How we create • together at interGen
From social media to measuring performance to simply managing your website, there are a lot of details to cover. InterGen operates on the idea that your website, your social media, and your data are yours. Our job is to make sure that you are getting the most out of your digital resources in the easiest, most convenient way possible. Helping people, businesses, organizations, and communities move forward together is an exciting endeavor that fuels us. Beyond just programming your website, our passion can move your business forward.
Here's what we're passionate about right now...
- Written by interGen Team
A robust online presence is essential, and improving your site's rank on Google Search results can be crucial to your website's success. Optimizing your site for better visibility and a higher ranking requires a thought-out strategic approach. We'd love to share five practical tips to help you boost your site's rank on Google Search, attract more organic traffic, and help stay ahead of the competition.
Tip 1: Improve Your Web Page's SEO
Improving your On-Page SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is one of the best ways to improve your Google Search rankings. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to improve - you can optimize your page in under 5 minutes. But how do you optimize your site around target keywords?
Read more: Google Search: Improving Your Site’s Rank in 2023
- Written by Brian Mitchell • Production Team Lead and President
The best way ensure security is not following a simple checklist. First, take the time to do an assessment of your mission critical systems.
Pull your team together and ask about which systems and processes your organization relies on the most. It is best to assume that what can go wrong will. If something went wrong with those systems, how would you handle it? Who would you call for help?
Document your scenarios and response strategies and tuck it away for when things go sideways. Even if you hit something new and unexpected, it is likely one of your documented solutions will help guide you through the challenge.
- Written by Kristin Bird
Web development can be a pretty broad term when it comes to building websites! One way to think about it is to compare it to running a restaurant.
Just as a restaurant needs a physical space, menu, and staff to serve customers, a website needs a domain, design, and code to provide information and functionality to users.
The "front-end" of web development, involves designing the layout and user interface of the website, just like how a restaurant design the physical space that customers will interact with. In a restaurant, this can include things like the layout of the tables, the menu board, and the decor. On a website, this includes things like the template, images, UX, and design.
The "back-end" of web development involves creating and managing the functionality of the website, similar to the kitchen and staff of a restaurant. In a restaurant, the staff manages all the tasks hidden to customers like maintaining cleanliness, cooking the food, and settling checks. On a website, the code, database, and software components do the behind the scenes work to make sure all the elements of the website work: forms are sent, orders are processed, pages load quickly, etc.
Just like a restaurant needs both inviting space and competent staff to deliver a great dining experience, a website needs both front-end and back-end development in order to function properly, allow visitors to find the information and features that they need, and provide a great user experience.
- Written by Brian Mitchell • Production Team Lead and President
Looking back on the year just past and looking forward to the goals and aspirations for 2023...
The interGen team is deeply grateful for all those that contribute to Joomla and Open Source software. We also greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve our clients and their communities.
We count our blessings as this new year begins and thank you for connecting with us as we continue to create • together.
- Written by The interGen Team
At interGen, we build your new website with a clear and efficient process, modeled after the best practices used in software development. This ensures your site is not only beautifully designed but also robust and functional. Our typical timeline for developing a new website spans 6-8 weeks, starting from the moment we receive:
- A signed contract
- Your initial payment
- 100% of all the necessary content and assets (like text, images, videos, etc.) tailored to your chosen package
We can not start development until we have all three of the above items. Once we get through the development process, we send the site to you for review. How long this review process takes depends on how many changes you decide to make.
Here’s how our development and release process works:
Initial Review: Alpha Release
Think of this as the first draft of your website. It’s a crucial stage where you get to see the initial version and provide feedback. When we send you your site for Alpha Review, this is your chance to make sure everything is what we agreed upon during the planning and design of your site. You can request any changes in design, structure, or features. You have up to 30 days from when we send you the Alpha Review to send us your list of changes or questions.
Please note: changes that go beyond the original scope may affect both the timeline and the budget. We'll provide estimates for any scope changes so you can decide how to proceed.
Testing Phase: Beta Release
After updating the site with your initial feedback, we test the site thorougly to catch any errors and ensure everything functions correctly. When we send you your site for Beta Review, this is your opportunity to test the site, much like a test drive, to ensure everything meets your expectations. Click every link, proofread every page, and test out every feature to make sure they are working the way they should.
Significant changes at this stage may delay the launch, as they require additional testing.
Final Approval: Release Candidate
This is the last stage before your website goes live. The site is almost ready, but we do a final check to iron out any remaining kinks. You’ll have up to five days during this phase to review the site and request minor tweaks. After those five days, you'll receiving final billing for your site development. However, we won't launch the site until YOU are ready!
For any changes requested at this stage, we will provide a cost quote and an estimate of how long the request will delay moving from development to launch.
Launch and Beyond!
Going Live: You decide when your site goes live! For non-e-commerce sites, launching typically takes about one business day after final approval. We'll confirm when your domain points to the new site and check that features like contact forms and analytics are functioning post-launch.
Post-Launch: Remember, a website is never truly 'done' - it is always growing, changing, and evolving to meet your needs! We continue enhancing your site with new features, regular updates, and fixes as needed. This ongoing maintenance and support ensures your website remains effective and dynamic, continually supporting your business goals.
Why Timeliness Matters
Sticking to our initial timeline of 6-8 weeks depends on prompt collaboration and timely communication. Providing all the required materials and timely feedback is crucial. Delays in these areas can extend the development process timeline.
