Much like traditional software development, the website development life cycle is a structured process broken into distinct phases. This approach helps align all activities toward the final goal of completing the project. A clear understanding of these stages enables team members to recognize their specific roles, collaborate effectively, and ensure the highest quality outcome.
This article outlines a typical web engineering process. While the exact steps may vary depending on a project’s specific needs, this guide provides a foundational understanding of how a website is built from concept to launch.
Note: Throughout this text, the words ‘websites’, ‘Web applications’, ‘Web-based applications’, and ‘Intranet/extranets’ can be used interchangeably.
Introduction
A systematic development process relies on established frameworks, methodologies, and tools. Adhering to these standards—whether industry-wide or company-specific—is crucial for keeping a project on schedule and ensuring quality control. While rooted in the traditional software development life cycle, these methods are flexible and can be customized to fit the unique requirements of any web project.
Let’s break down the typical steps involved in the process:
1. Review, Assessment, and Analysis:
The first phase of any web project is Requirements Analysis. This foundational step involves understanding the client’s business, goals, and target audience. A critical part of this analysis is assessing the client’s existing infrastructure—including hardware, software, and data—to determine how the new website or web application will integrate with their current systems.
For example, building an online HR portal would require a thorough review of the company’s existing employee database to devise an effective data migration strategy.
The goal is to conduct an analysis that is both efficient and comprehensive. The primary outputs of this phase are a detailed cost-benefit analysis and a realistic project plan. To ensure this plan is achievable, the analyst must collaborate closely with designers, developers, and testers to establish practical timelines and resource allocations.
Input:
- Kick off an interview with the client, initial Emails and supporting docs by the client, and discussion notes.
- Online chat transcripts, recorded telephone conversations, and
- Model sites/applications
Output:
- Work plan,
- Estimating cost
- Team requirements (No of developers, UI/UX designers, QA, DBA, etc)
- Hardware-software requirements
- Supporting documents and
- Final client approval to go ahead with the project.
Tools: There are not enough tools available in the market, but we found one good tool to try:
Requirement Heap.
2. Specification Building:
Based on the analysis, a preliminary specification document is drafted to cover every element of the project requirements. For a website, this document would detail the site’s modules, general layout, navigation structure, and dynamic functionalities. Larger projects may require further consultation to define more complex business and technical requirements.
Once the client reviews and approves this specification, a formal written proposal is prepared. This document officially outlines the project scope, including deliverables, responsibilities, timelines, and costs.
Input: Reports from the analysis team.
Output: Complete requirement specifications to the individuals and the customer/customer’s representative (Technically, the project stakeholders)
Tools: For specification building, we recommend you try Django-req and a requirement management tool called ReqView.
3. Design and development:
With the signed proposal, deposit, and initial content received, the project moves into the design and prototyping phase. The primary goal here is to create a visual representation of the final product.
Initially, we present the client with several design mockups, which are static images showing the layout, color scheme, and navigation. For projects that require a clear demonstration of functionality, we may develop high-fidelity, interactive prototypes that simulate the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX).
This is a highly collaborative stage involving a crucial feedback and revision cycle. Client suggestions are gathered and incorporated, with updated designs shared online for review. All design changes must be finalized before development begins. Constant communication via email and calls is essential during this phase to build client trust and provide peace of mind.
While the visual design is underway, two other critical tasks happen in parallel:
- The Quality Assurance (QA) team develops comprehensive test plans.
- The database team designs the data structures and prepares any necessary sample data.
Final client approval on the design is the key milestone needed to conclude this phase.
Input: Requirement specification.
Output: Site design with templates, Images, and prototypes.
Tools: There are plenty. The most popular ones are Adobe Photoshop, XD, and Figma.
4. Content writing:
With the design in place, it’s time to write the actual content for the site. Professional copywriters create engaging text tailored to the client’s industry.
The content, which can range from simple text to videos, is carefully integrated into the website’s design. This is also the stage where all copy is edited and proofread to ensure it is error-free before the site moves into the final development stages.
Input: Designed template.
Output: Site with formatted content.
