PUBLISHED: FEB 14, 2017 – ARTICLE: TOP SKILLS NEEDED TO BECOME A GOOD WEB DEVELOPER

What are the skills needed to become a good web developer? The skills required to land a job working as a web developer may vary depending on the position or the place of work you’re applying for. However, there are some basic skills which are in the forefront when it comes to jobs such as web development.

Having an instinctive sense of how your website should look and operate is important, but that’s only a part of the picture. The other part includes diverse knowledge which covers not only HTML and CSS, but also some core fundamentals which every web developer needs to poses in order to make it in today’s saturated market.

Good Communication Skills

The single most important aspect of every client or team-oriented work is communication. At any point in the web development process, you need to understand exactly what your client wants and how can you provide the client with the best possible results in the least amount of time. At the same time, if your client is demanding something that is either beyond the planned budget, above your professional expertise or simply cannot be done the way they want, you need to have excellent communication skills in order to explain the issue, as well as work together with the client to find an ideal solution.

Time Management Skills

Anyone who has worked with a client before knows that sometimes they want the things done yesterday. This means that in order to fulfill the wishes of one client, you might have to postpone other projects which may not be as important as that one.

And those who have worked with multiple clients know that efficient time and task management can spell the difference between a project finished on time and a complete disaster. Prioritize all your tasks and delegate them to your team members appropriately, in order to avoid missing an important deadline.

Understanding The Graphic Design Aspect

Although graphic and web design are two completely different lines of work, knowing your way around basic graphic design process can only further improve your website-building skills. Some of the basic principles include choosing the right color, contest, flow, grouping, proportion, overall balance, and spacing.

This is the basic structure, on top of which lies the surface layer, comprised of 3D effects, use of custom images and custom typography and a more advanced knowledge specific techniques used in web development.

If you only focus on the basics, your website will essentially work and be effective, but it won’t look and operate as good. Focusing only on surface finish can leave you with a visually appealing website without any underlying usability. This is why it is best to focus on both the basics and the surface finish.

Once you do, creating a compelling and visually rich website becomes a piece of cake, plus you don’t have to hire a graphic designer every time you have to do a project.

Business And Marketing Skills

If you’re working or trying to work as a web developer, chances are you’ve done some freelance work at some point. As you are essentially your own brand and business, marketing yourself and developing good business skills becomes a crucial part of your working experience.

You need to work out what exactly people want and figure out how to provide it in such a way that they’d rather use your services instead of choosing someone else. Whether you work freelance, you’re self-employed or you’re a part of
a company, good business skills are vital when it comes to finding and maintain clients, as well as doing so proficiently and with good results.

HTML Knowledge Is A Must!

There’s an ongoing debate between web developers on the necessity of having to know how to code. Some claim they can make an entire working website without knowing a single line of code, while others insist that you can’t call yourself a web developer if you have no idea how HTML works.

In reality, HTML represents the very framework on which a website is built. Not knowing it is no excuse, and experts from Nirmal Web Developer Sydney and The UK Web Design Company recommend that you learn as much as you can before you considering working in web development. Not to mention that any designer with good HTML knowledge can focus more on actual usability of the website, instead of just making it look good.

SEO And Web Development

Granted, search engine optimization is not exactly a part of web design process, but almost all clients these days want not only a working website but also a website which ranks well in the search engine results page. And this should be important to you as sites which rank high have higher traffic and better conversion rates when compared to those with a low ranking position. Furthermore, the higher the client’s website ranks, the better the chances that he’ll invite you to work on another project for them.

Not to mention that a high ranking website is a promotion in its own right.

Final Words

Like with everything else in life, practice makes perfect. So make sure to remain determined and constantly work on your skills. The more time and effort you spend on web development, the easier the job will become in the future.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t fully grasped all the work that goes into making a single website, you’ve now covered the basics and are in touch with the skill you need to hone in order to get the job done. All you have to do now is start to build your own website.

Sam Cyrus is CEO and co-founder of Green SEO, an SEO Company from Sydney. Sam is also a creative writer and likes to share his insights on entrepreneurship, business, online marketing, SEO and social media.

About Michael John

Hi my name is Michael and I am here to help you create a website that works. If you require any help building your website please contact me. I am the owner of www.2createawebsites.com and would like to help you get online. View all posts by Michael John →