Near enough is not good enough. At Net4orce, we apply best practice at every stage in the development process, because good quality is not expensive, its priceless!
Coming from a business software development background, we understand exactly how that best practice can be achieved and maintained.
Best practice is essentially about giving the correct level of attention to each stage in the process, from the initial interpretation of the customer’s requirements through implementation to hosting and to on-going support.
Best practice also means using the correct development tools, and following the correct procedures, such as for version and configuration control.
Any project must start with a clear statement of the requirements. The development must be planned and must be closely managed throughout, both technically and in terms of monitoring progress. Each aspect of the system and the systems as a whole must be specified, implemented and thoroughly tested. This saves both time and money, because it minimises the amount of corrective action that needs to be taken at a later stage.
Why is this relevant to a website?
A modern website is basically a computer program. It contains all of the elements found in much larger software systems. Even relatively simple brochure websites are data driven, so there’s a database of some sort, there’s some business logic, and there’s a user interface. This is exactly the same as the classic three tier structure found in any professionally developed software application.
As the website owner, you only see the outcome, which are the web pages displayed in your browser. All of the technicalities occur on the web server, so its rather like the proverbial duck, which glides serenely across the water, but is paddling very hard underneath.
Every page that you view on a modern website is generated dynamically, both to meet the individual requirements of each aspect of the website and to interact with the visitor. Websites need to remain competitive as part of the owner's overall marketing strategy demands. They have to respond to the ever increasing visitors’ expectations and diversity of mobile devices and internet browsers.
These additional demands translate directly into an increasing level of sophistication in underlying website programs. Advances in technology, which are needed to meet these ever increasing requirements, all have to be accommodated whilst still adhering to best practice.
Only adherence to best practice can deliver a fully functional and competitive website at minimum costs and in a realistic time scale.