What is the process of Web Development?

The process of making websites isn't as simple as three steps. Every development process is unique, dependent on the kind of site, the programming language and the resources.

The following section is an outline of the development process and an introduction to the most commonly used languages and CMS alternatives.

1. Create a plan.

Before you put the pen on paper or put your hands on a keyboard, you need to establish a connection with the teams and staff within your company to create the plan for your website.

Here are some things to think about prior to your first website draft:

• What's the purpose of your site?
• Who are your customers, and what are you looking to get them to be able to do so on your site?
• What's the kind of website? (e.g. simple informational or membership forms, or online store, etc.))
• What content do you intend to release, and in the appropriate volume? What is the goal for this material?
• When you think about the bigger picture, How will you build your website to provide the best user experience?
• How much do you have in your savings?

The answers to these questions will require interaction with your marketing, web development and finance teams to make educated calls. From this point, you can make a list of your priorities and then create an agenda from now until lunchtime. It's easier to develop an outline at the start of the process rather than having to revert your course when you encounter an obstacle.

2. Create a wireframe.

Every good website starts with an outline. Wireframes are what developers refer to as also known as a website map (not meant to confuse with sitemap.XML, which can be described as the XML file that assists SERPs to discover and crawl your site). It doesn't need to be a formal document. It's just an idea for your website that will give the site owner and developer(s) guidance and a starting point. It can be drawn on a whiteboard, or you can use tools such as Invision, Slickplan, or Mindnode.

Like a business plan can give prospective investors a glimpse of your objectives and deliverables, a sitemap provides developers with an impression of what you're envisioning and the necessary information to achieve your goals. You can design your own sitemap or collaborate in conjunction with the developer(s).

Here are some questions you can ask yourself while making your site's design:

• What are the pages you wish to see? What kind of content should be included on the pages?
• How do you organize these sections into different categories? (These categories could represent the menu on your homepage -- should you wish to think of it that way.)
• What is the structure of pages on your website?
• How do the pages link to one another?
• What categories and pages are crucial to your website as well as user experience? What pages and categories could be removed or added?

Also, it's an excellent idea to talk on behalf of other team members within the business. If you have an SEO or content strategy team, Their input is essential in the structure of your linking and categorizing of your pages.

3. Write your website code.

The next step in the development of a website is to write the code.

Developers may use various languages for the front and back-end of websites in addition to for the various functions of the website (such as design, interactivity, etc.) These languages work in conjunction to build and operate your website.

Let's begin with the three most frequently used languages. Nearly every website utilizes the three languages together, and you're likely to use them as well.

HTML

HyperText Markup Language (HTML) was first used in the 90s. It's the basis of all websites and is the minimum requirement required to build a website. (Yes, you can make websites using only HTML. It's not pretty, however.)

Here are HTML for a standard Bootstrap button.

Languages such as CSS and JavaScript improve and alter the fundamental structure of websites created by HTML code. HTML5 is the latest version that supports the cross-platform capabilities of browsers which makes it a popular choice for mobile app development.

CSS

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) were created in the latter part of the 1990s. It incorporates design elements such as colours, typography and layouts to web pages. It's the cosmetic code.

CSS lets developers transform your site to reflect the design you have in mind for your website, and as with HTML5, CSS is compatible with all browsers.

Here's a code sample to modify the jumbotron's appearance using Bootstrap CSS.

JavaScript

JavaScript is the cherry on top of the coding languages. It was developed in the mid-90s. JavaScript is utilized to improve the functionality of websites. Developers can use it to create animated elements, automate the tasks on certain pages, and add interactive features that improve the user experience.

JavaScript is rapidly growing. At one time, it was considered a "toy" language; JavaScript is today the most used code language in the world. Thanks to Node.Js, which is now a back-end programming language. The first one can be understood by browsers as well, as some even considered the possibility of applying machine learning.

Below is a JavaScript code snippet to automate creating links within a brand new window within WordPress.

