by
I AM
Web Development
March 16, 2021, 8:41 a.m.Technology plays a huge role in our daily lives, from the simplest of apps to the most ground breaking inventions. Every website or piece of software that we encounter has been built by a software developer—but what exactly is web development, and what does a web developer do?
What is web development?
Let’s start with what is a website and what it can do. There are a lot of definitions online but I came across this one in simple English: “A website is a set of webpages that are joined together. People look at websites with a computer of some kind, sometimes including the computer inside mobile phones and televisions. The websites are kept on computers called web servers”.
So, who creates these things? For the most part, Web Developers do the design and development by programming the back and front end. The front end is the visual display of the final product. While the backend is what really goes on behind the scenes. Next, the website is rendered on a server usually provided by a regulated ISP. Depending on the functionality of the website, a database can be added to link and store pieces of information. This is as simple as I can explain what a website is & what web development is.
Is it still relevant today?
The industry is global and not likely to die down anytime soon, here’s why:
- Google doesn’t search the content of an App. When you search on Google, you see results related to search terms “read” by Google on the content of websites, not Apps
- Apps require download, authentication, login and not everyone is willing to do it.
- 77% of time spent on Apps by users is spent on market giants like Facebook and Instagram.
Websites with relevant content attract visitors, promote actions, and turn visitors into satisfied customers who can become your best promoters.
Why invest in a website as a business?
There are a lot of reasons behind this question and I will probably do a separate write-up on this topic, but I compiled a simple explanation:
Investing in a website is like hiring a hard-working sales person for your business. You can have an online store that allows customers to review products, shop, place orders, and pay their bills. By doing this, you have cut out the back-and-forth process of sales and made it easier on yourself and the consumer. Your website can act like a catalogue for your company, and by leveraging the latest technologies, can instil more confidence in your product to the consumer.
Types of Websites
Websites are vast in variety and I will outline the most encountered.
- Ecommerce – also know as Online stores, have become a huge contributor to the web market.
- News and search portals – from the traditional newspaper to reading articles on your smartphone or ipad has become a new trend in our society. Searching for a local supermarket, salon/barber, a GP has been made easy
- Business card site. This is the simplest type of website and does not have many pages.
- CRM – have become a simple way to manage, track and update your business activities.
- Information portals – Such websites can unite and structure information collected from other resources. These are sites on which various articles on any topic are gathered. The website can contain lots of informational articles on any subject, while another one can contain just a few and explore novelties in the world of technology.
This just scratches the surface. There are many companies who have benefited from shifting to PWA’s in both growth and revenue.
Conclusion
With that said websites are an essential service to your business or personal profile. They are still relevant today and will forever be and there is no other communication medium that gives you as much control over your content and message as a website. While apps and social media might work for niche groups or price-points, the relatively small investment in your own website pays off immediately.