Tips to Speed Up Your Web Application Development: Web development has swept the world like no one else did before. In the mid-’90s enterprises started understanding the importance of the web and that’s why they started migrating to web technologies. It started with static websites and then we moved towards highly dynamic websites and web applications, which can handle any sort of business process and workflow with ease.
As expected, more tech firms ventured into the domain of Web development and many of them indeed made a big name for themselves, though a large number of them were unable to survive due to multiple factors which impact each backend development company. Web development Time is one of the most important factors in the entire web development process. Even a simple-looking web application may have extensive and complex code underneath, which may require much effort and time to develop.
As expected, more tech firms ventured into the domain of Web development and many of them indeed made a big name for themselves, though a large number of them were unable to survive due to multiple factors which impact each backend development company. Web development Time is one of the most important factors in the entire web development process. Even a simple-looking web application may have extensive and complex code underneath, which may require much effort and time to develop.
Meeting the web development deadline can be considered the most important critical success factor for developers and tech firms alike. If you are meeting the project delivery timelines, that signifies the effectiveness of the planning and development of your project. At the same time, lesser time-to-market also determines the success of a web application among the end-users.
In today’s cut-throat competition, even a delay of a few hours may prove fatal to the success of any organization. Another important aspect is product quality, which heavily relies on the time we can spend on the development. Quality solution development takes time and no matter how efficient or smart you are, if you cannot manage the time, then you are bound to fail in the long term.
Unfortunately, there is never enough time. That’s why software developers always keep on searching for logical and practical methods to accelerate the web development process. If you are concerned about the slower pace of the web development process, then we are pretty sure that this article will help you. We are going to explain certain ways to speed up the web development process with a few tips, tools, and techniques. This will not only help you to speed up the web development process, but it will also help you to make the overall process very effective.
What Software Development Speed Depends On?
It is extremely important to know the factors which may affect the speed of web development. Broadly we have 2 categories for such factors, Organizational and Technical.
1. Organizational Factors
As the name suggests, this category comprises factors that are non-technical in nature. It involves everything that belongs to the project management process and project development processes.
2. Project Planning
Having a well-conceived plan in place is extremely important for the success of any project. It is very easy for a web development team to perform if the project plan is well-elaborated. The following factors are very important for project managers and software developers while working on any web development project.
Read: Top 7 Benefits of Agile Development
Project objectives are the aimed results we are expecting by the end of a web development project. This includes project deliverables, assets, resources, and intangible objectives like motivating the resources and enhancing productivity. It is important to note that project objectives must be attainable and should be time-bound so that goals can be measured at the end of a web development project.
Milestones and Deadlines are an important component of any project as they help us demonstrate the progress of our web development project. Milestones and Deadlines help us align and motivate the resources according to the project needs and determine the priorities. They also help us monitor the important dates and determine the potential bottlenecks within the web application development project.
The pace of a web app development company is heavily dependent on the expertise and size of the project development team. The more Technology experts and seasoned professionals we have in the team will enhance the pace of web app development. The smaller the developer’s group, it is quite easy to manage them. Small teams usually tackle various problems faster, though if a project has many complex issues, then a big team suits it better. It is important that every team member must have precise objectives and tasks aligned, understand their roles and responsibilities well, and know who to contact in case of any emerging challenges.
This category talks about the technical aspects and the development tools. It is imperative for software developers to determine the tools, frameworks, plugins, libraries, and other instruments to implement for a project. A well-planned and chosen web development tool can help us to speed up the web development activities and ensure adequate quality as well.
1. Objectives of a Project
Project objectives are the aimed results we are expecting by the end of a web development project. This includes project deliverables, assets, resources, and intangible objectives like motivating the resources and enhancing productivity. It is important to note that project objectives must be attainable and should be time-bound so that goals can be measured at the end of a web development project.
2. Milestones and Deadlines of Project
Milestones and Deadlines are an important component of any project as they help us demonstrate the progress of our web development project. Milestones and Deadlines help us align and motivate the resources according to the project needs and determine the priorities. They also help us monitor the important dates and determine the potential bottlenecks within the web application development project.
