Ultimate Web Development Guide For Clients

I come across numerous web development groups on Facebook every day. These groups are filled with people—some searching for web developers at low prices, while others are offering their services for equally low rates. This obsession with cheap work has distorted the true value of web development in recent years. The reality is, web development is not cheap at all.

In the early days of the internet, web development was primarily focused on displaying and sharing information globally. Over time, it has evolved into something far more advanced. Today, it's not just about presenting information but also about building complex systems within web technologies. Web development now spans from simple websites to massive, scalable architectures, as well as desktop and mobile applications. Moreover, with technologies like WebAssembly, web development has become an increasingly intricate and sophisticated field.

I'm not writing this article to explain what web development is but to dive deep into the issues caused by developers offering their services at low prices and clients looking for cheap developers. So, let's get straight to the point—because I'm too lazy for long introductions.

Since this article focuses on clients who seek cheap developers, let's start from the client's perspective. If you're a client looking to create a website, the first thing you need to do is understand these two fundamental questions:

• What is a website?
• What do you need to achieve with a website?

If you can't clearly answer both, then you definitely don't need a website.

Let me give you a straightforward introduction to what a website is.

A website is essentially a collection of files served through an HTTP server. Let me simplify this further. The website runs on an external computer that is connected to the internet. Every internet-connected computer has a unique IP address, but memorizing IP addresses isn't practical. That's where DNS comes in—it allows us to use a domain name to access the website instead. Additionally, websites can use TLS to encrypt data while it's being transmitted between the external computer and your computer, ensuring secure communication.

Now that you know what a website is, it's time to decide why you need one. What are you trying to achieve with it?

Let me give you an example. Many clients want to create a platform to sell their products online. Is that enough? I don't think so. Just building a platform to sell products doesn't automatically make your business profitable. You need to understand what a website is, but from different perspectives. A website is software, and software is designed to solve specific problems. Problem-solving is at the heart of software engineering.

Do you have an online community that is willing to buy your products? Have you done any marketing? If not, you're not solving a problem with your website—you're creating a new one. The issue lies in your business, not the platform you're planning to create. You might need a better business plan and marketing strategy before you create a website to sell your products. It's important to realize that simply creating a website doesn't automatically promote your business or make it profitable.

This is just one example. Similarly, you need to reflect on your own goals and reasons before creating a website. If you're unsure about why you need a website and think you just need one for the sake of it, it's a good idea to consult with a developer. Developers know the ins and outs and can help guide you in the right direction.

Once you understand the concepts discussed above, you'll be in a better position to choose a developer and share your idea with them. However, before handing over your project, make sure to consider the following:

• If you're not a technical person, as long as the website serves your purpose, 99% of the time, you don't need to worry about the tech stack or server stack behind it. Avoid insisting that your developer use a specific stack, as selecting the right stack is their responsibility, not yours. However, it's perfectly fine to learn about the technologies behind the website if you're interested.
• More importantly, when handing over your project to the developer, focus on sharing your business requirements, not the technical details. The developer will ask the right questions to clarify your business needs and then create the technical requirements based on that. Let the developer handle the technical side. It's perfectly fine to discuss the technical requirements they've created and suggest adjustments before development begins.
• If you're a tech person, you have every right to discuss the tech stack, server stack, or technical requirements, and reason with developers without any conditions. I say you have that right because I assume you know what you're doing. However, if you're a tech person but still don't fully understand what you're talking about, it's best to let the developer handle those aspects.

Now we reach the most important part of this article. As I mentioned earlier, most clients are looking for developers who charge low prices. First and foremost, you need to understand that everything comes at a price, and web development is not typically cheap. To grasp this, you need to understand the project lifecycle. A typical lifecycle includes the following steps:

• Requirement gathering
• Planning
• Architecture designing
• Development
• Testing
• Deployment
• Maintenance

I'm not going to explain every step in detail here, but I'll keep it simple and suitable for non-tech people. Now, you should understand that building a website is not just about writing code, buying a domain and hosting, and uploading the code. Development is actually just a small part of a much larger lifecycle.

In general, this lifecycle is shaped by your business requirements and budget. Developers will use different methodologies to determine the lifecycle, with waterfall and agile being the most common in web development projects. At this stage, you need to understand that the same website can be built at various price points, using different methodologies or even without any methodology at all. This is why the developer will ask for your budget—it will directly influence the quality, maintainability, and scalability of your website.

