Web development is a rather broad phrase used to describe the development of a site for either a private network called an Intranet or the World Wide Web called the internet. There are many factors that come into play with the planning, creation, and maintaining of a site. For large companies or organizations, the team of experts may contain hundreds of individuals each with a task that adds to the whole; for smaller companies, as little as one individual can be in charge of the site.
The need of the company or business determines exactly what is necessary for web development. Is an entire in-house team necessary? Will an offsite webmaster suffice? There is an option that is between the two choices. Outsourcing the work to an outside company often comes with a single fee that covers all of the needs without the need to hire an in-house team. The benefits to hiring a professional team outside of the office are enormous and include having professionals at hand without the need to pay insurance or taxes on the employees.
There are two distinct areas when it comes to web development: client side and server side. The differences are important to understand because a company may need one or the other, or possibly even both. Hiring a professional team often depends on what type of coding structure is, or will be in place and where that coding is generated, stored, and executed.
Generally, client side coding refers to coding or programming that is created or executed within a local network or intranet. A good example of client side coding would be the Adobe Flash Player. This is a browser plug-in that allows viewers to see Flash programs and videos. Another example of client side coding is XHTML.
Now server side coding includes coding that is executed remotely from the viewer. A Perl script is a good example of server side coding. A Perl script is stored and executed away from the viewers home or office computer. Other examples of server side coding are Ruby, Python, ASP, ColdFusion, and PHP.
In web development, server side coding can be handled by the professionals regardless of the location of the employer and the professional coder. Client side coding usually demands a visit either physically or remotely to get the desired results for the client. In addition, there is often a fine line between the two types of coding with its newer blended technologies.
These days, this specialty need is growing in popularity and there are many security considerations that come into play. The good news is that there are professionals that can help insure the security of a site. However, all of those needs may be met by the hired professional team responsible for developing and maintaining a site.
Web development is a vital part to any site. Whether the site is simply one page or the site is thousands of pages, proper thought and planning need to go into how that site will function, look, and work for the business. Understanding all of those needs can be quite time-consuming without the right professional team working on the site. Insuring maximum potential of the site starts with hiring the right team.