What does the term ‘deployment phase’ mean?
In web development, the term ‘deployment phase’, as the name suggests, refers to the stage where a website is prepared to go live and then launched. It typically consists of things such as:
- Testing and final revisions
- Quality assurance
- Redirects set up
- Analytics set up
- Training
- Website launch
If you wish to gain a more in-depth understanding of this concept, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: What type of testing is done during the deployment phase?
The actual type of testing done during the deployment phase would ultimately depend on the type of website being built, but the goal remains the same: to check if all the features and components are working as intended before the site goes live.
In some cases, something called an alpha site is built, which is the exact same website but hosted on the developer’s server instead of the client’s. It is designed to let everyone involved in the project to see the website in action before it becomes accessible to the public.
This step is especially important for projects where issues with the live website can cause serious problems or monetary losses for both the client and their customers. An example would be an online banking or investment website.
Here’s an article from Mabl for more information on software testing in the staging phase of deployment.
Question #2: What type of quality assurance is done during the deployment phase?
The actual type of quality assurance performed during the deployment phase of a web development project would also ultimately depend on the kind of website being built, but the goal stays the same: to ensure that the overall look, feel, and functionality of the finished website is perfectly in line with what was defined at the start of the project.
It typically consists of three stages:
- Requirement testing
- Design testing
- Functionality testing
Let us take a closer look at each one:
First, during the requirement testing stage, as the name suggests, the quality assurance team checks whether the finished website meets all the requirements and expectations defined at the beginning of the project.
Second, during the design testing stage, the quality assurance team makes sure that the final design on the website follows the guidelines defined at the beginning of the project, answering questions such as:
- Is the design in line with the client’s branding?
- Are the elements on each page properly laid out?
- Does the website look right on all devices?
Finally, during the functionality testing stage, the quality assurance team assesses the user interface and user experience of the finished website to ensure the user will not encounter any obstacles or issues as they browse it, regardless of the device they are using.
Question #3: What type of redirects are done during this phase?
The actual type of redirects done during the deployment phase would ultimately depend on the kind of website development project, but the primary goal remains the same: to ensure that the user does not encounter any broken links as they browse the finished website.
In most cases, for new website builds, there is really no need to worry about setting up redirects during the deployment phase because such projects typically do not involve any outdated pages or domain transfers.
For projects that involve a website revamp or domain transfer on the other hand, the development team may have to set up redirects due to things such as:
- Merged pages
- Removed pages
- Updated sitemap
- Use of a new domain
Question #4: What type of training is done during this phase?
The actual type of training done during the deployment phase would ultimately depend on the type of website being built, but the main goal remains the same: to ensure that the client’s team knows exactly how to use their new website.
It may cover things such as:
- How to do basic troubleshooting
- How to use the content management system to add, edit, and remove pages
- How to read analytics data
- How to turn specific pages on or off temporarily
- How to set up integrations