Want to learn more about web development services? Whether you have a genius idea for an app, want help with your digital marketing, or need a specialist to build you a modern business website, nowadays it’s easy to outsource the work to an expert.
But what if you need assistance with a coding project and aren’t sure who to ask? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Below you’ll find a brief description of common services provided by web developers today. Read each to determine which best fits your needs.
When you’re ready to discover which web service will best help you with your predicament, read on.
Database Development
You hear the word “database” often enough. Unfortunately, when pressed, few people can tell you what a database does or even what it looks like. It’s just a system for storing, recalling, and relating data.
The data is stored on a hard drive. That hard drive may be in your personal PC, your friend’s phone, or even a server farm in Texas. It doesn’t really matter.
With modern technology, you can access your database from anywhere in the world.
Who uses databases? You’ll find them everywhere including banks, eCommerce websites, retail stores, grocery stores, and mail delivery services. And you can bet there is a good reason places like Amazon, Safeway, and UPS rely on them so heavily.
They need data, and they need it fast!
- Names
- Addresses
- Bank account transactions
- Voter registration
- Etc.
For instance, if you set up your own eCommerce website, you need to store information about your products. Your visitors will want to see things like a list of your products, digital photos for each, how many you have in stock, and so forth. Just jump over to any Amazon product page, and you’ll find dozens of pieces of information about that product.
Storing and retrieving that data is what databases are all about.
Server-Side Development
Programmers often split the internet into two aspects. They call one the “client-side” and the other the “server-side.”
The client-side is the side seen by people browsing the web. It includes things like websites, graphics, digital music, videos, etc.
The server-side is the side that’s hidden from everyday people. It includes things like databases and servers. It’s usually technical in nature.
The tricky part to understand is the interaction between the client-side and the server-side. For instance, take a look at a GPS app.
You have the map that the user sees on their smartphone. It updates each second to show the user’s location.
But where is all that fancy information coming from? Is it all stored on the smartphone? Is it hidden in the user’s shoe?
No, it’s stored inside servers in some unknown location. The user’s smartphone must constantly communicate with that server to update the map on the phone’s screen.
Server-side development focuses on the events that occur after the smartphone asks for an update and before it receives the update. Some of it takes place on the webserver; some, on the database storing the needed files.
Full-Stack Web Development
But what if you need help with both the client-side and server-side?
Take online games for example. The client sees part of the game on their monitors. But most of that information needed to play that game is hidden on a web server in some far-off place.
Well, full-stack development agency has experience with both the server- and the client-side programming.Those developers usually know multiple programming languages. They also have a firm grasp on how each element in the system communicates with every other element.
If you plan to build a digital app, game, or even a large eCommerce website, you’ll need a full-stack developer for these services.
Mobile Development
PCs and mobile devices run on different operating systems. Developers used different programming languages when building those operating systems. That’s why it takes a different set of coding skills to build an app for your phone and one for your laptop.
If you want to build a game or app for smartphones or tablets, you’ll need the help of a mobile developer. Most mobile developers are also full-stack developers, as they have experience working on server- and client-side projects. They just choose to focus on coding for mobile devices.
Custom Website Development
Do you want a fancy new business website? Then you’ll want an expert who focuses on the client-side. Sometimes these folks are called “website developers” while others they’re called “front-end developers.”
Programmers sometimes also call the client-side the front-end, and the server-side the back-end. Front-end development is an umbrella term that includes coders who specialize in setting up websites. They may specialize in some of the following:
- Programming
- UX/UI Design
- Graphic Art
- Research and Analysis
- Marketing
- Copywriting
- Etc.
Believe it or not, many website developers haven’t even learned to code. They use website templates instead of coding the site from scratch. It saves vast amounts of time which translates to a lower cost for their customers.
Unfortunately, if you want a business website that converts, you’ll be hiring a web developer team rather than a solopreneur. Why do you need an entire team? Because a single person can’t specialize in all the areas listed above.
And if you want to make big profits, you need every element on your website to run flawlessly.
What’s Next?
Now that you have a better handle on which web development services are available, it’s time to take action. Which type of developer looked like the right fit? Great, now it’s time to reach out to a few developers who fit the bill and ask them if they’d be a good fit for your project.
If you liked this article, please skip over to our vast library of other helpful web articles. So long and good luck!
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
