Codeable certified WordPress expert since 2015

Luca Ottolini, WordPress developer.

I’ve built and fixed websites since 2002, from a small town in Italy. Since 2015 I’ve been a Codeable certified WordPress expert: more than a thousand projects, from quick fixes to full custom builds, rated 4.98 out of 5.

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Luca Ottolini at home with Kato, one of his two Akitas — At home with Kato, one of my two Akitas.

At a glance.

The short version, for anyone in a hurry.

Name: Luca Ottolini, Luca8Link online
What I do: WordPress development, speed optimization, graphic design
Based in: A small town in Italy, working with clients all over the world
Designing since: The late nineties
Building websites since: 2002
Codeable certified since: 2015
Projects delivered: More than 1,000
Client rating: 4.98 out of 5
Languages: English and Italian
Preferred stack: GeneratePress, GenerateBlocks, ACF Pro, Perfmatters, Kinsta, Cloudflare
Business: 8Link di Ottolini Luca, VAT IT02996750168

The long version.

It started with design

I started as a graphic designer in the late nineties, while also running a record store for DJs until 2002. That year I built my first websites, and design came with me: I still create logos, brand identities and print work alongside WordPress.

Those years still shape how I work. I don’t separate how a site looks from how it performs: a layout that looks great but loads slowly, or jumps around under your thumb, isn’t finished.

Why WordPress, and why speed

WordPress lets my clients run their own sites once I hand them over, and it’s flexible enough for almost anything a business needs. It’s also easy to make slow. Most sites that land on my desk aren’t broken, they’re heavy: dozens of plugins, a page builder doing a theme’s job, photos straight from a phone, no caching, budget hosting.

So speed became my specialty. I was optimizing WordPress sites before Core Web Vitals existed, I’ve done more than a hundred performance audits, and I’ve moved more than fifty sites to managed hosting. Visitors decide in seconds whether to stay, and fast pages are the ones that keep them.

Why I only work through Codeable

I joined Codeable in 2015 and I’ve worked exclusively through it ever since. Getting in isn’t easy: several rounds of technical assessment, real WordPress problems to solve, and a check on how clearly you explain things to people who aren’t developers. Only a small share of applicants make it, and client reviews keep everyone honest afterwards.

For clients, that means hiring someone the platform has already vetted. There’s no bidding war and no race to the bottom: the price follows the scope of the work. And if anything goes wrong, Codeable’s support team is there to mediate.

Codeable Certified Expert badge for Luca Ottolini

Still in the same small town

I still work from the small town in Italy where I started. My clients are spread all over the world, and most of the work happens in writing anyway: clear estimates, regular updates, and a staging site you can look at whenever it suits you.

I like speed off the clock too. Usually on two wheels.

When I’m not shaving milliseconds off a page, you’ll find me on my motorcycle, knee close to the asphalt. It’s the same instinct: pick a clean line, stay smooth, and don’t carry anything you don’t need.

How a project works.

The same five steps, whether it’s a quick fix or a full build.

We talk first

Before any estimate, I want to understand the business, the audience, what success looks like and who looks after the site afterwards. It’s a diagnosis, not a sales call.
A clear estimate

A detailed scope, split into phases, that says what’s included and what isn’t. No vague ranges, and no scope creep later.
Built on staging

I work on a private copy of your site, so nothing live breaks. You see progress along the way and can steer before we go too far.
Review together

Before launch we go through everything on desktop and mobile and fix what needs fixing. Review time is part of the estimate.
Launch and handoff

Backups, security and real-world speed checks in place, and you know how to manage your content. Then a plan for maintenance, even if it’s just “call me when something breaks”.

What I can help with.

I don’t do it all. I focus on what I love most, and that focus is what makes the difference.

WordPress development

New sites built from scratch, redesigns of the one you have, and custom features when no plugin does quite the right thing.

WordPress theme development
Website redesign
Custom features development

Speed optimization

Audits and fixes for slow sites: hosting, theme, plugins, images, fonts and caching, in the order that matters most.

Core Web Vitals improvement
Image and code optimization
Hosting advice

Graphic design

Logos, brand identities, mockups and print. I’ve been designing since the late nineties, and I still do.

Logo and brand identity
Mockups
Print design

Typical budgets

Small fixes and tweaks: $300 to $1,500, usually a few hours to a couple of days
Medium projects: $1,500 to $5,000: redesigns, speed overhauls, migrations, new features
Large projects: $5,000 to $15,000: custom builds, complex shops, multilingual sites
Ongoing and enterprise: $15,000 and up: long-term development and maintenance

Every project gets its own detailed estimate before anything starts.

Who I work with.

Small businesses, solo consultants, online shops and global brands. Most come back: a quick fix often turns into years of working together.

Trusted by Epson, Jeep, Fastweb, Spalding, Bellasi, Cascade Insights, Cybersight, Superdrive

Luca is fast, thorough, and a joy to work with. Highly recommend!

Zachary W., Codeable client

Questions people ask.

Where are you based?

In a small town in Italy, on Central European Time. I work remotely with clients all over the world, mostly in writing, with a call whenever it helps.

How do I hire you?

Through my Codeable profile. Describe what you need and I’ll reply with questions, then a detailed estimate. Codeable handles the payments and stays involved if anything needs sorting out.

Why Codeable, and not directly?

Because it protects both of us. Every developer is vetted before being accepted, there’s no bidding on price, and a support team mediates if something goes wrong. I’ve worked exclusively through Codeable since 2015.

Do you take small jobs?

Yes. Fixes and tweaks start at around $300 and are usually done within a few hours to a couple of days.

How much does a new WordPress site cost?

It depends on the scope. Full custom builds usually start at around $5,000, and complex shops, multilingual sites or integrations can go past $15,000. You get a detailed estimate before anything starts.

Can you make my existing site faster?

Almost always. I start with an audit of hosting, theme, plugins, images and caching, then fix what matters most first. The six-question checkup on the homepage shows where I’d start.

Do you look after sites after launch?

Yes. WordPress sites need updates, backups, security and speed checks long after launch, and I offer ongoing maintenance through Codeable.

Which hosting do you recommend?

Managed WordPress hosting. I usually recommend Kinsta, with Cloudflare in front for DNS, CDN and bot filtering. No amount of front-end tuning fixes a slow server.

Which theme and tools do you build with?

GeneratePress and GenerateBlocks for lightweight layouts you can edit safely, ACF Pro for structured content, and Perfmatters to load scripts only where they’re needed. No heavy page builders.

Do you still do graphic design?

Yes. Logos, brand identities, mockups and print design. It’s where I started, in the late nineties, and it’s still part of my work.

Do you work in Italian?

Sì. I work in both Italian and English.

Available for new projects

Let’s build something remarkable together.

20+ years of WordPress work. Certified on Codeable since 2015. Performance first, always.

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