Have you ever wanted to build your website?
Or do you have an idea that could change the world but don’t know how to bring it to life?
Web development can seem like a giant, daunting task to the uninitiated, but if you break down the process into easy-to-understand steps, you’ll find it isn’t nearly as scary as it seems.
However, before you bounce into the pool of Web development 2022, the following are some vital stats you must go through!
- Every 2 out of 3 web users prefer to lay their hands on appealing content. (Source: Techjury)
- The design has an impact of 75% when judging website credibility. (Source: Web Fx)
- More than 80% of web users prefer mobile devices for internet surfing (Source: Techjury)
- A bad experience leads to 88% of users avoiding returning to a webpage. (Source: SWEOR)
- 47% of web users expect the page to load within 2 seconds. (Source: Blue Corona)
- Google accounts for 96% of all mobile searches. (Source: Blue Corona)
Based on the above stats, a few inferences must never be ignored when leading the web development roadmap 2022.
- The website or web app must have an intuitive, user-friendly, and appealing design.
- Speed is another prime concern for high UX.
- You must never compromise mobile responsiveness at all.
- An excellent rank on Google will enhance your project’s success effectively.
However, achieving all of it is not a child’s play. A full-stack roadmap will help you make the most of your project effectively.
This guide will let you walk through the entire web development process from start to finish so that even complete beginners can take their first steps into this fascinating and creative industry.
Basic Tools Required for Web Development
Code Editors
A Code Editor is a program or application specifically designed to assist in writing computer code. It allows you to write your source code using a combination of your choice of programming language, markup language, and scripting language in an interface.
The interface provides advanced features, such as automatic syntax highlighting, error checking and validation, file navigation, etc. Furthermore, it also helps programmers in completing their tasks. Several popular Code Editors include Sublime Text Editor, Vim editor, etc.
Version Control Systems
The first step to building a website is keeping your code safe. The best way to do that is with a version control system (VCS). VCSs provide an easy and convenient way to keep track of updates you make to your website’s code so that if you run into trouble, you can get back up on your feet and continue with relative ease.
Many options are available, but two of the most popular are Git and Subversion (SVN). Each has its benefits: Git is open source software, which means that it’s free. SVN costs money, but it has a more user-friendly interface. With either option, make sure you keep essential files in check—and backed up—if necessary.
Designing Tools
You don’t have to be a designer to create a great site. But you do need some design tools at your disposal to help create and develop ideas. The best ones fall into two categories: (1) usability/wireframing software that lets you put together low-fidelity wireframes of your pages, and (2) graphics creation software that will help you make higher-fidelity mockups.
Most users can get by with one tool in each category—you won’t necessarily be creating. Photoshop masterpieces from scratch but instead piecing together visuals from premade elements like icons, buttons, etc.
Here are three essential products that cover both bases:
- Adobe XD is ideal if you use macOS or Windows;
- Sketch 3 is excellent if you use macOS only, and
- Figma is a newcomer with strong potential if you work on either platform.
Whichever tool(s) you choose, remember it’s crucial to spend time reviewing existing sites and reading up on design principles and best practices when putting everything together.
Front-End Development of the Project
Front-end developers are responsible for creating the user interface and look of websites, apps, and other digital media. It means they work with graphic designers to ensure that the visual elements are attractive, clear, intuitive, & easy to use while also providing the design is compatible with mobile devices and web browsers.
The range of responsibilities in this job can vary from company to company, but here’s an idea of what your typical day might include as a front-end roadmap. You must have a proficient understanding of the following:
HTML+CSS
It’s essential to have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS. It doesn’t matter if you don’t use them regularly or if your sites are built from scratch in WordPress with minimal coding: having that base knowledge is essential to understanding what’s going on under the hood truly.
Knowing how code works behind the scenes makes it easier to tweak WordPress themes, read other people’s code (including hiring freelancers), and troubleshoot problems when they arise. If you haven’t touched code since junior high, spending time now to become reacquainted will serve you well over time! The bare minimum here is knowing what div tags are used for and being familiar with common class names like .post or .header.
JavaScript
JavaScript is one of today’s most essential skills for a frontend developer roadmap. It’s used to develop everything from drop-down menus to photo slide shows, content sliders, to accordion boxes. JavaScript also helps you build interactive & user-friendly websites that keep visitors coming back.
