Just like building a house, where you pour a foundation, lay walls, install plumbing, etc., the web development construction phase is when developers build the “bones” of your site. You set up the server side, databases, data types & logic, and then layer on front-end code, pages, and interactivity.
Because if the foundation is weak, everything else is vulnerable. In a house, a bad foundation can lead to collapse. On a website, a poor foundation can lead to security holes, slow performance, or system failures when you try to scale or add features.
You’re working in server-side languages (PHP, Python, Ruby, etc.), setting up a database (MySQL, MongoDB, etc.), coding your core logic, and deciding how your front-end will connect with it. The developer starts with placeholder pages, frameworks, and then wires everything together.
“All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space.” – Philip Johnson
While an architecture becomes the shelter for family and friends, a website becomes the home for your business’s daily events, products or services, philosophy, growth and changes.
The activities you present online to your current and potential customers will allow them to develop more trust for your brand and know more about what your business has to offer.
Trustworthy companies all have something in common and that’s a well structured foundation that is both sturdy and flexible so it can withstand any types of pressure or be able to balance out the load for maximum performance.
After the necessary information is analyzed and design layouts are finished, the actual development of the building or website is next. What do you think happens during these stages?
To build anything, the foundation and planning is very important. If the foundation is overlooked, the consequences when building a house or a website are terrifying.
An entire family could be endangered if part of the house collapses or your business website could be hacked if it is not secure.
A secure website is required if you have users creating accounts, leaving passwords and saving their transactions on your website.
The foundation includes wireframing (syntax), information (data types and values), designer and contents (variables), maintainers or web managers (operators) and its purpose (control statements).
The development phase represents the big picture of building a website.
Another way to think of this is that the Front-end is what attracts your visitors, but the foundation / inner core or personality of your website is what will keep them involved in your business.
What do you think about these similarities? Were they surprising?
Do you now understand what it takes to create and develop a complex website?
From your own experiences, do you think you can improve any of the phases outlined above?
Frances Naty Go, Founder of Goldlilys Media, transforms websites into strategic masterpieces for museums, nonprofits, health & wellness brands, higher education, life sciences, travel companies, personal brands and small businesses. With a Computer Science degree from UC San Diego, she specializes in creating digital experiences that educate, engage, and inspire action. Ready to make your digital presence unforgettable?
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