Along with the times, web development has become one of the most promising fields of work. How come? Companies from various sectors now need a neat, functional, and attractive website in the eyes of the customer to continue to exist in the market.
Therefore, we will explain all kinds of web development you need to know this time. Starting from the definition to the working process. Check it out!
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What is Web Development?
Adapting to Techopedia, web development, or web development is a process of building and maintaining a website. This work is done behind the scenes to create a website that looks slick and works fast.
Generally, during the development process, companies will be guided by the needs and aspirations of their customers. This is done so that the website will be able to provide a user experience that is smooth and not confusing.
The web development process includes web design, web content development, scripting for client and server sides, and network security settings. In a broader sense, web development includes all actions and updates to ensure the site’s performance according to user requirements at optimal speed.
However, web development now includes all the strategic actions needed to ensure a site remains well ranked in search engine rankings. Usually, these tasks relate to a different specialty, namely search engine optimizer (SEO).
Types of Web Development
You need to understand various kinds of web development if you want to become a web developer. These various types of web development refer to the various professional sectors in which developers can work.
Some of these different types overlap and serve different functions. Therefore, a web developer will master different types of web development to become a more flexible professional.
So, what are the types of web development that you should recognize? From HubSpot, here is the explanation:
1. Front-end development
The first type of web development you need to learn is front-end development. The main task of developers working in this field is to build UIs that can help users achieve their site goals. That’s why front-end developers also often take part in the UX design aspect of their projects. Therefore, having a background in UX can be a plus for a front-end developer, as they can build empathy for users.
2. Back-end development
If the front-end is what users see while on the site. The back-end is the aspect they don’t see. Back-end developers are in charge of managing website servers, programs, and software to ensure that all these features can work properly.
Typically, back-end developers work in systems such as servers, operating systems, APIs, and databases. They manage the code within the site for security, content, and site structure.
3. Full-stack development
The next type of web development that you must know is full-stack development. Full-stack developers work on the front-end and back-end of the site. They are expected to be able to create websites, applications, or software programs from the beginning to the end of the development process.
The word “stack” refers to the various technologies they will handle on the same website, such as servers, UI, etc.
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4. Mobile development
Mobile development is a type of web development that has recently emerged. Generally, this type of web development comes as an answer to the needs of customers who prefer to open applications and websites via their smartphones.
The job of a mobile developer is to build friendly applications for mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. Applications on mobile have different operational processes from websites and other software programs. Therefore, if you want to pursue a career as a mobile developer, you will need development skills and knowledge of several specialized programming languages.
Web Development Work Process
The web development work process is not an easy thing to do. Each type of development has a different work process based on the kind of website, programming language, and required resources. However, a work process is usually a reference for developers. According to Xbsoftware, here’s the explanation:
1. Information gathering
The first work process in web development is information gathering. This stage will determine how the following steps will look. The most crucial task in the information gathering stage is to understand the future purpose of the website.
The main goals are: to be achieved, and the type of audience the site wants to reach also needs to be planned. This kind of knowledge can help developers create the best strategies for their projects for their web development.
2. Designing website development
At this stage of the website development work process, developers need to create data that allows customers to judge the quality of the website’s appearance. Well, the solution for this is to create a sitemap and wireframe.
a. Creating a sitemap
A sitemap can describe the correlations between the main areas of a website. Such representations can help developers understand the functionality of their final product. A sitemap can also show the relationships between various pages on a website. With this knowledge, developers can judge how easy it is for users to find the information or services they need on a website.
b. Creating a wireframe
On the other hand, a wireframe visualizes the UI that the developer will create. Wireframes do not contain design elements such as colors and logos. This feature only describes the elements to be added to the web page. It’s not very artsy, so it’s cheap to use in production sketches.
3. Designing
The final work process in web development is the design stage. During this stage, the appearance of the website begins to take shape. All visual content, such as images, photos, and videos, will be created in this step.
a. Website page layout
All the information gathered through the first stage is very important. The needs of the customer and target audience must be kept in mind while working on the design. Apart from that, the designer must also design the web page’s layout. This design can be presented in the form of a sketch or a pure graphic design.
The main function of layouts is to represent the structure of information, provide content visualization, and demonstrate basic functionality in a website.
b. Review and approval cycle
After completing the design drafts, customers and clients can review the layout and designs. They can then be asked to send feedback to the designer team. If customers and clients are unsure about some aspect of the site’s design, the designer should revise the plan and send it back to them. This cycle should be repeated until the customer and client are delighted with the design draft on the website.
Also Read: Website Composition and Layout Tips from Harvard
In conclusion, web development is building and managing a website.