3. Web App development Team Ramp-up
The pace of a web app development company is heavily dependent on the expertise and size of the project development team. The more Technology experts and seasoned professionals we have in the team will enhance the pace of web app development. The smaller the developer’s group, it is quite easy to manage them. Small teams usually tackle various problems faster, though if a project has many complex issues, then a big team suits it better. It is important that every team member must have precise objectives and tasks aligned, understand their roles and responsibilities well, and know who to contact in case of any emerging challenges.
4. Technical Factors
This category talks about the technical aspects and the development tools. It is imperative for software developers to determine the tools, frameworks, plugins, libraries, and other instruments to implement for a project. A well-planned and chosen web development tool can help us to speed up the web development activities and ensure adequate quality as well.
Read: Kotlin Vs Java for Android Development- Which is Better
Following are the technical factors that impact the web development process.
Usually considered as software development platforms and allow developers to have preset configurations and establish a core foundation on which an app is developed. Frameworks consist of multiple additional tools that speed up the app development and ensure high code quality and security.
It represents the collection of various sources, pre-written codes, data configurations, documentation, and several other components, that help developers alleviate software development.
These are the software components that can incorporate a new feature in an application to extend its overall functionality.
Known as an Integrated Development Environment, it helps developers build applications by amalgamating multiple development tools in a single program.
Following are the technical factors that impact the web development process.
1. Frameworks
Usually considered as software development platforms and allow developers to have preset configurations and establish a core foundation on which an app is developed. Frameworks consist of multiple additional tools that speed up the app development and ensure high code quality and security.
2. Libraries
It represents the collection of various sources, pre-written codes, data configurations, documentation, and several other components, that help developers alleviate software development.
3. Plugins
These are the software components that can incorporate a new feature in an application to extend its overall functionality.
4. IDEs
Known as an Integrated Development Environment, it helps developers build applications by amalgamating multiple development tools in a single program.
Read: Top 10 Web Design Trends and Web Development Trends
As far as developmental methodology is concerned, developers can utilize Agile methodology to develop a web application effectively and fast. The Agile methodology and practice can help developers remain in line with customer requirements and modify any application functionality upon customer requirements with ease.
Now that we have understood the factors which can hamper the speed of the web development process, in this part of the article, we will look into various methods to enhance the speed, without compromising the web application quality and well-being of developers.
We can follow the given tips to speed up the web development process
We can break the project into small and manageable parts which can make the project less complex. It will also make the overall project and task management easy.
While making a plan, it is important to have a rough plan, which can serve as a backbone of the project and could be modified at any point in time.
Overplanning can kill productivity and efficiency. Many developers spend most of their time and efforts in project planning and they usually forget to pay attention to the execution part, which is the key to project success.
To document the project plan, we should use note-taking applications like Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, Google Keep, Quip, and so on.
To match the project deadline, sometimes we must add more developers to the team. If you want to add more code and features in less time, then please prepare yourself to add more developers. Based on the requirements, we can hire remote resources as well.
The best way to achieve highly productive software development is by assigning small components to small teams. Teams can easily develop small components and once it is coupled with the testing and integration, it can bring amazing results and help the developers to accomplish their objectives much faster.
We can use CSS libraries such as Pure.css or Normalize.css to speed up the web development process. Grid libraries such as Flexible Grid System or Semantic Grid System can also help us save a lot of time. The CSS libraries such as Hover.css and Animate.css can help us implement animation, transition, and hover effects easily, without putting more effort into coding.
We must use extension languages such as LESS CSS, Sass language, and Compass framework, which can help developers to enhance the quality of stylesheets, without spending too much time and effort.
We can use several Plugins, which can add features to the web solution without having to add extra code. There are many websites such as GitHub.com, Unheap.com, and jQuery. in, to select and download the necessary plugins for our project.
We must write a code that can replicate it for itself. Thus, the usage of the script is always advisable. We can use Meta-programming, which can greatly automate most of the code-related tasks, which in turn reduces the time and development efforts.
These are not Organizational or Technical, but still very effective in keeping up the pace of web development.
Health is an important aspect of any human being. Developers must pay attention to their health and should be engaged in healthy practices, which ensure their uninterrupted availability for the project.
We understand that tight delivery timelines can exert pressure on resources and the organization. But the fact is that unnecessary pressure can lead to anxiety, which is bound to reduce the work efficiency of web developers. Hence, it is recommended to not put too much pressure on resources, we can implement better resource allocation to ensure the work is divided properly and people are not overburdened.
