What Is Website Development? An Overview to Get Started

What Is Website Development?

1. Definition of web development

In short, web development is a process that contains various activities like developing or maintaining a website whether it’s a simple static website or a complex one. And if done well, these tasks might make your website a beautiful and practical one with great performance.

There are 2 main ways to make a website: coding it yourself or using a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, Blogger, Joomla, etc. However, the drawbacks of the latter approach are:

You have very little control over your website development process.
These platforms only have a limited set of functions and features.

That’s why if you’re rich in resources in terms of human and capital, self-coding will allow you to play around with your website in a more creative and flexible manner.

For example, you cannot develop a website for industries requiring a lot of functions such as real estate, eCommerce, or healthcare with a CMS. On the other hand, if it’s your blog, then WordPress or Blogger will work just fine.

What you should bear in mind next is applying the right software development method to your process. At the moment, Agile is considered the most effective framework by many big and small software development companies.

To fully get what web development really is, there are several additional aspects you must grasp.

What is an IP address?

Understanding IP addresses is crucial for web developers, serving as the foundation for identifying and establishing connections with web servers. These numerical configurations, often presented as sets of numbers separated by periods (such as 192.168.1.11), are fundamental to web connectivity.

At Designveloper, we know all well the significance of IP addresses spans a wide range of tasks, from configuring servers to crafting websites. Our web developers heavily rely on these addresses as the foundation to navigate the digital terrain and gain entry to remote servers housing websites.

Furthermore, a comprehensive grasp of both IPv4 and IPv6 is essential. IPv4 utilizes 32-bit addresses, while IPv6 employs 128-bit addresses. As the number of internet-connected devices continues to grow, IPv6 is gradually replacing IPv4.

Recent data underscores the central role of IP addresses in web development, with an estimated 27.7 million web developers worldwide. Asia contributes 6.5 million to this figure, while the United States hosts 4.4 million, underscoring the widespread influence and significance of this field.

For more insights, you can refer to the 2023 State of Web Development report and the report on web development which provide comprehensive information on the latest trends and predictions in the field of web development.

What does HTTP mean?

When a web browser requests a webpage, it kicks off a chat with the web server using HTTP. This protocol acts as the pathway for sending all sorts of stuff, from text to videos, laying the groundwork for web talk.

Web developers often tap into HTTP’s powers to keep websites running smoothly and safely. They use tricks like HTTP caching and squeezing data to make websites work better.

The arrival of HTTP/3 in 2022 is a big deal since HTTP/2 got the nod in 2015. Powered by QUIC, a cool new transport protocol, HTTP/3 is a big step in making modern apps and websites run smoother by maxing out network efficiency.

Web development roadmap

Sure, let’s give it a rewrite while maintaining a human-like tone, low burstiness, and low perplexity, along with SEO optimization:

Embarking on a journey toward becoming a skilled web developer starts with following a structured roadmap, serving as a reliable guide.

Starting with the basics lays a strong foundation. Learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript forms the bedrock of web development. As of 2024, JavaScript remains widely used, albeit not universally adored by developers.

Once these fundamental technologies are mastered, delving into more advanced topics such as responsive web design and front-end frameworks becomes the next logical step. In the current landscape, ReactJS maintains its dominance in front-end development, while VueJS has garnered significant popularity for its simplicity and adaptability.

Moving forward, back-end development, encompassing server-side scripting, databases, and server management, takes center stage. The year 2024 witnesses notable trends in back-end development, with the increasing adoption of Elixir and the emergence of headless CMS options reshaping the industry.

Security in web development stands as a paramount concern. Equally vital is web performance optimization, with strategies like preloading critical assets, minimizing third-party usage, and eliminating render-blocking resources being pivotal.

Version control systems like Git play a crucial role in the development process. In 2024, the landscape offers over 25 alternatives to Git, catering to various platforms and preferences.

Furthermore, proficiency in Content Management Systems (CMS) and web hosting bolsters one’s skill set. In the current year, the enthusiasm for Sanity, a CMS, continues to surge, gaining traction in both familiarity and satisfaction.

Specialization is common among web developers, whether in e-commerce, mobile app development, or web accessibility. In 2024, a plethora of new trends in web development emerge, revolutionizing the landscape and redefining the way websites are crafted.

2. Purposes of website development

Let me challenge you this: find a business that has no website. It’s pretty hard, right? Of course, it is since websites have become a norm from company to company and some just run their business via the Internet and get rid of a physical store. But why so?

This means, your customers will be able to find out more about the products/services you are offering them. Visitors can go around and decide if they like your stuff. At this stage, they can order/buy it or ask for more details. In the third case that customers don’t buy your products/services, at least they know your brand.

Furthermore, as the number of Internet users is higher and higher every minute, a website will help your business be more visible to customers if SEO is done well. This happens because customers are really skeptical and they won’t spend a dime without doing careful research.