Tools: Grammarly
5. Coding:
This is the phase where the approved designs are transformed into a live, functional website. The developer’s primary task is to write clean, efficient code that brings the features to life without compromising the established user interface (UI) and experience (UX). For dynamic sites, this involves programming the back-end logic to work seamlessly with the front-end design templates.
Close collaboration between designers and developers is essential to ensure the final product is perfectly aligned with the vision. This partnership allows for quick resolution of technical challenges and the creation of any new graphical assets (like custom form buttons) that may be needed during the build.
During development, the team adheres to best practices, including:
- Version Control: Using a system like Git to manage the codebase, especially when multiple developers are involved.
- Documentation: Creating thorough technical documentation (e.g., using tools like JavaDoc) to explain the code’s structure. This documentation can later be used by technical writers to create end-user help guides and manuals.
Note: If what you are building is an ECommerce site, don’t miss reading a detailed write-up on our ECommerce development Process.
Input: The site with forms and the requirement specification.
Output: Database-driven functions with the site, Coding documents.
Tools: For coding normally an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) will help you. Adobe Dreamweaver, PhpStrom, Netbeans, etc are popular choices, and we can not really recommend one, so feel free to choose yours. Check out our blog that discusses 4 IDEs for PHP developers.
6. Testing:
Web applications require intensive testing to address challenges unique to their environment, such as multiple users, varied bandwidths, and different devices. Our QA process uses both manual and automated methods to ensure the application is stable, secure, and reliable.
The testing phase is comprehensive and covers several key areas:
- Performance Testing: We conduct stress, load, and scalability tests to ensure the site performs well under heavy traffic and functions efficiently. This includes analyzing asset loading times.
- Compatibility Testing: The application is tested across various web browsers, operating systems, and screen resolutions to ensure a consistent user experience.
- Integration Testing: We verify that all modules and third-party services work together correctly.
Specialized tools are used to automate tests and simulate different user scenarios. Finally, after deploying the application to the live server, a final round of post-launch testing is conducted. This includes verifying all links, testing forms, and performing a full check of core functionalities to ensure a flawless public launch.
Input: The site, Requirement specifications, supporting documents, technical specifications, and technical documents.
Output: Completed application/site, testing reports, error logs, frequent interaction with the developers and designers.
Tools: There are aplenty. Just Google it.
7. SEO and Social Media Optimization:
Once a website is launched, the focus shifts to promotion. Building online visibility requires a strategic approach, typically involving Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Marketing (SMM).
SEO is a continuous process of optimizing a site’s content and technical structure to improve its ranking in search results. This is not a one-time setup; it requires constant analysis and adaptation because search engine algorithms change frequently. (For a deeper dive, please read our detailed article on Search Engine Optimization.)
In addition to organic efforts, visibility can be boosted through paid advertising campaigns, such as Pay-Per-Click (PPC), to drive immediate and targeted traffic to the site.
Input: Site with unique and great content, Competitor study, keyword analysis.
Output: Site submission after necessary meta tag preparation.
Tools: We at Macronimous use a few popular tools, which you can check at the bottom of our SEO service page
Also, to learn more about the SEO life cycle, click here.
8. Maintenance and Updating:
Websites will need quite frequent updates to keep them fresh and relevant. In such a case, we need to do the analysis again, and all the other life-cycle steps will be repeated. Bug fixes can be done during the time of maintenance. Once your website is operational, ongoing promotion, technical maintenance, content management & updating, site visit activity reports, staff training, and mentoring are needed regularly, depending on the complexity of your website and the needs within your organization.
Input: The Website or Web Application, content/functions to be updated, and re-analysis reports.
Output: Updated application, supporting documents for other life cycle steps and teams.
Tools: For easy website maintenance, CMS is the right choice. Investing in a CMS like WordPress or Joomla will make your site easy to maintain without much recurring expenditure.
The development lifecycle described here is a flexible framework, not a rigid set of rules. The specific steps required will always depend on the project’s scope, budget, and timeline. For example, an internal intranet site would not need a public promotion phase.
Ultimately, the key takeaway is that a structured approach is vital. Whether for a large corporation or a small business, adopting a planned web engineering process is the most reliable way to achieve a high-quality final product.
See the flowchart “How we do web development in Macronimous?“[PDF format]
How do we develop web applications at Macronimous?