How to Become a Web Developer?

What is Web Development?

Designing, building, and maintaining a website for the Internet is called website development. In simple words, the entire process of creating a website from scratch is called web development. Any website you have visited in the past has been created by website developers responsible for developing and maintaining a website.

From implementing the logic behind a website’s functioning to creating the visual interface, there are different kinds of web developers who work on different web development domains.

Types of Web Development

From the overall look and design of a website to its servers and database, many aspects are involved in the website development process. There are mainly three types of web development: Front-end, Back-end, and Full-Stack.

1. Front-end Web Development

This type of web development involves creating the user interface of a website and making it look attractive, engaging, and easy to use. From the layout to how different components interact with the users, front-end development is responsible for the overall look of a website that is visible to the customers or users.

It is a very important part of web development as the main aim of building a website is to drive the audience to it. If a website is not looking good and is attractive to users on various devices like smartphones or tablets, they will not be interested in visiting it. Hence its the responsibility of front-end web developers to ensure that the data is presented in an easy-to-understand format and is visually appealing at the same time.

Front-end developers use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as their primary languages.

• HTML (HyperText Markup Language) displays information on a browser using different tags such as image and paragraph tags.
• CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a language to style webpage by adding colors, margins, etc.
• JavaScript is a programming language used to add functionality to a website.

For example, you create the structure of a login form by writing HTML. Then you can make it appealing by styling CSS. You will write JavaScript. JavaScript will validate the inputs and transfer the data to the backend.

2. Back-end Web Development

Backend web development involves building all the aspects of a website that are not visible to the users but are essential for the proper working and functioning of the website. It is the behind-the-scenes function of different web applications and involves creating and maintaining the code that runs a website smoothly.

The backend comprises three main parts —

• A Database - A database helps us store a large amount of information in an efficient and structured way compared to storing that information in a text file.
• Server - A server is a computer that receives user requests through the front-end interface (also known as the client) and responds with a result computed by the application.
• Application - An application is a computer program that listens for requests on the server, retrieves information from the database, and sends a response through the server.

A backend web developer's responsibility is to create and maintain all the technology at the back end of a website. Common backend programming languages are Python, Java, Ruby, PHP, and JavaScript. Backend developers also use Database management systems such as MySQL.

3. Full Stack Web Development

Full Stack Web Development means the process of developing both the front-end and back-end of a website.

What Does a Web Developer Do?

The main job responsibility of a web developer of to create and maintain a website for the Internet. Right from the design to the technical elements, they are responsible for the look and feel of the website and its server and database. There are mainly three types of web developers:

Front-end Developers

Front-end web developers are solely responsible for the User Interface of a website. They work with the design team to make the website look more attractive.

Back-end Developers

Managing the server side of a website along with the databases is the core responsibility of a back-end web developer. A back-end web developer will take care of the functionality of a website and perform tasks that are not visible to the user.

Full Stack Developers

Full Stack developers are responsible for developing a website's front-end and back-end. They develop both the server’s and the client’s sides of a website. A good Full Stack developer must deeply understand front-end and back-end languages and frameworks.

How Much Do Web Developers Make?

Across metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai, the average salary of a web developer is around 3-3.5 LPA. It can range anywhere from 1.2LPA to 16.1LPA, depending on the candidate's experience and company structure, among other things. Web developers can get paid well if they are skilled and competent and are willing to adapt to the new changes in the world of advanced technology. Many factors may affect the salary of a web developer.

These are:

• The job location: Different cities like Mumbai and Delhi offer different packages.
• Experience: Freshers get less salary as compared to mid-senior level employees.
• Skill Levels: Companies are willing to hire and pay generous salaries to skilled developers who can create an impact through their skills.

Web Developer Career Path

Did you know that the demand for a 'web developer' is among the most in-demand job titles across the tech sector? It is also one of the highest-paying jobs in the world.

As a web developer, you can mainly choose two career paths:

Freelance web developer - where you can build websites for different clients from across the globe while working in the office or remotely.

Full-Time Role - where you work with other programmers, web developers, and designers in a specific company or organization.

How is the Job Market for a Web Developer?

With the changing dynamics in the world of tech and web development, the demand for web developers in the market is increasing daily. The latest data and statistics show that the web development industry is expected to grow by approximately 80.9% by 2029. Figures also suggest that the employment rate of web developers will grow by 13% in the coming years.

Steps to Become a Web Developer

If you want to become a web developer, you need both theoretical knowledge and practical exposure. A certificate in web development or a degree in computer science is not enough or doesn’t guarantee any employment or growth opportunity. You need an in-depth understanding of coding and programming languages and effective problem-solving and communication skills.

The web development course offered by Scaler Academy is known for the practical exposure they provide to its students and learners. The team of expert educators and industry professionals ensures that their students can build good careers for themselves.

If you want to pursue a career as a web developer, you need to follow these steps:

1. Learn Web Development Fundamentals and Skills

Get a thorough understanding of all the fundamentals and skills required to be a good web developer.

Start with learning the basics of web development - HTML, CSS, and a basic understanding of JavaScript.

You must also have a basic understanding of visual designing (website templates, fonts, colors), accessibility (building your website for a variety of audiences in mind), version control (tracking and managing changes to the source code without starting all again from scratch), technical SEO (ranking your website), among others.

2. Choose a Development Specialization

This one can be tricky. A development specialization means deciding if you want to become a front-end developer, back-end developer, or Full Stack Developer. If designing a website intrigues you, you should choose the front end as your specialization. If you are passionate about coding and managing databases and want to be the 'behind-the-scenes' hero, choose backend specialization. Choose full-stack if you want to manage the entire project independently and take care of both front-end and back-end development.

3. Learn Key Programming Languages for Web Development

Which programming language you choose depends on several factors, including what company you work with and what are your project requirements. But as a beginner, you can keep it simple.

If you choose to become a front-end developer, learn JavaScript in-depth. If you are interested in backend programming, Java, Python, and JavaScript are good options.

Once you are comfortable with the programming language of your choice, start exploring different frameworks available in your language to make your work easy.

Remember, a programming language is secondary, your fundamentals and problem-solving skills are primary. A good developer can learn and adopt new languages quickly.

4. Work on Projects to Develop Your Web Development Skills

Why wait for the perfect moment and not create the perfect moment? It's always a good thing to learn on your own. You can start taking up freelance or personal projects to enhance your web developer skills. Working on these projects will teach you many things to help you shape a better future as a web developer.

5. Create a Web Developer Portfolio

Don't forget to make a portfolio comprising all the web development work you have done in the past. Make sure you build an impressive portfolio. Try to cover different projects in your portfolio to strengthen it and give you an edge over your competitors.

Tips:

• Create a personal brand through your portfolio by showcasing your personality through your work. Don’t just include the projects. Instead, tell a story behind them with what you learned through those projects or what problems you solved.
• Create an online presence, be active in web development communities on different social media platforms, and share your work with others.

FAQs

1. What Education Do You Need to Become a Web Developer?

Ans: If you want to become a web developer, you can get a bachelor's degree in computer science. Or, you can also take up a course in web development to get a certificate or diploma in web development.

2. What Languages Should a New Web Developer Learn?

Ans: If you have started your career as a web developer, you must learn key languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

3. What Makes a Good Web Developer?

Ans: To be a successful web developer, you must possess skills like communication and problem-solving, an understanding of UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience), and a zeal to learn something new every day.

4. How Long Does It Take to Become a Web Developer?

Ans: If you want to learn web development from scratch and become a web developer, you need to invest at least 6-7 months in learning all the skills and technologies involved in web development.