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Our everyday lives have become dependent on the internet. It is used for so much more than communicating with friends and family, paying bills, shopping, entertainment, getting news and information, and so much more. But have you ever wondered how all those websites and web applications are created in the first place? Web development is exactly that.

What is Web Development?

The broad term used to describe the process of creating websites and web applications that run on the internet is web development. It encompasses several types of development, including:

Front-end Web Development

It is about building a website’s visual components with HTML, CSS, CSS and JavaScript code. When users visit a website, they see and interact with the front-end part of the browser. The responsibility of front-end developers is to make the overall look and feel, as well as the interactivity and responsiveness of a site.

Back-end Web Development

It means building the server-side logic and integration that drives the front-end with programming languages like PHP, Python, Java, and .NET, as well as databases like MySQL, MongoDB, and Oracle. However, these things (data processing and storage, user authentication, etc) to some extent depend on back end code: it cleans up security, handles user authentication rules, stores data, searches, processes payments, etc.

Full-stack Web Development

Full stack developers work on both the front-end and back-end of web development. This means that they can develop a complete web solution from scratch.

You can visit a website and get the advanced expertise of professionals in this field.

What Gets Created Through Web Development?

There’s an incredibly diverse range of products that get built through professional web development today, including:

Websites

Websites remain one of the most common outputs of web development. They can range from simple brochure sites to complex web applications and ecommerce stores. Websites allow businesses and organisations to establish an online presence and provide information or services to their target audience.

Popular examples: Company websites, blogs, online magazines/newspapers, non-profit organisation sites, personal websites

Web Applications

Web applications are interactive web programs or tools accessed using a web browser. They help automate business processes, facilitate collaboration, or deliver a digital solution over the Internet.

Email services, office suites, CRMs, project management apps, online accounting apps, eLearning platforms, and reservation systems are common examples.

Mobile Apps

Modern web development can also be used to build the backend and supporting infrastructure for mobile apps that get distributed through app stores. The app itself runs natively on users’ devices, while advanced web tech powers the remote databases, servers, and APIs that feed data into the apps.

Popular examples: Games, social media, messaging, shopping, and multimedia apps

eCommerce Stores

Web developers help online businesses set up customised online stores, shopping cart systems, digital product delivery mechanisms, and secure payment gateways to sell products or services over the Internet.

Popular examples include online retailers like Amazon, apparel and fashion stores, marketplaces like Etsy, and food delivery services.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

PWAs are a new category of web apps that function like native mobile apps. They offer users conveniences like working offline, push notifications, installable icons, etc., but are built with web technologies for cross-platform compatibility.

Popular examples: Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok web apps

CMS-driven Sites

Many websites today are powered by Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. These systems provide user-friendly admin dashboards that non-developers can use to update sites quickly. Web developers build the themes, plugins, and functionality for these systems.

Popular examples: Blogs, magazines, news sites, university pages, small business websites

Custom Web Software & Portals

Custom web platforms and internal portals can be developed from the ground up to handle complex business requirements. These provide tailored digital solutions not offered by off-the-shelf systems.

Popular examples include internal company dashboards, inventory and logistics systems, real estate portals, and review sites.

As you can see, web developers today build a wide range of products—far beyond static web pages. The skills and technologies used vary depending on the type and complexity of each product. But fundamentally, web development brings together creative, design, and technical coding skills to deliver complete digital solutions and user experiences on the Internet.

Understanding Key Web Development Concepts

Now that you have an overview of what gets built let’s demystify some common terms that get thrown around in web development:

Websites vs Web Applications

Websites and web applications are often used interchangeably, but there are some key differences:

Websites are essentially online documents built primarily with HTML and CSS code. They display static information to visitors in a browser. The core is presenting content, and they can have basic interactivity and database integration.

A web application is simply a real computer program that runs on web servers. Its pages and content are dynamically generated from user actions and database data. Instead of just presentation, web applications stress functionality, real-time processing, automation and customisation.

The company’s basic marketing website would be considered a website, and Netflix would be considered a complex web application.

Static Sites vs. Dynamic Sites

Similar to the above, websites can be categorised as:

Static Sites:

Fixed, hard-coded content in HTML pages that doesn’t change. To update content, the code needs to be manually edited. This approach is suitable for simple sites.

Dynamic Sites:

Display content dynamically pulled from databases. Content can be updated easily by editing the database rather than coding individual pages. This enables personalisation, interactivity, ecommerce capabilities, etc. Most modern sites are dynamic.

