Web development is essentially the creative work involved in creating a website for either the Internet or an internal intranet. Web development can range in scale from designing a simple single screen static HTML page to highly complex web-based applications, social networking services, and electronic commerce systems. The type of Web development work that is done will depend upon the specific needs of the client. Some clients will need highly customized Web sites, while others will work with a standard template.
Web Development
Web developers use a wide range of different techniques and programs to carry out web development. These include but are not limited to, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and various combination thereof. The main focus for most Web development work is on the creation of a search engine optimized (SEO) driven web applications. Most Web developers will be hired by an IT firm looking to improve their Web presence by building the most effective website possible.
On-page SEO
Some of the main areas of focus for Web development are on-page SEO, which is an effort to get top ranking for Web sites in search engines such as Yahoo! and Google. Off-page SEO consists of the efforts of Web developers to make web sites more easily accessible to the general public. This can include creating easy-to-navigate links, interconnecting links, and directory listings.
Off-Site Optimization
Off-page SEO techniques can be anything from writing original content to submitting articles to article directories to link building. Some web developers may specialize in only one or two areas, while others may be successful in a wide variety of techniques. In addition to off-page optimization, many Web developers also perform on-site optimization. This includes writing Meta tags, optimizing images and video content, and keyword research. On-site optimization is the basis of the search engine optimization and is absolutely necessary to get high rankings on search engines.
Front-end Design
Web developers also work closely with Web designers to create the visual appearance of the Web pages. The appearance of the pages is what will draw visitors to the Web sites and will have an effect on their usability. For this reason, many Web developers are also considered “web designers” because many of them are also skilled at creating the visual appearance of the Web pages. It is important to note that the roles of a Web developer and Web designer are very different. While Web developers create the actual Web sites, Web designers are responsible for making sure that the Web sites look good.
At Last
Web development companies also provide software development solutions. The software developed by these companies is used to help Web developers create web sites. Many of the software developed for Web developers is open source. This means that it can be downloaded by anyone who wishes to use it. Many people are attracted to the open-source technology because it is free to download and use.