Well, we know what to do to improve the speed of web application development, but there are certain guidelines we must follow to ensure we keep up the product quality intact and not get diverted from our ultimate goal. Here are a few aspects, which we must avoid while speeding up the web development process.
With the web development progression, it becomes more complex for the developers to add new features and functionalities to the code. That is because they must spend more time spotting and fixing code errors and bugs. This process becomes more cumbersome if we use manual testing. Sometimes it took way more than the appointed time to check the functions, which apparently increased the development time.
5. Development Methodology
As far as developmental methodology is concerned, developers can utilize Agile methodology to develop a web application effectively and fast. The Agile methodology and practice can help developers remain in line with customer requirements and modify any application functionality upon customer requirements with ease.
How to Boost Your Web Development Process?
Now that we have understood the factors which can hamper the speed of the web development process, in this part of the article, we will look into various methods to enhance the speed, without compromising the web application quality and well-being of developers.
1. Organizational Tips
We can follow the given tips to speed up the web development process
1. Break Down the Project Into Small Tasks
We can break the project into small and manageable parts which can make the project less complex. It will also make the overall project and task management easy.
2. Do not Expect to Write a Perfect and Future-Proof Plan
While making a plan, it is important to have a rough plan, which can serve as a backbone of the project and could be modified at any point in time.
3. Do not Over Plan
Overplanning can kill productivity and efficiency. Many developers spend most of their time and efforts in project planning and they usually forget to pay attention to the execution part, which is the key to project success.
4. Use the Application to Document the Project Plan
To document the project plan, we should use note-taking applications like Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, Google Keep, Quip, and so on.
5. Team Expansion
To match the project deadline, sometimes we must add more developers to the team. If you want to add more code and features in less time, then please prepare yourself to add more developers. Based on the requirements, we can hire remote resources as well.
6. Small Components Should be Assigned to Small Teams
The best way to achieve highly productive software development is by assigning small components to small teams. Teams can easily develop small components and once it is coupled with the testing and integration, it can bring amazing results and help the developers to accomplish their objectives much faster.
Read: Boost Android App Development with Flutter - 5 Reasons
If the web development team is aware of their project requirements and objectives, and if they know what exactly and when they have to perform any specific activity, then it will reduce the overall web development process and will help us to engage fewer resources as well. It is always recommended to develop a clear roadmap for the web development project and discuss it with the developers before the web development process starts.
To make the web development process more effective and efficient, we must control the activities that are working in progress. While performing many tasks simultaneously, the team might get overwhelmed and may stall certain activities and label them as ‘work in progress. However, that approach will certainly hamper the web development process and may put extra pressure on the team later.
7. Establish a Clear Roadmap and Requirements Analysis
If the web development team is aware of their project requirements and objectives, and if they know what exactly and when they have to perform any specific activity, then it will reduce the overall web development process and will help us to engage fewer resources as well. It is always recommended to develop a clear roadmap for the web development project and discuss it with the developers before the web development process starts.
8. Control the Work in Progress Activities
To make the web development process more effective and efficient, we must control the activities that are working in progress. While performing many tasks simultaneously, the team might get overwhelmed and may stall certain activities and label them as ‘work in progress. However, that approach will certainly hamper the web development process and may put extra pressure on the team later.
The project managers can utilize the Kanban board to manage the development activities. Project managers can specify the maximum number of tasks allowed under each column, which will offer them enough ability to plan, review and execute a project task.
We implement the Lean approach to optimize the web development time and resources, as it helps us to reduce resource wastage and keep the focus on the product requirements. The lean approach helps us to understand the tasks which truly matter and then keep working on them. We can break the project into small chunks and then build it in small increments while getting the end-users feedback in the early stages of web development.
9. Always Leverage the Lean Approach
We implement the Lean approach to optimize the web development time and resources, as it helps us to reduce resource wastage and keep the focus on the product requirements. The lean approach helps us to understand the tasks which truly matter and then keep working on them. We can break the project into small chunks and then build it in small increments while getting the end-users feedback in the early stages of web development.
The information obtained from the user feedback proves to be very critical, as it allows us to make the necessary adjustments as the web development process goes on. You can also outsource App Development projects. This way you can get a refined and on-time delivery of your projects.
