There are currently around 100 million active websites.
With so many sites out there, it can be difficult to build one that stands out. One thing to know is that there’s a process to developing a good website, and if you try to do it without following this process, your site will likely not turn out how you want it to.
For a rundown of the website development process, keep reading.
1. Form A Plan
Even the best web developer needs to set some things in place before building a website. Make sure you establish the following:
- The goal of your website
- Your target audience
- The type of website
- What sort of content you’ll have
- The purpose of the content
- The navigational structure of your site
- Your budget
Using these to establish a roadmap will help you keep on track throughout the entire process.
2. Create A Wireframe
A wireframe is essentially a blueprint for your website. This will help you form a vision for your site, and doesn’t necessarily require technical skills.
You can simply draw this up on a whiteboard, or for a more detailed wireframe, there are various tools available.
3. Draft A Sitemap
While there are many types of websites, all of them have some sort of sitemap. This is the layout of the different pages and it determines how users will navigate your site. Think about the various pages that you want, the type of content they’ll contain, how they’ll all interconnect, etc.
You should discuss this with other teams within your company, especially if you have a content strategy or SEO team.
4. Build The Back End
The back end of your site is where all the data is handled so that it can be seen and used on the front end. The two main components of a back end are databases and servers.
Databases store, organize, and process all data. Servers send, process, and receive data requests, connecting the back end and the user.
5. Build The Front End
Your front end is what people will see when they visit your website, so you want everything here to be perfect. This is where you’ll place all your information and killer content to give your audience everything they need.
It can include a combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and controls various aspects of your site such as:
- Navigation
- Positioning
- Typography and fonts
- Browser compatibility
- Responsiveness
Your front end should match up to your initial site vision as well as your wireframe. The front end of your site will become outdated as content marketing trends change. Check out Forge Digital Marketing for web design trends 2022.
6. Acquire A Domain Name
Your website domain can easily be the name of your business, or just something related to the industry you’re in. You can pick any domain name you want, provided it’s available. There are plenty of sites that allow you to purchase a domain name, so you should have no trouble here.
7. Launch Your Site
With a domain name and link to your host setup, you are ready to launch. You may want to do some final testing first to make sure everything is working properly. Just bear in mind that it’s very possible users will experience errors that weren’t found during testing, so some fine-tuning may be needed post-launch.
Implementing The Website Development Process
Understanding the website development process is key to building a successful website. Make sure you follow the plan above, as skipping any steps can cause all kinds of problems down the line.
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