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No different to script-writers churning out increasingly more surprising movies by the day, web development is a job that’s growing rapidly in size and becoming more necessary. 

Sites like Google (just think back to Google’s epic Olympic Island game on their homepage), Amazon, and Twitter are constantly updating their pages to keep users coming back for more.

Google Game

You see examples of great web design everywhere you look online. But what do all those websites have in common? They were all created by people with the skills to build them from their ideas into functional sites. 

This guide explores the question: What is a web developer?

Table of Contents:


What Is Web Development? 🔩

Everything from games to visuals and apps, learning how to become a web developer is one of the most challenging yet stape skill-sets out there. This guide covers the ins and outs. Here is a flash insight into this question: what is a web developer…  

  • 🛠️ Web development is the process of building websites and applications. Web developers are responsible for all stages of development, including design, creation of code and database, testing, and deployment. 
  • Web development is a creative process that involves collaboration between designers and developers to create amazing user experiences. 
  • 🤼 A web developer can work at a company with a dedicated team, on a freelance basis, or operate their own website agency. The job can be part-time or full-time, remote or in-office, and paid hourly, daily, or monthly. 
  • Web development skills include a broad range of technical and creative tasks, including responsive design, content management systems, security and privacy, data analysis, and search engine optimization. 
  • 🧰 Web developers use programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby on Rails to create interactive websites and applications. Many also use additional tools and services, such as drag-and-drop builders and design tools.

Backdrop 🏝️

This section will provide a more detailed overview to the question, what is web development? It will also cover the job responsibilities of a web developer.


First - Why is Web Development Important?

Beyond the obvious need for people to have access to information and a variety of services, web development is also a booming industry. As of 2019, there are more than 2 billion websites in existence, and they’re growing in both numbers and functionality. This means that there are plenty of jobs to be had in this field. 

Beyond that, being a web developer is also a great way for an aspiring entrepreneur to get started. If you build an app or website that gains traction and popularity, you don’t have to find a company to sponsor it — you can make it your company. This is exactly what happened to websites like Facebook, YouTube, and even Amazon. With the ways the internet has been evolving lately, there’s never been a better time to get into this field.


Who Can Be a Web Developer?

Anyone with the right skillset can be a web developer. This includes computer science majors, arts majors, and even people with no formal training at all. The job is both creative and technical, so it serves as a great crossover between different fields of study. 

Web developers need to know HTML and CSS, have a general understanding of JavaScript, and have extensive knowledge of design. Ideally, they also have some experience building and managing databases, although this is not essential. There are many online courses and resources that can help you learn the skills you need to get started.


How to Become a Web Developer?

There are lots of different ways you can go about learning how to become a web developer. To start, you can take online courses and read blog posts about the basics of code and design. You can also sign up for a coding bootcamp to get a more in-depth education. 

If you’re a self-starter and want to go about this journey independently, keep in mind that web development is a broad field and mastering each skill will take time. Consider specialising in one aspect, such as designing user interfaces or creating apps. This will help you narrow your focus and get specific experience that hiring managers love to see.


Resources to Learn Web Development

  • The Complete Guide to Learn Web Development and Build Any Website by Ronskee
  • The Web Developer Bootcamp: Learn Web Development with JavaScript, CSS, and HTML by Colt Steele
  • The Complete Guide to Learning Web Development by Zenva 
  • How to Become a Web Developer: Complete Guide to Getting a Job as a Web Developer by Nick Ross
  • The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Full-Stack Web Developer by Brad Bisson 
  • How to Become a Web Developer: A Guide for Beginners by Jeff H. 
  • Top 10 Ways to Become a Web Developer by J.T. O'Connell 
  • How to Become a Web Developer in 2019 by Alexandru Bodea 
  • Beginners Guide to Web Development by Adam Wathan 
  • Beginner's Guide to Web Development by Roshan Parag 
  • How to Become a Web Developer by Jonathan Houser 
  • How to Become a Web Developer: 10 Steps to Success by Jerry Banel

Coding Languages Needed for Web Development in 2023

Let’s get into more detail on the question of what web development is. To do this we’ll explore different coding languages - this is not an exhaustive list. New programming languages come and go every year, with new ones emerging from unexpected places. 

It’s important for developers to keep track of these changes so that they can continue mastering their skill set and staying marketable in their field. Fortunately, the process of keeping up with new languages is getting easier all the time. 


