This article gives a brief introduction to web development. As the world keeps growing, technology will continue to advance which makes the internet very important to us. Web development is the process of planning, creating, building, and maintaining a website.
Whether you want to start a blog, open an online store, or launch a digital agency, you must first decide how you will build it. However, weighing all of your options can be overwhelming.
It’s not difficult to understand the most common methods for creating a website. You will be in a good position to select the best decision for your site once you understand your options and downsides of each.
You must make a number of key decisions before your new website can go live.
There are two crucial things to consider before you take a step into the world of web development;
- Time: The amount of time it takes to design a website varies tremendously depending on the building method you use. The method can determine how quickly or slowly you can build your website.
- Money: You can design a website for an affordable price if you approach it right. However, if you want more advanced features, you’ll have to pay more
VARIOUS WAYS OF CREATING A WEBSITE
There are three different ways to create any website and these are;
1. CODING: It’s possible to build websites with languages such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), JavaScript and more. With this you can develop your website from scratch, however you like and to begin with this you need a code editor like Visual Studio Code which is the most friendly code editor for beginners.
A code editor is a text editor built to write or edit computer program source code. It could be a stand-alone program or part of an integrated development environment or a web browser. You can build with this method yourself or hire an expert.
2. WEBSITE BUILDERS: A website builder is a software program that allows you to easily create a website. These programs usually offer drag-and-drop capabilities, design templates, and don’t require any coding experience.
Examples of website builders are Wix, Weebly, Squarespace .e.t.c.
Website builders are simple to use and can save you time and money by allowing you to quickly launch your new site. You can also customize components of your site’s design to meet your brand with the right builder.
They are, however, limited and may not provide you with much control over your design functionality.
3. CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS): Most people confuse content management systems with website builders. It is a piece of software that allows you to create, store, search, and manage content in a SQL database.
A CMS is much more flexible which means that customizations are not restricted. They can be used to create websites for any size audience.
Examples of content management systems include, but are not limited to, Joomla and Drupal, with WordPress being the most popular of all. It’s also simple to learn, and many people who work in web development are self-taught.
THINGS REQUIRED FOR WEB DEVELOPMENT
There are a few things you need in other to get started.
1. Domain Name: A domain name is the identity of a website. It’s just like a physical address, the only difference is that a domain name helps in finding a person or business on the Internet.
Without domain names , websites can only be accessed through Internet Protocol Address mostly shortened as IP Address. IP address are made up of random numbers which makes difficult for a person to remember thus making domain names important.
There is something also known as domain extension which is compulsory. A domain name would be an ordinary name without an extension such as (.com, .net, .org, .online, .us).
So when a person buys a domain, he must include an extension for example;
2. Web Hosting: Web hosting is synonymous to a house, with a domain serving as the property’s name or address. A hosting service is a service that provides server space for the storage and public viewing of website data.
A server is a computer that connects your website to users all around the world via the internet. The type of hosting determines the quantity of server space provided to a website.
Shared, dedicated, virtual private server (VPS), and reseller hosting are the four main forms of hosting. The server technology employed, the level of management provided, and the supplementary services provided are all different. Renting a workstation in a crowded, noisy open plan office is akin to shared hosting.
3. Building Method: These are the ways or methods needed to build the website. It could be a CMS, Website Builder or done with coding. This was talked about earlier in VARIOUS WAYS OF CREATING A WEBSITE.
4. Themes: This is the building block for a website’s overall design. Type, color palettes, headers and footers, backdrops, and page layouts are all examples of this. This is mostly for those who choose to use website builder or a content management system. There are so many companies which provides themes like Divi themes.
HOW TO GET A DOMAIN NAME AND HOSTING
As said earlier, a domain name and hosting is very important in web development. To get a domain name and hosting, you must first purchase one from a registrar. Registrars are in charge of selling domain names.
A domain name can’t be bought and kept as personal property. It is renewed every year. As a result, many consumers opt to buy for extended periods of time.
Web hosting is also available from hosting firms, and it can be purchased for a set amount of time and then renewed. Most web hosting businesses nowadays also provide domain registration services. I’ve worked with web hosting businesses like namecheap.com and bluehost.com, which is also a WordPress recommended host.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A WEB HOSTING PROVIDER FOR YOUR WEB DEVELOPMENT
There are lots of things involved in choosing a hosting provider. This can determine your safety or speed of your website.
1. Server Reliability: Your site may be forced to go down due to faulty servers or unstable network connections. This not only prevents potential viewers and sales from visiting your website, but it also results in bad ranks on search engines like Google and Yahoo.
Choosing a hosting business with a solid uptime record, preferably above 99.5 percent, is crucial to the success of your website. Avoid companies with an annual uptime score of less than 99 percent.
2. Customer Support: A hosting provider’s ability to give help 24 hours a day, seven days a week is a significant advantage. When picking a hosting plan, the ability to seek help from your provider at any time and in a format that is convenient for you (chat, correspondence, or a phone call to a hotline) should be a top priority.
3. Site Backups: Serious server or local hard drive failures are also a possibility. As a result, it’s critical that you only work with a web hosting company that provides regular backups of your website’s data. In the unlikely event that something goes wrong, you’ll be safe.
DO YOU HAVE INTEREST IN WEB DEVELOPMENT?
IF YOU WANT TO START WEB DEVELOPMENT, ASK YOURSELF THESE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
- What kind of website would I like to create?
- What method do I want to use for my web development?
- How well-versed in technology am I?
- How much traffic should I expect?
- What is my financial situation?
Are you prepared to become a web developer now that you have a better understanding of how it works? It takes time to develop the skills necessary to construct websites and web applications.
Going from rookie to expert is definitely possible with the correct curriculum and support structure. With our team here at Sketchvase, you are sure to learn the web development skills you need to have a successful career.
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