How to Start a Web Development Project

Web development involves the creation and maintenance of websites. The work of web development ensures that a website not only looks good, but also works flawlessly and quickly, providing visitors with a high level of user experience. 

The steps of web development

1. Getting in touch & needs assessment – the goal of the needs assessment is to learn as much as possible about the project’s purpose, the given industry and the environment in which the finished website will have to perform.
2. Creating the specification – based on the information collected, a specification is prepared that precisely records in writing all requirements for the website to be developed.
3. Preparing the quote & signing the contract – the written quote describes the workflow and the time and cost implications of each task.
   After the quote has been approved, a contract is drawn up.
4. Research and planning – research may include competitor analysis, user interviews, customer journey mapping and other methods that help gather as much useful information as possible for the project. In the first stage of planning, wireframes are created to show the layout of each page of the website. 
5. Web design – after the wireframes have been approved, the web design phase follows, where the existing layouts take on their final form. The graphic design of the website is created, which shows the final appearance of the site in brand colours, at a 1:1 scale and viewable directly in the browser.
6. Development – in this phase of web development, the developers receive the graphic designs approved by the client and turn them into a clickable, functional, responsive website.
7. Content upload – the initial content upload of the website is also part of web development; the client should not be left alone with this task.
8. Testing and go-live – the finished website is tested by the developer on different devices and in different browsers to make sure everything works perfectly.
9. Hosting and operation – running websites is a complex task. Content management systems and web technologies must be continuously updated to ensure they operate securely. During the operation and updating of a website, various smaller and larger requests and development tasks regularly arise, which also require the availability of a web developer.

You can read more about the web development process here.

The most common web development tasks

• Corporate website development – responsive and search-engine-friendly websites supported by online marketing tools (MailChimp, Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram)
• Startup website development – websites with high user experience and strong online marketing support
• Enterprise multisite development – centrally managed websites with role-based permissions and a shared content management system
• Coupon websites development
• Conversion-optimized landing pages
• One-pager websites – for showcasing products, services or portfolios
• Portal development – news and information portals with thousands of articles
• Content management systems development – implementing custom requirements that cannot be solved with open-source CMSs
• Custom online stores with integrated payment solutions (PayPal, Barion, Simple Pay)
• Webshops integrated with back-office systems (inventory, invoicing, etc.)
• Corporate CRM systems – property management, membership management, document management, ticketing, grant evaluation systems
• Internal password-protected web applications
• Responsive websites design and development

What should you pay attention to during a web development project?

• Start with a competitor analysis to understand what existing players on the market are doing well
• Always prepare a written specification for the project
• The web development quotation should be as detailed as possible and list the cost of each task line by line
• Before starting the work, sign a contract that records the deadlines and major milestones of the development. The contract should also cover post-launch support and its costs.
• Choose a company for web development that is strong not only in development but also in planning and UX
• During planning, the design should follow the content and functionality to be presented – not the other way around
• The source code should be well structured and easy to understand, considering the possibility that another development company might take over the project later
• All assets used in web development (icons, fonts, graphics, images, texts) should be unique and legally licensed.
• The finished website should be SEO-friendly and comply with Google’s guidelines
• The software should be responsive, support the most popular devices and screen resolutions, and display flawlessly in the most widely used browsers.
• The loading speed of the website / webshop / web application should be as fast as possible, as this is critical to success
• The content management system used for development should be secure, user-friendly and easy to manage even for non-technical users
• The software should comply with key usability and web ergonomics guidelines

Web development pricing and payment models

For web development projects, two main payment models are the most common:

1. Fixed-price model – a popular solution for smaller web development projects where the specification and deadlines are clearly defined. This model carries less risk and makes the project budget much easier to plan.
2. Pay as You Go model – used for medium- and large-scale projects where the exact scope of work and deadlines cannot be fully defined in advance. In this case, billing is based on hourly rates, usually with end-of-month invoicing. Although this model is harder to plan, using a shared time-tracking and reporting system with the developer can still make it transparent.

How to choose a web development company

Here is a brief overview of the information you should rely on when choosing a web development company:

• Website – what is the quality of their own website? What kind of content do they publish and how regularly?
• Team size – how many people work at the company? One- or two-person development shops always carry higher risk than larger teams. Do they work with full-time employees or freelancers?
• Office – do they have their own office? Some web development companies do not have a physical office, they work remotely, often from home. With such virtual companies, responses to calls and emails can sometimes be slower.
• Portfolio – what kind of web development reference projects do they have? What size companies do they work for? Do they have reference projects similar in nature and quality to what you need?
• Related services – are they experienced in UX design, SEO and online marketing? In most web development projects, it is important that developers are familiar with these areas too, so that the final result is both user- and search-engine-friendly.
• Client feedback – read the client reviews on their website and on their Google My Business listing.
• Response time – how quickly do they reply to your enquiry? What kind of questions do they ask about the project? How thorough and attentive are they?
• Quotation – do they prepare a detailed, transparent quotation? Do they offer hosting, maintenance and support for their developments, so you know who to turn to if there’s a problem or if further development is needed?
• Contract – larger web development companies and agencies always work on a contractual basis, which helps avoid disputes later on.
• Problem-solving skills – do they tackle arising issues creatively, or do they tend to avoid them?

Which professionals are involved in a web development project?

Web development is not just programming; success requires the cooperation of experts from different fields. Let’s see who makes up the web development team:

• Project manager – defines the project goals and takes part in preparing the specification and quotation. Responsible for managing resources and meeting deadlines, leads the team and communicates with the client continuously.
• Web designer (UX designer) – responsible for the visual appearance. Creates wireframes, designs the visual identity, and prepares the graphic designs (web design) of the homepage and subpages of the website or web application.
• Web developer – turns the graphic designs created by the web designer into a functional website. The web developer uses technologies such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript, which define how the website looks and behaves in the browser.
  Web developers are also responsible for implementing the so-called server-side of the website or web application, using technologies such as PHP, Java and MySQL.
• Tester – ideally, testing of the finished software is done by someone other than the person who programmed it. Testers use procedures and methods that reveal potential shortcomings of the software before it goes live.
• Content operator – is familiar with admin interfaces and content management systems and helps with uploading content.
• Copywriter – creates user-friendly and search-engine-friendly copy
• Online marketing specialist – responsible for promoting the finished website / webshop online. Their advice helps you achieve your marketing goals as effectively as possible.
• SEO specialist – the SEO expert works together with the developers to help the website or online store achieve good rankings in Google.
• System administrator – responsible for setting up the hosting environment of the website or web application and for the necessary hardware and software resources.