Chicago Web Developer

I’m John Schuster, a freelance web developer based in Chicago who designs and builds custom WordPress and WooCommerce websites for local businesses. You work directly with the person writing the code, so the site that launches
is the site you actually wanted.

For more than 25 years I’ve developed websites for Chicago businesses — from straightforward brochure sites to custom WordPress builds with the integrations, forms, and functionality a growing business needs. If your current site is slow, fragile, or can’t do what you need it to, that’s the kind of problem I solve.

Development that fits your business

Plenty of sites look fine until you need them to do something. As a developer, I focus on what’s under the hood:

Custom WordPress development — themes and layouts built for your business, not forced into a generic template
WooCommerce & online stores — product pages, checkout, and payments that work smoothly
Speed & performance — clean, efficient code so pages load fast and rank better
Integrations — booking, contact, email, and the third-party tools your business runs on
Easy to manage — built so you can update content yourself without breaking anything

Why work with a freelance developer instead of an agency

When you hire an agency, your project often passes through a sales rep, a project manager, a designer, and finally a developer — and the cost reflects all of them. Working with me, you get one experienced Chicago web developer handling the build from start to finish.

That means:

Direct communication — you talk to the person doing the work
Faster turnaround — no hand-offs or internal queues
Lower cost — low overhead means your budget goes into the site, not the office
Long-term reliability — I’m still here for updates and fixes after launch

Recent Chicago web Development work

Phenix Chicago

A fast, image-heavy site for a Chicago venue, built to stay quick and smooth even with rich visuals.

The Wristwatch Concierge

A polished, detail-focused build for a specialty retail business, with a clean browsing experience..

Figure 8 Painting

A contractor site engineered around lead capture, turning local searches into quote requests.

Built on WordPress for a reason

I build most sites on WordPress because it gives you ownership and flexibility: you can update your own content, add features as you grow, and you’re never locked into a proprietary platform. I handle the custom development; you get a site that’s powerful for your visitors and simple for you to run. If you specifically want design-focused WordPress work, see my WordPress web designer in Chicago page.

Transparent, affordable pricing

Custom development doesn’t have to mean an agency invoice. Every project is quoted up front with no hidden fees, so you know the cost before we begin. See pricing or reach out and I’ll scope your project and send a quote.

Looking for design instead of development?

If your project is more about the look and feel than custom functionality, start with my Chicago web designer page. Or head to the home page for the full picture of what I offer.

Let’s build it right

Ready to work with a Chicago web developer who builds it once and builds it well? Tell me what you need and I’ll get back to you with a plan and a free quote.