PutYourLightsOn has been building and supporting plugins since the initial release of Craft CMS in 2013. Founded in 2007 and with a strong foundation in PHP frameworks and content management systems, we build software that adds functionality, performance and customisation to thousands of websites.
Ben Croker presenting at Dot All 2018 in Berlin, Germany.
Background #
PutYourLightsOn was founded by Ben Croker. With a background in Computer Science, Ben believes that the end-goal of all code should be User Experience (UX). When not programming, lecturing or teaching plugin development, he can often be found paragliding in the Austrian Alps or motorcycle touring through Europe. In his other spare time, he mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners.
PutYourLightsOn collaborates with web developers around the globe in order to bring expertise and a very particular set of skills to the most challenging development projects. We see our clients as partners in pushing the envelope and making positive impact in the world.
Non-Profit Organisations #
Here at PutYourLightsOn, we believe in using technology for good – connecting, protecting and enabling people to help one another. All of our software is built with this in mind.
We support non-profit organisations by reducing our plugin license fees by up to 100%. If you work for or on behalf of a registered non-profit charitable organisation, then you are eligible to apply for a reduced license fee for any of our Craft CMS plugins for use within the organisation.
To apply, please send the following details to support@putyourlightson.com.
- Your role in the organisation.
- Name, address, website and phone number of the organisation.
- Organisation vision or mission statement.
- The name of the plugin licenses that you are applying for and your reason for requesting them.
- The email address of the Craft Console account that licenses should be attached to.
Each application is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Contact Us #
If you would like to work with us or have any questions about what we do or how we do it, please feel free to contact us at support@putyourlightson.com. You can also find us on GitHub, Twitter and Mastodon, if you’re so inclined.
Testimonials #
“I’ve worked with Ben for almost 10 years, and he has incredible expertise in both development and user experience. He is dependable and does an excellent job at both execution and planning projects to ensure that things run smoothly. He’s a pleasure to work with and I would recommend his services.”
Zach Williams, Venveo
“Whether it’s in written code, directive advisement or big topic perspective, Ben is the ultimate teammate. Not only have I grown from working with him but so has my work and my clients prefer his plugins that work superlatively.”
Caroline C. Blaker, Aquarian Web Studio
“Every CMS developer knows how risky plugins are for a healthy project. They are often the first things to be abandoned, break, or open up giant security craters. Not so with PutYourLightsOn products. Not only do they just work but also gracefully fill security and performance gaps. And having seen Ben present his work in person, it’s no surprise. He’s the rarest of developers that seems to understand the inner workings of complex systems AND how to make them interesting and exciting to more skeptical, judgmental developers.”
Seamus Holman, Gridwork
“I can’t name another person who has helped me grow stronger as a developer than Ben. I often consult him and his code, and use his coding techniques and principles as a benchmark. He’s simply a top quality developer who makes top quality work and an all round quality person to know, collaborate with and learn from.”
Ryan White, Modelesque
“Ben is one of the most skilled and professional people we have ever worked with. He has a calm and structured way of looking at challenges, has helped us to clarify our goals and always delivered code on time. His estimations were spot-on, he carefully listened and overall was a joy to work with. We learned a lot from him and would love to collaborate again.”
Harry Keller, diesdas.digital
“Ben offers much more than technical excellence. I was delighted with his considered approach to realising my website from its initial planning to the moment it went live as well as its after care, finding creative solutions at every stage of the process.”
Sarah Waring, Writer & Editor
“Ben is not just a talented developer/programmer but also a great teacher. He takes the time to make sure you understand everything. Furthermore, he is one of those developers who can troubleshoot a code issue written by others and find a solution to it without having to analyse all of the underlying code.”
Philip Thygesen, Boomy
“Very simply, Ben is fantastic. I gave him a difficult task: to build a Craft plugin that paid hundreds of people scattered all over the globe smallish amounts of money regularly. Not being a developer myself, I had no idea how to do this or even if it could be done. Ben did it. More than that, he did it quickly and right the first time. He clearly explained everything he was doing and exactly what I needed to do. He kept in constant contact. I would highly recommend Ben for any Craft-related work and I hope to work with him again.”
Marshall Poe, New Books Network
I needed the best, but I could not afford to risk the time or cost of hiring a “maybe” programmer. So I decided to reach out to a tried and true software engineer. Ben is a master of his craft, but he also understands how development teams work. And for my specific project, it’s not uncommon for Ben’s team’s code to make a quarter million dollars in a single day. I am looking forward to working together again soon.
Wesley Gooch, Truespire
“Working with Ben as an instructor made me appreciate the thoughtfulness and care he puts into his software and teaching. Because of his careful planning, he’s able to break down complex topics into teachable components. That’s a skill you want in both a teacher and a software developer!”
Ryan Irelan, CraftQuest
“Ben’s teaching methods were really easy to follow. He’s enthusiastic and cares about his work, which really comes through in his teaching style. He was patient and gave great examples to make complicated principles seem straightforward.”
Daryl Knight, CodeKnight
“Ben is great at taking a complex subject and breaking it down in a way that you can wrap your mind around. I thought that plugin development was something I would never understand and happily Ben proved me wrong!”
Jonathan Melville, Melville Digital Development
“Ben rebuilt my website and it turned out exactly as we had planned it. His approach was very professional and everything was completed on time and beautifully. As I do not know much about websites, Ben was very good and very, very patient at explaining everything I needed to know to make changes and edits to the site.”
Hari Herbst, Sharanagati Yogahaus
“Ben’s knowledge of Craft combined with his relaxed and informal teaching style make for a great learning experience.”
Steve Abraham, Omniscot
“If you were to ask me to list the more reliable developers of Craft CMS plugins Ben would be in pole position. As a developer we often rely on other developers to help with our projects and Ben writes quality innovative plugins that work, and as importantly, continue to work.”
John Moylan, Reva