Website development for Beginners: important foundational ideas

Website development for beginners: Website development is a whole process of creating a website, from structuring the framework to creating content and giving it a distinctive style. In this manual, we’ll go into the web development process and split it into its many types and stages. To assist you in getting started, we’ll also provide several well-known web-building tools. With Wix, you can create a website without needing to learn how to code from scratch. With Velo by Wix, code masters can build enterprise-level websites and APIs. 

Intro to website development for beginners:

Website development is simply the process of designing, developing, and maintaining a website. This comprises network settings, coding (the programming language), markup (the language web developers use to construct websites, such as HTML), and CMS (content management system). 

The term “web development” is frequently used to refer to the process of building websites. It comprises both the code required for the visible portion of your website or the “front end,” as well as what you find “under the hood,” or on the back end of a website. 

Web design vs. web development:

The visual appeal and user experience of a website are the main topics of web design. To design an appealing and user-friendly user interface, layout, typography, color schemes, and overall aesthetic appeal must all be carefully considered. Using applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma, web designers may make mockups and look for ways to enhance a site’s usability, accessibility, and branding. 

When building websites, web development, and web design are two separate but related professions. The technical implementation and functionality of a website are both aspects of web development. It includes all of the coding and programming necessary to make the design a reality. In order to create the user interface, web developers employ technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Back-end functionality is then implemented using programming languages like PHP, Python, or Ruby. To incorporate data into the website, they may also draw on their experience with formats like XML files and JSON, which are frequently used for data exchange.

Analysis of a website: 

To construct a website, you must respond to the following questions: A website is what, exactly? A website is a collection of online pages that have been written using HTML or code (or developed using a low-code, no-code platform for do-it-yourselfers like Wix). These web pages are kept on a computer server that is continually linked to the internet, or they are hosted. The following are the requirements for a website to be completely functional:

Web Hosting: The sites where website files are really kept offline are known as web hosting. 

Address: A website requires an address in order to be discovered, just like a home or company does. The URL (Uniform Resource Locators) is the abbreviation for a website address. A URL name is required in order to visit a website. A domain name, like wix.com, is also a part of a website. The URL will direct you to any particular page inside the website, but the domain name serves as the general name of the website.

Homepage: This is the page that greets visitors to the website. People can immediately tell what a website is about when they arrive at its homepage. Additionally, it serves as a portal to the other websites on the site.

Design: The website’s overall aesthetic, including its visuals, photos, colors, fonts, navigation, flow, and user experience.

Content: the text, pictures, and videos that make up each page of a website. 

Navigation: A website’s layout and hierarchy. Users can access information more quickly and readily when the navigation is clear and easy.

HTTP: The process of translating a computer’s request to the server to discover a website online is known as HTTP: HyperText Transfer Protocol. The HTTP protocol enables the computer and server to communicate in the same language when a query or request is input into a search engine.

Coding:  In its simplest form, coding is the process of writing code in programming languages. For computers to communicate with each other, they need a shared language. Coding consists of vocabulary and grammatical rules just like any other human language—except that it’s meant to be read by computers, not humans.

What does a developer do?

The creation and upkeep of websites and online apps are within the purview of website developers. They’ll mainly deal with issues like:

Coding and programming: Web developers will write the code and create the technical framework of websites, using server-side languages (like PHP, Python, or Ruby) to handle data processing and other tasks on the back end and client-side languages (like HTML, CSS, and Javascript) to build an interactive front end.

Testing and debugging: Web developers test their websites to make sure they work properly on a variety of browsers, devices, and screen sizes. By employing manual testing, automated testing, and debugging methodologies to find and fix problems, they enhance user experience and performance.

Collaboration: To transform wireframes into code, build functionality, and more, web developers frequently collaborate in teams with designers, project managers, and other developers. They may also connect with customers or stakeholders to understand project needs and implement unique projects. These projects may include their public-facing website or private settings, such as an organization’s intranet.

Website upkeep and updates: Websites need frequent maintenance, security patches, and updates. The performance of the website must be monitored, its security must be maintained, and essential modifications must be made over time. They could also be in charge of things like server upkeep, CMS upgrades, and website backups.

Keeping up with the times: As new technologies like AI disrupt whole industries, web development is a sector that is continually expanding. To continue producing high-quality websites, web developers must stay current on these developments, best practices, and other relevant areas, such as SEO (e.g., how to integrate robots.txt files, manage web crawling, or optimize content for search engine bots).

