SDLC and Digital Marketing

SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle. It is also known as the Application development life cycle as it is also used for developing web and mobile applications.

It is a systematic framework used by developers to design, develop, and test different software in an organized, efficient, and cost-effective manner. The SDLC defines tasks performed at each step of the software development process. The use of SDLC for developing software ensures the development of high-quality software.

No matter what the size of your organization is – large or small, you can always use SDLC for developing high-quality software or applications.

Phases of Software Development Cycle

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is divided into different phases, each of which has its own certain process and deliverables that act as an input for the next phase.

The phases of a Software development cycle are given as follows:

1.?????Planning

This is the very first phase in the SLDC which involves getting information from stakeholders. In this phase, project leaders evaluate the scope of the project. This includes defining goals, calculating the total costs, anticipating issues, identifying the opportunities, and finalizing the timeline.

In this phase, the scope and the purpose of the application or software being developed are defined. It involves creating clear goals of the software and provisioning them to the development team to effectively develop the software. It also involves setting the boundaries to refrain the project from diverting from its prime purpose.

2.?????Designing

In this phase, design documents of the software being developed are made according to the requirements obtained from the previous phase. Here, the technical design of the software is created with the help of architects and designers.

The type of design documents developed during this phase are of following two types:

·????????High level design (HLD) – Defines the overall design of the software of application.

·????????Low level design (LLD) – Defines the component-level design, providing the detailing of the high-level design.

3.?????Coding

During this phase, the actual work is done as the programs are written. The development team performs coding by getting the input from the previous phase. This phase is very critical as the codes are written to make sure that they meet the goals of the project. Occasionally, the developers show the codes to the analysts to check if there is any modification needed.

Coding requires a great amount of time and effort due to which this phase is considered to be the longest phase in the software development lifecycle.

4.?????Testing

During this phase, the programs from the previous stage act as an input and are tested through various testing methods. This is an important phase that has to be done with great precision to ensure the development of high-quality software. Different types of testing methods are performed including unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and quality assurance testing. The last and the must-have testing method is user-acceptance testing (UAT) which is performed by a user to ensure the product meets their requirements and is ready for release.

This phase makes sure that the product being developed is free from any bugs and meets the expectations of the users, resulting in higher user satisfaction.

5.?????Deployment and Maintenance

During this phase, the tested product obtained from the previous phase acts as the input. In this phase, the developed product is introduced in the market and is made available to the end-users.

The maintenance phase is carried out after the product is released into the market. The maintenance phase fixes the bugs discovered by the users after it is made available in the market. This may require the induction of a new software development cycle until all the discovered bugs are resolved.

Role of SDLC in developing web and mobile applications

Today, the advanced world is all about mobile and web applications. There are a lot of applications available in the market but not all are loved by the users. Do you know why?

It is because of the quality and user-friendliness which is often neglected while developing these applications.

SDLC allows the developers to develop high-quality, user-friendly, and cost-effective applications. One of the foremost roles that SDLC plays in developing web and mobile applications is of security-provider.

With the increased use of mobile and web applications, cybersecurity breaches are also increasing day by day. Using SDLC for developing web or mobile applications reduces the vulnerabilities. The best way to ensure security and to refrain hackers from stealing the information residing on the applications (web or mobile) is to use a Secure software development cycle (SSDLC). It is used by many organizations to build market competitive applications.

Need for Digital Marketing

Marketing is the most important part of a business as it allows you to connect with your targeted audience.

Can you purchase and utilize something which you don’t even know exists?

Absolutely not!

In this digitalized world, digital marketing is the most effective strategy that different organizations adopt to make their targeted audience familiar with their product. Digital marketing includes all the possible efforts made through the Internet including social media platforms, search engines, and websites.

Digital marketing helps in thriving applications. For instance, a developed application contains certain bugs due to which the end-users refrain from using it.

So, how would you rewin the trust of your end-users after fixing the discovered bugs?

Obviously, through digital marketing!

Digital marketing is the only way of reaching out to your targeted audience and making them believe that the modified version of your application is not only bug-free but contains new advanced features and works better than before.

There are multiple mobile and website applications available in the market. Digital marketing allows you to stay competitive in the market by acknowledging the targeted audience from time to time about fixed bugs, innovative features, and enhanced user experience.

By now, you have got a clear picture of what software development cycle and digital marketing are, and why digital marketing is required for applications to thrive in the competitive market.

SDLC and Digital Marketing work side by side until the developed product and the market gets matured, and the demand for the product begins to decline unless an innovation arises for the product and marketplace.

Disclaimer: The views in this article are my own and do not represent any entity or my employer whatsoever which I have been, am now or will be affiliated. This article is for informational purpose only and the insights if used should be followed at the reader's own discretion.