It is one of those technologies that has become so popular and ubiquitous. It’s almost impossible to create a website without using JS in it. There are many libraries available, some standouts being jQuery and AngularJS (for client-side interactivity) and NodeJS (for server-side interactivity).
And with good reason: JavaScript enables us to add dynamic interactivity to our websites, give forms validation, and make calculations in an environment where other languages may not work—without actually having to switch to another language.
Web Components
While treading the website development roadmap, many developers have started to use Web Components because they help simplify code and make it easier to move CSS, HTML, and JavaScript into reusable components.
For example, many folks in the community are getting ready for Web Components incrementally by using Polymer and Web Components when they come out in more stable versions later on.
Back-End Development of the Project
Back-end development is essentially the backbone of any software application or website. It deals with how the information and data within an application are saved, accessed, and processed to create the interfaces we see and interact with on websites and mobile apps.
The backend developers’ roadmap of the project involves working over the following:
Servers
Back-end development servers are typically database servers such as Oracle, MS SQL, and MySQL. Most of these databases need dedicated database administrators (DBAs) to handle their operations. The developers also often use unique network systems called application programming interfaces (APIs).
These APIs are specific sets of instructions for manipulating networks to connect many different types of information into one organized database. For example, Facebook uses a combination of Python, C++, and PHP when they develop their backend tools to manage all information related to users on one platform.
Note: Frontend developers and DBAs often work closely to create efficient systems for sharing data among various platforms.
Databases
Databases are also an essential part of backend development. A database is a tool that stores your data in an organized manner. There are different databases, but MySQL is one of the most popular ones used by most developers nowadays.
It’s available on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, and it’s open-source (i.e., free). There are plenty of resources on using MySQL to explore more, like tutorials, books, or videos.
Languages
Languages are potent tools, and knowing the right one to use at the right time will help you maximize your productivity and, ultimately, the quality of your work. The top backend languages include the following:
- Node.js: It is one of the fastest-growing frameworks. Today, it makes up 31% of all website traffic, making it #1 on our list. Node powers many huge websites such as Airbnb, Paypal, and Netflix. If you’re looking to get into robust web development or server-side programming using Javascript, then we recommend Node.js as your best option for getting started!
- Java: Java, while being a general-purpose language, is widely used as a backend language. It has been around for ages, and most developers have worked with it at some point or another. With its immense popularity, tooling has grown to meet new demands—including Android development. It’s one of those languages that doesn’t get much bad press because it does so many things well—which can be good or bad depending on who you ask!
- Python: Python is one of the most widely used, general-purpose, high-level programming languages. Its design philosophy emphasizes high code readability, & its syntax allows programmers to express concepts in comparatively fewer lines of code. Otherwise, it’s not possible in languages such as C++ or Java.
Deployment of the Project
The first step in a production rollout is going live with a single server running behind a firewall. It is also a blue-green rolling release because old code remains active while new code is gradually swapped behind it to avoid downtime. The deployment process requires the following:
- Test Hosting Sites: WebHostingHub and WPEngine offer robust, scalable, lightning-fast hosting services. While they’re a little dearer than your average shared host (like Bluehost or HostGator), their reliability and customer service make them worth it if you’re looking to get serious about your WordPress business.
- Backups: The easiest way to avoid any problems with your website is to ensure that you’re making regular backups. If something goes wrong, you won’t have to panic as much if you know that all of your work is safe and sound in a backup. You can find a selection of backup plugins for WordPress here. You can also manually save copies of your content by exporting an XML file.
- Secure From Hackers: When it comes to deploying a website, I make sure that I create a safe environment for my clients and their users. If you deploy your site without being mindful of security, you could open yourself up to attacks from hackers or even information theft from phishing scams.
Wrapping Up
Well, that was all that’s necessary to cover in a web development roadmap. Remember! The project is successful only when you put exemplary efforts in the right direction. With tons of ready-made open-source frameworks, you can have a website or web app ready by yourself in no time.
However, you can hire and take help from a good website development company for your project when looking for something professional and up to the mark (free of any errors).
They cost, but the services from the experts are worth it.