What does a web development company do?
A web development company has a large scope of work. Web development includes ideating, designing, creating and maintaining websites and applications. They have dedicated experts with a complete set of skills required to develop websites and apps.
The Difference Between Web App And A Website
Website: A website is a group of globally accessible, interlinked web pages which have a single domain name. The website can be developed and maintained by an individual, business or organization.
A website is hosted on a single or multiple web server. It is accessible via a network like the Internet or a private local area network via IP address.
Web App: A web application is a software or program which is accessible using any web browser. Its frontend is usually created using languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript. A great example of a web app would be Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides – where a team can work on a project with simultaneous access.
Why You Need A Website?
Having a website has become essential for any business now – from small start-ups to big organisations. If you do not have a website – your audience cannot reach you. Considering how Covid-19 has shaped the world and impacted business – it has become important a company has various avenues in this new digital era for business development.
If we are talking about web development – not only does a business need to have a website; they need to get one built that is engaging and creates a direct impact on their business.
Benefits of having a website for your business:
- Makes you look more professional
- A well built website attracts new customers and helps retention
- You can clearly display your products and services
- Customers can view any testimonials and previous work you have worked on
- You can provide contact details for potential customers
Why You Need A Web Application?
Web applications are becoming more and more essential for businesses as they help optimise various business processes.
Benefits of having a web app for your business:
- Web applications play an important role in branding and creating brand awareness.
- You can provide 24*7 customer support by integrating chatbots on your web app
- A supporting iOS or Android app can be built to further support the web app services and functions – making it easier for customers to access your business.
What Is The Process Involved In Web Development?
The process of web development can be broken down into 6 main parts/phases.
#1 Information Gathering
This is one of the most important steps to get your web development started.
In this phase you and the team you have hired need to sit at the drawing board and you as a client need to communicate exactly what you have in mind so the designer can draw from your inputs and create your vision.
It’s very important that the agenda/goal is defined, who your target audience is, identify what type of content will be suitable etc.
#2 Planning
Any project or process needs great planning for great execution. Planning essentially means identifying what the priority tasks are and mapping out a strategic road map to get tasks done.
#3 Designing
Design is the next key component as you want a platform that is aesthetically well made to ensure your customers can trust you. In this part of the process, you need to ensure you clearly communicate to designers exactly what kind of aspects you are looking to add to your platform so they can bring your design ideas to life.
#4 Development
In this step, all the information that has been collected is integrated. A database is created, logic and actal programming is done here.
This step can also be termed as the ‘implementing phase’.
#5 Testing & Delivery
The testing is done by the quality assurance team (QA). They are also responsible for preparing the test cases – which include:
- Content Testing
- Functional Testing
- Design Testing
Once the testing is completed the files are uploaded to the server and tested again to check if they have uploaded properly – if they have then your platform is ready to go public.
#6 Maintenance
Maintenance means updating contents and design for the platform and is done till an agreed time period.
How To Choose The Right Web Development Company?
When it comes to choosing the right company – there are a few things you as an organisation have to ask yourself and look into before diving blindly making an investment into a web development company.
Things to consider:
- What kind of site do you need and why?: Will you need an ecommerce platform to sell directly to customers or is the site purely for information? Will you need a contact form or chatbot service? Do you need a site with responsive design and will you need web hosting?
You need to think about such things as they will help to inform your decision.
- What is your business and how much support does it need?: Based on the sector you’re in – you have to consider how much security your site needs, what functionalities it needs to have. For example, if you are a Fintech start-up – you need very secure payment gateways etc on your site.
- Portfolio: You need to look into a web developments company portfolio. Have they worked on another project that is similar to what you are looking for? What are some of the testimonials about them?
- Budget: What is your allotted budget and how much are you willing to invest. This will also be determined by the kind of features you want on your web app or website and its functionality.
Talk to various companies and see how much they understand your business requirements. If they understand your goal – their team is more likely to deliver what you are looking for.
What Are The Benefits Of Hiring A Web Development Company?
1. Create a positive impression: A user validates and forms an opinion about your business based on how your platform looks.
You may be an industry expert, have the best service or product – but if your platforms don’t look good – the user might leave in seconds of being on your page/app.
By outsourcing your web development – you get a team of experts who have top talent and can create an attractive platform to engage your users.
2. A Faster Website: If you are getting a website made, an experienced company will know what plugins and 3rd party tools can be integrated into your site to ensure it performs optimally.
A web development company knows these things well and will make sure your app or website runs smoothly without any bugs.
3. You can focus on core business goals: As your team may not be experts in the area or you may not have hired any web developers – outsourcing will save you a lot of time and resources to get the job done.
Your team can focus on your core business goals.
Furthermore, technology is constantly changing and by outsourcing you get access to the latest softwares without having to search for talent in that particular domain.
4. Get the best design: While you can opt for off the rack templates and software for your business – a custom solution is always a better investment on the longer run as it clearly fulfills all your business needs.
If you want your business to stand out – off the rack isn’t going to cut it.
5. Save Time: By hiring a professional company, you reduce the risk of delays and setbacks in work which you may find by hiring say a freelancer. A web development company has in-house experts who have past experiences in building custom software.
6. Reliable team: Bugs and problems that arise can be expensive and tedious to fix. By getting a professional company to build your platform for you – you know you won’t lose time on making immediate updates.
If you are looking for a professional team of experts to build you custom software – get in touch with Getafix to build you exactly what your business needs!