Websites are now what store showrooms were decades ago: A company’s introduction to customers, the all-important first impression that makes or breaks the rest of the relationship.

Just as cruddy showrooms lacking inventory or knowledgeable staff were bad for business, websites that are hard to navigate and don’t answer customers’ questions are a sure ticket to seeing nothing but goose eggs on the bottom line.

Web developers at Gorilla 76 understand that the pressure’s on for ITs to keep sites working cleanly with user experience in mind. When we build new sites for clients, our team combines a focus on functionality with a commitment to ease of use and security to craft digital showrooms that turn browsers into buyers.

Here’s what that process looks like:

Initial site survey

Gorilla web developers’ first step is to survey a client’s existing site to assess its preexisting functionality. We work closely with clients to identify which elements should migrate to the new site, which to eliminate and which can be improved.

Then, we discuss ideas for new apps or portals. It’s a two-way conversation where we listen to what’s worked and what hasn’t for our customer and suggest ideas we’ve seen work for other clients.

Finally, we map out elements of the new site and outline what we need to begin building.

Selecting a CMS

We always prefer WordPress. It’s perhaps the most popular open source CMS available, and it’s easy to see why:

  • It’s clean, easy to use, well-kept and updated often.
  • Its security team is among the best on the web.
  • It offers the flexibility to build anything we want into clients’ sites.
  • It’s not restricted by proprietary software.

This isn’t to say we won’t work in any other CMS. If it’s in the LAMP environment, we’ve done it before and are glad to do it again.

In addition, our developers are experienced in working with APIs for all kinds of applications, including marketing platforms and CRMs. Ultimately, the goal is streamlined lead generation. When it’s done effectively, it works in clients’ favor in two key ways: First, efficient lead generation allows salespeople to remain focused on their core role instead of worrying about busywork. Second, it drives down the cost of customer acquisition, making marketing programs even more valuable to clients.

Support tickets suck

Which is why we don’t believe in them.

We pride ourselves on being exceedingly available and responsive. If something goes wrong, let us know. We’ll handle it right away. No cues, no hoops, no red tape.

After all, if it was our own site, we’d do what needed to be done right then and there. There’s no reason to treat clients’ sites any differently.

Well-rounded development

At Gorilla 76, we think websites are too important to our clients’ businesses not to have a team of skilled web developers on-call and at the ready for any project. We think that because, as a marketing agency, we know how critical it is to create meaningful messages that help turn leads into sales.

The messages are crucial, but they’re useless without an effective messenger.