The Problem
Iron Works Gym had an outdated Squarespace website that was slow, difficult to update, and didn't reflect the energy and quality of their fitness center. They needed a modern, fast, and professional web presence.
The Solution
Built a custom Next.js application from scratch with modern design, optimized performance, and easy content management. Handled the complete migration including domain transfer and DNS configuration.
Challenges & Approach
- Migrating content and maintaining SEO during platform transition
- Optimizing high-resolution gym images without quality loss
- Creating a design that captures the gym's energetic brand identity
- Ensuring fast load times for image-heavy pages
- Coordinating domain transfer with zero downtime
Technical Decisions
Next.js for the framework
Provides excellent performance, SEO capabilities, and image optimization out of the box
Vercel for hosting
Seamless Next.js integration with automatic deployments and excellent CDN performance
Tailwind CSS for styling
Enables rapid development of custom designs with consistent spacing and responsive utilities
Next.js Image component
Automatic image optimization, lazy loading, and responsive sizing for the image-heavy site
Key Learnings
- Client communication is crucial during platform migrations
- Image optimization strategy should be planned from the start
- Domain transfers require careful timing and DNS propagation planning
- Real-world client projects require balancing technical ideals with practical timelines
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