5 essential skills for every web developer

The internet has come an incredibly long way since the early days of the World Wide Web in the 90s, when websites consisted of static Html files that weren't not much more than data dumps linking to other similar pages. With the advent of faster Internet connections and home computing with greater processing power, there was a demand for websites that would be interactive and would provide an enjoyable user experience. Fast forward to recent times, websites consist of dynamic pages generated on the fly, that are feature rich and highly interactive. Bland html pages have now been replaced by web pages and applications that have a frontend maintained separately from the backend for ease of maintainability. Interactivity and styling are ensured through javascript and style sheets respectively. There are a plethora of libraries available that help speed up the  web development and deployment, and also simplify maintenance.

Because of the complexities involved in web development, it is now a specialized field. Specialized web developers are responsible for developing and maintaining a website or a web application. They convert user requirements into fully functional end products. Web developers today rely on a rich ecosystem consisting of different languages, libraries, and tools to create functional and interactive web applications for a variety of customers.

Why should you choose a web development career path?#

For several years, web developers have been in high demand because businesses want their online presence over the internet to remain competitive and reach a global audience. Web developers are also in demand in other domains such as healthcare, education, journalism, and government agencies for their digital presence and expansion of online services. According to the U.S. BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), the projected employment growth for web developers is 23% from 2021 to 2031, and the average annual salary of a web developer is $96,500.

To summarize, web development skills will remain in high demand in the foreseeable future, making it a more secure and lucrative career path than other occupations. If you are thinking of starting your career as a web developer, there has never been a better time.

What skills should you focus on?#

If you're a technology enthusiast and want to become a successful web developer, you need to focus on the following essential technical and interpersonal skills.

Technical web developer skills#

Technical skills can be further divided into "must-have" and "nice-to-have" variants.

Must-have technical skills#

The following are the core technical skills a web developer must have:

Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills#

One of the most important skills a web developer must have is problem-solving. It enables a web developer to think outside the box, troubleshoot and fix issues, and find effective solutions for complex problems like performance improvements. For example, suppose a website is facing a slow browsing issue. In that case, the developer must be able to identify the root cause of the problem, whether it's because of inefficient code, a slow internet connection, a misconfigured server, etc. The developer should use their analytical and problem-solving abilities to fix the problem and improve the website's performance.

Capacity to comprehend client requirements#

Creating web applications that meet customers' requirements and fulfill their needs is a mandatory requirement for web developers. This cannot be achieved without a thorough understanding of the client's requirements. The foundation of a successful project lies in understanding and comprehending clients' requirements, which involves gathering, defining, prioritizing, and translating requirements into technical solutions.

For example, if a client wants an e-commerce website, the web developer needs to gather information about the client's requirements, expectations, specific functionalities, and features. After gathering these requirements, developers must be able to make sense of them and propose effective solutions and features, such as online payment gateways, shopping carts, and stock keeping and management features.

In summary, understanding and comprehending client requirements is a critical skill for a web developer because it's crucial in building good relationships with clients and contributes to the overall development and success of the project.

Coding skills#

Front-end coding skills#

Creating visual and interactive elements of a website or web application is the core responsibility of front-end developers. They must possess a combination of creative and technical skills, including but not limited to:

1. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: To create visual and interactive website elements, front-end developers must be proficient in languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These are the building blocks of a website: HTML provides the structure of the web pages, CSS caters to the design aspects of the web pages, and JavaScript is responsible for enabling the developers to create interactivity in the web pages.

2. Responsive designing: A front-end developer must be able to optimize a website design to cater to various screen resolutions, i.e., desktop, mobile, and tablet screens. In addition, front-end developers need to have practical experience in handling cross-browser compatibility issues to ensure that websites can run smoothly on different web browsers.

3. Front-end development frameworks: To create websites or web applications more efficiently, a front-end developer must have knowledge of various front-end development frameworks such as React, Angular, AdonisJS, or Vue.

Back-end coding skills#

Writing server-side codes, managing databases, and implementing business logic are the core responsibilities of backend developers. They must possess a combination of problem-solving, analytical, and technical skills, including:

1. Writing and managing the server side: Back-end web developers must be proficient in server-side programming languages such as Python, Java, C#, Ruby, PHP etc., to create the server side of web applications. Moreover, they should be familiar with server administration and configuration using various servers like Apache, Nginx, etc. 

2. Back-end development frameworks: To write the server side of the web application more efficiently and quickly, a back-end developer must have knowledge of back-end development frameworks such as Spring, Ruby on Rails, Django, Laravel, etc. Moreover, back-end web developers must also have experience in API development to enable communication between the frontend and backend of the application.

3. Database management: A back-end developer must have hands-on experience creating and managing databases. They must be proficient in SQL and NoSQL databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, etc. Moreover, back-end developers should also be able to secure and optimize applications by implementing security protocols, optimizing database queries, and reducing server response time.

