Article

Things you must consider during web application development

What is web development?

When it comes to web application development, you’re essentially constructing a website where the user is not merely observing – but participating in – it and where they’re taking away a product with them. Whenever we write an application that’s looks like website and serves a particular requirement it will be considered as a website or to be more precise web application.

A web application is generally based on the client-server architecture. The requestor (client, usually a browser) sends a request and the server returns data or content. On the front end or client side of things, we work with technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build the visual interface. On the backend, APIs and server-side logic enable dynamic features like login, fetching data, and so forth.

Whether you're working on a new custom website development service or an enterprise-level platform, your web application needs to be fast, secure, and scalable.

A website is hosted on a cloud server or CDNs for better performance and served through the HTTP protocol, which means it loads and works when users request it through a browser. That's why it's one of the most common and reliable types of applications used today.

Website application development plays a critical role in ensuring these applications meet customer expectations and deliver value.

The importance of web application development

Not only is website application development very important but it’s also the first platform to highlight business use cases and solve customer problems in the easiest and most effective way. It enables companies to reach more people and provide services anywhere, anytime.

Modern businesses, from mobile app development solutions to full-stack web platforms, are increasingly dependent on digital tools to stay connected with their customers and remain efficient in their operations.

Creating and scaling a business in the online space becomes much easier and more cost-effective when we develop a web app that reduces the need for physical presence, allows automation of processes, and improves overall efficiency. That’s why it plays such an important role in modern-day business growth and customer engagement.

Key technology involved:

When it comes to developing web applications, choosing the right technologies is very important. Web development mainly involves two parts: the frontend, which is what users see and interact with, and the backend, which handles behind-the-scenes logic and data management.

Along with these, designers use specific tools to create user experiences, and cloud platforms help host and run the applications smoothly. In this section, we’ll look at some of the main technologies used in each area to give a clear picture of what goes into web application development.

UX: Figma, Photoshop / XD, Sketch, Invision, and many more

Frontend: HTML, CSS, Tailwind CSS / Bootstrap, JavaScript - TypeScript, React / Next JS, Angular, Vue JS

Backend: Java, Python, Node JS - Express, PHP, Ruby on Rails, .Net, and many more

Cloud: AWS, Azure, GCP

Choosing the right framework / library

As mentioned above, there are plenty of technologies available, and choosing the right one for the right use case plays a significant role in developing a web application effectively. Different technologies solve different problems and each comes with its own pros and cons. We should always understand our use case clearly and map it with the technology that best suits it.

When selecting a framework or library, it’s important to consider the following factors:

• Popularity and community support
• Adoption across the industry
• Performance
• Development complexity
• Scalability and future maintenance

A simple example of choosing the right frontend framework for different use cases is defined in the table below.

Choosing the right library/framework helps in faster development, reduces technical debt, and ensures long-term stability.

Web development workflow

At a high level, there are 7 to 8 major stages involved in web application development, and these stages may vary based on the type or size of the application. This web application development workflow helps answer the most asked questions like how to develop a web application:

1. Requirement gathering phase

• Work with stakeholders to document detailed business goals, user personas, and functional/non-functional requirements.
• This helps align the team and avoid misunderstandings later.

2. UX / Design & discovery Phase

• Understand the product requirements, business problems, and customer expectations.
• Identify key features needed to solve the problem.
• Apply design thinking and create wireframes using design tools.

3. Frontend development

• Convert the UX design into actual code that browsers can render, this forms the visual part of the web application.

4. Backend development

• Add dynamic functionality to the application through API integrations and database connections.
• This includes key flows like user authentication, login, registration, and other business logic.

5. Testing phase

• Includes unit testing, integration testing, E2E testing, manual, and automated testing.
• Accessibility testing and performance audits based on requirements.

6. Security and compliance checks

• Security reviews, data protection compliance like GDPR, VAPT & Penetration Testing.

7. Hosting the application

• Once the application is ready, deploy it on the cloud.
• Map the domain and make sure users can easily access the application.

