Understand the stages of development that lead to a successful website
Developing a web application that is efficient and user-friendly is no easy feat. Many people think developing a website only involves content management systems, wireframes and coding. However, other crucial aspects need to be considered during the development stage. A good website needs a deliberate online strategy. It is, therefore, imperative to follow a well-laid process to avoid challenges.
Phases of a web development project
Let’s get started on the crucial phases of web development needed for a well-performing website. We’ll discuss each step along with the challenges you may face during each phase.
Goal identification
The first stage of web development process is goal identification. To start you off, you should identify the purpose for creating your site and what your website is supposed to achieve. Then, in collaboration with a designer and frontend developer, consider your site’s target audience or end-user, intended content, primary aim and look at how competitors or other online businesses have created their sites.
This phase is time-consuming but the foundation that will determine the success of subsequent stages. If this initial step is flawed or the goals aren’t clear, the project will set off in the wrong direction. The challenge in this phase is identifying goals and requirements, which may not be as easy as it sounds.
Scope definition
Scope definition is the second phase of web development, where you outline your site’s scope. The biggest challenge during this phase is a gradual increase of goals or an entire shift of goals during the design. The designer goes from building a website to creating push notifications, emails and other additional requests. Problems can arise when client expectations are not proportional to the budget.
Sitemap and wireframe creation
A sitemap is the blueprint of any website. Sitemaps must be user-friendly so customers can easily navigate through the website’s information through clear connections between different pages and content elements.
Next, you’ll want to create a mockup with a wireframe. A wireframe is a 2D outline or sketch of a website that can identify potential gaps and challenges with sitemaps and provide a structure for maintaining the site’s content and visual designs.
A wireframe should give you a general idea of how the website will ultimately look; however, it does not contain the final design elements.
Content creation
After setting the framework or the website development project, it’s time to get to the written content. You will boost your site’s visibility through search engine optimization (SEO) and customer engagement and action with content.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
You will need to curate the website to make it visible to many users. This is achieved by using the right keywords and key phrases.
Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner will come in handy while setting your keywords.
Content engagement and action
If the website content you create is engaging, it will push customers to take actions in line with the company’s objectives. Both the writing and presentation of the content will influence the action taken by visitors to your site.
You should ensure your site’s content is chunked into small paragraphs to capture the attention of site visitors. The biggest challenge in content creation is coming up with unique content that is appealing and keeps up with the trends. Curating an SEO to compete with the vast number of competitor sites will require a well-researched approach.
Visual elements
The visual-elements stage focuses on developing a visual style for your type of website. Your company’s branding, colors and logos will highly influence the website design – even beyond the home page.
The choice of images should convey your product message without people having to read it. If the pictures are appealing, your site will be a success, and if not, your site will fail. Designers can use Professional Photographer for high-quality images and Optimizilla for image compression to ensure your website speed isn’t compromised.
The challenge in this design phase is ensuring the user experience will be simple through an appealing User Interface design.
Testing
After nailing the content and visuals, it’s time to do the testing (quality assurance). Here, you’ll have to go through each page to check that the links work effectively. You’ll also have to make sure the site is responsive in all browsers and on different devices.
The biggest hurdle during testing is finding errors that result from coding mishaps. Ensure that your development team is proficient in programming languages, such as css or html, and the tools needed to launch the web page (WordPress and any additional plugins that may be compatible.
Launch
After all the tedious phases, it’s time for the stage where you can finally enjoy your hard work—launching!
Don’t be surprised if you find that some areas still need tweaking and fixing. Web development is an ongoing process that requires maintenance from time to time. You should run new features, redesign your messaging and monitor analytics regularly.
Working with a professional marketing agency
E-commerce has created a need for companies to have high-functioning websites that cater to their customers’ digital needs. As a result, companies in all industries create well-designed sites to market their products and provide essential information about their businesses. This leads to higher sales volume due to increased exposure.
For a website to function and achieve your business goals, it must be designed well. This is achieved by following the various phases of the web development life cycle and adjusting the process according to your strategy.