Types of web development:

• Front-end development
• Back-end development
• Full-stack development
• Website development
• Desktop development
• Mobile development
• Game development
• Embedded development
• Security development
• E-commerce development

Front-end development: 

Front-end developers are concerned with the user- or client-side, or what you see on a website. They are in charge of how a website appears. This entails considering the aesthetic and design components, as well as the requirements and actions of the user. Although it may seem as though this would be included in the area of web design, there is a difference: Front-end developers serve as the interface between web design and technology. They are in charge of turning the design and visual concepts into computer code. For this reason, front-end developers are frequently significantly involved in the user experience component of website development.

Back-end development:

Back-end developers work on what you cannot see, just as front-end developers do with what is visible. These individuals are the unseen employees building the mechanisms and frameworks necessary for the application to function effectively. Python, Ruby, and SQL are among the programming languages that back-end professionals are proficient in. They handle the code for security, content, and site architecture, as well as deal mostly with servers, operating systems, APIs, and databases. They guarantee a website’s performance, responsiveness, and speed.

Full-stack development:

A full-stack developer is familiar with both the front-end and back-end web development technologies. They combine all the elements required for a website construction, from conception to execution, demonstrating their multifaceted skill. They are fluent in the use of back-end technologies and databases and are professionals in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These multi-skilled programmers collaborate with visual designers and other website development team members to generate concepts that are then turned into prototypes. The functionality and databases for the finished product—a fully working, responsive website for the client-facing end user—are created as a result of these prototypes. 

Website development:

Website developers focus on making websites, as the name suggests. A website developer often concentrates solely on building websites rather than developing mobile applications, video games, or software. A website developer may specialize in the front end, back end, or complete stack. However, they focus mostly on designing and developing websites.

Desktop development:

You install a desktop developer’s software program every time you download an app on your computer or mobile device. Desktop development is the process of making computer software applications, to put it simply. These programs are created by desktop developers, who are experts in their field. Additionally, their skill set may overlap with that of a web developer depending on whether the program is being developed for a local computer or the web.

Mobile development:

The process and processes of writing software, particularly for mobile devices, such as smartphones and other handheld devices, is known as mobile development. This form of action requires a distinct set of abilities and expertise from website development since these applications function differently. Mobile applications are frequently created to benefit from the special capabilities of a mobile device. 

Game development:

Game developers transform game ideas into playable reality for console games (PlayStation, Xbox), PC games, and mobile games. They specialize in writing code for visual elements, programming features, and testing iterations until a game is ready to go to market. Game developers can cover the gamut from designing an initial concept of a game to translating visual ideas into code to collaborating with designers, producers, artists, and quality control analysts. 

Embedded development:

With the constant advancement of technology, manufacturers increasingly include software in our daily lives. Embedded development is a rapidly expanding field of technology that includes everything from computer displays in refrigerators to robots that mop floors. Embedded developers are increasingly in demand as the number of linked devices increases.

Security development:

In order to prevent a website from being hacked, security developers strive to build the practices and processes. They perform the role of “ethical hackers,” disclosing any holes in an application’s or website’s security. And if they do discover a weak spot, they design and implement solutions to address it or eliminate it completely.

E-Commerce development:

The development of an online store’s front end and back end is a component of e-commerce. In order for users to make purchases online, it also entails developing product pages, shopping carts, order forms, support pages, and payment gateway. A user-friendly user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are essential when developing an eCommerce website to make sure that customers can locate what they’re searching for easily. In order to do this, designing an online shop entails developing the appropriate filters, search capabilities, and user flow—as well as guaranteeing strict security, mobile optimization, SEO, and a simple checkout process.

Process of website development:

There are four stages of website development which you should understand

Planning:

You’ll be on the right track to not just developing a website but one that is built to attract, engage, and convert if you conduct research and put together a plan. Ask the following inquiries to get this planning process started:

What are the objectives and functions of your website?

What do you want visitors to your website to do when they arrive? Who is your target market?

What kind of website will you build? (such as membership, information, and eCommerce)

What information will you provide?

How big is the project you’re working on? (For instance, pages, features, and applications)

What will the layout of your menu be like?

What is the project’s budget?

By providing answers to these queries at the outset of the project, you put yourself on the path to achieving your website’s ultimate goals. Long-term time savings are also made possible by avoiding potential snags in the project.

Drafting:

You may design the overall layout and flow of the website once you’ve established your objectives and strategy. A wireframe and a site map are both milestones in the writing stage.

