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 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
The alpha, beta, and release candidate (RC) release cycle is a common approach used by software development teams to ensure the quality and reliability of their products. It's also how we here at interGen get ready to launch your new website (or other major project).
First, we develop the website, and then you look at it and decide if you want to make any changes (Alpha). Then, it goes into testing where we check for any bugs or issues (Beta). Finally, we make sure the website is ready for the public (Release Candidate). After the website is launched, we continue to work on it and make sure it's working well.
Alpha Release
The alpha phase is the first stage of the software release cycle, where the software is still in development and not yet ready for public use. During this phase, the software is tested internally by the development team to identify and fix any major bugs or issues.
Your new website project
The alpha release means your new website is ready for your review. You'll get to take your first look at it, get a chance to "kick the tires," and decide if you have any design or sitemap changes or feature requests you'd like to add to the project at this time. (Anything not included in your initial contract will be quoted for a cost and time estimate.)
Read more: The Software Release Cycle & Your New Website Project
- Written by Kristin Bird • Support Team Lead
We intentionally don't use the term "customer service" to describe interGen's support, training, and problem-solving solutions. Technological innovation may have helped us all become faster and more efficient at resolving customer issues. However, endless automated phone systems, outsourced technicians with limited authority, chatbot loops, and complicated support forums can radically depersonalize the experience.
Clients end up feeling aggravated and dissatisfied rather than served and supported.
Prioritizing personal, skilled, and timely support saves clients time and effort: two of the most precious commodities for today's consumers. When providing exceptional client support is a critical feature - rather than an unavoidable cost - businesses and organizations keep people's needs at the forefront of every interaction.
Being intentionally people-focused leads to greater satisfaction and profit for team members, clients, and everyone in between.