What You Need to Know About Programming Languages

First, let’s take a quick look at what you need to know about programming languages. - Source of Income: When it comes to choosing a programming language to master, you first want to consider the source of income it will bring to you as a developer. Not all programming languages are created equal, and some are much easier to find work in than others. 

  • ☑️ Popularity: It’s also important to consider the popularity of a programming language. If a large portion of the coding community is already using a certain language, it’s likely to stay relevant for longer. This means that the skill will be more easily transferable for longer periods of time.
  • ☑️ Learning Curve: Of course, it’s also important to take the learning curve of a language into account. The amount of time it will take you to become proficient in a certain language will vary largely based on the language itself.

Python 🐍

The first programming language on our list is Python. Python is a language that has been a mainstay on the list of popular programming languages for quite some time. This language is extremely well-known among software engineers and is highly sought after in the job market. 

Python is great for software engineering teams that like to work together remotely. It’s also excellent for developers who like to keep their code short and clean. However, Python is also a flexible language that can be used for a wide range of different software projects. 

Python is also a highly beginner-friendly language to learn. It’s also one of the most accessible programming languages to learn online since there are many free resources available for beginners. However, Python does require you to know about object-oriented programming. This means that the language is best for engineers who already have experience with coding.

Java

Next on our list is Java. Java has been one of the most popular programming languages for years, and it’s not hard to see why. Java is a tried and tested programming language that is extremely flexible and well-known in the industry. 

Java is also one of the most flexible programming languages on the market. This makes it an excellent choice for software engineers who like to change their focus frequently. Java is also easy to learn and doesn’t take long to become proficient in. This makes it a great language for beginners. 

However, Java is also a very useful language for engineers who work remotely and need to use a lot of different computer servers. This is because Java is often used in web development projects. Java also has a high level of scalability, which means that it can be used to create large software projects.

Kotlin

Kotlin is a relatively new programming language that is quickly becoming more and more popular among software engineers. Kotlin is rapidly gaining popularity due to the fact that it’s open source and is completely free to use. 

This programming language that is very similar to Java. Java and Kotlin can be used together, and they can both be used to build Android apps. They also have many similarities when it comes to syntax and structure. 

However, the big difference with Kotlin is that it’s much more concise than Java. This makes it a great choice for software engineers who like to keep their code short and clean. However, Kotlin can also be used to create large-scale projects that are similar in size to those created with Java.

JavaScript

JavaScript is a programming language that is very different to Java, Kotlin, and Python. JavaScript is a dynamic language that is used primarily for front-end development. This means that it’s not commonly used for creating large-scale software projects. 

This programming language is used primarily for website design, like in a website’s backend. It’s also used in the creation of user interfaces and is often used in conjunction with other languages, such as HTML or CSS. 

JavaScript is a very easy language to learn. It’s used primarily online and is commonly used on a variety of different websites. This means that it’s a programming language that is easy to get your hands on and start using right away.

Go

Go is a programming language that is commonly used for software engineering projects that need to be scalable. It’s also used for building distributed systems, which means that it’s used for projects that need to be used across multiple computer systems. 

Go is a fairly simple programming language that is easy to learn and use. However, it is also a powerful programming language that can be used to create large software projects. Go is a good choice for beginners who want to start coding but also want to work on large projects. Go requires knowledge of other programming languages, such as C or C++.

Swift

Swift is the new programming language that has been gaining popularity lately. This online language is the successor to Objective-C, which was used in the past to create apps. Swift is a very flexible programming language that can be used for many different software engineering projects. 

This language is designed for iOS app development, but it can also be used for websites and Android apps. This makes Swift an excellent choice for software engineers who are interested in working with apps. Swift is a fairly easy language to learn. It’s also beginner-friendly and has a nice, clean syntax that is easy to read. This makes it a great language for software engineers who are just starting out.


Conclusion

Web development is the process of building websites and applications. The job involves collaboration between designers and developers to create amazing user experiences. Web developers use programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby on Rails to create interactive websites and applications. Web development is a booming industry.

There are more than 2 billion websites in existence, and they are growing in both numbers and functionality. This means that there are plenty of jobs to be had in this field. Anyone with the right skillset can be a web developer. 

This includes computer science majors, arts majors, and even people with no formal training at all. The job is both creative and technical, so it serves as a great crossover between different fields of study.