Website development is becoming a must for businesses as the world shifts to a digital approach. Businesses rely on websites to grow their brand by reaching a wider audience from all over the world. Moreover, it helps in brand awareness. Therefore, it helps them establish an online presence, which is vital for businesses. However, websites are important for a lot of other reasons as well. That is one of the reasons why there are billions of websites on the internet. Therefore, it is safe to say websites have become vital for all.
According to Forbes’ report, “There are more than 1.09 billion websites today. Moreover, around 252,000 new sites are added on a daily basis.”
The numbers prove a strong point for developing websites. It is especially vital for businesses that do not have a website yet and are looking to develop one. That is why, in order to create a website, the companies either have to outsource the web development project or assign the task to their in-house team. Regardless of the method, development teams will need to follow a web development process that starts and finishes the project. Therefore, let’s discuss the stages of the web development process in this blog. So, without wasting any time, let’s get right into it.
What is Website Development?
Website development is a broad process covering creation, building, and maintenance of websites. More so, it includes other aspects as well. These aspects are project gathering, planning, modern web design, coding, and launch. Moreover, web developers use a lot of different programming languages, frameworks, and tools to bring a website to life. Their main goal is to make sure the site not only looks nice but also works smoothly. More so, they make sure the website is functional and user-friendly as well.
Website development covers the front-end and the back-end development. The front end is about how users will view and interact with your website. On the other hand, the back end will deal with the server side operation and database management. These days, website development is focused on responsive design. The coders prioritize the smooth design to make sure that the website works well on different devices and screen sizes. More so, they make sure the website does that while keeping faster loading times and security measures.
Benefits of Web Development for Businesses
These days, it has become vital for companies to establish an online presence online. Not only does it help reach the masses, but it is also necessary to achieve business success. Therefore, this is where professional web development comes into play. The benefit of it is that it provides an online platform for businesses. This then allows a brand to reach a wider audience and attract customers all over the world. A website is a great marketing tool for businesses. More so, it works 24/7 to show your products or services to audiences from every corner of the world. Apart from that, it builds credibility and trust with customers looking to buy from your brand. It allows customers to get information about your business.
Besides, great web development will help improve your rankings on search engine results. Therefore, it will rank your pages on SERPs and drive organic traffic. All of this will increase conversions and sales. More so, the site will also let you get directly in touch with clients through contact forms, chatbots, and social media integrations. This will create better customer relationships and help you gather valuable feedback for growing your business.
7 Steps of Website Development Process
From researching the market to creating a plan to create and launch your website, the team will need to go through various stages. More so, the team will perform different tasks to design and create the website. Therefore, it is a must to complete each stage to build a quality website that attracts customers. While a few companies choose to develop websites with their in-house team, many prefer to outsource their website development project.
They outsource it to reputable and expert web development firms. However, whatever the approach to development may be, the development process includes seven key steps. These steps in the development life cycle not only take time to complete but take resources as well. Therefore, these are the seven steps to develop a website, and they are as follows:
Step 1. Define Your Project
The base of every successful website is built with a great deal of research. The research creates a foundation for the website. More so, it helps developers understand the client’s goals. It also allows them to identify the primary purpose of the site and define clear goals. The programmers work in close collaboration with the clients to analyze their target audience. This includes everything from demographics and preferences to online behaviors. More so, this information is vital as it creates the foundation for the entire development process. This way, the final website can cater to the needs of its users while meeting business goals.
Step 2. Plan Your Website: Sitemap and Wireframe Creation
The second stage in the development process is the planning phase. The programmers create a roadmap for the website. More so, they create a sitemap by creating an overview of the structure and hierarchy of the website. This helps state how different pages will connect. More so, it helps make sure that users can easily navigate through the site. Then come wireframes, which are created as skeletal frameworks. They provide a visual guide for the website’s layout without the distraction of design elements. This step helps the stakeholders imagine the user journey and make much-needed adjustments before heading to the design phase.
