Web development in its extended terms is simply any activity that produces websites. Cut into smaller segments, web development includes e-commerce business development, web design, web content development, client-side and server-side scripting, and web server configuration. That is of course just simply technically speaking. If you were to ask a web development professional, they would claim that the scope of this only includes the non-design aspects of websites. This is because web design is a whole other area for such a company.
If someone were to ask me what “web development” was 15 years ago, I would have suggested it possibly has something to do with spiders spinning silk and looking for prey. Obviously, that is a form of the term, however, and more obviously, that is not what we are speaking of currently. Web development got a huge boost in the mid-1990s with the internet beginning to gain momentum. Ever since then, it has been one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. You might be surprised to know that smack in the middle of the ’90s, 1995, there were fewer than 1,000 web development companies in the United States. Ten years later, there were more than 30,000 just in America alone. Those numbers prove that the internet is here and it does not plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
Perhaps some of the best news related to web development is that the cost has plummeted significantly from the earlier years of the industry. Back at its infancy, it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to create a single website, and I’m sure many of us remember they weren’t all that flashy back then. This is significant because it allows basically every business access to the vital resource of the Internet.
The truth is it’s very difficult for a business to reach its full potential anymore without the use of the Internet. It is where everyone is at. In fact, recent studies have shown that more people than not prefer using the internet as their shopping place versus a traditional mall. Every business can benefit from web development hands down. Whether they actually sell products or if it’s simply for brand recognition, it’s all beneficial in the end.
Since the fact that the Internet is a must for businesses to achieve the highest success, the next issue comes in. How do you make a website? Well, it’s not that simple. There are many, many aspects to creating a successful website. I say successful because it is true that most anyone can jump on the Internet and pump out a generic, simple website, but not just anyone can create a successful one. As stated previously, there are many aspects to web development and only trained professionals to understand them all and how to utilize them. From client and server-side coding to database technology, it really takes a professional to get the job done right.
So, what should you be looking for in a web development company? Make sure they offer a large variety of departments that build, maintain, and optimize your website for the best results possible. Along with the actual website development phase, you also have web design, technical or strategic support, software development, writing services including copywriting and proofing, and of course search engine optimization (SEO). All of these components, plus even more, should be included in a web development company itinerary. Don’t settle for anything less than the best you can get, your businesses success relies on it.
