Websites have become so crucial for businesses that not having a website can risk their existence. So, it is inevitable to build a website for your business today. However, choosing the right web development methodology is important for developing your website efficiently.
There are different methodologies that web development companies pick to build websites. A web development approach you select can impact development time, your cooperation, steps in the development process, and more.
A web development approach that aligns with your needs and expectations can give you the best results. Moreover, there are many old-fashioned development approaches that are not commonly used. You can select a website development company that works with a modern web development approach to developing your website with the correct methodology.
What is a web development methodology?
Web development is not a one-shot job; it includes various sub processes. As a result, there are multiple tasks that need to be performed one after another to complete a project. A web development methodology is for controlling the process of website development.
Every phase in the process is built upon the previous one. Also, one sub process serves as an input for the next one. In a nutshell, the methodology streamlines the web development process.
There are different website development methodologies, and you can select one depending on your project requirements, goals, team size, project management tools, etc. You can adopt any methodology that fits your project needs ideally.
Popular web development methodologies
The following are the popular web development methodologies to choose from. However, if you want an affordable way to build your website or web application, you can hire web developer.
Waterfall
It is a conventional software development methodology that has been a popular web development approach for many decades because of its plan-driven approach. This methodology requires a lot of documentation and structure. This web development process has been divided into stages, forming a sequence.
Under this process, the first stage is crucial that requires understanding the project requirements and scope by the business and the developers. However, this web development methodology lacks flexibility because you cannot move to the next stage without completing the existing one. It means all phases should be completed before moving to the next step.
So, when modifications are required or any error is detected, the process needs to be restarted entirely. As a result, projects handled under the Waterfall methodology may require more time. Contrastingly, it is also great to make sure that all deliverables meet expectations and allows for measuring the progress since you can see the full scope of the project in advance.
Agile
Agile is one of the most popular web development methodologies today. This method is frequently used for projects with limited short timeframes and no definite requirements. The following are the salient features of the agile development approach.
- Interactions between team members are handled with various tools.
- It prioritizes the working software instead of documentation.
- Instead of following a rigid plan, the project team reacts to changes.
- The client is in the loop during the development process.
There is no plan beforehand for the entire project, so every task is completed in an adapting manner. The team focuses its efforts on small tasks that need instant attention. This web development methodology supports quick modifications in the project’s direction and scope per market changes.
Agile is a suitable web development methodology for managing complex web development projects involving variability. It enables a web development team to develop projects in short iterations having specified timeframe and deliverables without a specific order.
Scrum
Scrum shares the fundamental philosophy of the agile methodology that team collaboration should be intensive and day-to-day. The Scrum methodology team is vital because it works with an interactive approach to web development. This methodology requires self-organization and self-management. It means this methodology is suitable for smaller projects with organized and experienced team members.
The Scrum methodology combines the interactive practices and flexibility of the present-day Agile approach with the structure and discipline of conventional methodologies. It breaks the end goals into sub processes. The teams are expected to use iterations of a specified length (usually two weeks) to give to the client and develop the web development solution.
Under this process, meetings are crucial, so during every iteration, meetings are conducted by teams to track progress and get feedback. This iterative approach is beneficial for quick changes and improving complex projects’ effectiveness.
Select a suitable cooperation model
To hire web developers to complete your web development project, you must understand the various cooperation models you choose. The following are the top engagement models, and you can select any of them depending on your project’s complexity and scope.
Project outsourcing
It is a popular hiring model for those well-established businesses and startups that need to complete a small web development project. This work approach provides established timeframes and a predefined scope of work. Further, the team that works on your web development project will have project management responsibilities apart from the choice of technological solutions.
If you are an agency, there might be different purposes for outsourcing your project, such as to develop for your business or on behalf of your client. You can hire a white label web development company if you are an agency to build your website.
Dedicated team model
Hiring a dedicated web development team is suitable when you want to implement complex features or create a custom website. It is useful for implementing complex functions like AI chatbots or cloud integration. You can choose this model when you want to integrate such functionalities and save time and cost on the in-house web development team.
Regarding the roadmap of the project, you can either create it individually or pass on this task to the web development team. The responsibility for the project’s success depends on the project management’s process. If the PM is on the client’s side, they will be responsible for project management.
Extend the team
You can hire web developers to extend your existing team or add more resources to the in-house team. This is an excellent way to accomplish large projects while meeting your budget constraints.
Moreover, in this hiring model, you will need an in-house project manager and CTO because you will be responsible for assigning tasks, managing progress, and more. Clients have all responsibilities, control, and validation under this hiring model.
Final note
There is a long and tedious process of developing a website. You can build the right website if you choose the right approach and team to develop it. With the various web development methodologies described above, you can pick the most suitable one. However, you must select a web development partner that uses an agile web development approach. The agile methodology is popular and used by the lion’s share of companies.