7 Steps to Website Development Process

The number of people using the internet is increasing every year, at a rapid rate. So businesses and professionals looking to reach a large audience must have a website. But, it’s not having a website that matters. What matters the most is a memorable experience for the users. So while you must have one if you are a business owner, you should have a basic idea of the website development process. This is crucial, even if you will not involve yourself at every stage.

Website development is one of the “easy-to-say, hard-to-do” skills. Hence, it requires specialized knowledge, training, and devotion to practice and achieve mastery. But, most business owners have no idea how website development works.

Website development services vary from big to small projects, but the web development process is similar. Whether it is a small website with few pages or a full-blown e-commerce with thousands of items, the order of things does not change much. If you follow this proven process, you can create an up-to-date site. This article will take you step by step through the website development process.

What is Website Development?

Website development refers to the work involved in creating, building, and maintaining a website. It requires creativity, a great strategy, and technical knowledge of planning and designing to build an efficient and aesthetic website.

Website development has many layers, like coding, programming, layout, and visual design. You should also ensure your website is mobile-friendly, for better performance on all devices. Even the development after deployment is part of the development life cycle. The process requires the input of designers, developers, content writers, and project managers.

Types of Website Development

Front-end Development

Everything a user perceives and interacts with on a website comes under front-end development. The goal is to design a pleasant interface to offer a smooth journey to the user’s journey. The front end is the ‘face’ of a website since it is the part that users interact with, such as designs, layouts, buttons, forms, images, and animations.

To execute the designs, front-end developers must use a fusion of various technologies, like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Back-end Development

As the user interface is taken care of in the front end, the back end is the one that gives life to the functions of the website. It includes server, database interactions, and all other requirements to be active at the same time. In other words, the back end of a given site is responsible for its stability, enabling it to perform all prescribed functions.

Some common technologies used in back-end development are PHP, Python, MySQL, Django, Java, etc.

Full-Stack Development

A field that is great for those who can do both front-end and back-end scripting is full-stack development. A full-stack engineer is a person who knows a wide range of technologies. Hence they can take up any task, including interface design and server and database administration.

Our Website Development Process

Website development is not only about writing some code or uploading files to the server. Rather, it is a detailed and artistic approach to turning the sketch into a working web platform. The custom website development service requires effective collaboration, creativity, and strong planning. 

We have outlined the important stages of website development to make it easier for you to understand and implement.

Understanding Your Goals

State the website’s purpose and objectives before the design or development starts. It’s a crucial step because it determines all the other processes that follow.

You can consider the following questions:

1. What is the primary purpose of the website? (for example, lead generation, e-commerce, brand visibility)
2. Who are your target audience?
3. What specific features and functionalities do you want to add to your website? (for example, contact forms, payment processors, blog pages)

At this stage, we often have several meetings with stakeholders, brainstorming sessions, and industry research. The more specific your goals are from the very beginning, the better the website development process will be.

Planning the Project

Now that the goals are clear, it is time to figure out how the project will develop. Come up with a road map that highlights the duration, dates, milestones, budgets, and resources needed to set up your website. Important aspects of project site planning include:

Creating the Site Map: A sitemap essentially shows the hierarchy and relationships between the different pages or sections of a website. It aids logical accessibility and serves as a framework for the builders.

Technology Stack Choosing: It will be important to choose the tools, frameworks, and platforms (such as WordPress, Shopify, or custom solutions) you will use to meet website needs.

Tasks Delegation: This includes tracking who is doing what in the team, estimating durations, and setting deadlines.

Everybody will meet the deadlines and even the delays that arise will not frustrate anyone because everybody will comprehend the overall idea of the project.

Designing the Website Layout

Design is the locus of imagination and application. The look and feel of your website greatly determines how your customers look at and use your brand. This step aims to outline wireframes and mockups that will represent the hierarchical structure and stylistic and aesthetic aspects of the website.

Some crucial activities within the design phase are:

Wireframing: Wireframes are basic layout pictures in monochrome, which act as a sketch for page element positioning.

Prototyping: High prototype fidelity can be created by using programs like Figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch to model how the finished design works.

Feedback and Iteration: At this point, working together with partners is essential, aiming that the design fits the intention and purpose of the brand and the users.

A well-built website structure has more benefits than mere good looks; it is usable and works great at attracting and retaining users.

Content Planning

Any site without content is meaningless. The content carries the message, interest, and activity of the users. The content planning phase includes determining what information will appear on which specific page and how this information is relevant to your visitors.

The most important steps to follow in content planning are the following:

Establishing Core Pages: Define the cardinal pages on your website (for instance, Home, About us, Services, Contact, etc.).

Content Authorization: Formulating attractive copy that is rich in relevant keywords, choosing images, videos, or infographics and their placement.

Content Management System (CMS): Opting for WordPress, Joomla, or any other management system to execute and handle content hierarchy.

