Web Developer

I am a web developer who specializes in web accessibility remediation, user experience, custom content management websites, search engine optimization, and content marketing.

Laira Leta

Education

James Madison University (JMU), 2008

  • Bachelor of Arts in English, World Literature concentration, cum laude
    • Minors: Technical and Scientific Communication and Studio Art

Germanna Community College

  • Associate of Arts, General Studies

Web Development Background

Laira created her first site, Soundside Adventures, in 2007 during her Technical and Scientific Communication classes at JMU.

From 2010 to 2015, she gained invaluable experience working with the team of a web and graphic design company, and then a web development and internet marketing agency.

In October 2015, she became the web developer/webmaster of a four-campus college where she worked for almost seven years.

Since August 2022, Laira has proudly served as the web designer of a New England community college.

English rider on a dapple grey horse

Virginia, 2007

Technical Skills

I wrote my first lines of code in college and then expanded my knowledge of programming, database management, graphic design, content management platforms, usability, accessibility, and internet marketing.

Coding/Frameworks/Libraries

  • Bootstrap
  • CSS3/preprocessors
  • HTML5
  • JavaScript
  • PHP
  • XML

Accessibility

  • Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0
  • PDF files, videos, social media posts, presentations, and emails
  • Rehabilitation Act, Sections 504 and 508
  • Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2

Accessibility Testing

  • manual
  • NVDA
  • Siteimprove
  • Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)
  • WAVE

Integration

  • BigCommerce
  • Datatables
  • HubSpot
  • Shift4
  • WooCommerce
  • X-Cart

File Management

  • cPanel
  • File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
  • Git

Lead Capture

  • Campaign Monitor
  • Constant Contact
  • Formstack
  • HubSpot
  • MailChimp
  • Raiser's Edge

Google

  • Analytics 4
  • Display
  • Tag Manager
  • Search Console
  • search, user, and performance reports

Graphic Design

  • accessible design
  • custom Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
  • logos
  • print products
  • web advertisements

Adobe

  • Acrobat Pro
  • Dreamweaver
  • Illustrator
  • InDesign
  • Photoshop
  • Premiere Pro

Project Management

  • Asana
  • Basecamp
  • Solar Winds

Content Management Systems (CMS)

Since 2010, I have integrated dozens of web designs into proprietary and open-source CMS platforms.

Proprietary Platforms

  • HubSpot
  • Modern Campus (formerly Omni)
  • Squarespace

Open-source Platforms

  • Drupal
  • Joomla
  • WordPress

Industry Certifications

I am certified through Siteimprove, W3Schools, Semrush, and HubSpot.

Siteimprove Accessibility for Developers: 2020 and 2021

Siteimprove's course explores the difference between full- and semi-automated checks, automatic tests with manual review of items needing "human interpretation," and usability testing.

W3Schools Accessibility Fundamentals: 2022

This course covers user diversity, semantic elements, landmarks, buttons and links, color contrast, images, descriptive image text, headings, assistive technology, visual focus, skip links, screen readers, forms and labels, text size, page zoom, and more.

Semrush Technical SEO: 2022

Semrush's Technical SEO certification addresses internal linking, backlinks, XML sitemaps, crawling and indexation, HTTP response codes, log files, international SEO, JavaScript SEO, structured data, accelerated mobile pages, and web performance.

HubSpot Inbound Marketer: 2013 to 2021

This certification teaches the inbound methodology, including optimization, landing page design, content creation, lead generation, lead nurturing, social media best practices, and sales.

HubSpot CMS for Developers: 2013 to 2019

The CMS for Developers track contains lessons about building and managing websites on the HubSpot CMS, including template, module, and theme creation, optimization, and using HubDB and custom objects in the CMS Hub.

HubSpot Email Marketing: 2022

This course explains how to create a contact management and segmentation strategy; build high-performing emails; send the right email at the right time; test emails; analyze deliverability; and develop customer relationships with lead nurturing.

Interests

When I am not coding, I enjoy attending metal concerts, kayaking, and painting on large canvases.

Foreign Travel

  • France
  • Switzerland
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Slovenia
  • Burkina Faso
  • Ghana
  • China
  • Cambodia
an abstract painting
profile of a hound
Web Design Fundamentals