Website development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a website for the World Wide Web or a private network. This can include web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development. However, among web professionals, “website development” usually refers to the main non-design aspects of building websites: writing markup and coding. Website development can range from developing the most straightforward static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, electronic businesses, or social network services.

People who develop websites are called web developers. For larger organizations and businesses, web development teams can consist of hundreds of people. Web development may be a collaborative effort between departments rather than the domain of a designated department.

A business’s online presence with a website, app, or social media is a valuable base or asset for its success. Complete control of the content with an engaging look and feel is a crucial resource for customers. Does every business have a website? No. The number of companies that don’t have a website or any other online presence is impressive. It makes the web hosting and website development business look more lucrative.

WordPress, PHP Scripts, drag-and-drop web builders, E-commerce tools, intelligent editors, content management systems (CMS) and many platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal have made the daunting task of responsive website development more comfortable. Inexperienced non-technical practitioners can also create a fully functional and professional-looking website. At a time when designers and developers were not targeting small businesses, small businesses are now not looking to them for their website development.

An experienced business owner knows everything about their business: the type of customers, markets, products, promotional strategies which work, marketing, and branding. Entrepreneurs consider every minute detail impacting their business, whether online or offline. The business card, social media presence, blog, and news published in magazines or reputed newspapers complement or help to create their brand identity. So many things or details are crucial; hence, many brainstorming sessions are required for business websites to decide on the colour, menus, call-to-action buttons, and locations of various content and images.

Web Development can be split into many areas, and a typical and basic web development hierarchy might consist of the following:

Client Side Coding

1. Flash Adobe Flash Player is a ubiquitous browser plug-in ready for RIAs. Flex 2 is also deployed to the Flash Player.
2. JavaScript is a ubiquitous client-side platform for creating and delivering rich Web applications that can run across various devices.
3. JQuery is a Cross-browser JavaScript library designed to simplify and speed up the client-side scripting of HTML.
4. Microsoft Silverlight is Microsoft’s browser plug-in that enables animation, vector graphics and high-definition video playback, programmed using XAML and .NET programming languages.
5. HTML5 and CSS3 The Latest HTML proposed standard combined with the latest proposed standard for CSS natively supports much of the client-side functionality provided by other frameworks such as Flash.

Server Side Coding

• ASP (Microsoft proprietary)
• CSP, Server-Side ANSI C
• ColdFusion
• CGI
• Groovy (programming language) Grails (framework)
• Java, e.g. Java EE or WebObjects
• Lotus Domino
• Perl, e.g. Catalyst, Dancer (all open sources)
• PHP (open source)
• Python, e.g. Django (web framework) (open source)
• Real Studio Web Edition
• Ruby, e.g. Ruby on Rails (open source)
• Smalltalk, e.g. Seaside, AIDA/Web
• SSJS Server-Side JavaScript, e.g. Aptana Jaxer, Mozilla Rhino
• WebDNA (WSC proprietary)
• Websphere (IBM proprietary)
• .NET and .NET MVC Frameworks (Microsoft proprietary)

Web engineering is multidisciplinary and encompasses contributions from diverse areas: systems analysis and design, software engineering, hypermedia/hypertext engineering, requirements engineering, human-computer interaction, user interface, information engineering, etc. Web engineering is neither a clone nor a subset of software engineering, although both involve programming and software development. While web engineering uses software engineering principles, web development encompasses new approaches, methodologies, tools, techniques, and guidelines to meet the unique requirements of web-based applications.
Client Side + Server Side

• Google Web Toolkit provides tools to create and maintain complex JavaScript front-end applications in Java.
• Opa is a high-level language in which the client and the server parts are implemented. The compiler then decides which parts run on the client and which run on the server. The developer can tune those decisions with simple directives.
• Tersus is a platform for developing rich web applications by visually defining user interface, client-side behaviour and server-side processing.
• However, languages like Ruby and Python are often paired with database servers other than MySQL. For instance, some developers prefer a LAPR (Linux/Apache/PostgreSQL/Ruby on Rails) setup for development.

Website development considers many security considerations, such as data entry error checking through forms, filtering output, and encryption. Malicious practices such as SQL injection can be executed by users with ill intent yet with only primitive knowledge of web development. Scripts can be exploited to grant unauthorized access to malicious users trying to collect information such as email addresses, passwords and protected content like credit card numbers.

Latest News

• A workshop on ‘Creating a Website’ will be held on February 24 2020, from 14:00 – 16:00, at Llandysul – Glanyrafon Arms. Limited space to 20 per workshop on a first-come, first-served basis. It is aimed at people who want to build a website or find a web developer to have an excellent and helpful website. There would be demonstrations of the best DIY options with tips on what to include. The participants would learn to pick the right domain name and web hosting. Promote the Website and get it listed on search engines such as Google and explore options for reaching customers with email marketing, social media, and link building.
• Incubator Hosting Web Workshop
  (SEP 14, 2019) A free and open 90-minute practical design workshop on building aesthetic, user-friendly, and engaging websites conducted by the Buffalo Niagara Chapter of SCORE. It will be held on Tuesday, September 17, from 9 am to 10:30 at the Fredonia Technology Incubator at 214 Central Ave., Dunkirk, NY, 14048.
  The workshop will discuss the website goals, content, mobile-friendly design, and SEO. Registration is required, as it has limited seats.

About Workshop Instructor Lisa Churakos

A certified SCORE mentor and a business owner experienced in research, business services, consulting, manufacturing, mining, nonprofit, public and professional organization, restaurants and hospitality, technology and web-based services, and transportation and Warehousing.

About Buffalo Niagara SCORE

Establishment: 1964

• Mentors to America’s Small Business with 10,000 volunteer business mentors in 300 chapters
• It serves in the eight Western New York counties.
• Has helped ten million+ aspiring small business owners and entrepreneurs through mentoring and business workshops through entrepreneur education dedicated to their formation, growth, and success.