What Is Web Development? A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Key takeaways:

• Website development is building and maintaining a website by writing its code and managing its database.
• Web development has three main categories: front-end, back-end, and full-stack, depending on which part of the website you work on.
• Web design focuses on the site’s look and feel, while web development ensures the site functions properly.

Website development can feel overwhelming, especially when you don’t know where to start. Maybe you’ve heard terms like Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), or full-stack development and wondered if you need to learn them all. The truth is, web development is hard, but learning it doesn’t have to be intimidating.

This guide will explain web development, how it works, and what a web developer does. We’ll also compare it to web design, outline the main types of development, and highlight tools used in the field.

What is web development?

Website development is creating and maintaining websites. It involves writing code, setting up databases, designing user interfaces (UI), and ensuring the site works well on any device. It also involves making a website secure and ranking well on search engines.

What are the types of web development?

Web development has three main types: front-end, back-end, and full-stack. Each plays a unique role in building and maintaining a website.

Front-end web development

Front-end development focuses on the parts that visitors see and interact with directly. A front-end developer creates layouts, styles elements, and makes the site easy to navigate.

Common technologies used in front-end development are:

• HTML. The markup language that helps structure the content on a website.
• CSS. The language that lets you design web pages, including colors, fonts, and spacing.
• JavaScript. The language used to add interactivity on a website, such as notifications, live chat, or search filtering.
• React, Angular, or Vue.js. JavaScript frameworks and libraries that help build rich, interactive user interfaces with dynamic features.

Front-end development ensures a website is visually appealing, responsive on all devices, and gives visitors a seamless experience.

Back-end web development

Back-end development is the behind-the-scenes work that powers a website. Its key focus is to manage data, handle server logic, and implement secure systems so everything runs reliably.

Back-end developers typically use technologies such as:

• PHP or Python. Programming languages used to write the website’s server-side logic.
• MySQL or PostgreSQL. Databases that store and manage the website’s data.
• APIs. Interfaces that allow the website to communicate with other services, like flight availabilities, weather reports, or eCommerce data.

Back-end development handles a website’s core functionality, ensuring data is stored securely and features work as intended.

Full-stack web development

Full-stack development combines front-end and back-end skills. Developers adept at both types work on all parts of a website. They handle both the client and server sides, from setting up databases to designing user-facing features.

What does a web developer do?

A web developer designs, builds, and maintains a website. They take a website’s design and make it functional. There are different types of web developers, but they all focus on making sites fast, secure, and user-friendly.

Web developers write the code to create interactive features, connect to a database, or ensure the website works on all devices. They also work to ensure the site runs efficiently, fixing any bugs or issues.

Some developers specialize in front-end work, others in back-end development, and full-stack developers do both. They collaborate with designers, project managers, and other team members to bring a website to life.

Is web development the same as web design?

Aspect	Web development	Web design
Focus	Functionality and technical aspects of a website.	Visual design and user experience.
Key tasks	Writing code, setting up databases, fixing bugs.	Designing layout, picking colors, choosing fonts.
Goal	Ensure the website runs smoothly and is functional.	Create an attractive and user-friendly design.
Tools used	Programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.	Design tools such as Photoshop, Figma, and Sketch.
Outcome	A working, interactive website.	A visually appealing and easy-to-use website.

While many people use “web development” and “web design” interchangeably, they refer to two distinct parts of creating a website.

Web development leans toward the technical aspects of building and maintaining a website, like writing the code and setting up databases.

Web design, on the other hand, attends to a website’s look and usability. It involves creating the layout, choosing colors and fonts, and making sure the design matches the brand’s identity. The goal is to visually satisfy the audience and give them a seamless web experience.

In short, web developers handle how a website works, while web designers focus on how it looks and feels. Both are crucial to creating a successful website.

How does web development work?

Website development involves several stages that developers go through to complete the project. Each stage is important in building a website that fits your needs:

1. Planning and research
2. Wireframing and design
3. Development
4. Testing
5. Launch

Let’s take a closer look at each of the stages:

1. Planning and research

This stage lays the foundation for the entire project. It includes understanding the business goals, target audience, competitors, and requirements for the website. To get the most out of the planning stage, developers typically ask the following questions:

• What is the primary purpose of this website?
• Who is this website’s target audience, and what are their key behaviors and preferences?
• Who are your main competitors, and which type of websites are they using?
• What types of content will your website feature?
• What features or designs should your website have?

2. Wireframing and design

The second stage focuses on designing the website’s layout, structure, and aesthetic elements. Web designers contribute to this process, as the goal is to ensure the site is visually appealing and user-friendly.

This stage involves creating wireframes or skeletal versions of the website’s layout. Wireframes are simple representations that show the placement of the site’s elements, such as the navigation, body, and footer.

3. Development

During the development stage, developers work on building the website’s functionality. They implement all the design and functionality outlined in the earlier stages. They code the website’s front and back-end functionalities, integrate all features, and ensure they work correctly.

4. Testing

After development, the website undergoes thorough testing to see if it works as intended across different browsers and devices.

