Web development is the process of building, creating, and maintaining websites and web applications that run online via a browser (like Chrome, Safari, or Firefox).

It covers everything from a simple, single-page text website (like a basic blog) to complex web applications, electronic businesses, and social network services (like Amazon, YouTube, or Google Docs).

Web Development vs. Web Design

People often confuse these two terms, but they are distinct roles:

• Web Designers are the architects and artists. They use tools like Figma or Adobe XD to design how the site will look, mapping out the visual layout and user flow. They do not usually write code.

• Web Developers are the engineers. They take those visual designs and write the code required to turn them into a functional, live website.

• The Web Development Process

  Building a website typically follows this lifecycle:

  1. Planning: Defining the site’s purpose, target audience, and sitemap.

  2. Designing: Creating wireframes and visual layouts.

  3. Coding (The actual development): Writing the frontend and backend code.

  4. Testing & Launching: Checking for bugs, ensuring it works on mobile devices, and pushing it live to a server.

  5. Maintenance: Updating security, fixing bugs, and adding new features over time.