Common Web Development Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Ever since the introduction of World Wide Web in 1990, the domain of web development has evolved dynamically from web pages to web applications. End users no longer browse web pages for reading static content. Websites now have dynamic features to increase their engagement rate. Interactive websites are being developed so users can perform their day to day activities like shopping for groceries, banking, paying taxes, etc. However, these applications are developed by human beings, and, since we're all human, mistakes happen. Often a simple mistake can impact a critical functionality in your website that will lead the user to go to a different website, reducing your profit and SERP ranking. In this article, we shall discuss the common mistakes made by developers while developing a web application.

Using Non-Responsive Design

Nowadays, not keeping RWD (Responsive Web Design) in mind will result in a large website displayed in a small screen with small buttons making it difficult for the end user to read the content or click on the horizontal scrollbar along with many other discrepancies, all of which will lead to a bad user experience.

• Ensure that you target some devices and resolutions before you start developing and writing media queries so that the website is displayed properly on all devices.
• Apart from testing in emulators, test your website in real devices as well to get the feeling of how an end user experiences your website when using a real device.

Depending on Website Builder Tools

Many companies offer tools with which you can easily build a website with drag and drop features. The problem with those tools lies in the backend. Each design decision adds multiple lines of code that makes the website slower and, with time, this may cause performance issues and impact critical functionalities.

• If you do not have enough time for coding, you can purchase templates via Themeforest, Envato or other platforms where, at a minimal price, you will get multiple responsive and cross-browser compatible templates that will serve your purpose. You will only need to add the content before launching your website.
• Instead of website builder tools, it is better to use platforms offering content management services like WordPress or Joomla. Apart from the seamless hosting of your website, they will also offer you multiple themes that match the purpose served by your site.

Using Outdated HTML

It is rightly said that old habits are difficult to get rid of. Developers who started coding in the earlier days of HTML may still have the habit of using lots or spans and ‘&nbps’s which not only increases the line of code but also causes layout issues in updated browsers like Microsoft Edge.

• Update you knowledge on the latest technologies and start using latest markup elements like center or font that will not only make your job easier but also result in clean code that complies to the latest industry standards.
• Focus on using HTML to describe your content and use the latest features of CSS3 to design the content’s layout.

Insufficient Input Validation

Web developers often make the mistake of ignoring form validation. End users are human, and mistakes happen with them also. Incomplete form validation may result in a mistyped alphabet in the phone number field or an incorrect email format missing the ‘.’ or ‘@’. All this leads to incorrect data submitted by the user that may lead to failed delivery of information to the user’s physical or online address.

• The latest front-end frameworks provide outstanding validation rules that are simple to code and can ensure that user input is flawless and in accordance with the format that has been set.
• Implementation of a validation rule is a part of standard coding practice and proper use of them will result in a quality website preferred by users, thereby, increasing its ranking in the search engine.

Cross-Browser Compatibility Issues

Those days are long gone when the Internet Explorer was the only browser available to access websites. At present, apart from the big shots like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, there are hundreds of desktop and mobile browsers, even some device-specific browsers that are preferred by users for accessing websites.

• Use analytic tools and target browsers on which your website is meant to run properly. Carry out proper testing and find out if any usability or functional issue is occurring in any such browser.
• Use cloud testing platforms that provide you with the opportunity to quickly and seamlessly test your website on multiple browsers simultaneously. Find any CSS or HTML issues that are causing breakage in any specific browser and fix the issues by replacing them or adding vendor specific codes.

Apart from the mistakes mentioned above, there are other common mistakes like poor content, security issues, poor design, wrong SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques, and many others. All of which may lead to your website placed far below in the search engine results. Ensure that these do not happen and your website will be the one preferred by users worldwide.