Building the New Transmitter Solutions Website: A Developer's Tale of Gates, Garage Doors, and Sanity

If you've ever wondered what happens when a developer builds a website for a company that helps people control gates and garage doors, here's a peek behind the scenes.

The Mission: More Than Just Buttons

Transmitter Solutions helps people get in and out of their properties. Whether it's a gate, a garage door, or an access control system, they make it work. The website needed to reflect that reliability and make it easy to find the right product.

The Tech Stack: Modern Tools for Modern Access

We went with:

• Next.js 16 — fast and reliable
• Sanity CMS — so the team can update products without touching code
• TypeScript — fewer surprises
• Tailwind CSS — styling that doesn't fight you

The Sanity Studio Saga

Setting up Sanity Studio had its moments. Environment variables, React version compatibility, and the "createContext is not a function" error. After some debugging, we got it working. The Studio now lets the team manage products, categories, and specs without code changes.

Product Schema: Organized Like a Pro

The product structure includes:

• Media (photos and videos)
• Files (manuals and cut sheets)
• Features (bullet points)
• Specifications (technical details)

Each product can have any combination of these, so the team can add what's relevant.

The JSON Import Adventure

Bulk importing products via JSON was a must. We built a script that reads JSON files and imports products in batches, with error handling and progress logging. It's like having a helpful assistant that doesn't complain.

Branding: Making It Red (But Not Angry Red)

Matching the brand colors was important. We customized Sanity Studio to use Transmitter Solutions' red instead of the default blue. The Studio now feels like part of the brand.

What This Means for Customers

The new site makes it easier to:

• Find the right product
• See features and specifications
• Download manuals and cut sheets
• Understand compatibility

Lessons Learned

Environment variables matter — a lot

React version compatibility is real

JSON imports save time

Brand colors make a difference

Good documentation helps everyone

The Bottom Line

This project was about building a site that helps people find the right access control solution. It's a mix of modern tech, careful planning, and a few debugging sessions. The result is a site that's easy to use, easy to maintain, and ready to help customers get where they need to go.P.S. If you're reading this and thinking, "I need a new website," remember: even the best developers debug environment variables at 2 AM. It's part of the process. And if you need help with gates, garage doors, or access control, Transmitter Solutions has you covered.