Make a wireframe: Now that your objectives and approach are set, you can start to design the general appearance and navigation of the website. A wireframe is similar to an architect’s blueprint. It is only a sketch outlining the desired appearance of the finished project. A preliminary illustration of how the features and content might interact depending on the project’s description and scope. Both options are a whiteboard or wireframe creation software like Figma, Invasions, Slickplan, or Mindnode. 

Build a sitemap: Simply said, a sitemap is a list of the pages that are included on your website. It serves as a visual representation of where these pages will go and effectively conveys to the team as a whole how the website will function. In order to design a sitemap, you should ask yourself: What specific pages are necessary? What kind of material will you highlight on those pages? What categories may you create for these pages? The page hierarchy is what. How will you connect the pages together, too?

Development:

The actual development phase has now started after all the preliminary work. While there are other programming languages available for creating a website from scratch, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the most popular.

The most recent version of HTML, or Hyper-Text Markup Language, is HTML5, and it has been in use since the 1990s. Although HTML serves as the basis for many websites, building a website from scratch isn’t advised because the result wouldn’t be visually appealing.

A computer language like HTML may have its color, typography, and layouts stylized using CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets. CSS defines the site’s appearance while HTML establishes the site’s structure. Web pages are nothing more than a collection of code without CSS.

While CSS is responsible for a page’s visual appeal, JavaScript also brings functionality to the table. JavaScript encompasses animations, automated processes, and interactive elements that enhance the user experience.

The content of a static website doesn’t change very often. A static website is very easy to create because the front end alone has all the essential information. Businesses, portfolios, and professional profiles commonly use static websites.  

The content of a dynamic website is kept in a database on the back end. Depending on the commands a user enters, this content alters. On the front end, dynamic content enables greater user customization and personalization.

A hybrid website combines dynamic material with static pages.

JavaScript code illustration

There are three distinct categories of website functionality: static, dynamic, and hybrid.

When building and designing a website, you must consider the backend site architecture in addition to writing code. As was already established, the “behind-the-scenes” programming that makes it possible for websites to work is known as the backend. For instance, you save photographs you post to your website on the backend so visitors may view them on the front end of your page. Back-end development is dependent on two essential elements:

Database: A place where data is stored, arranged, and processed to make it simple to access from the server. 

Server: Your computer’s internal hardware and software. Between the database and the client/browser, servers send, process, and receive data requests. The server receives a request from the browser saying, “I need to retrieve this information,” and in response, retrieves it from the database and provides it to the client.

Together, the server and database construct any website’s framework. A CMS is also used by many websites to create dynamic web pages without creating custom code. A content management system (CMS) enables website owners to rapidly and simply generate, amend, and manage substantial volumes of material without needing to do so on each and every page of their website. For instance, website designers using Wix may access the backend content management system, make changes to the data, and the frontend will update instantly.

As using a smartphone or tablet to browse the internet grows more common, many website owners create mobile-specific versions of their sites or even utilize an app builder tool to produce native iOS and Android applications that link to their websites.

Launch: 

You should launch your website as soon as it has been fully created, tested, and authorized so that users may locate and utilize it. Choose a domain name that accurately defines your business while still being memorable. Whether you’re starting a website for your personal use or your business, use Wix’s free domain name generator as a source of inspiration. And be sure to complete this checklist for launching a website to make sure everything is taken care of before you hit “publish.”  

Conclusion:

In conclusion, in today’s tech-driven society, web development is the foundation of the digital environment. developing immersive online experiences, connecting brands with their customers, and influencing the direction of the internet are more important than just developing websites.

We at Radical Tech are aware of how rapidly web development is changing. We are aware that being on top in this fast-paced industry calls for constant learning, flexibility, and innovation. Our team of passionate engineers is committed to expanding the possibilities for the web.

Web development covers a variety of elements, from front-end design to back-end operations, and from responsive layouts to user-friendly interfaces, as we’ve seen in this article. It combines art and science, bringing innovation and technology together.

Radical Tech is here to make your web development ambitions come true, whether you’re a startup trying to build a strong online presence, an existing company wishing to update your website or a single person with an original concept. Your web project will stand out in the congested digital market because of our knowledge and enthusiasm for creating excellent online solutions.

One thing is guaranteed in the quick-moving world of web development: change happens all the time. User expectations, design fads, and new technology will all continue to develop. Working with a web development business like Radical Tech, which not only keeps up with these developments but also forges ahead, is crucial for success in this industry.

We appreciate you spending the time to learn more about web development with us. Contact Radical Tech now to go through your web development requirements and start your path toward innovation and excellence. We can develop online solutions that have an impact on the digital world by working together.

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