8. Maintenance, monitoring & continuous improvement

• Use tools like New Relic, Datadog, or Google Analytics to track usage, errors, and performance.
• Set up feedback loops to gather user input and improve over time.
• Bug fixes, performance enhancements, content updates, and scaling decisions are part of the long-term workflow.

Integrating quality engineering services throughout the workflow is critical to identifying potential issues early and ensuring robust performance across all user environments.

Best practices:

Following web design good practices during web application development ensures the product is user-friendly, secure, scalable, maintainable, compliant, and performs optimally.

Here are some of the best practices that we can follow:

Performance Optimization

• Lazy loading for images and components
• Caching strategies for faster load times
• Asset management and bundling
• Code minification and compression
• Dynamic loading and code splitting

SEO

• Clean, readable URLs
• Structured metadata and meta tags
• Meaningful heading tags (e.g., H1, H2)
• Use of content-rich text over image-based content
• Crawlable and indexable content

Accessibility

• Ensure your application is usable by people of all abilities
• Follow accessibility guidelines like WCAG
• Use semantic HTML and ARIA labels
• Enable full keyboard navigation and screen reader support

Responsive Design

• Mobile-first approach
• Fluid layouts that adapt to various devices

Scalability & Maintainability

• Modular and reusable code
• Use of design patterns and well-defined architecture
• Easy-to-read and well-documented codebase
• Load balancing and performance scaling

Security considerations

• Data encryption
• Proper authentication and authorization
• Protection against vulnerabilities (XSS, CSRF, SQL Injection)
• Regular dependency updates and security audits

Testing

• Unit testing
• Integration testing
• End-to-end testing
• Manual testing
• Automation testing
• Accessibility testing for inclusiveness

DevOps & Deployment

• CI/CD pipelines for seamless releases
• Logging and monitoring
• Error tracking and alert systems
• Regular backups and recovery strategies

These practices are essential whether you’re building a new custom website development service or enhancing an existing digital product.

Case Study: Web application development in the Insurance domain

Let’s walk through a real-world project in the Insurance domain using the development phases discussed earlier:

1. Understanding the business & requirement gathering

We started by having continuous discussions with stakeholders to understand the business problem, expectations, and objectives. All the requirements were properly documented on JIRA and Docs. We brainstormed different ideas and implementation strategies to align with the core business goals.

2. Design discovery & UX/Wireframe implementation

We began the design phase using tools like Figma. The aim was to capture maximum business needs and customer expectations through clean and functional wireframes. After several feedback loops and iterations, the final UX design was approved.

3. Project implementation

Based on the finalized documentation and designs, we kick-started the development. Choosing the right library like Next.js for frontend and Java for backend, ensuring scalability, performance, and maintainability. For CMS integration, we explored Drupal development services due to its flexibility in managing dynamic content and permissions. We built the first version of the application and deployed it to the UAT environment for testing and feedback.

4. Testing & continuous feedback

Once the UAT was ready, we entered the testing phase. Multiple testing approaches were applied: Integration tests, manual tests, and automation tests. All feedback was logged and incorporated, resulting in a fully functional, stable, and user-friendly application.

5. Deployment & cloud hosting

Post completion of the testing phase, we hosted the application on AWS. We implemented a CI/CD pipeline using tools like Jenkins to streamline the release process. Domain mapping and environment setup were finalized for a smooth go-live.

6. Best practices considered

Throughout the project, we followed best practices such as:

• Scalable architecture
• Clean code with reusable components
• Strong SEO and accessibility adherence
• Load balancing and caching strategies
• Logging and monitoring
• Compliance with IS & EA audits and VAPT

7. Common challenges faced

• Aligning business expectations with tech feasibility
• Generating the static files for web pages at build time
• Cloudfront label caching and cache clearing strategies
• Solving the longer build time
• Generating the business rules through CMS
• Security challenges of running CMS in Runtime

Conclusion

Developing a web application is not just about writing code and deploying it. It involves a complete workflow and strategic planning. Following the proper web application development workflow helps to deliver highly scalable, maintainable, and user-friendly web applications that meet business needs and provide great user experiences.