In a perfect world, every
new web development project would progress without a glitch but in real life, things happen and plans get derailed. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take from the start of your project and all through the development process to help avoid setbacks. By following these seven best web development practices, your project will move forward more smoothly.
1. Determine your objective.
Eager developers can jump into writing code but without a plan and clear objective, they can end up wasting time writing code over and over again. It’s essential to determine what is the overall intention of the project. Doing this will help you better understand priorities so you don’t get distracted by insignificant details.
2. Focus first on the user experience.
It’s cheaper and easier to change paper or a mockup than it is to scrap a project because your users don’t enjoy or want to use it. Start with the user experience (UX) before writing any code. Most of your efforts should be spent on research and
design, then programming. When you’re able to understand potential users, you can create a user-friendly design while also making the development phase less complicated.
3. Don’t overproduce code.
Write simple, direct code that has a definite and necessary purpose. Overproducing code increases the likelihood of bugs. Make sure each piece of code solves a problem or provides a feature necessary to the function of the page.
4. Work smarter, not harder.
Why start from scratch when you can have some of the work already done? Using a framework in application development provides a structure for you to build on instead of starting from nothing. This saves time and helps less experienced developers build better quality applications and reduce errors.
5. Make continuous improvements.
Development is a process of continuous improvement so don’t get bogged down by a huge feature that halts your progress. Instead of pouring all your effort into completing the project all at once, aim for completing smaller goals. Incremental updates to a working project create fewer bugs than waiting until it’s fully built out.
6. Think about the future (but don’t overthink it).
User interface (UI) is always evolving. What’s “in” today will be outdated in several years, or even months, from now. Make sure to design and develop the backend where you’ll be able to adjust the UI without requiring a complete overhaul. Furthermore, expect to make incremental updates which can be small like changing text color or big like adding a new feature.
7. Make sure your code is testable.
Testing is crucial for developers. However, if the code is messy and hard to read, it will be difficult, or even impossible, to test. When code is neat and readable, it’s much easier to test.
Attractive, User-Friendly Websites
By employing these web development practices, fewer bugs will arise and the development process will be smoother. One way to achieve an attractive and user-friendly design for your website is to work with skilled, experienced web designers and web developers.
Call us at 407-682-2222 or
contact us online to see how Sales & Marketing Technologies can improve your website’s UX and UI.