High-standard content enhances not only the user experience of visitors but enhances the SEO targeting strengths of your web pages.

Developing the Website

Now that the web design and its content are ready, we can initiate the development stage. It is at this stage we’ll bring the concept and designs into reality after the plans have been made. The development stage is best defined through the following tasks being performed:

Front-end Development: Creating codes that reflect the visual design through HTML pages, CSS, and JavaScript styling.

Back-end Development: Working on the website server, database, and the application logic for the website to work.

Adding Features: Integration of basic building blocks such as contact us forms, payment methods, and any other add-ons.

During this stage, developers make sure that the website is fully responsive, or rather adaptable to screens of different sizes and devices like mobile phones or desktops.

Web Quality and Performance Testing

For a website to be functional, it must go through thorough testing. This stage verifies that parts of the website are devoid of bugs and that it works well and is usable.

The testing consists of:

Functionality Testing: All buttons, forms, pop-ups, and anything that users can interact with perform their intended functions.

Browser Compatibility: Verifying that the website works with a variety of web browsers—for instance: Chrome, Sage, Firefox.

Mobile Responsiveness: Making sure that the website is accessible and operates properly on both mobile phone and tablet devices.

Performance Optimization: Measuring the time it takes for the web page to load and tweaking images, scripts, and even the server configuration as needed to improve site performance.

Launching the Website

The website has been tested and finally edited at the end, and it’s time to take your website public.

Key factors to plan on at the time of launch:

Domain and Hosting: Buying a domain and a suitable hosting provider.

SSL Certification: Acquiring an SSL certificate to make your website safe.

Monitoring: Review of analytics and comments of users to eliminate all the problems that have arisen after the launch.

Even after a successful launch, your website will need further improvements and support to remain up to date.

Website Development Tips

The website development process may appear complicated, but with proper methods and perspective, it should be enjoyable and quite fun. To ease the burden of website development, here are some practical tips that can smooth your way and enhance the quality of the final output.

Prioritize User Experience (UX)

Every website needs a simple and sincere menu. The website should not take ages to load, so when necessary, scripts should be reduced, and images should be optimized.

As mobile websites take precedence over laptop websites, developers need to think in a way that a mobile version is more convenient.

The website’s design should be consistent and simple, with a lot of space around primary elements, readable fonts, and an understandable processing order.

Focus on Quality Content

Even the best aesthetic design can fail to cover up for low-quality content. The content developed on the website is what pulls views, tells the intended story, or makes people go into action.

Place information that is valuable, timely, and useful to the audience. Don’t explain too much. Go Straight to the point and use bullet points when required.

Identify suitable keywords to raise the ranking with search engines. Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can help widen your choice of keywords.

Use pictures, video, and graphics to complement the text so that the audience wants to read more. Excellent content does not only increase user interaction but raises the perception of your brand as well.

Make Use of Analytical Tools

As soon as you roll out the website, there is a need to see how the users interact with the site. Google Analytics or Hotjar will provide you with clear analytical insights about visitors’ behavior, such as:

• What are the most accessed pages?
• What’s the average duration of a user’s visit to your site?
• Where in the process do visitors lose interest?

When you can obtain this information, you are now in a position to know what changes to make in the design, content, and functionality of the site itself.

Essential Tools to Simplify and Optimize the Website Development Process

The website development process can be long and complicated. However, the right tools make a difference. From coding properly to adapting to other team members, the ability to use new tools will help you work more efficiently. Below, we outline some of the most fundamental tools that every developer should pay attention to, grouped by their functions.

Code & Text Editors

A well-coded program is the backbone of a successful website and it is only possible thanks to the reliable code editor. These tools allow for writing, changing, and even managing the code efficiently. Modern code editors have advanced features, including syntax highlight, error highlight, and error correction extensions.

These editors ensure that there is neatness and there is structural flow in the code aiding in the prevention of errors in the project. These programs also help in the addition of shortcuts, plugging auto-complete scripts, and previews as you develop the site. Some popular code & text editor tools are:

Visual Studio Code (VS Code): It is an open-source tool that is free and loved by many because of its ability to support multiple function extension libraries. Whether HTML, Java, CSS, or JavaScript, among other programming languages, VS Code has it.

Sublime Text: In terms of its performance, the most growing point is the speed and the flaunting lightweight interface which clients adore as the developers of ‘Google Chrome’ use it.

Atom: Considering Github developed it, it’s only logical that Atom is a text editor that supports several programming languages and has integration with Github repositories.

Prototyping Tools

Before setting out to develop a website, one has first to create a visual prototype that outlines how the website would look on completion. Prototyping tools enable you to build sites with the physical maps of the site in place, so all that is left is the actual building process.

