Website Development is the process of creating a website that looks great, ranks highly in search and functions properly. It requires a wide range of skills, from organization to coding.
A successful website conveys your brand and products in a clear, organized way. It also delivers a positive user experience.
Planning
Creating an online business is a complex undertaking that requires a range of skills, from programming and design to marketing. The website development process involves a variety of tasks, including planning, wireframing and prototyping, front-end and back-end development and testing. The process can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools, you can streamline the process and deliver a quality website.
The planning phase includes identifying the goals and purpose of your site, as well as your target audience. This information will help you determine how the site should be designed and what functionality it should include.
In this stage, you will create a sitemap and wireframes to map out the structure of each page. The wireframes will allow you to see how each page fits together and ensure that the design will work across a wide variety of devices and screen sizes. You will also need to consider the accessibility of your site, which means making sure that feedback is easily identifiable for users with visual impairments and other disabilities.
Design
Creating a website involves two aspects: design and programming. The design aspect focuses on the user interface and experience, while programming focuses on turning the design into a functional structure.
During the design phase, developers and clients collaborate to define the site’s overall vision. This helps to ensure that the final product aligns with expectations and meets objectives. This process usually includes a wireframe, which is a visual representation of the site’s content, that will help guide front-end and back-end web developers during the coding stage.
The design process also involves defining branding elements like logos, colors and fonts to create a consistent experience across your firm’s marketing materials. This consistency builds brand recognition and promotes trust among potential clients.
In this stage, web designers and engineers will begin building the site using three core programming languages: HTML, CSS and JavaScript. These languages are the building blocks of any website and determine how the site will look and function.
Development
A website’s development process starts with gathering data that determines the future look of the site and its functionality. The gathered information helps in creating a well-described plan that will guide all other actions and tasks. This step can prevent you from spending extra resources on the unexpected issues that may arise after the initial planning stage.
Web developers such as WeekThink uses technical, multidisciplinary skills to create unique and flexible solutions for websites. They use industry best practices and detailed specification documents to ensure the final product meets or exceeds expectations.
When developing a website, there are two distinct parts: front-end and back-end. Front-end development includes coding the visible elements of your website, like page formats, fonts, and colors. It also enables site functions such as navigation and positioning, browser compatibility and responsiveness, and other technical aspects. Back-end development is the behind-the-scenes work that powers a website’s features, such as image galleries and databases. Back-end development utilizes agile frameworks like Scrum and Kanban to manage tasks and facilitate collaboration.
Testing
In this phase, the website is tested for bugs and other issues that might affect user experience. This includes tests for how easy it is to scroll the page content using a mouse or touchpad, and whether the site loads quickly on different devices. It also tests for security vulnerabilities and confirms that all forms link to the correct profiles or analytics services.
This testing process ensures that the web application adheres to industry standards and is user-friendly. It also checks if the application works with different browsers, and performs load testing and stress testing to determine its scalability.
This testing process is usually done by using software tools, such as Leapwork, Selenium, JMeter, TestComplete, and QTP/UFT. The tool chosen depends on the specific needs and complexities of the application. The test results are then documented and submitted to the client for review. This ensures that the web development team is working within the project scope and goals.