Technical debt is a term that reflects the implied cost of additional rework if we choose an easy solution now instead of utilizing a stable approach that would take more time. It is a conscious decision, as we may enhance the development speed, however, if not chosen correctly, then it could lead to system complexity. It is always recommended to take this decision with the help of all the stakeholders, and it is always good to write the proper code whenever it is possible.
10. Avoid Technical Debt
Technical debt is a term that reflects the implied cost of additional rework if we choose an easy solution now instead of utilizing a stable approach that would take more time. It is a conscious decision, as we may enhance the development speed, however, if not chosen correctly, then it could lead to system complexity. It is always recommended to take this decision with the help of all the stakeholders, and it is always good to write the proper code whenever it is possible.
Read: NodeJS vs PHP: Which is Best for Web Development?
It is certainly the best way to enhance development speed while maintaining the right quality. We can use the repeating scripts to execute the regression tests without repeating the same steps manually. It allows more time to add new features or functionality. Automated testing is more effective than manual testing, as executing multiple manual tests across several types of devices and browsers usually takes a lot of time. Here it is also important to know that, if product quality is not as crucial as getting it to the market on time, we might leave the testing for the end users.
Continuous Integration is an innovative software development approach, which allows developers to merge any changes in the code in a central repository. Whereas Continuous Delivery is an approach that automates the overall software release process. If we implement the CI/CD pipeline approach, then we may observe a huge improvement in web development speed. It is highly recommended as it removes manual errors, fetches instant feedback, and allows fast iteration.
It is always recommended to implement automation for the web development process. However, it is also important to know that we cannot automate everything in the traditional sense of this world, as that is not feasible. However, we can still take a lot of work off the developers’ shoulders. Your team needs to communicate. Certain aspects can be automated, such as task management, workflow discussions, project meetings, and so on. We can use an automation application like Zapier, which can easily automate several repetitive tasks, thus it helps us to save several hours per day.
As a developer, it is extremely important to use the right frameworks, development tools, and libraries, as they make our lives easier. It is important to determine the correct technical components for our project, as it will help us improve the pace of the web development process.
11. Automated Testing
It is certainly the best way to enhance development speed while maintaining the right quality. We can use the repeating scripts to execute the regression tests without repeating the same steps manually. It allows more time to add new features or functionality. Automated testing is more effective than manual testing, as executing multiple manual tests across several types of devices and browsers usually takes a lot of time. Here it is also important to know that, if product quality is not as crucial as getting it to the market on time, we might leave the testing for the end users.
12. CI/CD Pipeline
Continuous Integration is an innovative software development approach, which allows developers to merge any changes in the code in a central repository. Whereas Continuous Delivery is an approach that automates the overall software release process. If we implement the CI/CD pipeline approach, then we may observe a huge improvement in web development speed. It is highly recommended as it removes manual errors, fetches instant feedback, and allows fast iteration.
13. Workflow Automation Tools
It is always recommended to implement automation for the web development process. However, it is also important to know that we cannot automate everything in the traditional sense of this world, as that is not feasible. However, we can still take a lot of work off the developers’ shoulders. Your team needs to communicate. Certain aspects can be automated, such as task management, workflow discussions, project meetings, and so on. We can use an automation application like Zapier, which can easily automate several repetitive tasks, thus it helps us to save several hours per day.
Technical Tips
As a developer, it is extremely important to use the right frameworks, development tools, and libraries, as they make our lives easier. It is important to determine the correct technical components for our project, as it will help us improve the pace of the web development process.
Read: Native and Cross-Platform App Development | Differences | Pros & Cons
If your developers are coding in JavaScript, then they can use jQuery, Meteor, or AJAX. Meteor is a robust JavaScript framework that helps us to increase overall code productivity. If your developers are using PHP, then they must use a strong PHP framework like Laravel, CodeIgnitor, CakePHP, Symfony, Zend Framework, Aura, Phalcon, or PHP-MVC. Developers can use UI frameworks like Bootstrap to develop amazing UI designs quickly.
1. Frameworks
If your developers are coding in JavaScript, then they can use jQuery, Meteor, or AJAX. Meteor is a robust JavaScript framework that helps us to increase overall code productivity. If your developers are using PHP, then they must use a strong PHP framework like Laravel, CodeIgnitor, CakePHP, Symfony, Zend Framework, Aura, Phalcon, or PHP-MVC. Developers can use UI frameworks like Bootstrap to develop amazing UI designs quickly.
