by Sydney Stone
The term “technology stack” refers to the operating system, server and the underlying tools and scripting languages used to support a mobile or web application. Examples of technologies included in a stack include Ruby on Rails, Apache, HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
In modern web development, choosing the right technology stack is extremely important because it acts as the very foundation of your application. Without a good solid foundation, your web app will simply not function properly.
There are numerous technologies to choose from when deciding what will make up your particular stack. Choosing the right ones really depends on the specific application you are developing.
Here are a few things to think about when choosing a technology stack for web development.
1. Consider the type of web application you are developing.
The technology stack you use will differ based on the type of web app you are creating. For instance, if you’re creating a simple, information-only website, you’ll need far fewer tools than if you were developing a full e-commerce platform solution. You may be able to create a simple website just using WordPress.
If your web application acts as a hub of some sort, you’ll need a database for storing large amounts of information securely. A few of the most popular databases include MySQL, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL.
How much traffic do you expect your app to receive? Will there be large image files or videos involved? What type of server and load-balancing technologies will be required? (Apache & Nginx are the most common servers used for web development.)
Once you have all of these types of questions answered, you’ll be ready to create a plan for the different types of technologies and solutions you’ll need for your development stack.
2. Consider your budget.
Not only will you be paying for the technology that will make up your development stack, you’ll also need to consider the salaries of the developers that will actually write the code. The more advanced the technologies you’re using in your stack, the higher the cost for qualified developers.
This is not to say that you should skimp on the types of solutions you’ll use to build your product. On the contrary, you definitely want to use the best programming languages, servers and database for your particular solution.
You can save a lot of money on development costs by hiring an outsourced team that already has developers skilled in the type of technology you need. Then you only have to shell out the cash for the exact amount of time needed to build the product. After QA and release, you can scale down the team to just support and maintenance personnel.
3. Don’t forget your marketing technology stack.
In addition to your technology stack, you’ll also need to think about how you plan to market your solution once it’s finished. This is where your marketing stack comes in.
A marketing technology stack could include solutions like Salesforce, Marketo, HubSpot, Hootsuite, and MailChimp…basically any type of automated solution that will help you both communicate with and get feedback from your customers.
It’s a good idea to consider what types of marketing tools you want for your solution at the same time you’re choosing your technology stack. This way, you can be sure that everything will work well together as part of an overall solution.
In conclusion, when it comes to choosing the right technology stack for web applications, don’t get too overwhelmed. Always start with the end in mind. What type of experience do you want your customer to have, and what is the best set of tools and technologies that will give them that experience? The answer to that question will form the basis of your perfect technology stack.
Sydney Stone | freelance writer & editor 