Full stack development skills#

A full stack web developer is someone with the right skills and expertise to work on both the front-end and back-end sides of a web application. They are proficient in multiple programming languages and have knowledge of various software development tools and technologies. Full-stack developers can handle tasks such as designing the user interface, writing server-side code, managing databases, and implementing security features. They are responsible for creating web applications that are functional, secure, and user-friendly from start to finish.

To compete in the market, a full stack developer must have expertise in at least one popular technology stack used in web development. Some of the most popular stacks are:

1. LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)

2. MEAN (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, Node.js)

3. MERN (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js)

4. Ruby on Rails (Ruby, SQLite/PostgreSQL, Rails)

5. Django (Python, SQLite/MySQL/PostgreSQL, Django)

6. ASP.NET (Microsoft stack, C#, SQL Server, ASP.NET)

7. Spring Boot (Java, Spring Boot, React, MySQL/PostgreSQL)

It's important to note that the choice of technology stack depends on the specific requirements of the project, and different stacks may be more suitable for different types of web applications.

Nice-to-have technical skills#

If you want to stand out from front-end, back-end, or full-stack web developers, the following are the skills are essentials:

Version control#

A web developer should have hands-on experience in code versioning tools like Git, SVN, etc., to maintain codebase history and to collaborate with other developers in the team working on the same project.

DevOps#

A web developer should be able to develop, deploy, and maintain a web application using a set of DevOps (Development and Operations) practices and tools. DevOps skills are essential for web developers because they enable them to build and deliver software more efficiently and reliably.

DevOps also promotes collaboration and communication between development and operations teams using CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) practices. CI/CD skills can be extremely important for web developers because they enable the development and deployment of high-quality software with greater speed and efficiency. By adopting CI/CD practices, web developers can improve the quality of their code, reduce the risk of errors and downtime, and deliver software to customers faster and with greater reliability.

Testing and debugging#

Primarily, web developers focus on writing the application code, and the software tester ensures that the end product meets the customer’s requirements. However, web developers with testing and debugging skills benefit the company in other ways. For example, they can assist in early detection of bugs, collaborate more easily and deeply with software testers, etc.

Search engine optimization#

As a web developer, understanding search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial. SEO focuses on boosting organic traffic to websites by enhancing visibility and rankings on search engine results pages.

Interpersonal skills#

For a web developer, essential skills are technical; what will really distinguish you as a web developer will be your interpersonal skills. The following are some of the non-technical skills required for web developers:

Strong communication#

A web developer should be able to communicate effectively with clients and stakeholders to understand their requirements. Effective communication skills are also required to collaborate with the team members to convey ideas and explain technical concepts. 

Good team player#

Web development projects usually require a team effort because it involves designers, programmers, testers, and other stakeholders. Collaboration is necessary because web developers are required to discuss, solve problems, and build effective solutions. You may be a back-end developer, but you need to work with the designers and front-end developers at some point.

Self-learning#

The information technology industry is continuously evolving. As a web developer, you must be enthusiastic about learning new technologies and trends in the industry. Besides new technologies, sometimes a web developer needs to learn something new to solve the problem at hand.

Time management#

Like any other industry, the web development industry works on deadlines. As a web developer, sometimes you might work on multiple projects simultaneously, or sometimes someone else in the team depends on your task to get their work done. Managing and completing multiple tasks on time is an essential skill for a web developer.

Conclusion and next steps#

Web development is a promising career path for those interested in online technologies. The demand for web developers, particularly full stack web developers, is expected to remain high for the foreseeable future. If you're considering to start your career as a full stack web developer, you can follow these steps:

1. Learn the basics of web development: Start by learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which are the core building blocks of web development.

2. Learn a back-end programming language: Once you have a good grasp of the front-end technologies, you should learn a back-end programming language such as Python, Java, C#, Ruby, PHP etc. These languages are used for creating server-side code and interacting with databases.

3. Learn databases: Databases are an essential component of web development. You should learn how to work with databases such as MySQL, MongoDB, or PostgreSQL. Learn how to create, read, update, and delete data from databases.

4. Learn a web application framework: To build full stack web applications, you need to learn a web application framework that can handle various tasks such as routing, request handling, and database management. Some popular web application frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, Django, Spring Boot, ASP.NET, etc.

5. Learn a front-end framework: To build complex user interfaces, you need to learn a front-end framework such as React, Angular, AdonisJS, or Vue. These frameworks help you manage complex UI components and build reusable code.

6. Practice, practice, practice: The key to becoming a full stack developer is to practice what you learn. Build small projects, contribute to open-source projects, and participate in coding challenges to hone your skills.

7. Stay up-to-date: The web development industry is constantly evolving, so it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies, frameworks, and best practices. Attend conferences, read blogs, and join online communities to stay connected with the latest trends in web development.

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