2. Libraries
We can use CSS libraries such as Pure.css or Normalize.css to speed up the web development process. Grid libraries such as Flexible Grid System or Semantic Grid System can also help us save a lot of time. The CSS libraries such as Hover.css and Animate.css can help us implement animation, transition, and hover effects easily, without putting more effort into coding.
3. Extension Languages
We must use extension languages such as LESS CSS, Sass language, and Compass framework, which can help developers to enhance the quality of stylesheets, without spending too much time and effort.
4. Plugins
We can use several Plugins, which can add features to the web solution without having to add extra code. There are many websites such as GitHub.com, Unheap.com, and jQuery. in, to select and download the necessary plugins for our project.
5. Use Scripts
We must write a code that can replicate it for itself. Thus, the usage of the script is always advisable. We can use Meta-programming, which can greatly automate most of the code-related tasks, which in turn reduces the time and development efforts.
6. Extra Tips to Speed up Web Development Work
These are not Organizational or Technical, but still very effective in keeping up the pace of web development.
7. Stay Healthy
Health is an important aspect of any human being. Developers must pay attention to their health and should be engaged in healthy practices, which ensure their uninterrupted availability for the project.
8. Do not Put Too Much Pressure
We understand that tight delivery timelines can exert pressure on resources and the organization. But the fact is that unnecessary pressure can lead to anxiety, which is bound to reduce the work efficiency of web developers. Hence, it is recommended to not put too much pressure on resources, we can implement better resource allocation to ensure the work is divided properly and people are not overburdened.
9. What to Avoid While Speeding up Web Application Development?
Well, we know what to do to improve the speed of web application development, but there are certain guidelines we must follow to ensure we keep up the product quality intact and not get diverted from our ultimate goal. Here are a few aspects, which we must avoid while speeding up the web development process.
10. Do Not Rely Too Much on Manual Testing
With the web development progression, it becomes more complex for the developers to add new features and functionalities to the code. That is because they must spend more time spotting and fixing code errors and bugs. This process becomes more cumbersome if we use manual testing. Sometimes it took way more than the appointed time to check the functions, which apparently increased the development time.
Read: Speed-Up Your Mobile App Development with Flutter
This situation can be avoided by using the Automation approach for testing, as it helps us to highlight all the bugs and code errors in a few seconds. However, we would like to add that automation testing must be well planned and executed, as the wrong approach may lead to further delays.
Web application development is certainly a vast process, which is required to be managed properly to ensure better productivity. We have a plethora of tools, techniques, and tricks that can help us complete the development work quickly. One can always discover more such ways to enhance productivity while developing web development projects.
The best advice is to remain engaged in the development work, improve your skills, and utilize automation and other programming tools and frameworks. The more experience a developer attains, the better he/she will get at their work and as a result, the overall productivity and speed of development work will be increased in due course of time. Continuous process improvement is considered the best productivity hack one can utilize to speed up the web development process.
Gourav Sharma is a Digital Marketing Strategist at Arka Softwares, a leading mobile app development company. He has 2 years of experience in the Information Technology industry. He spends his time reading about new trends in Digital Marketing and the latest app development technologies.
This situation can be avoided by using the Automation approach for testing, as it helps us to highlight all the bugs and code errors in a few seconds. However, we would like to add that automation testing must be well planned and executed, as the wrong approach may lead to further delays.
Final Thought
Web application development is certainly a vast process, which is required to be managed properly to ensure better productivity. We have a plethora of tools, techniques, and tricks that can help us complete the development work quickly. One can always discover more such ways to enhance productivity while developing web development projects.
The best advice is to remain engaged in the development work, improve your skills, and utilize automation and other programming tools and frameworks. The more experience a developer attains, the better he/she will get at their work and as a result, the overall productivity and speed of development work will be increased in due course of time. Continuous process improvement is considered the best productivity hack one can utilize to speed up the web development process.
Author’s Bio
Gourav Sharma is a Digital Marketing Strategist at Arka Softwares, a leading mobile app development company. He has 2 years of experience in the Information Technology industry. He spends his time reading about new trends in Digital Marketing and the latest app development technologies.
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