How to Learn Web Development?

There are many reasons (besides your interest) to learn web development whether you are or are not going to become a software developer:

High-paid salary. The demand for software developers is getting higher and higher, at the same time, the shortage of talent makes the competition for attracting software developers even fiercer. That’s why it’s no doubt that the salary of such a profession is so appealing.
Flexible workplace. You can code everywhere because all you need is just a laptop or a PC. However, don’t worry if you are working in a team. Many different online communication tools (Skype, Meet, Slack, for example) will help optimize the way you guys interact with each other.
Learning curve. In general, web development or software development always poses great obstacles regarding new knowledge ranging from new languages, and new frameworks to new methodologies. And of course, these things won’t be easy to absorb. However, if you love challenges, welcome to our world.

Then, how do become one? It depends but briefly, if you don’t have a chance to go to university, self-learning according to a guideline, participating in boot camps, and finding some proper courses might be some good ways to start.

The 3 Main Types of Website Development

You must define web developer specializations you might like to be involved in front-end, back-end, or full-stack developers.

1. What is front-end web development?

Definition of front-end development

The front-end web development is all the activities involved in what a user sees feels/experiences or interacts with your website.

Therefore, the ultimate goal of a front-end developer is to make everything appearing on the screen look good and intuitive.

Languages

To start this practice, you need to be familiar with 3 things: HTML, CSS, and JavaScrip.

The first one – HTML or HyperText Markup Language – will help you structure your website. In other words, HTML is what you need to annotate the interfaces of a website, for example, the footer, header, the display of images, text, and other media. As a front-end developer, you must master some common knowledge of HTML which are default layout rules, styling, HTML semantics, and contextual usage.
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets is that language that helps you to make a certain website unique. Or say, if HTML is the body, CSS will be the clothes we wear. Some fundamental knowledge one should be an expert in if one wants to be a front-end developer is specificity rules, selectors, cascading, inheritance, box model, and stacking context.
Last but not least is JavaScript. This programming language is the most popular one in the last 2 decades. People use it to create a dynamic look for a website. Regarding JavaScript, you must understand the three key features: prototype chain, closures, and ‘this’ keyword.

Front-end website development courses for beginners

Recommended reading: Top 6 Best Front-End Developer Courses With Certificates

2. What is back-end web development?

Definition of back-end web development

The back-end web development consists of a server, an application, and databases. Codes written by back-end developers will be the bridge between the interface and the databases. When information is provided or action is done on the front end, the back-end of the web will process these activities with the business logic.

For example, the front-end of Facebook’s login page is the sign-in input (see below). After filling in your email/phone number and password, you will click on the login button. That’s when the back-end will process this activity.

So in general, the responsibility of a back-end developer is to build and maintain this side of the web and make the web operate faster and more effectively.

Languages

First of all, back-end developers need to acquire knowledge of Java. It is widely used because of various advantages such as great performance, platform independence, robustness, high security, simplicity, etc. Besides Java, We have PHP, Golang, Ruby, Python, you name it.

Back-end web development courses for beginners

Recommended reading: 8 Best Back-End Developer Courses for You

3. What is full-stack web development?

Definition of the full-stack web development

Full-stack web development is the process of developing both servers of a website: front-end and back-end. This means a full-stack web developer should be able to deal with both the databases and the interfaces. Most of the time, this type of specialization will master a certain back-end programming language along with the must-have HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Full-stack web development courses for beginners

Recommended reading: The 8 Best Full Stack Developer Courses With Certificates

The 4 Web Development Tools

1. Git

Git is a tool used to track changes in the source code of a software development project. Thanks to this system, team memes are able to collaborate more effectively. The ability to master Git is also a skill that every developer should have.

FURTHER READING:

1. Hash Values (SHA-1) in Git: What You Need To Know?

2. Head Pointer in Git: What You Need To Know?

3. What Are Git Concepts and Architecture?

4. .gitignore: How Does it Work?

2. Visual Studio Code

Simply put, this is the most popular code editor ranked by users of StackOverflow. Besides coding, it also helps developers debug, distinguish syntax with highlights, embed Git, etc.

3. Cypress

This end-to-end testing tool will help developers using Java Script write their own tests based on user flow. It’s considered one of the most simple and human-friendly testing tools to date.

4. Docker

Docker is a complex tool to master but it will be really worth your effort. This is a product that will deliver software in several packages called containers. Thanks to this website development tool, the setup and deployment steps across servers and environments are simplified considerably.

Recommended reading: 20 Web Development Blogs You Should Follow Right Now!

We hope this comprehensive article has quenched your thirst for understanding more about website development. And hey, if you are looking for a software outsourcing company that is affordable and reliable, Designveloper might be the best choice in the town.

At the moment, we are offering a free consulting service, just tell us your idea, and we’ll help you realize it!