HTML, CSS, JavaScript are the "big three" of web development. Nearly every website utilizes these three in some way. There are many more server-side languages such as Java, C++, Python, and SQL; however, understanding these three languages is essential to the development of your website.

4. Build the back-end of your website.

Writing code is one of the most complicated elements of web development, but it's not the sole element. Additionally, you must create your front-end and back-end website layouts and structure.

Let's begin with the back-end.

The back-end manages the data needed to enable function in the front end. For instance, Facebook's back-end keeps my photos in a way that the front-end is able to allow other users to view the photos. It's comprised of two main elements:

• Databases are responsible for organizing, storing and processing data in a way that is accessible to server requests.
• Servers are also known as the software and hardware which make up your computer. Servers are accountable for processing, sending and receiving requests for data. They are the intermediate between the database and user/browser. In essence, inform servers, "I need this information" The server will be able to retrieve that data from the database and transmit it to the user.

The components that make up the website create the foundation of each website.

When it comes to building websites, the back-end developer makes three points.

• Your logic code is basically a set of guidelines for how your site responds to specific requests and how other elements of your website will communicate.
• The management of your database is the method your website uses to organize, manage and access its database.
• Your infrastructure, or the way your website can be hosted. Hosting your own website gives you more control, but it's more expensive and will require you to manage your own server's health and security.

With these elements and choices put in place, your site is ready to go live with front-end development.

Notice: Back-end can be somewhat tangential to web development as there is no need for a back-end if you're saving any information. "Data" in this context is any data entered by a user which you must preserve and keep. Consider logging into an online site. If they don't have a back-end system, how do they keep your login details? And what are the settings for your profile are? To find this information, you'll require an end-to-end.

Facebook, as an example, requires information about what individuals are on the Friends list, which events you've joined as well as what posts you've made, and much more. All this information is "data" that lives in databases. If they weren't running a back-end using the database and all that information would be available to them.

On the contrary, a site that is solely informational and doesn't need users to fill in any details doesn't require a back-end.

Therefore, if you're not able to access zero data, you don't necessarily need back-end development. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't study the fundamentals. It's never too early to know when you'll require it.

5. Build the front-end of your website.

If you've ever played with web design or experimented with the idea of a site with WordPress, Squarespace, or Google Sites, you've touched the front-end of web development.

The front-end is crucial because it's what your customers, customers and users see as well as how they'll interact with your website.

Front-end (or client-side) development consists of a mixture of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. It also manages elements like fonts and typography and navigation, positioning, responsiveness and compatibility with browsers. This will reflect more than your initial vision for the site and what you put on your wireframe.

As technology and the preferences of consumers evolve, the coding on the client-side tends to become obsolete much quicker than development on the back end. This is why coding resources (like the ones we've provided below) are useful.

6. (Optional) Work with a CMS.

Why should someone opt for a CMS over-programming "by hand" or "from scratch?" Because reason is that a CMS is more user-friendly (you must compose less code) and often comes with tools to host the website. However, it's not as flexible and therefore offers less control over the front-end of your site.

CMS choices also typically contain plugins that eliminate the requirement to create a back-end. For instance, you can find WordPress plugins specifically designed for ecommerce to ensure that instead of writing a complex back-end system to charge customer's debit cards with a credit card, they are able to make use of an existing plugin and do away with the necessity of dealing with server-side codes and databases in any way.

7. Acquire a domain name.

In this stage, your website will be equipped with the IP address. It will also require having a domain name and a unique name for your website, which users will be able to use to locate your website.

You may have heard of websites such as GoDaddy and Hover. These companies help you buy domain names and also register through ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers). Domain registrations typically last for a year prior to the time you have to renew.

Hosting and website builders such as WordPress and Squarespace will also allow users to purchase domain names.

8. Launch your site.

Once you've created your domain name and linked to your hosting provider and you're now ready to publish your work on the internet.

But, don't be too quick; there are several items you'll need to look over prior to launching your site. It's about establishing the roles for your team and thoroughly testing your website for any flaws, enhancing it to be SEO-friendly, as well as then a final inspection prior to "flipping the switch" and making your website live.