Web Development for Social Media

The online community has transformed from being just a static editorial domain into a user-generated territory, while online users have become active participants instead of being just passive onlookers. The obsolete conventional media give way to new user-driven social media. As a result now many software development companies are involved in social media web development projects.

PHP, Java and .Net developers are tasked not only with the development of full-fledged social media websites, but also make use of the latest programming tools and technologies in order to embed interactivity features into web applications.

What social media services are employed in web apps?

Web 2.0 principles have set the baseline for web development and promote high interactivity of web apps and user-generated content, therefore, web app developers build various tools and widgets, which allow users to get involved in the following social media:

• Collaborative projects
• Blogs and microblogs
• Content communities
• Social networking sites
• Virtual game worlds
• Virtual communities

Social media widgets give users an opportunity to leave comments and reviews, connect to their favourite social networks, rate and bookmark web content, blog and share video, photos and other media content.

Consequently, web application development for social media include the following technologies:

• Blogs
• Picture-sharing
• Wall-postings
• Email
• Instant messaging
• Music-sharing
• Podcasting
• Wikis
• Social bookmarking

Web application development for social media also embraces more holistic projects such as the development of social network aggregation platforms, which integrate various social media services in one place and provide multifaceted approach for users to deal with various social information.

Hence, the vital task for web professionals, who work on the development of social media web applications, is to provide rich interactivity features, the sense of collaboration and involvement.

Today a great number of businesses leverage social media services and embed interactivity features to achieve higher credibility and trustworthy reputation through the feedback of common users. As a result social media services are going from being optional to must-have features of a successful web project.