Software is a set of instructions or data that is used for developing a website. Software and a website are poles apart from each other. Although the software is required for designing and deploying a website, it is nowhere even close to a website.
A website is a completely different identity of its own. Software’s have much higher functionality, availability, and scope of interactivity. Let us understand the basic difference between web development and software development.
Web Development
Web development refers to designing, creating a website, and maintaining it. Web development includes several aspects like web programming, web designing, database management, and web publishing.
Web development is the creation of a website for a company that gives a company a virtual identity. A website can be referred to as an online way of presenting the company and its various products and services.
When a customer searches for a company on the internet, then the company’s website is the first thing the customer finds. Therefore, websites can be considered a virtual representation of a company.
However, you must make sure that your website is fast as it is seen that 40% of people stop engaging with a website if it works slowly. A web development company aims to build a website in a way so that it can bring in more traffic to the website which in return would draw in more profits for the company. Having a website is extremely important. Even 71% of small businesses have their own website.
Types of Web Development
Web development mainly consists of two basic words web which means web pages, website, or anything that includes the internet, and Development which means building something. Therefore, web development is something that is built for the internet.
Web development can be broadly classified in three ways. These are:
Frontend Development:
This part is often referred to as the customer’s side of the application. This is where everything happens. Here the user gets the opportunity to directly interact with the company.
Backend Development:
The server side of a website is often referred to as the backend development. It is that part of the website which does not have any role for the users and customers. The users cannot interact or even get to see this part of the development.
Full Stack Development: Apart from the frontend development and the backend development. Some developers build both. These developers are known as full-stack developers and this kind of web development is known as full-stack web development.
A full stack developer not only knows web development, he/she knows web designing, database creation, and website debugging too. Full-stack development thus includes development from the client’s side as well as development from the server’s side.
In the case of custom web development, the design and the templates used in the websites can be completely customized. These kinds of websites are the ones that are preferred by most companies since it gives the company the liberty to design the website according to its needs, aims, and wishes. The design of the website is super important as 38% of people stop viewing a website if the design is not catchy.
Software Development
The software development market is ever-growing. It has a compound annual growth rate of 4%. Software development includes a set of computer activities that include designing, creating, supporting, and deploying software.
Software is a set of programs and instructions that gives instructions to the computer and tells it what to do and what not to do. Software is completely different from hardware.
It is that part of the computer that makes a computer programmable. Software development is the process used by software developers and programmers for building various computer programs. This process can also be referred to as SDLC or Software Development Life Cycle.
Types of Software
There are three main types of software that you will commonly find. These are application software, system software, and programming software.
Application Software:
It is the kind of software that helps users to perform various tasks. These kinds of software include; media players, data management software, office productivity suites, security programs, etc. Application software can also be referred to as the applications that we use on our mobile or web that serve various purposes. These applications may include social site applications, shopping applications, food delivery applications, etc.
System Software:
This is the kind of software that provide the core functions like disk management, hardware management, utilities, operating system, etc.
Programming Software:
Programming software’s the ultimate platform for programmers. It provides the programmers with all the tools that they need to create various codes.
Embedded Software:
Apart from these three known kinds of software. There is also a fourth kind of software which cannot be completely called software but at the same time cannot be denied as software. It can thus be referred to as a possible software. These kinds of software are known as embedded software. Embedded software can be used for controlling devices and machines that cannot be typically termed as a computer system. These devices and machines include cars, robots, telecommunication networks, etc.
Difference Between Web Development and Software Development
Let us look vividly into the basic difference between software development and web development:
Software development can be referred to as developing and maintaining various kinds of software that can efficiently run across several kinds of computers. On the other hand, a web development company develops a website that can run on computers as well as mobiles. Therefore, websites can be accessed from anywhere and on any device.
The main motive of a software development company is to develop programmed software that can live up to the expectation of the various needs of the business or an individual with specific goals, objectives, methods, and processes. On the contrary, the main motive of custom web development is providing quality content on the website so that the website can pull in more and more traffic towards it. It has a motive of providing information about the company and its products and services to the users as well as building a virtual connection with them so that it can bring in more business to the company in the future.
In the case of software development, pre-compiling is a must before the deployment takes place. Whereas, for web development, there is no need for any such pre-compiling.
When software development takes place, it provides benefits like better productivity, better efficiency, better customer relations, etc. It also optimizes the various business processes. On the other hand, for web development, the benefits would somewhat look like; better interaction with the present customers, interaction with the potential customers so that they get drawn to the products and services of the company, improved user engagement, providing better visual content, etc.
The main focus of software development is the implementation of the correct code and making sure that the basic standard quality is taken care of. In the case of website development, the main motive of web development is making information about the company and its products and services available to the users whenever there is something new. This helps in building better trust between the customer and the company.
One of the major difference between software development and web development is that software development is way simpler and easier to manage whereas web development is not.
Conclusion
The purpose of web development and software development is completely different from each other. The developers are even not the same for the two. However, both are equally important. The software serves as the backbone for web development.
Author Bio
Devendra Saini works as a Digital Marketing Analyst at Arka Softwares, a leading mobile app development company specializing in cutting-edge web and mobile app solutions. He enjoys researching market trends and assisting startups and enterprises in achieving their business objectives.