doesn't need.

More about custom web apps

E-Commerce

Online stores on WooCommerce or Shopify, plus custom e-commerce website development when a store needs more than a theme, built around a checkout that actually converts: clear payment flows, working subscription systems, and product setups that don't fight the platform.

WooCommerce and Shopify store builds and customization
Payment integrations and checkout workflows
Subscription systems, including Recharge and Appstle
Product and store customization aimed at conversion, not just appearance
See how this connects to marketing and conversion work More about building an online store

I write the code myself, on every project. No hand-off to a junior developer once the contract is signed, and no template dressed up as custom work.

Samama Tahir

Who It's For

Web design in Portugal, for clients here and abroad

Most of my clients find me for one of two reasons. Some are businesses in Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia and nearby that want a web developer they can meet in person. Others are elsewhere in Portugal, the UK or the US and work with me online: they want a developer who works their hours and talks to them directly, not through an account manager. If you're in Porto, see web developer in Porto.

Either way, the site is planned around what it has to do for the business: bring in enquiries, sell products, or save someone hours of manual work. For online stores that includes custom e-commerce website development: catalogue and checkout logic, integrations with stock, shipping or accounting tools, and the tracking that shows which products actually sell.

How This Works

A simple, honest process

  1. Understand

    Understand what the business needs the site or application to actually do.

  2. Plan

    Choose the right platform: WordPress, Shopify, or a custom build, and scope what it takes.

  3. Build

    Build it properly: performance, security, and responsive design from the ground up.

  4. Support

    Stay reachable for fixes, changes, and the questions that come up after launch.

Common Questions

What people ask before building

A few of the questions that come up before starting a website or application project.

Straight answers

Every question gets a plain, direct answer. If something isn't worth doing yet, I'll say so, even if it means less work for me.

No obligation

Asking a question doesn't commit you to anything. I'd rather you know what you're getting into before we start.

Ask Me Anything

See all FAQs

FAQ

Web design questions, answered

How much does a website cost in Portugal?

It depends on the platform and the scope. A WordPress business site, a Shopify store and a custom React application are very different amounts of work, and so are five pages and fifty. I give a fixed quote once I know what the site needs to do, so you know the full cost before any work starts. Tell me about the project and I'll send you one.

How do you build a website for a business?

In four steps. I start by understanding what the site has to do for the business, then choose the platform and agree the scope. I build it with speed, security and mobile layouts in from the start, and after launch I stay reachable for fixes and changes.

Should my site be WordPress, Shopify or a custom React build?

WordPress suits content-led sites and businesses that want to edit their own pages. Shopify is usually the simplest way to run an online store. A custom React application makes sense when the site has to do something no platform does well, such as a booking flow or a client dashboard. I recommend the one that fits, even when it's the smaller job.

Do you work with UK and US businesses from Portugal?

Yes, online. Portugal is on the same time zone as the UK, so I work your hours and we can talk during your day. For businesses in the US, my afternoons overlap with the East Coast morning, which gives us a daily window for video calls.

Are your websites built with SEO in mind?

Yes. I work as an SEO web developer as well as a builder: clean page structure, fast loading, proper titles and headings, structured data and a sitemap are part of every build, not extras added later. Ongoing SEO and Google Business Profile work is covered on my marketing services page.

Have a website or application in mind?

Tell me what the business needs, and I'll be honest about the right way to build it.

Book a free 20-min call