The first site launched on the world wide web over thirty years ago. Since then, over 2 billion websites exist with thousands of new sites spawning every hour.
Early static sites that gave a simple user experience have given way to dynamic, back end driven sites. Web development has evolved to the point where the user can use any device regardless of the screen size or OS.
If you’re thinking about entering the world of web development then keep reading.
This article examines different types of web design and where to begin. Learn the differences between front end development and back end coding. See how choosing the right coding language can make or break your vision.
Read on to discover how to develop for the web the right way.
Web Design vs Web Development
You probably know the term web design but is there a difference between that and web development?
Traditional web design concentrated on the aesthetics of a site i.e. how it looked on the screen. Graphic designers would often build the template in Photoshop before splicing it into sections for the web.
Modern sites tend to work in a more refined way.
Responsive design ensures a website works well on any device. It’s more about functionality than pretty graphics, although that’s important too.
Web developers usually fall into two categories: front end and back end developers.
Front End Development
The front end of a website relates to what the user sees and how they interact with it. This includes:
- Images and links
- Navigation structure
- Font style and color palettes
There are many front end development software tools that specialize in this type of design. Unlike plain web design techniques, they work with the back end or server-side to e.g. update a database.
All sites use some form of HTML to create content but languages like JavaScript enhance the experience.
Back End Coding Languages
Back end web development coding languages often include PHP, ASP.NET, Python, and Ruby. These platforms are able to process requests to produce content that the website and user desires.
Modern user interface (UI) frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js join the front end and back end together.
These standards can produce powerful web applications that are more than mere websites. They can run at an enterprise level and take advantage of cloud computing to scale as required.
Beginning With WordPress
If you want to see how a website works and begin to develop it then look no further than WordPress.
WordPress is an open-source system written in PHP that provides plugins and hooks for you to build on. You can learn how the platform functions while overriding the basics to suit your needs.
From there, move to a framework like React to really open up the world of web development.
More Web Development Tips
Web development is a mixture of back end coding, front end development, and strategic design.
Large projects need enterprise UI coding languages like Angular and React for best performance. They provide a secure platform to build on and can scale as you grow. But if you just want a simple web design solution then you can’t go wrong with WordPress.
Read more web development tips on our site. Remember to share this article on social media and tell the world that you’re building a website.