We sat with Phil, our seasoned web developer who has over 18 years of experience, to celebrate his third work anniversary. Since he works from home, Phil tends to fly under the radar. So here’s a proper introduction to our world-class developer!
Phil isn’t your average developer. Outside of his professional work, Phil enjoys coaching his son’s under-13s team, running wrestling events and being an avid Burnley FC fan. His expertise stretches across web development to on-page optimisation, making him a versatile and experienced voice in the industry.
Let’s get to know about Phil’s journey!
What drew you to website development?
It all started in a pretty unusual way. Years ago, I went for a job interview for a sales position. However, the senior website developer in that company took an interest in me and asked if I wanted to give website development a go. Honestly, I wanted to learn new things, so I said yes.
I was immediately enrolled in training programs while working as a salesperson. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was deep into the world of website development. I must add that it’s been an amazing journey that started unexpectedly but has turned into something I’m deeply passionate about.
Are there any key lessons you’ve learnt that influence your work today?
One lesson that has stuck with me throughout my career is the importance of mastering the basics. You can’t skip the fundamentals and expect to build something solid. When I first started, I spent a lot of time with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
It was something I struggled with initially, but now I use it every single day. It’s an important part of web building, and mastering it opened doors for me to move on to more complex areas of website development.
So naturally, my advice to anyone starting out would be to learn the basics first, whether it’s HTML, CSS or JavaScript. Once you have those down, the more complex stuff will follow naturally. Don’t rush it; take the time to understand why things work the way they do.
Another key piece of advice would be the importance of adaptability. Digital work doesn’t stand still, and neither can you. Being open to learning new tools, frameworks or techniques has been crucial to my growth.
What current website trends do you find most influential?
Nothing excites me more than artificial intelligence (AI). Tools like Leonardo.AI are already allowing developers to create images and graphics in a fraction of the time it would typically take.
I am not saying ‘AI does everything,’ but it helps automate tasks and personalise user experience, making websites smarter and more efficient. Just look at what Mahmoud is doing for us. I’d love to share more, but I want to keep a little mystery alive. You might hear about it soon!
For example, I use AI to find tutorials or answers whenever I face code problems. This allows me to self-learn rather than feel like AI is doing the work for me.
What do you believe is the next big thing in websites?
We’ll see more sophisticated chatbots and virtual assistants becoming standard on websites. These AI-powered tools will not only help with customer service but will also improve website engagement and drive conversions.
Another big shift is towards the hyper-personalisation of websites. Hyper-personalisation is the use of real-time data and AI to create a personalised user experience on the website. Just picture this: instead of having to search manually for products or content, they are presented to you directly. It’s as if the website can read your mind. Depending on the user’s past and present preferences, AI will customise the content for you.
What misconceptions do people have about website developers?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that website developers are just “mechanics” who follow a set process to build a website. In reality, there’s so much more to it. Website development isn’t a one-size-fits-all job. There are multiple ways to approach a project, and each developer has their unique methods and processes.
Another misconception is that once a website is built, the job’s done. That’s not the case. Websites require ongoing maintenance, refreshes or rebrands and optimisation to keep them running smoothly. This ensures the website is delivering the best possible user experience.
Do you have any tips for creating an effective website?
My number one tip is to make sure your website is fully mobile-optimised.
Most website traffic now comes from mobile devices because people prefer on-the-go browsing and can access information anytime, anywhere. As of January 2025, 62% of global website traffic comes from mobile devices.
I highly recommend mobile-first designs. Start designing for smaller screens and work your way up to larger devices. This approach ensures that your website is built with the user in mind, no matter how they access it.
Another tip is to keep things simple and clean. Avoid overwhelming visitors with unnecessary elements. Reducing excess content and features will improve loading speed (LCP), enhance interaction time (FID) and ensure visual stability (CLS). These improvements contribute to a better user experience and can positively impact both website performance and SEO.
Users have little patience for slow-loading pages, and search engines like Google factor page speed into their rankings. Studies show that 47% of people don’t wait more than two seconds for a website page to load. So, be sure to optimise your website for speed.
Tell me about a time when you overcame a website challenge
One project that comes to mind was when I had to deal with a new client who came to us with a hacked website. When they learned about our standards, they felt confident and trusted us to help bring their website back. I had to download all the files, go through them carefully to figure out how the breach had happened and clean up the infected files.
It wasn’t easy, but I was able to restore the website, secure it and put measures in place to prevent future attacks. It was incredibly rewarding to see the website back up and running smoothly. Thanks to everyone on the team for the joint effort. This was one of our finest moments.
Looking for a website that performs well?
Whether you need a rebrand or a new website, we’re here to help. At Trio, we are known for our unbeatable standards.
Contact us today, and let’s make your website vision a reality.
