WHAT IS WEB DEVELOPMENT?

The effort that goes into creating a website is referred to as “website development” as a whole. Markup, code, scripting and network configuration are all included in this. Mostly people around us don’t know that what is web development?

Website development encompasses all related development tasks, including client-side scripting, server-side scripting, server and network security configuration, eCommerce development, and content management system (CMS) development, even though web development typically refers to web markup and coding.

For people who wish to learn more about development or work as developers, we’ll go over the fundamentals of web development in this guide.

To learn more about website development, keep reading.

The development, construction and maintenance of websites are referred to as web development. It covers web publishing, programming, database management, and web design. It is the development of an online application, such as a website.

In a broader sense, web development refers to all the procedures, changes, and actions needed to create, administer, and keep up a website’s performance, usability, and speed.

It could also, but need not include, all the preparatory steps required to guarantee its optimal positioning in search engine results. These activities typically fall under a distinct specialty, particularly search engine optimization (SEO)

After defining web development, let’s go through some of the fundamentals.

WHAT IS A WEBSITE?

Websites are made up of files that are kept on servers and machines that house websites (a fancy way of saying “keep files for”). These servers are linked to the Internet, a very large network.

The computers used to access these websites are referred to as “clients,” whereas browsers are computer applications that load websites via your Internet connection, such as Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.

WHAT IS HTTP?

The remote server hosting all website data is connected to the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP). A protocol is a set of guidelines that specifies how emails should be transmitted over the Internet. You can navigate between websites and site pages with it.

HTTP offers a foundation when you type a website into your web browser so that the client and server may communicate with each other across the Internet by sending requests and receiving responses in the same language. It acts as a translator between you and the Internet; it reads your request for a website, reads the code the server sends back, and then translates it into a webpage for you.

WHAT IS CODING?

Programming languages are used when coding to create computer programs for servers and applications. They are called “languages” because they have a vocabulary and grammatical structure specifically designed for computer communication. Additionally, they contain special keystrokes, punctuation, and abbreviations that can only be understood by specific hardware and software.

Although at least one coding language is used to create software, the languages used differ depending on the platform, operating system, and style. Front-end and back-end languages can be divided into two types.

WHAT IS AN IP ADDRESS?

You must know a website’s Internet Protocol (IP) address to access it. A specific set of numbers is an IP address. Each device has an IP address to differentiate itself from the billions of websites and devices linked to the Internet.

You may also enter “what’s my IP address” into your search browser to get your device’s IP address. Although IP addresses can be used to visit websites, most Internet users prefer to use domain names or search engines.

WHAT IS A CMS?

A web application or collection of tools used to create and manage web content is known as a content management system (CMS).

Discover the benefits of using CMS Hub to create an optimized website that connects to your HubSpot CRM data and complete marketing suite.

Using a CMS simplifies the process even though it is not necessary to develop a website. It offers the building elements (such as plugins and add-ons) and enables you to write the code to build the framework. CMSs are helpful for all types of websites, although they are frequently used for blogging and e-commerce.

WHAT IS MEANT BY FRONT-END?

The portion of a website or software you see and use as an Internet user is a front end (also known as the client side). Front-end coding languages enable a website to operate without constantly “communicating” with the Internet when data is transmitted from a server to a browser.

Thanks to front-end code, users can interact with a website and play movies, expand or decrease photos, highlight text, and more. Client-side development is done by web developers that specialize in front-end code.

WHAT DOES “BACK END” MEAN?

When using the Internet, you don’t see the back-end (also known as the server side). The digital infrastructure appears to non-developers as a jumble of letters, numbers, and symbols.

Front-end languages are less common than back-end programming languages. That’s because servers may be set up to grasp virtually any language, whereas front-end browsers only comprehend HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

There are primary categories of web development:

1. FRONT-END DEVELOPMENT

The “client-facing” portion of web development is covered by front-end development. In other words, front-end web development typically refers to the area of a website, app, or digital product that people will see and interact with. Therefore, a front-end developer is in charge of how a digital product “feels,” which is why they are frequently referred to as web designers.

Front-End Web developers concentrate on converting visual concepts and website designs into code. A front-end software developer serves as a link between design and technology by implementing the design concepts developed by others in web development teams.

Programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as frameworks like React, Bootstrap, Backbone, AngularJS, and Embers, are typically essential for front-end developers. A Front-End Developer’s duties include the following:

• Developing responsive websites.
• Performing website testing.
• Repairing any defects found during the web development process.
• Ensuring the site’s architecture complies with SEO best practices.

