Revamp PHP Site for UX/Security Upgrade

Job ID: 39930081

Budget: $250 – $750 USD

Job Post: PHP Developer for UX/Security Overhaul of Local Classifieds Site
Project Type: Fixed Price (Select "Fixed Price" in the platform's menu) Budget: (Select the lowest placeholder bracket the platform allows, e.g., "$500 - $1,000") Experience Level: Intermediate to Expert (Must have experience with legacy code cleanup)

About the Project: ChicagolandBeacon.com
We operate ChicagolandBeacon.com, a highly targeted local classifieds site for the Southwest Side of Chicago (e.g., Garfield Ridge, Archer Heights, Clearing). The site is built on a custom/legacy PHP and MySQL codebase. The current design is outdated, slow, and provides a poor user experience—it feels "pooey" and needs a full modernization.

Phase 1: Core Tasks & Deliverables (Fixed Price Scope)
The primary deliverable is a fully refactored, mobile-responsive, and secure website.

Front-End Modernization (UX): Implement a modern, clean, and mobile-responsive design using a framework like Bootstrap 5, focusing on intuitive navigation.

Functionality: Redesign the ad posting flow to be simple. Implement mandatory location-based filtering for the Chicago Southwest Side area.

Performance & Back-End Security:

Audit and optimize slow MySQL queries by ensuring proper indexing.

Review the existing PHP code to secure against common vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL Injection and XSS).

Ad Management: Improve the user dashboard for managing existing ads and uploading new images.

Future Requirement
We will hire the selected developer for a follow-up, separate contract to integrate payment functionality.

Payment Requirement: Must have proven experience integrating the PayPal API (or Stripe) for subscriptions and premium listings. We already possess a verified PayPal Business Account.

Mandatory Screening Questions (Answer in your Proposal)
Please do not simply use a template; answer these specific questions:

Quote: What is your final fixed price bid (in USD) to complete ALL tasks listed in Phase 1?

Experience: Please provide a link to your best portfolio example of a classifieds, directory, or marketplace project you have worked on.

Technical Test: Briefly describe the primary technique you would use to secure our existing PHP code against a SQL Injection attack.