Web Development Challenges & Solutions

When it comes to web development, there are many challenges that one can face. These can be a range of topics, anything from bugs to security updates, but this article will specifically be talking about the evolution of and the challenges with web development.

Browsers & Mobile Responsiveness

Browsers have come a long way over the last several years. Developers used to test each browser to make sure that a site had a good, solid user experience, but now most browsers have caught up to the standards and that is no longer as important. Now, one of the main challenges when it comes to web development is with mobile responsiveness.

It’s important that the page loads correctly on the mobile device, which can be tricky. It’s not about loading, necessarily, but rather: how do all the parts on a website – the buttons, text, and images, things that you don’t think twice about when visiting a site – function on the site now that it’s on a mobile device. Sometimes, entire designs have to change because of their inability to work properly on mobile.

Solution

Be sure to check in the browsers and devices to know if there are issues. You might have to change your design, but knowing where there are issues might help.

Performance & Speed

Developers want to make sure the website runs smoothly across different devices, and this involves the performance and speed elements of web development. Every time your website loads an image or requests a third-party script or service, it makes a “call”, which can slow down the page. This is why it’s key to make sure your website’s code and assets are optimized for fast load times.

Of course, there’s also the performance aspect, too: When you’re on your phone, chances are you might not be on Wi-Fi (or their Wi-Fi connection isn’t great), so the site needs to load faster on a slower connection.

Solution

Check your site in Page Speed Insights, they give you a list of things that need changed.

Security

Security is very important on any site that takes your information (personal information, credit card, etc.), and this includes ecommerce sites. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is included in this, which is why a lot of sites that have HTTPS in front of their domain. HTTPS provides an extra layer of security between your information and the site that’s collecting it. There’s an SSL certification that sites have to have in order to collect your information, so if a site isn’t HTTPS, it’s probably best to not give them your information. Also you should update passwords and if they are using a CMS ensure that all items are updated to date as most releases are fixing a security issue.

Solution

Update passwords, and for CMS users: be sure that everything is updated since most updates involve fixing security issues.

Support & Maintenance

Most software is continuously being updated, and you need someone to take care of it and keep an eye on your site. A lot of sites are hosted by a third party Open Source Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, and those CMSs use third party plugins whose dependencies – things that are needed for sites, like security – also need constant updates.

Solution

Maintain the CMS and make sure that you’re keeping your site as up to date as possible.

Conclusion

WordPress web development can be challenging, but don’t worry! It’s easy to get lost in the challenges, but there are solutions, and those solutions result in awesome, functional sites. If you want help with web development, contact us for more information.