2. BACK-END DEVELOPMENT

Back-End Developers are concerned with how digital product functions, while Front-End Developers are in charge of how it looks. A back-end developer builds the foundation of a website, including database interactions, user authentication, server, network, hosting settings, and business logic, before maintaining it and ensuring it functions as it should. Back-end developers are interested in the systems and frameworks that enable computer applications to function as intended.

Back-end developers’ main duty is to guarantee the site’s functionality, responsiveness, and speed. To accomplish that, back-end developers must understand how to manage databases and data on a web server and create servers using cutting-edge frameworks.

3. FULL-STACK DEVELOPMENT

Full-stack developers work on a website’s front and back end. They can design and build an entire website, application, or software. The term “Stack” refers to the several technologies, including the server, interface, and others, that manage various functionalities on a single website.

Because full-stack developers need years to gain the appropriate experience, this position is frequently sought after. Their comprehensive knowledge aids in performance optimization, early problem detection, and team member understanding of various web service components.

4. DEVELOPMENT OF A WEBSITE

Front-end, back-end and full-stack engineers all work on websites. However, as opposed to creating desktop programs, video games, or mobile applications, these experts focus on creating websites.

5. DESKTOP DEVELOPMENT

Building software programs that operate locally on your device rather than remotely in a web browser is a specialty of desktop developers. If an application may be used both online and offline, these developers’ skill sets occasionally overlap with those of web developers.

6. GAMING DEVELOPMENT

Video game developers write code for consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.), PC, and mobile games. Hence their field of expertise partially overlaps with that of mobile development.

7. MOBILE DEVELOPMENT

For mobile devices like smartphones or tablets, mobile developers create applications. Mobile applications require a unique set of development abilities and familiarity with specialized programming languages because they function very differently from other websites and software products.

8. EMBEDDED DEVELOPMENT

Developers of embedded systems work with all non-computer hardware. This includes digital interfaces, consumer electronics, Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets, real-time systems, and more.

Embedded development is gaining popularity as the number of interconnected devices has recently increased, as evidenced by smart appliances, Bluetooth technology, and virtual assistants.

A website’s creation is not as simple as 1-2-3. Each development path is unique depending on the website’s type, programming languages, and resources.

The following section briefly describes the web development process, along with the most popular programming languages and content management system (CMS) choices.

CREATE A PLAN

It’s crucial to engage with teams and staff members across your organization to build a plan for your website before putting pen to paper or fingers on a computer.

MAKE A WIREFRAME

Every good website has a blueprint at the outset. A wireframe is what programmers refer to as. It need not be an official document; it can simply be a vision for your website that will provide guidance and a starting point for you and your developer. You can use a tool like Envision, Slick plan, or Mind node or draw it on a whiteboard.

Using wireframes, you can visualize where text and graphics will appear on individual web pages. To preview how your material will appear on the front end, utilize empty boxes and “dummy text.” Create wireframes with your developer so that they can see what you have in mind.

DEVELOPING CONTENT

According to the web development team, the website design will continue to use placeholder text and images until the genuine material is ready to be added.

The customer often supplies the material. The content should be available as soon as the design phase is complete because it can be created throughout the remaining stages of the web development process.

The web development team and the customer can now change the word and character restrictions for menus and make sure that image and video files display in their entirety.

TYPE THE CODE FOR YOUR WEBSITE

Writing the code is the following step in the web development process.

Developers will use different coding languages for the front-end and back-end of websites and the site’s various capabilities (such as design, interactivity, etc.). To create and maintain your website, these several languages work together.

Start with the most widely spoken languages.

1. HTML

Since the 1990s, Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) has been used. It serves as the basis for all websites and is the minimal requirement for building one. While a website could be made entirely with HTML, it wouldn’t be very appealing.

The fundamental website structure created by HTML codes is enhanced and modified by languages like CSS and JavaScript. The most recent version, HTML5, is widely used in creating mobile applications since it provides cross-platform browser capabilities.

2. JAVASCRIPT

A programming language’s crown jewel is JavaScript. Website functionality can be added using JavaScript, which was developed in the middle of the 1990s. Developers use it to include interactive features that improve user experiences, such as animations, tasks inside specific pages, and automation.

The development of JavaScript is quick. JavaScript once derided as a “toy” language, is today the most used programming language worldwide. It has become a back-end programming language with the aid of NodeJS. It’s the first language browsers can understand, and some people have even talked about using machine learning to translate it.

3. CSS

 It enhances websites’ overall “look” by adding design components like font, colors, and layouts.

Similar to HTML5, CSS is browser-independent and enables developers to modify your website to meet the look you had in mind.