Step 3. Web Design
The third step is the design phase. It changes wireframes into visually stunning layouts that reflect the client’s brand identity. More so, the designers then create mockups. This includes color schemes, typography, images, and other visual elements. Also, this process includes multiple review cycles. This is where clients provide their feedback, and then the designers make improvements based on that. At the end of the day, the main goal is to create a design that looks good. More so, the team makes sure the design improves user experience. They also ensure the design maintains functionality across various devices.
Step 4. Content Writing
The fourth phase is the content writing phase. Creating content is very vital for engaging visitors and delivering the message of the website. This stage involves writing and gathering content for the website. The content can be for various pages, including the home page, landing pages, service pages, and product pages. More so, the content can be product or service descriptions, client testimonials, case studies of past projects, blog posts, videos, images, newsletters, white papers, and social media posts. Also, the team follows SEO best practices when writing and publishing content.
This way, the content can enhance the website’s visibility in search engines and help the site rank on SERPs. More so, the content is created with the utmost care and precision. This is done to make sure the content delivers the brand message in the right way and with the right brand voice. More so, the right content is published to meet the preferences and expectations of the targeted audience. Therefore, at the end of the day, the content has to be informative, interesting, and relevant to the purpose of the website.
Step 5. Coding
The fifth phase of the website development life cycle is the coding phase. In this phase, the designers and website developers code the designs and bring them to life using various programming languages. This means the front-end developers working on client-side programming to create the site. More so, they focus on the visual elements that users interact with.
On the other hand, back-end developers work on server-side functionality. This stage is all about writing clean and efficient code. That is why the programmers get to work and start writing codes to create a functional site. More so, the programmers make sure the site has faster page loading times and cross-browser compatibility. Also, they make sure the site adheres to the latest web standards and best practices.
Step 6. Testing and Deployment
The second last phase in the web development process is the testing phase. This is where the site goes through a detailed, strict testing process before launch. The testing makes sure that all features of the site are up and running and work as intended. Therefore, it involves checking for browser compatibility and responsiveness on mobile devices.
More so, teams test the site to check the loading speed and whether all its features and forms work correctly. The website is further tested for user testing to gather feedback on navigation and overall user experience. After passing every test, with final adjustments made, the website is launched to a live server, where the public can access it.
Step 7. Maintenance
The last phase in the process is the maintenance stage. As with any maintenance, website maintenance is an ongoing process. This continuous process starts right after the site’s launch. More so, this is where teams regularly monitor the site. They do so to make sure that the site is working at its best level. Also, they conduct routine checks for security, speed, and functionality.
Not only that but the content also gets updated. This is done in order to keep the website relevant and make it interesting for visitors. More so, testers use analytics tools to track user behavior. All of this offers insight that the team then uses for continuous improvement. Teams also create regular backups. They also update security measures to protect against potential threats.
Technologies Used in the Website Development Life Cycle
Front-End Tech Stack for Web Development
The tech stack for the front end is the engine that powers the site on the user’s side. It forms the basis of what users see and interact with on the site. HTML5 provides the structural framework. On the other hand, CSS3 allows for nice styles and responsive design. This is all possible thanks to frameworks like Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS.
More so, JavaScript remains a key for interaction. On the other hand, popular frameworks like React, Vue.js, or Angular allow programmers to create dynamic and user-friendly interfaces. Modern front-end development also involves tools for bundling assets, like Webpack. More so, it involves version control systems like Git for efficient code management.
Back-End Tech Stack for Web Development
The engine that powers the site is the back end. The back-end technologies power server-side operations. This is where the sites drive functionality from. More so, popular languages such as Python, PHP, Ruby, and Node.js form the backbone of server-side logic. On the other hand, frameworks like Django, Laravel, or Express.js speed up development by offering robust structures for building scalable applications. Moreover, database management systems, both SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB), efficiently store and manage the data. API development tools, caching mechanisms, and server management tools complete the back-end stack. They make sure the site has maximum performance and seamless data handling capabilities.