Even if your developer is the most talented in the world, lower budgets often result in lower quality, unmaintainable, and non-scalable websites. This is not the developer's fault—it's yours. If you don't have the budget to invest in every aspect of the software lifecycle, developers will typically focus only on the most critical steps, such as requirement gathering and development. As a result, there may be no methodologies, planning, architecture design, testing, deployment, or maintenance involved. Essentially, it becomes a one-shot website with no long-term sustainability.

Now, let's talk about the architecture of a website. A typical web development project might include these primary components:

• The front-end code is what you see as the design of the website. Developers use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create this. In many modern frameworks, the front-end code is generated automatically, and developers mainly write framework-specific files instead of plain HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.
• The back-end code handles the request processing, database management, response creation, and the logic for transporting the response. Developers use various technologies to build this depending on your business requirements. Sometimes, the back-end code may be optional if the logic is managed by pre-built HTTP servers. In such cases, developers focus more on configuring the HTTP server rather than writing separate back-end code.
• The HTTP server with TLS implementation is responsible for serving the website. TLS (Transport layer security) may be optional depending on your business requirements. Sometimes, developers use pre-built HTTP servers, while in other cases, they might use custom-built HTTP servers or programming language-specific methods to serve websites. The choice of server depends on the technologies used, which are influenced by your specific business needs.
• An external server (Or a computer) is used to host the source code and other software components mentioned above. Depending on your business requirements, developers may opt for shared hosting, cloud hosting, or even dedicated hosting to manage and serve the website and its resources.
• DNS (Domain name system) is used to assign the IP address of an external server to your domain name. Without DNS, people would have to memorize the IP address to visit your website, which is not practical.

As I mentioned before, this is the general client-server architecture of a typical website. However, depending on your business requirements, this architecture can be transformed into something more complex, including components like load balancing, CDN (Content delivery network), reverse proxy servers, cache servers, WAF (Web application firewall), network-level firewalls, microservices, separate database servers, and more. Each of these components is tailored to ensure scalability, performance, and security based on the specific needs of your website.

Once the right architecture is designed, your developer will begin the development process. They'll follow the methodology they've selected, guiding them through all stages, from development and testing to deployment. The chosen methodology will shape how development progresses and how testing and deployment are handled, both during development and after the project is completed.

During testing, developers will perform functional testing, such as unit testing and user acceptance testing, as well as non-functional testing, including performance and security testing. For deployment, they'll use various technologies such as version control systems, deployment pipelines, or even the traditional method of manually uploading files, depending on the architecture of the website project. These processes ensure that the website functions correctly, performs well, and is secure, while also allowing for smooth deployment.

Web development is an important practice that requires careful consideration, even after deployment. Every software is fragile and can break easily, which is why investing in maintenance is crucial. Maintenance is a separate discussion from development and involves ensuring the ongoing health of the website. It includes tasks like creating backups and restoration plans for emergencies, implementing version control, ensuring smooth transitions between features and updates (Such as zero-downtime deployments), applying frequent security updates and scans, and addressing much more. Proper maintenance keeps your website running smoothly and securely over time.

I believe this explanation covers a typical web development project and highlights why web development can be expensive. If you don't have the budget and are looking for cheap developers, I urge you to reconsider. Perhaps, at this moment, you don't need a website. Take the time to reflect before handing over your idea to a cheap developer. More importantly, get to know your developer. Ensure they have the experience and potential to handle your project effectively. Quality development requires investment, and working with the right developer is key to the success of your project.

I say this because every day, I see people who think they're web developers simply because they know some coding, and they believe they have the potential to handle your project. These individuals often offer their services at cheap rates, which ultimately contributes to the collapse of quality web development. Due to their low rates, clients also start to believe that web development is inherently cheap. This is why I've mentioned that web development has become something it should not have been in the first place.

So, before choosing a developer, make sure they have the following qualities:

• A deep understanding of problem-solving rather than just writing a bunch of code. Writing code is pointless if the developer can't fully understand your problem and solve it effectively. Anyone can code, and even AI can write code these days. What truly matters is the developer's ability to analyze your business needs, propose solutions, and create a system that works for you, not just to fulfill a technical requirement.
• A deep understanding of core concepts related to the web, such as what a website is, how an HTTP server functions, and how HTTP servers work from a lower to a higher level. This includes knowledge of TLS (Transport layer security)—how it works and why it's important for securing web communications. Additionally, the developer should understand how web browsers operate, the role of various protocols, and the architectures and standards that underpin the internet. A solid grasp of these fundamental concepts is crucial, as it ensures that the developer can build robust, secure, and scalable systems.
• Excellent knowledge of the programming languages they use is essential. The developer must write clean, readable code, adhere to best practices, and follow established coding standards. Poor coding practices will lead to unmaintainable, non-scalable, and buggy code, which can cause long-term issues as your website grows or undergoes updates. Clean code ensures that the system remains flexible, easily extendable, and easier to debug, ultimately saving time and money in the future.
• An excellent knowledge of the industry is crucial. Even if a developer doesn't directly use certain technologies, they should still have a strong understanding of them—what they are, why they are used, their pros and cons, and when they might be beneficial. This dynamic knowledge helps the developer stay adaptable, make informed decisions, and choose the right tools for the job. It also ensures they can evaluate emerging trends and technologies effectively, which ultimately makes them a more capable and versatile developer.
• Excellent bug-solving and reasoning abilities are essential qualities for a good developer. A great developer doesn't just fix bugs—they reason through problems systematically, which helps them understand the root causes of issues and apply efficient solutions. This approach leads to fewer bugs and more reliable code. Their ability to reason through complex problems also allows them to design better programs from the start, ensuring that the code is cleaner, more stable, and less prone to errors. This skill makes them better programmers overall, delivering more robust and maintainable software.
• Excellent knowledge in website and network security is crucial for any developer. If your developer lacks understanding in these areas, your website and data could be at risk. A good developer should be familiar with common security practices such as secure coding techniques, encryption, SSL/TLS protocols, firewalls, and vulnerability assessments. They must also understand how to prevent security threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Without strong security knowledge, your website could become a target for hackers, putting both your business and your users in danger.
• Excellent knowledge in server management is essential for ensuring that your website runs smoothly, securely, and can scale according to your needs. Depending on your business requirements, your website might need specific server configurations, whether it's cloud hosting, dedicated servers, or custom server setups. A developer who lacks expertise in server management could suggest unsuitable options, like shared hosting, even for high-demand or critical websites, leading to performance issues, security vulnerabilities, or scalability challenges. Your developer should understand server provisioning, configuration, and management in various environments, including cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure), VPS, dedicated servers, or containerized systems (Like Docker). They should also have a good grasp of security best practices for server management, such as setting up firewalls, monitoring server health, handling backups, and maintaining the infrastructure. Without this knowledge, a developer might not be able to optimize your site's performance or address any server-side issues effectively, which could harm the overall user experience and your business in the long run. As an additional point, it's important to understand that cloud and dedicated servers are significantly more expensive compared to shared hosting. No one can build a high-quality system on these platforms at a cheap price—it's simply not possible.

At the time of writing this article, I can't think of any more qualities to add, and I'm too lazy to think further. However, now you know what qualities to look for when choosing a developer. Since, in most companies, you don't get to interact directly with the developer, getting to know them can be more complicated than it seems. You'll need to find a way to gather insights by reviewing their previous work and asking the right questions. Ultimately, it's all up to you.

Last but not least, web developers who have an understanding of system-level and network-level programming are definitely a big plus. Most web developers don't follow these practices because, historically, web development has been seen as a simpler kind of software development that's easy to get into. Due to outdated education systems, many web developers still believe that web development is not meant to be advanced. However, the reality is that in today's world, web development has become a highly advanced field, and such advanced aspects are often handled by system-level or network-level engineers in large companies. Clients looking for cheap developers might not even realize that such specialized services come at a premium, with costs reaching millions or even billions. This is why you often can't find high-quality developers at low prices. Many developers offering cheap services are just individuals who can write code to some extent but lack the depth and expertise to produce robust, high-quality work.

So, my final thoughts are this: If you're looking to create a website, you must have a solid budget and choose your developer wisely, for the success of your project. There are other important factors to consider, such as the developer's reputation, their level of support, and so on. However, it seems like you've already taken care of those aspects. So, there's no need for me to go into detail about them. You're doing great already.

Please note that these are my personal thoughts, drawn from my own experience in the field, with no intent to harm anyone or misguide them in any way.

I also offer a limited range of web development services for anyone looking to create a website. Please click this link to view my pricing plans. These plans are specifically designed to be affordable for clients who are seeking budget-friendly developers. You can verify this by comparing prices for Laravel-based websites elsewhere. My goal is to deliver a high-quality, maintainable, and scalable website at an affordable price. This way, you can start with me at the initial stage and scale your website into something much bigger whenever you're ready.