Client-Server Model

Most web solutions today are built on a client-server model. This means processing and responsibilities are divided between:

Client-side (Front-end)

  • Browser, device display, limited logic & computing

Server-side (Back-end)

  • Hosting, databases, file storage, heavy-duty computing

The client sends requests to the server, which performs actions and sends back responses. Centralising logic on servers enables the provision of complex, personalised content across multiple client devices.

Common Web Development Languages

While hundreds of programming languages can be used for web development, some of the most popular core languages are:

  • HTML – Markup language that defines structure and content
  • CSS – Styling language for design/layout
  • JavaScript – Adds interactivity and dynamic effects
  • PHP – Back-end language for server-side logic
  • Python – General purpose language, often used for back-end
  • Java – Back-end language running on the Java EE platform
  • .NET – Microsoft’s development framework using C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET

Frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue, Django, and Ruby on Rails can be combined with these base languages and give you the libraries and features of the library they recommend. There are also commonly used database languages, such as SQL and MongoDB, as well as API integration tools.

This depends on what kind of product you are building and what platforms it needs to run on. Most web projects use a combination of languages handling different roles.

The Web Development Process

So, how does an idea actually get turned into a finished website or web application? What does the development workflow look like? Here’s a simplified overview:

  • Planning
  • Gather software requirements and scope
  • Create sitemaps, wireframes
  • Decide on the technology stack

 

  • Design Phase
  • Create mockups and page layouts
  • Design overall site look and feel visual assets
  • Ensure responsiveness on different devices

 

  • Development Phase
  • Set up coding environment and frameworks
  • Develop front-end and back-end code
  • Integrate databases and 3rd party services

 

  • Testing Phase
  • Test for functionality, bugs and errors
  • Validate on different browsers and devices

 

  • Deployment & Maintenance
  • Migrate code to production servers
  • Set up hosting, domains, security
  • Monitor performance, fix issues
  • Add new features

 

The process involves tandem design and development skills. To refine the product, the different phases are often iterated.

In the case of large web platforms, you need additional coordination between different teams of developers working on the front-end code, back-end code, database, DevOps, QA testing, security, etc.

The complexity level is just based on the type of product. A simple four-page website can be developed by one person. However, Facebook is a sophisticated social platform, so it needs an entire team of engineering experts from different disciplines.

Do You Need to Learn Web Development?

In 2023, web development skills are highly valued across industries. Businesses need websites and web platforms to run operations, market products, support customers, and keep up with competitors. There is a huge demand for skilled web developers.

Job Opportunities

  • Web developers are in very high demand across tech companies and agencies
  • 6 in-demand web developer roles:
    • Front-end developers
    • Back-end developers
    • Full-stack developers
    • Web designers (focused on UI/UX)
    • DevOps and site reliability engineers
    • Product managers
  • Strong earning potential with average US salaries ranging from $70k−$120k+

Career Advancement

  • Choose to specialise in the front-end, back-end, full-stack, or DevOps; advance to senior, lead, or director-level positions.
  • Then, switch to engineering management, project management, or product management.

Entrepreneurship Potential

  • Build websites, web apps and digital products for clients
  • Offer web design, web development consulting
  • Create your own SaaS apps, info products and online businesses

Useful Life Skills

  • Understanding web tech expands your digital literacy
  • Allows you to utilise web apps for personal productivity better
  • Opens the door for more opportunities in our internet-powered world

Web development is a field that is a gold mine for those in search of levelling up their tech skills or starting a new career. The learning curve is different based on the aspect you are focusing on. However, web languages themselves are approachable even to non-traditional programmers.

If you have an affinity for problem-solving, can quickly learn new software and enjoy building things digitally, you can absolutely gain web development abilities with consistent practice over time.

With consistent, patient practice focused on continual learning, you can reach the point where you can start developing real, usable websites within the first 6-12 months. While it may take a lot longer to master advanced web application development, this will depend on the scope.

The journey itself is rewarding and empowering and puts you in a good place for more opportunities in the digital world.

And don’t be scared to start learning about web development! Starting to acquire valuable skills that apply to practically any online endeavour doesn’t have to be difficult with the right guidance and a structured approach that’s tailored to your skill level.

The internet is only growing more ubiquitous. Having web literacy and an understanding of how the sites and apps we use every day actually get built can be tremendously useful both professionally and personally moving forward.