8 Step Process for Website Development
Websites have become one of the most integral part of the business. It is also the most essential marketing tool to reach out to existing users and attract new users. As of now, there are around 2 billion websites and more than 5 billion internet users worldwide.
Moreover, numerous new businesses are launching a website every year to present their products or services & grow their business.
Whether you want to build a small or a big website, you should follow a streamlined process to ensure your website serves end-users and search engines. Also, following a process is beneficial to avoid any mistakes in the further stages.
Here we have curated the 8-step website development process you need to follow to create a unique website.
So, let’s start.
Step 1: Requirement Gathering
Set Purpose for the website and Define the Targeted Audience
Information gathering is the most essential step in the website development process. It sets the path for all the following steps. To gather information, you should answer some questions effectively as follows.
- What is your intention behind creating the website?
- Which goals do you want to achieve from a website?
- Who is your target audience?
- Is there a proper demand for your project?
- Why do people need your website?
- Which needs of users do you want to meet with the website?
- What kind of look & feel do you want your website to be?
- How will it help your business?
- Which features do users expect from your website?
- What do you want to fulfill through the website?
Step 2: Website Planning & Scope Creep
Document Goals & KPIs
In this step, you need to define the primary objectives you want to achieve through your website. Also, you should define the key performance indicators (KPIs). By defining these things, you ensure that your website project stays on track and meets your business goals.
Your website objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They should align with your overall business goals.
Some common KPIs for websites are Traffic (unique visitors), leads (new contacts), and conversions (sales or other desired actions). You should select KPIs relevant to the website objectives that you can measure.
Define Your User Personas
After you decide the goals and KPIS of your website, it is time to define the user personas to understand the target audience needs. A user persona consists of the age, location, gender, profession, problems, and more.
In short, user personas help you to understand your target audience in an effective manner.
Analyze Your Direct Competitors
As you develop your project plan, take some time to analyze your direct competitors. By analyzing your competitors, you understand things going on in the market well and make informed decisions about your website.
Create a visual sitemap
A visual sitemap is a great way to plan out your website before you start building it. It can help you see how your pages will fit together and what kind of hierarchy you want to create.
You can also use it to spot any potential problems or areas where you might need more content.
To create a visual sitemap, start by opening up a blank document in your favorite sitemap creation tool like Octopus, UXFlow, Zen Flowchart, Gloomaps, and more.
If you get stuck, plenty of sitemap templates are available online to help you get started. Once you have sketched a basic sitemap, add more details like page titles, sub-pages, etc. In this stage, you can start fleshing out your website and making it your own. Be sure to leave some room for future expansion as well – you never know when that next great idea will strike!
Functionality requirements
When planning a website, it is essential to think about the functionality you want it to have. It helps you determine the project’s scope and avoid scope creep later on. Some standard functionalities that websites might have include:-
- A contact form
- A search function
- Integration with social media
- E-commerce functionality
- A blog
- A forum
Consider what you want your website to do, and include those requirements in your initial planning. By doing this, you can avoid any surprises or disappointments that occur at a later stage.
Select Technology Stack
Assuming you’re starting from scratch, the technology stack you choose will directly impact the website development. To choose a proper technology stack for your website, you should answer several questions like
- What functionality do you need on your website?
- Do you intend to store a massive amount of data and need a database?
- Do you want to use a content management system?
By answering these questions correctly, you can define a technology stack. You can also reach out to a website design & development company like us. We provide you with a suitable technology stack for your website.
Step 3: Design
Create a wireframe & user journeys
Creating a wireframe is an essential part of the design process. A wireframe is a low-fidelity representation of your proposed design. It’s used to communicate the overall structure of your design and how users will interact with it.
Creating user journeys is also an essential part of the design process. User journeys help you understand how users will interact with your design. They also help you identify potential areas of friction and how to mitigate them.
UI Design: Design a practical page layout
UI/UX designers follow the essential principles of web design to create a visually appealing and easy-to-use layout that will make your users want to come back for more.
There are several vital elements that designers consider when designing UI. They are as follows.
Colors: Designers choose a color scheme that is pleasing to the eye and easy on the senses. And they make sure that the color choices are consistent throughout your website design.
Images: Designers avoid using stock photos or cheesy clip art; instead, opt for clean, professional visuals that complement your overall design.
Review the layouts & Collect feedback
For finalizing the website layout, it is essential to obtain feedback from your team and clients. It ensures that everyone is on the same page and that the designs meet the project’s needs.
Step 4: Content writing
Write goal-oriented content for the website pages/posts
When it comes to website content, it’s essential to think about what your goals are. What do you want your website visitors to do when they land on your page? If you’re in a business, you might want them to buy something from you or sign up for your email list.
If you have a blog, you might want them to read your latest post. Either way, it’s essential to write content that is focused on achieving these goals.
In short, you need to write content that reaches the target audience, increase engagement on the website, and ultimately get more conversions.
Here are some things you should consider in the content of your website.
- Content is written keeping the audience in mind.
- Ensure your headlines grab attention and make people want to read more.
- Ensure calls to action are inserted at the right places and tell people what you want them to do, whether clicking through to another page or taking action on the current one.
- Ensure there are enough visuals on the website. People like to engage with content that includes images, infographics, videos, etc.
- Check that the content is straight to the point and there is no unnecessary fluff.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your content is focused on achieving your desired goal, whether driving sales or getting people to read your latest blog post.
Step 5: Coding
Frontend development
What the user sees and interacts with on the website results from front-end development.
After the website design is finalized, the web developer starts working on the frontend development. The developer creates a frontend with or without using the CMS or template according to the decided plan.
The developer generally uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create the website frontend. Besides this, the developer uses various development tools and frontend frameworks to speed up the development process.
Backend development
What the website user doesn’t see falls under the backend development. The backend development process is more concerned with functionality than aesthetics. It includes anything happening behind the scenes of a website, such as a user authentication, network and hosting configuration, database interaction, and more.
The backend is mainly responsible for the interaction between the server-side and the client-side. Here, the developer creates a server-side app, builds databases, writes app logic, and combines server-side & client-side functions. The developers utilize several technologies, programming languages, and frameworks to create the website backend.
Step 6: Quality Assurance & Review
After the website is completely developed, the quality analysts conduct a series of tests. These tests include functionality, usability, and compliance with web standards.
Once all the tests are completed and the website passes with flying colors, it’s time for a final review by the development team. The team checks everything one last time to ensure that there are no last-minute changes or issues to be addressed. After the final review, the team launches a website in the real world.
Step 7: Launch
Step 8: Maintenance & Regular Updating
It’s essential to monitor your website at specific intervals after you’ve successfully launched it. Errors can occur, so it’s crucial to monitor the website to ensure it stays up and running.
The development team looks after various technical maintenance tasks, such as website speed optimization, bug fixes, etc. Further, the development team resolves any issues on the website and ensures it is error-free.
Conclusion
We hope you have understood the website development process steps. By following the things we have shared, you can create a successful website for your business.
If you still have any doubts about the website development phases, feel free to contact us.
WebyKing is a leading website development company. We have delivered some of the best websites to clients worldwide at a cost-effective price.
Moreover, we have a highly talented team of professionals. Hence, we can understand the needs of your business and build a user-friendly & feature-rich website according to your needs.
