E-commerce Website Transformation: How I Rebuilt a Compromised System into a Secure WordPress Membership Application

When American Dental Solutions reached out about their compromised WordPress site, I initially thought I was walking into a straightforward security cleanup. What I discovered instead was an opportunity to completely reimagine their digital infrastructure.

Their Platinum Plus Dental Plan—a vital service providing affordable dental care across 13 locations—was being held back by outdated technology and security vulnerabilities. The challenge wasn’t just fixing what was broken; it was about building something better.

What caught my attention immediately was how this technical problem was directly impacting people’s access to dental care. Every day the system remained compromised meant another day that potential patients couldn’t easily sign up for affordable dental services. This human element transformed a technical challenge into a mission-critical project.

Project Snapshot

Challenge: Transform a compromised WordPress membership site with Chinese malware, outdated plugins, and unreliable payment processing into a secure, user-friendly platform for dental plan subscriptions

Solution: Complete platform rebuild using WordPress + WooCommerce, with modernized payment processing through Stripe and enhanced security through WP Engine

Tools Used: WordPress, WooCommerce, WooCommerce Memberships, Gravity Forms, Stripe, GA4, Google Tag Manager, Microsoft Clarity, Abralytics, StudioPress Theme

Results: Launched a fully secure platform in 5 months, enabling daily new patient sign-ups and renewals with zero security incidents

The Situation

When I first accessed the site, the situation was dire. The WordPress installation was compromised to the point where Chinese search results were appearing throughout the site, and visitors were being greeted with security warnings instead of information about dental services.

The existing membership plugin (Member Mouse) was effectively held hostage by the compromised installation, and their payment processor, Authorize.net, was proving inflexible for their membership needs.

The marketing manager was in a tough spot—responsible for a crucial revenue stream but working with tools that were actively working against her. What others saw as a simple security breach, I recognized as an opportunity to build something more robust and user-friendly from the ground up.

The Work

My approach centered on empowering the client while ensuring technical excellence. Rather than just fixing the immediate security issues, I proposed a complete rebuild with a modern tech stack that would give them both security and flexibility.

I started by selecting WP Engine as our hosting platform for its superior security features and built-in protective measures. For payments, I guided them away from Authorize.net to Stripe, which offered better integration options and a more streamlined user experience.

The core of the new system became WordPress with WooCommerce and its membership extensions—a powerful combination that could handle their specific needs.

To ensure the marketing manager could maintain control of their digital presence, I provided a customized template that allowed her to build much of the new website herself. I focused my direct involvement on the technical aspects where I could add the most value:

• Configuring the location finder for their 13 locations
• Setting up secure payment processing through Stripe
• Implementing and customizing the membership system
• Establishing comprehensive analytics with GA4, GTM, and Microsoft Clarity
• Converting legacy content (including complex Excel tables) into user-friendly web formats
• Rewriting their terms of service for clarity and accessibility

The Impact

The Short Term:

• Launched a fully functional, secure platform in 5 months
• Eliminated all security warnings and malware issues
• Enabled immediate processing of new memberships and renewals
• Provided marketing team with full content control

The Long View:

• Created a sustainable platform that processes new sign-ups daily
• Established robust security through WP Engine’s infrastructure
• Delivered a system that can scale with their business growth
• Empowered the marketing team with self-service capabilities

What makes me particularly proud of this project is how it transformed a crisis into an opportunity. The marketing manager went from dealing with daily technical fires to confidently managing a powerful digital platform that serves both the business and its patients.

This project exemplifies my philosophy that technical solutions should empower rather than constrain. By rebuilding rather than patching, and by focusing on both immediate needs and long-term sustainability, we created something that truly serves everyone—the business, the marketing team, and most importantly, the patients seeking affordable dental care.