The “big three” in web development are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Nearly every website makes use of them in some way. Although there are many others, including server-side languages like Java, C++, Python, and SQL, mastering these three is essential for your grasp of website creation.

Although writing code is undoubtedly one of the most challenging aspects of developing a website, it is by no means the only one. You must also develop the front-end and back-end site architecture and design.

We’ll begin with the back end.

The back-end handles the data that makes the front-functionality end possible. For instance, Facebook’s back end keeps a copy of my images so the front end can share them with others. It consists of two essential parts:

DATABASES

In charge of conserving, arranging, and processing data so service requests can access it.

SERVERS

Those are the components of your computer’s hardware and software. Data requests must be sent, processed, and received by servers. They serve as a bridge between the client/browser and the database. In essence, the browser will alert the server, “I need this information,” and the server will know how to retrieve it from the database and provide it to the client. Together, these elements form the basis for every website. Back-end developers will establish three things when constructing your website.

YOUR LOGIC CODES

This specifies how your website will handle various requests and how its objects will communicate with one another.

YOUR DATABASE ADMINISTRATION

which is how the data on your website will be stored, managed, and retrieved.

YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE

This describes the hosting of your website. Although it is more expensive and requires you to look after your own server’s security and health, hosting your website will give you more control.

Your website will be prepared for front-end development once you’ve made these choices and put these elements into place.

CREATE THE WEBSITE’S FRONT END

You’ve worked with front-end web development if you’ve ever experimented with web design or played around with a website built in WordPress, Squarespace, or Google Sites. The front-end components are crucial since they affect how your website’s users, clients, and visitors will interact with it.

In front-end (or client-side) programming, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS are often used together. Additionally, it manages elements like typography and fonts, navigation, positioning, and the responsiveness and compatibility of browsers. More of your original site vision and the elements you included in your wireframe will be reflected in this section.

As technology and user preferences evolve, client-side coding typically ages considerably more quickly than back-end programming.

CONTENT CREATOR

Consider selecting a link to an article that offers to teach you all there is to know about web development. We require content developers for this reason. Content developers write text for the website, from landing page text to blog entries and technical papers. At the same time, the majority of the web development team works on making the website attractive and useful.

Content developers don’t require conventional web development abilities because they don’t work directly on the website. Instead, they are typically knowledgeable in marketing, content creation, and effective writing. Along with fact-checkers, copy editors, and marketers who ensure the content message reflects the company’s values, content production teams also include these individuals.

PURCHASE A DOMAIN NAME

Your website will now be assigned an IP address. Additionally, it needs a domain name, a catchy website name that people can remember and use to find your website.

Websites like GoDaddy and Hover might be familiar to you. You can buy a domain name with these services and register with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Most domain registrations last for a year before needing to be renewed.

You can buy a domain name using website builders and hosting providers like WordPress and Squarespace.

MAKE YOUR SITE LIVE

You’re almost ready to share your work with the world wide web once you’ve created a domain name and connected it to your host. But hold on, there are still a few things you need to double-check before a launch. These include assigning tasks to your team, extensively testing your site for errors, optimizing for SEO, and performing the last check before “turning the switch” and going live with your site.

Businesses once believed that their online presence was unimportant to their regular operations. They rely on their websites to attract new clients and stay in touch with current ones.

Even yet, business owners prefer to devote their attention to developing and maintaining their products and services. In light of this, web development is crucial. For several reasons, professional web developers are a crucial resource for companies and organizations.

Both terms have a similar connotation, and you may have also heard the term “web design.” “web development” and “web design” are frequently used interchangeably to describe different aspects of websites. If you’re interested in learning more, we offer a web design and development video.

FAQ

How does web development work?

Websites are built and maintained by web developers. They are also in charge of the technical elements of the website, such as its performance and capacity, which are indicators of how quickly and how much traffic a website can manage. Web designers can also produce content for the website.

What is an example of web development?

Creating dynamic online applications is referred to as web programming or web development. Websites like Facebook’s social networking service or Amazon’s online store are examples of web applications.

Why should I research web development?

High-income potential, room for advancement, and flexibility are typically at the top of the list for those considering a career in web development. The tight labor market is a difficulty facing those seeking web development.

CONCLUSION

The process of creating, constructing, and managing websites and web applications accessible online through a browser is called website development. However, it might also involve database management, web development, and web design.

Web development and the task of creating the features and functionality of apps are closely related (web design).

The user-facing aspect of web development is called the front end, and the back end is called the back end (the server side).

Web development is an excellent career choice because it pays well and is in high demand worldwide.