Project Title: Rebuild and modernize legacy freelance marketplace website while preserving original brand identity Project Overview I am looking for an experienced web developer or development team to help me rebuild and modernize my existing freelance marketplace website, GigsLit. The website is currently a legacy custom PHP marketplace platform and is running on an old PHP environment. The site has been restored and is back online, but it now needs a proper professional redevelopment so it can be modernized, stabilized, and made compatible with newer technologies. This is not a request for a generic redesign. The goal is to preserve the exact GigsLit identity, structure, and marketplace DNA, while improving the codebase, design quality, performance, responsiveness, and maintainability. Important Goal I do not want the website turned into something generic or made to look like a random template. I want it to remain clearly and recognizably GigsLit, but rebuilt to a much higher professional standard. Current Website Characteristics The existing homepage and platform structure include: • classic logo and guest menu • search-led marketplace homepage • left sidebar with categories • suggest/request gigs functionality • featured gigs listings • right sidebar blocks including search, suggestions, trust/payment elements, etc. • SEO text content below the listings • footer with legal/company/blog/social links This overall structure and marketplace feel should be respected. What I Need Done 1. Full site analysis and rebuild plan • review the current source code and existing website structure • identify what should be preserved, rebuilt, upgraded, or replaced • create a practical redevelopment approach 2. Front end improvement while preserving identity • keep the same GigsLit brand feel, layout logic, and marketplace flow • improve spacing, alignment, typography, hierarchy, and polish • make the site more attractive, professional, and trustworthy • improve gig cards, menus, sidebar modules, and footer • keep the original character of the platform 3. Fix text/UI corruption issues • correct broken or corrupted menu/interface text • normalize labels and user-facing wording while preserving intended structure 4. Improve UX without changing the platform’s DNA • maintain the existing marketplace logic • improve clarity, trust signals, calls to action, and navigation • modernize “How It Works,” seller presentation, and content organization 5. Responsive/mobile optimization • preserve desktop identity • make the site work properly on tablets and mobile devices 6. Code modernization • review the old custom PHP codebase • improve compatibility with newer PHP versions • resolve legacy issues where possible • clean and organize the code for long-term maintainability 7. Possible backend/database work • review database structure if required • make sure functionality remains intact • preserve existing content, categories, links, and marketplace data where possible What Must Be Preserved • GigsLit branding and identity • core marketplace structure • categories • pages and links • general navigation logic • content and SEO intent • original marketplace feel What Must Improve • code quality • design polish • readability • trust and professionalism • responsiveness • long-term maintainability • compatibility with newer environments Developer Requirements I am looking for someone who: • has strong experience with legacy PHP websites • can work with custom marketplace platforms • understands how to modernize a site without destroying its identity • can handle both front-end improvement and backend/code cleanup • is detail-oriented and can follow an existing brand/style instead of replacing it with a template Preferred Skills • PHP / MySQL • legacy code refactoring • HTML / CSS / JavaScript • UI/UX improvement for custom platforms • responsive redesign • database-backed marketplace systems Deliverables Expected • professional assessment of the current site • rebuild or upgrade plan • improved homepage and internal page styling • cleaned-up and modernized codebase where agreed • responsive improvements • working upgraded version of the platform Please Include in Your Proposal 1. your relevant experience with legacy PHP or marketplace websites 2. examples of similar rebuilds or modernization work 3. whether you would recommend upgrading the current codebase or rebuilding it while preserving the same look/structure 4. your estimated approach and timeline 5. your price or pricing structure Final Note This project is very important to me. I want somebody who can respect the original GigsLit website and elevate it professionally, not replace it with something generic. If you can help rebuild this into a cleaner, stronger, more modern version of itself, I would love to hear from you.Here’s a shorter version for sites that work better with brief posts:Project: Rebuild and modernize legacy custom PHP freelance marketplace website I need an experienced developer to help me rebuild and modernize my existing website, GigsLit, which is a legacy custom PHP freelance marketplace. The goal is not to redesign it into something generic. I want to preserve the same GigsLit identity, layout logic, marketplace structure, categories, pages, and overall feel, while upgrading it professionally. Main needs: • analyze current legacy PHP codebase • improve front-end design while preserving the original GigsLit look and structure • fix corrupted UI text and weak presentation areas • improve homepage, gig cards, sidebar modules, footer, and trust signals • make the website responsive • modernize code for better long-term compatibility and maintainability • review database/functionality if needed Important: This must still feel like GigsLit, not a random template-based marketplace. Looking for someone with experience in: • legacy PHP • MySQL • custom marketplace websites • front-end modernization without losing brand identity • responsive UI improvement Please send: • relevant experience • similar work examples • whether you recommend upgrading the current codebase or rebuilding it while preserving the same look.