Web app development is the process of planning, designing, and building web-based applications. These applications are meant to perform similar to mobile apps, but are delivered over internet.
Web applications utilize several client-side and server-side technologies to craft an interactive user experience. This distinguishes web apps from regular websites. Developers use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for front-end functionality of a web application. For the back-end functionality, Python, Ruby, and other server-side tools are used.
Many businesses today prefer to opt for web app development simply because of the sheer functionality and flexibility they offer. If you are considering developing a web application for your business, the development process will look like this.
Steps of Web App Development
Planning
The first step in web app development is planning. You must clearly define the problem you are trying to address. What do you plan to achieve with your app? What kind of value will your app deliver to your target audience?
This phase also involves planning and defining the workflow of your app in detail. You will need to consider both technical and business factors when creating a suitable workflow. You must also determine how time, budget, and other resources will be allocated for the project.
Prototyping
The next step is to build a prototype for the app. A prototype is a version that is functional but incomplete. A functional sample lets you see how the end product will look like. The prototype can be immensely helpful in refining the workflow and design of your app. You can also share this prototype with a limited number of end users to receive real feedback and incorporate it into the project.
Building
Once prototyping and prototype validation stages are completed, you can move on to building the app. This phase is primarily technical as you must consider the front-end and back-end technologies to be used. You must consider if you want to hire new talent, purchase new tools, or allocate fresh resources for the building effort.
Testing
If you are using an agile development methodology, the web app development will use iterative testing. This means that the app is tested at the end of each development cycle. This helps you remove bugs and improve functionality as you move along the development timeline.
You will also use software quality assurance at this stage. This helps you check your app against specific standards and benchmarks to ensure that it is up to mark. Quality assurance is a holistic activity and it can be utilized before, during, and after web application development.
Launching
At this stage, you are ready to launch your web application. You must secure proper hosting resources to make sure the app is easily available. You may also need to optimize for loading speeds and tweak other areas of the app’s functionality to ensure a good user experience.
If you lack the in-house resources to build a web app, you can always outsource the job to a professional web app development company. This helps you speed up the process and get a professional app in no time.