Key activities during this stage include:

• Checking the site’s compatibility across different browsers.
• Checking the website’s responsiveness on different devices and screen sizes.
• Evaluating how user-friendly the website is by getting feedback from real users.
• Testing the site’s speed and responsiveness using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix.
• Checking for security vulnerabilities and ensuring SSL/TLS encryption is working correctly.
• Fixing the issues found during testing.

5. Launch

This stage marks the transition from development to public access. Developers ensure everything is correctly set up and fully functional before going public.

During this stage, the developers move the site to the live server or hosting environment and configure its server settings so that it will run properly when it goes live.

They also configure the Domain Name System (DNS) to connect the website to its domain name. This system allows users to access the website online by typing the domain name instead of the specific location of the server, which is represented by an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

Best web development tools

To streamline the web development process, you’ll rely on various tools to help you code efficiently, manage your workflow, and collaborate with others.

• VSCode
• Git
• GitHub
• React
• Chrome DevTools

Here’s a closer look at some of the most popular ones:

Visual Studio Code (VSCode)

Many web developers use Visual Studio Code for coding. It offers a user-friendly interface and has a wide range of plugins, such as syntax highlighting and code formatting, to make writing code more convenient. VSCode supports various website development languages, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Git

Developers worldwide use Git to manage and track changes to a project. It allows them to work on the same project without overwriting each other’s work.

GitHub

GitHub is a cloud-based platform that provides a space for storing and sharing code. It integrates seamlessly with Git, enabling developers to collaborate in real-time. It’s widely used in open-source and professional development projects for code collaboration and sharing.

React

React helps create sophisticated UIs. As a library or pre-built collections of code, it helps you build websites more efficiently by allowing you to create reusable UI components and update parts of a page that need to change.

Chrome DevTools

Browser developer tools are important for debugging, inspecting, and optimizing websites directly in the browser. Many developers use Chrome DevTools to check and modify a web page’s HTML and CSS in real time to see how codes look on an actual browser.

How to get started in website development

Web development can seem overwhelming, but the key is to take it one step at a time. First, you’ll need to get comfortable with the core web technologies—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to dive into front-end development. Explore frameworks and libraries like React, Angular, or Vue.js, making building dynamic, interactive user interfaces easier. If you’re more interested in the back end, get familiar with technologies like Node.js, Python, and MySQL.

Version control is important for monitoring and managing changes and collaborating with others, so tools like Git and GitHub will become your best friends.

Staying up to date with trends is important. Make it a habit to read blogs, listen to podcasts, and get involved in the developer community. Websites like Stack Overflow, GitHub, and  Dev.to are great resources for solving problems and staying informed.

Becoming a successful web developer involves persistence and hands-on practice. The more projects you take on, the more you’ll get to know the ins and outs of web development.

Key tips for building a successful website

Creating an intuitive, visually appealing website takes more than just coding. To make sure your site stands out and works well, here are some website development tips to keep in mind:

• Prioritize mobile responsiveness. More and more people are browsing on their phones, so make sure your website works as smoothly on smartphones as on desktops.
• Focus on user experience. A smooth user-experience brings more customers. A clean, simple design with well-organized information helps users find what they need quickly and without frustration.
• Optimize website speed. Slow-loading pages can drive visitors away. To keep things fast, compress images, optimize your code, and use caching tools to boost performance.
• Enforce strong security measures. Security should always be top of mind, especially when dealing with sensitive customer information. Get an SSL certificate to secure communications between your site and your users. Keep your software updated and back up your site regularly in case of emergencies.
• Optimize for search engines. Search engine optimization (SEO) affects your website discoverability. Focus on high-value keywords, create descriptive meta tags, craft quality content, improve loading speeds, and build backlinks. An effective SEO strategy boost your visibility and attract more traffic.

What web development can do for your business

A well-developed website can completely transform your business. It’s the digital face of your brand, helping improve customer engagement and increase your revenue.

Here’s why web development should be a priority:

• Enhance brand presence. A professional website establishes your brand’s online identity. It clearly communicates your brand message and helps build trust with your customers.
• Generate leads and increase conversions. A user-friendly website is a great tool for converting leads into paying customers. You can also increase your conversion rates by adding well-designed call-to-action (CTA) buttons and optimizing your content.
• Reach a larger audience. As mentioned earlier, SEO can help your website top the search engines and bring in more traffic for your business.
• Support customer engagement. Your website is a direct line to your customers. Features like live chat, customer support forms, and comment sections let you address customer concerns quickly and keep the conversation going.
• Streamline operations. A custom-built website can integrate with other systems to streamline business processes. Integration functionalities include inventory management, booking, payment processing, or CRM tools, helping your business run more smoothly and efficiently.

How to launch your website with confidence

While web development may seem daunting at first, remember that it’s all about breaking the process down into manageable steps. With patience, dedication, and the right tools and knowledge, anyone can create a functional, secure, and user-friendly website.

If you’re ready to unveil your website to the world, Network Solutions offers reliable hosting and a custom domain name to pair with it to get your site up and running. But if you want to avoid the hassle of coding, our AI Website Builder is an ideal solution. Take the next step; see how our services can power your website.  

Frequently asked questions