What is Web Development? A Beginner’s Guide!
Introduction
Website development: A key to unlock the digital world and earn top dollars!
Gone are the days when websites were a matter of choice. In the fast-growing digital era website development is a necessity. From the websites you shop to the apps you use or any other online search, web development is at the heart of everything.
With an increasing number of businesses going online, there is an increasing demand for web development skills. So, here in this guide in which we have covered all the aspects of web site development. What is web development, what are the key components of web development, popular tools and technologies used etc.
So, it is not about knowing what is web development and its significance only but everything that you ever want to know.
What is Web Development? A Detail Overview
To put it simply, web development is the process of building up, designing and maintenance of websites. Development of the web encompasses a wide range of tasks that is not confined to coding alone. It includes managing the database, making sure that the site functions well and smoothly across the various devices.
Ever since businesses have realized the importance of a strong online presence, demand for web developers is rising by leaps and bounds. As an aspiring web developer, you are at the right place. Learn here all the basic and future trends of this emerging career.
Various Aspects of Web Development:
Frontend Development:
As the name manifests, this is the front or visible portion of the website where users interact directly.
Backend Development:
Backend development is managing the server-side operation, databases to ensure that the website is functional and running smoothly.
Full-Stack Development:
It combines both the backend & frontend development process. As manifested by its name, developers work on full-stack development of the website.
Website maintenance is important to keep the site secure and operating smoothly all across the web.
What are the key technologies used? Explained in Detail
Front-end Development:
Front-end developers take care of visual aspects of websites like fonts, layout, colours and graphics.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language):
This is just the skeleton of any web page, HTML defines the structure and content of a webpage. It is all about the content of the webpage and its structure.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets):
Used for styling web pages. HTML. The style is used for defining all the content and web pages. Also, it makes them appealing to the eyes and responsive to various devices.
JavaScript:
This programming language is meant for making web pages more interactive by adding things like animations, dynamic content and validation.
Back-end Development:
Back-end web developers work from the back end to make sure that the website is functioning and operating properly. They collaborate with the front-end developers to build the entire architecture of the website and maintain databases.
Databases : for managing all the data of a website like product details (if any), content and user information etc. PostgreSQL, MongoDB and MySQL are some commonly used databases.
Servers : Manage the requests sent by the browsers and deliver the web page. Nginx and Apache are the commonly used browsers.
Programming Languages:
Ruby, Python, PHP and Node.js are some of the popularly used programming languages. Programmers process requests by running them on the server and interacting with the database. This way information is sent to the front-end.
In short, in the process of back-end development the server side of the software is built and maintained. As the name manifests, back-end developers work for the structure, data and logic of the website.
Full-stack Development:
These developers collaborate both with the front-end and back-end developers. Full-stack developers can manage both the visual aspects of the front-end and can control the server side as well.
Full-stack developers work with both frontend and backend technologies to create a seamless web experience. They are proficient in managing both the user-facing aspects and the server-side functionalities of a website.
Entire Web Development Process Explained In Detail
Web development process entails several stages. Each stage of it makes sure that the project meets expectations of users and clients. The key phases of this process are planning, designing, development then testing and review. Finally, the deployment and maintenance phase come in.
Planning Phase:
This is a prelude. Before the web development process kicks in, developers have to understand what the purpose of a website actually is. Also, understanding the target audience, their intent etc.
This stage involves creating a sitemap and wireframes, determining the technological requirements, and researching competitors to inform the design process. This phase is all about defining the goal, planning the sitemap, structure, content and imagery etc.
Creating the Prototype or Design:
The second phase of web development is creating a prototype or visuals. In this phase different aspects of the websites like layout, user-experience, design and functions are tested. Prototyping or creating design of a website is the phase to check out different layouts and elements to find which one will be the best fit to the user-experience.
This stage of web development is all about creating the basic layout. The phase will provide a prototype of how the final website will look-like. Adobe XD, Sketch and Figma are some of the notable prototyping tools.
Coding and Development:
This is the core phase where code of the website is written to bring it live to the Internet. Here both the front end and backend developers collaborate to write code for the website servers. The coding and development experts work on the website code so that it can turn into a live product.
Back-end developers work on the server side of the software. They typically use text-editors, version-control systems and programming languages to infuse life into the website.
Testing Phase:
Once the website is prepared, the critical step of testing it comes in. This is the process which entails checking the web application for any issues that it may have. The process is done before the website launch to ensure the proper functionality of the website, its security and responsiveness.
This is done to make sure that all the forms and features of websites are thoroughly like the payment gateways, login systems etc. Not only this, the testing phase also entails performance testing like how quickly the website works, is it secure etc. After the testing phase, the website is live.
Maintenance of Website and Updates:
Once the website is developed, it needs regular maintenance for fixing the bugs and improving its performance. Not only this, new features, plug-ins etc. are to be updated to keep it functioning optimally.
What are the Recent Trends in Web Development?
Web development is in the process of continual development. New technologies and trends are all set to change the way websites were developed.
Voice Search Optimization:
Nowadays more people use voice search as it is more convenient and quicker. Hence it is a current trend of web development.
Serverless development:
This is a recent trend wherein the developers have to focus more on business logic rather than on managing the infrastructure. This process is meant for cutting down on costs and for a speedy development process.
AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages):
Another recent trend in web development is AMP or Accelerated Mobile pages. The aim is to create websites that can work and load faster on mobiles.
Low-code Development:
This recent trend in web development just uses drag-and-drop technology. With the help of this technology, anyone without prior knowledge of web development can develop websites.
Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI):
ML and AI have completely transformed the way websites used to operate. Artificial intelligence has not only streamlined the web development process but made it more efficient too.
Other recent trends are:
What Future Does Web Development Hold?
Web development is growing continually. With its evolution, there is a growing demand for web developers. All businesses across the globe (without exception) want to have a digital edge and hence web developers are indispensable.
New and cutting-edge technologies like AI, VR and AR can make websites more dynamic and interactive. Also, with the trend of serverless architecture the developers will have to focus more on deploying functions for the web and writing code rather than managing the servers. Web development will focus more on producing 360-degree videos for a better user experience.
If you are looking to build a website for your business, then look no further! From Website development services to DevOps services, we have got you covered. Contact us today, and get a free consultation!
Conclusion
Web development is a skill that is high in demand. Developers who can create functional, engaging and secure websites are earning more than other lucrative jobs. If you get trained well and master the skills of full-stack, backend and front-end development, you will become indispensable in the job market.
However, website trends like AI, PWAs, Blockchain and cybersecurity etc. are shaping the future. Embrace the right career and start your journey by learning the basics of JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Remain competitive in the marketplace by learning the latest technologies and have a flourishing career!