Web development is about creating and managing websites and web applications. This activity involves various tasks — from creating simple static web pages to building complex web applications. Web development is a rapidly growing field, with the number of websites and web applications increasing yearly. If you are a business looking to foray into a digital landscape, then you need to undergo the process of website development.
As of September 2022, there are over 1.98 billion websites on the internet. The most popular programming languages for web development are JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. JavaScript is used for creating interactive front-end features, while HTML and CSS are used for structuring and styling web pages. Responsive web design has become an important aspect of web development process, ensuring websites are optimised for different screen sizes and devices.
In this article, we’ll go through a step-by-step web development process that includes major aspects in the web development planning process, associated technologies, and cost.
The process of developing a website
The website development process involves creating a website from the ground up with coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It involves various tasks — from undergoing a web development planning process to making the right choices to creating a database, writing code, designing content, and crafting an effective user experience. Website development requires a lot of knowledge and skills, and it can be a very complex process.
Step 1: Defining scope and objectives
This is one of the first stages of the website development process where the goal is to define the scope and objectives of the project. This involves gathering information about the website’s purpose, audience, design, content, features, and budget. It’s important to have clear goals for the website so you can plan website development accordingly and create something that help meet business needs.
Step 2: Choosing a platform or framework
Once you know what you want from your website, it’s time to select a platform or framework that will accommodate your needs. Popular options include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento, Shopify and many more. Depending on the complexity of your website project and budget constraints, you may choose a different platform or framework for each element of your website.
Step 3: Web Designing
The next step in the website design and development process is the designing part. This can involve creating mockups in Photoshop or Sketch to give you an idea of your website's appearance before it’s developed.
You may also need to select fonts, colours and other design elements, such as images and graphics.
Step 4: Web development
Functionality Your website’s functionality is an essential part of its success. This includes developing features such as contact forms, payment gateways, and search functions. Depending on the complexity of your project, this stage can involve a range of coding languages, such as HTML5, PHP, JavaScript, and configuring databases and APIs.
Step 5: Website testing
Before launching your website, it’s important to test it thoroughly to ensure everything works properly. This is also known as ‘quality assurance testing’ which involves conducting tests for different browsers on different devices and using software tools to check for bugs in the code. At this stage of developing a website, it is necessary to update the website content, fix any bugs or errors, and ensure that the website's security is up to date.
Step 6: Website launching
The website design and development process end with launching a website. It requires setting up hosting services (allowing users to access your site online) and registering domain names (making it easier for users to find your site). This can be done by uploading the website's files to a hosting service or by using a content management system (CMS) to manage the website's content.
Technologies used for website development
The evolution of the web has presented us with many technologies for website development. Each of these technologies has a unique set of properties, allowing for creating more complex and interesting sites. The website design and development process also require effective use of these technologies, enabling developers to create highly functional websites optimised for performance and user experience.
These technologies, from content presentations on web pages to database management systems, are essential components of successful website development projects. They provide developers with powerful tools for creating engaging websites from scratch.
1. HTML
HTML is the core language used to structure content on a web page and determine its appearance. HTML tags can structure page content in headings, paragraphs, images, tables, and more.
2. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
CSS is another popular technology used in website development. CSS is a language that allows developers to separate the presentation elements from the structure of their web pages and apply style rules across multiple pages at once. CSS defines a webpage's colours, fonts, sizing and spacing, and backgrounds. This creates a consistent look and feels across all pages by eliminating the need to format elements individually with tags manually.
3. JavaScript
JavaScript is a scripting language that is commonly used in website development. JavaScript allows developers to create interactive content, such as form validation, drop-down menus, and slider elements. JavaScript code can also be used for complex applications such as image galleries and sliders. Furthermore, JavaScript can be combined with HTML and CSS for even more advanced features, such as dynamic page loading and interactive animations.
4. PHP
PHP is a server-side programming language that is commonly used for developing websites. PHP can store data in databases or manipulate data from user input fields. Moreover, PHP allows developers to create custom functions that can be re-used throughout their websites. Using PHP for web development projects, developers can create more robust sites capable of dynamic functionality and improved performance.
5. SQL (Structured Query Language)
SQL is another technology used in website development projects. SQL is a language designed specifically for interacting with databases and manipulating data stored within them. SQL queries allow developers to get data from databases using statements like SELECT or UPDATE and perform operations like creating tables or inserting data into them. With SQL queries, developers have greater control over the data they store within their websites’ databases and can efficiently search through large datasets.
Cost of web development
Web development is a crucial step for any business that wants to leverage the power of the internet to connect with its customers and grow its brand. However, many business owners need to figure out how much web development costs and what factors affect the total cost.
Design Cost — €3500-€20000
The design cost of your website will depend largely on your specific requirements. Suppose you require a simple website with just a few pages and basic design elements. Your costs may be relatively low compared to a complex website with intricate designs and animations. The complexity of your design also affects cost, as more intricate designs may require specialised software and more time for completion. Also, the website's size can also affect the overall design cost – larger websites require more time and resources, thus increasing the total price tag.
Development Cost — €5500-€35000
The development cost is often the most expensive component when creating a website since it involves coding and programming that must be done to ensure that all parts of the website work properly. This cost will depend largely on the type of coding required and how complex each section needs to be; for example, an e-commerce store requires much more advanced code than a basic blog site. Additionally, if features such as data integration or content management systems are needed this too can increase development costs significantly.
Hosting Cost — €200-€2000
Hosting is essential to launching any website online since it allows visitors worldwide to access it through their browsers. A reliable hosting service holds high importance since it helps visitors access your site whenever without interruption or downtime. However, such services come at a premium price depending on the type of hosting plan you choose. Shared hosting plans are typically cheaper than dedicated server plans.
When you are in the process of developing a website, be considerate of the extra costs associated with setting up hosting services depending on your provider’s policy – some companies offer setup fees. In contrast, others include them in their plans or offer discounts for long-term contracts.
Content Cost — €500-€1200
Content is just as important as visual design when creating a successful website since it gives visitors something interesting to read and engage with. Creating high-quality content can take considerable time, so outsourcing this task often becomes necessary, adding extra costs to your overall budget. Also, images must be bought separately from stock photography sites, adding further content-related expenses to your bill.
Maintenance Cost — €1500-€5500
Maintaining a website over time is necessary to get rid of bugs and keep everything running smoothly; however, these maintenance costs can build up depending on how often updates are needed and how complex each update may be (major updates may involve coding changes or adding new features).
Additionally, larger sites tend to accumulate more maintenance fees than smaller ones due to their complexity, so bear in mind that this could add extra charges to your bill if not planned for in advance.
Bottomline
In conclusion, web development is a crucial aspect of modern business and technology. As the number of websites and web applications continues to grow, the demand for skilled web developers will also continue to increase. The website development process combines technical skills, creative thinking, adopting the right technologies and ensuring cost optimisation for the project. With the ever-evolving technologies and trends, web developers must stay updated with the latest tools and techniques to deliver high-quality and efficient websites.
Square Root Solutions understands that small and medium businesses need a customised website that will reach their target audience. We use the latest technologies and techniques to create a website tailored to each customer’s needs. Our web developers follow a proven web development process to craft visually appealing and highly functional websites, ensuring that users can find what they need quickly and easily. In addition, they also provide secure hosting solutions so that customers’ data remains safe while they benefit from fast loading times.
SMEs striving for an effective online presence can reach out to us for the best possible web development solutions. We are dedicated to helping our customers succeed at stay at the forefront of digital innovation by providing innovative solutions tailored specifically for them.