Website Development Checklist
A website development checklist is a vital document. That is because it will help outline all the key stages involved in the web development process. More so, the website development checklist will make sure you do not miss out on anything. Also, it will help you complete each phase on time. This document will highlight all phases, from the initial planning stage to the launch and maintenance stage. Therefore, the checklist for your web development process includes the following stages:
Gathering Information
- Establish clear goals for the website
- Define your target audience
Website Planning
- Sketch a sitemap
- Create a wireframe/information architecture (IA)
- Choose the tech stack for your website (programming language, framework, and development methodology)
Design
- Create your website logo and define brand colors and other branding elements
- Review the layouts
Content
- Decide the types of content that you need to create for your website, such as landing pages, service pages, product pages, case studies, blog posts, etc.
- Ensure the content resonates with your target audience and aligns with your brand goals.
Development
- Code your website
- Add features and functionalities
- Create an SEO strategy to rank your website
Testing and Launch
- Rigorously test your website through QA
- Choose the hosting server and launch your website
Regular Maintenance
- Fix all issues and bugs
- Perform regular maintenance & website backups
- Improve the website by updating features and functionalities
- Revamp and improve content to meet market needs
How Long Does it Take to Develop a Website?
The website development timeline can greatly differ based on a lot of different factors. These factors include project complexity, the features needed, and the development team’s capacity. More so, a simple informative website can take around 4 to 8 weeks to create. On the other hand, creating a complex e-commerce portal might take about 3-6 months or even more. Basically, there are several stages in the web development process. These stages include discovery and planning, which would require about 1-2 weeks. After that comes the design phase, and it takes about 2 to 3 weeks to complete.
On the other hand, the development stage takes about 4-8 weeks to complete. The second to last phase is the testing phase, which is done in a week or two. The final phase is the launch phase, which can take a week. More so, custom functionality, third-party integrations, and client feedback turnaround time can all impact the overall timeline. However, seasoned development teams provide an exact timeline at the beginning of the planning phase. This way, they clearly set the expectations for when the project will be finished.
How Much Does Website Development Cost?
The cost for website development varies a lot. This, too, depends on a variety of factors. That being said, the average cost of creating a website starts at $5,000 for a basic website. However, it can go up to $10,000 or more for a bit more complex, feature-rich site. The final cost will depend on a few factors. These factors include the type of website, whether it is static, dynamic, or an e-commerce site. More so, the cost also depends on the site’s design and its complexity. If a site has a more sophisticated design, then the cost would increase as a result. Not only that, but the functionality requirements and the expertise level of the development team also play a great deal in deciding the cost.
Apart from these, there are other things that affect the development cost. These include custom features, responsive design, content creation, and ongoing maintenance. All of these contribute to the overall investment. However, there are templates and DIY sites that act as cheap alternatives to creating a website on a low budget. However, it still does not come close to the expertise and proficiency of professional development. That is because the latter would make sure to create a unique, high-quality website that meets a particular business need. That is why there are many development companies that show pricing in packages. They have different packages to accommodate different budgets. More so, they make sure to provide key features in all their packages to meet business needs.
Partner With Linkitsoft to Develop Website With a Proven Web Development Process
If you are looking to develop a website using the best web development process, then you can consider Linkitsoft for the job. Their team will help you create a website and take you along with them to complete the web development process from concept to launch. They have a dedicated team of professionals. Their skilled team members have a perfect blend of technical expertise and creative excellence. They use that expertise to create an outstanding website.
More so, they communicate clearly and make sure to stick to the planned timeline to meet submission deadlines. They also have a customer-centric approach to materializing every vision. That is why Linkitsoft is an ideal pick, as it stays updated with the latest web technologies and best practices. More so, they make sure that your site not only looks stunning but also performs well. They make your site secure and scalable for future growth. Therefore, you can choose Linkitsoft and its web development process for your website development.
Final Thoughts
That is the web development process in its full essence. Therefore, we will now wrap up this blog. We hope the pointers we mentioned in this blog can help you develop a responsive and visually stunning site. However, if you intend to partner with a professional web design agency for your website development project, you can choose Linkitsoft for the task. We have many more blogs like this one in our blog section. So, we suggest you check them out as well.
