A Beginner's Guide to Web Development, Explained in Detail!

In recent years, advances in IT have made web applications and web systems commonplace, and this trend is expected to continue. To help companies considering web development, here's a simple explanation across four key points.

1. Web Development and Related Project Types

Put simply, web development means programming web apps and building web systems, services, and software.

In the past, apps, systems, and software were often built independently on-premises, but today, low-cost, convenient web-based solutions have become more popular.

Many companies use web apps as business systems, yet few have their own development environment.

For this reason, more companies are outsourcing web development to system companies.

Projects can be broken down as shown below.

2. Web Development Process

The web development flow varies slightly by app or system type, but basically proceeds through these steps.

• Requirements definition: gathering needed features and user requirements into a requirements document
• External design: creating the user interface per the defined requirements
• Internal design: designing the internal workings of the deliverable
• Development: once the upstream processes are done, writing the program per the design
• Running various tests: unit testing, integration testing, system testing, operational testing
• Release: fully moving the deliverable into the production environment once operational testing is done
• Operation and maintenance: confirming the deliverable runs without issues and handling issues as needed

3. Skills Needed for Web Development & Common Programming Languages

• The following skills are commonly needed for web development.

・Programming skills: without them, you can't build systems. The language you choose also affects product quality, so pick one suited to the project.

・Framework skills: frameworks differ by language, so choose one that matches your chosen language.

・Database skills: databases commonly manage customer information, making this an especially important skill for services aimed at general users.

• Commonly used programming languages in web development include HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Ruby, and Python.

4. Points to Watch When Outsourcing Web Development

• If considering web development, decide whether to build in-house or outsource. IT resources have been scarce in recent years, so more companies now outsource to outside vendors. Be sure to check these two points.

・Whether security measures are in place

When outsourcing, always sign an NDA and confirm how information will be managed during development and how security is handled after launch. Without proper security measures, problems are far more likely, so choose a developer that takes security seriously.

・Whether support is available after delivery

Confirm whether after-care and operation/maintenance support are available post-delivery. Choosing a developer with solid post-delivery support is one key point.

Miichisoft has delivered many web development projects to date. We've drawn on 5 years of experience to compile this article, and hope you found it helpful.

If you're interested, please feel free to contact Miichisoft anytime.