These tools allow you to see the final design of whatever you’re working on before you start the coding process. Moreover, they improve the combat between a designer, a developer, and a client, cutting the chances of mistakes and mistakes that require extra work. Some popular prototyping tools are:

Figma: It’s a browser-based tool that enables users to work and review designs simultaneously. This way, everyone is active, and all prototypes are designed swiftly.

Adobe XD: It’s an all-in-one designing app where wireframing, prototyping, and designing can be done seamlessly.

Sketch: It is used to create static and animation designs but is only available on macOS.

Collaboration Tools

Web development is mostly done in teams where every member has a specific task. These are essential to avoid confusion and help manage tasks more effectively. Some popular collaboration tools are:

Slack: It’s a messaging platform where conversations can be held instantly. There is also the option of sharing files within the platform and various other integrations with tools like Trello or Google Drive.

Microsoft Teams: Has a chat, video conferencing, and file sharing that is suitable for big groups.

Trello: It is a project management software that uses boards, lists, and cards to give teams more efficient ways to manage and do their work.

File-Sharing Tools

File sharing is unavoidable in web development projects, especially with teams or clients where there could be many members involved in the process. From design prototypes to developmental assets, it is important to have a common place where these files can be kept and retrieved easily.

Sending emails with outdated files or versions of documents causes confusion and ambiguity, and they also make sure that everyone has the most recent version of the files. In addition, this now provides a storage option that is highly secured for the assets of your project. Some popular file-sharing tools are:

Google Drive: This allows you to have a significant amount of memory and is connected to other services of Google. It can be used in a lot of collaboration projects as it allows real-time edits to be done.

Dropbox: The simplest and the most reliable option there is for sharing files of any size.

OneDrive: Microsoft’s counterpart in cloud storage and can easily be integrated with Windows and Office applications.

Why Trust Wings Tech for Your Next Website Development Project?

In the tight web development market, everyone needs a good partner. It is said that a trusted website development company is a true partner. Because they have the necessary knowledge and the resources to assist in achieving goals. That’s where Wings Tech stands out. With our in-depth knowledge base and understanding of the customer’s desires, we can help build a functional and impactful website for you.

Our Expertise in Custom Website Development

No two businesses are exactly alike, and that is why at Wings Tech custom solutions are the core of our practice. From ecommerce and corporate pages to personal blogs, our developers and designers will make sure all aspects are developed with your brand and business objectives in mind. We can seamlessly work on the following:

• Front-end and back-end development
• AI, APIs, chatbots, and other such innovations and technology incorporation. 
• Retail, healthcare, technology, and much more, we span every field.

Transparent & Collaborative Process

Wings Tech’s clients believe in us because of our honesty and our inclination toward teamwork. We involve you at every step and stride of the website development process, from understanding the needs to finally delivering the product. We offer:

• Regular updates and open communication channels.
• Revisions based on your feedback for better design and functionality.
• Tools for Project Management.

Emphasis on User Experience and Interaction

We have a firm belief that the ability of a website to provide an experience to users is the true measuring scale for its success. Our office employs a design philosophy that uses the audience approach, which uses such features as easy navigation, fast loads, and mobile adaptation. Our performance standards include:

• Websites built focus speed and SEO ranking.
• Assurance tests for performance that ensure no bugs are left in the software. 
• The website is accessible and usable for all users and on any device. 

These standards will ensure that when visitors reach your site, they will not only engage with the content but get convinced to take the required actions.

Focus on Supporting the Clients after Launch

With Wings Tech, you can rest assured as our Winston Post Launch Support aims to adjust the website according to the future developments of the business. Our post-launch services include:

• Updating website and maintenance.
• Observe website statistics and improve the website’s effectiveness.
• Provide technical assistance for repairs and improvements.

Why Choose Wings Tech Solutions Over Others?

1. Client-centric Approach: Your vision is what drives us to provide a solution that has a personal touch.
2. Strong & Dedicated Team: Years of development and designing are embedded at all levels of any project undertaken by the designers, developers, and so on. In other words, for every project, there is a team.
3. Fairly Adhering To Timelines: Deadlines are crucial so we meet all project timelines without lowering the standards throughout the project.
4. Economic Application: You get good service at a reasonable cost which makes it worth your while.

Deciding to Go with Wings Tech for a website development task means that it is you who entrust the development to a company that is concerned and respectful in equal measure, just like you are.

Conclusion

The website development process is quite exciting and transforming for a business or even an individual. By choosing the right tools, following the required practices, and working with an experienced service provider such as Wings Tech, you can build your dream website.

As the digital world never stops changing and developing, having an effective site that is also easy to use for the users is not just an option; it is a must-have for any business. In case, you are a small business wishing to sell on the internet or a large corporation wanting to add to your online presence, you need not be worried because Wings Tech will be with you.

Make the first move for your dream site. Let Wings Tech aid you with technology, expertise, and a team of pros.