Career as a Web Developer

By: Dusty Arlia
Published on January 5, 2012
Last Updated on Friday, July 17, 2015 at 6:47 PM
Total Updates: 7

Becoming a web developer is becoming more popular. This can be related to the increase in online business every year. The title web developer is still a broad title. Web developers can have strengths in certain languages, strengths in online marketing, or strengths in graphic design.

If you look at web development from a programming aspect, there are many different languages you can master. To split the languages up into two major categories, there are server-side languages and client-side languages.

To break the client-side languages down even further, there is languages for structure, design, and interaction. There specific names are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, respectively. Web Developers who make use of these languages are called front-end developers. There are many tools to help you build a website without knowing programming, but as a web developer, knowing these languages is a must. Knowing some third party CMSs (Content Management Systems) and WYSIWYGs (What You See Is What You Get) editors will help you when the company you're hoping to join makes use of them.

On the server-side, there are languages for building databases, communicating with the databases, and handling form submissions. The languages used on the server will depend on the type of server. The most common open source languages are MySQL to build databases and PHP to communicate with the databases.

Because websites have so many components, larger websites are managed by teams of people. Smaller companies tend to bring in IT contractors and consultants to complete the job (that is unless it is a web-based company, which than tends to have its own in-house web developer). If the website is a small, informational website, than the cost of building it can be minimal (maybe a couple hundred dollars). The price of building a website goes up when the site becomes more interactive and has more server-side programming involved.

Web development is a great career and will always be in demand. Having a focus and being the best at one thing could get you more money. Just make sure that your focus is on something that will be relative down the road. Technology in this area changes fast and staying on top of your game will be a challenge.