If you’re a business owner and thinking about building a website, you have come to the right place. In this blog, we are going to explain the 7 Phases of the Web Development Life Cycle. A well-designed website can boost your online visibility, drive visitors, and generate leads.
What is Web Development?
Web development is the process of developing websites and web applications that work on the internet. It includes web design, network security configuration, client-side/server-side scripting, and web content development among other tasks.
The following is the web development hierarchy:
- Client-side coding
- Server-side coding
- Database technology
The Web Development Life Cycle is divided into seven phases.
Here are seven main phases of web development;
- Research
- Planning
- Designing
- Content creation
- Development
- Testing
- Maintenance
Research
Research is the first phase of the Web Development life cycle. It is the most important because it determines what all the following steps of web development will look like. Determine the requirements and help them in finding the perfect solution. Have a clear idea about what the business goals are, how the website will be utilized to accomplish those objectives, and who are the target audience.
If you do not have a website design brief, we are happy to help you create it.
Planning
In this phase of the web development cycle, the developer creates the data that allows the customer to judge how the entire site will look like. Creating a sitemap, estimating timelines, defining deliverables, and allocating the resources are also essential parts of this phase.
There must be a detailed list of all the website’s areas and sub-topics. This is a guide that describes what content will be available on the site, as well as an easy-to-use navigation system.
The client should be involved in all stages of the planning process. So, the client has an idea about the project’s blueprint.
Design & Layout
The next task is to determine the website’s look and feel. In the design phase, it is essential to embed elements such as the company’s logo and colors that help to enhance the identity of the company on the website.
Graphics, colors, buttons, typography, animations, drop-down and pop-up menus, and more are created by the designer as per the project requirements.
The website layout is the output of a designer’s efforts. It could be a sketch or a completed graphic design. The layout’s main purpose is to describe information structure, show content, and demonstrate basic functionality. Colors, logos, and images are included in layouts, which might provide a rough idea of the future product.
Content creation
Writing and compiling content usually overlap with other stages of website development; its importance cannot be underestimated. This phase requires you to write out the essence of what you want to communicate to your website’s audience and include calls to action. Content writing also consists of creating eye-catching headlines, text editing, new text writing, and compiling existing text. Also make sure your content must be easy-to-understand, attractive, and SEO friendly.
Code and Development
The development phase is where the website is really built. In this stage, the client-side and server-side of the website are developed. It takes the most time during the website creation process. (Internal linking)
If you’re using CMS to build your site, you can also add CMS plugins at this point if needed. Another necessary part is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO is the process of optimizing website features (such as title, description, and keyword) to assist your site obtains higher search engine ranks.
Testing
Testing is one of the most important aspects of any process. The website is tested after it has been developed. Each and every link should be verified to ensure that none broken links among them. Double-check all forms and scripts, and then use a spell-checking program to look for typos.
To verify that the website is ready for launch, the quality assurance team examines it for functionality, compatibility, and performance in all devices. Integration testing, stress testing, scalability, load testing, resolution testing, and cross-browser compatibility are examples of additional testing.
Maintenance
The web development phases don’t end after deployment. There are many tasks that must be completed after a deployment. Some sections are changed as per the user’s feedback, support, and maintenance. Regular maintenance and updates are essential to keep the site running well and bringing in new users.
It’s essential to keep your website up to date. If you use a Customer Management System, regular updates will prevent you from bugs and decrease security risks.
Conclusion
Always remember that the website development project does not begin with coding and does not end after your website is launched. It is a constant journey that can be made better every day, which involves understanding the client’s requirements, knowledge about the target audience, market research, planning, design, development, testing, and maintenance.
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