Despite the thousands of template companies and domain hosts out there telling you it’s easy to create and publish a website in minutes, developing a website is no simple task. In fact, to establish a significant presence on today’s internet a specialized team of web developers and designers is required. Out of the box webpage templates are And because the business world is becoming more and more web-centric Web Development is an excellent career choice for techno-savvy individuals.
Web development loosely describes all the people and steps involved in designing, building, and managing a website. This encompasses everyone from marketing team members, writers, computer programmers, designers, and IT administrators among many others. Because this basic definition is so general in nature, it can be confusing figuring out exactly where a web developers main responsibilities lie.
For the purposes of this article we will break up the web development process into two categories; design and development. It’s also important to note that while each category requires specialized knowledge and expertise, the core functions of a web developer often blend together between the two categories and often times include duties in management and maintenance as well.
Web Design is the first thing most people think of when discussing the web development process. Web designers are the graphic artists of the web world. Web designers are almost entirely rooted in the styling and aesthetic value of a website. The designer’s responsibility is to create a website template that is visually stimulating, pleasant, and easy for the visitor to navigate. The designer is responsible for creating a website which mirrors the look and feel of a given company’s overall marketing and promotion objectives.
Recent industry trends have encouraged distinguishing web design from web development. Where designers function primarily in the realm of form, developers operate almost exclusively in the world of function. Web developers focus primarily on the aspects of coding, building, and maintaining the companies web presence. Often times web developers are also asked to handle most of or all the back end tasks associated with maintaining a website, such as handling the hardware infrastructure, hosting plans, and budgeting associated with publishing web content.
Another career area in development and content which has just begun to gather steam is in the arena of Mobile Development. Mobile development is quickly becoming a specialized and highly desirable career path. Consider that mobile games and applications comprise a $5 billion industry, one which is growing at a breakneck pace. As more and more companies look to cash in on the smart phone trend, they are looking to experienced and innovative mobile developers to help put their company in the hands of millions of consumers daily. There are many mobile applications that are designed to specifically mirror their website counterpart, from social networking sites such as facebook and twitter, to arcade style games like bejewled and minesweeper. And behind every successful mobile application stands a dedicated mobile developer.
If you like computers, design, and problem solving, the wonderful world of web development might just be for you. There is no shortage of careers in web development considering almost every business today has some sort of web presence and in order for businesses to survive in the next century strong web branding is important. There are a number of schools that offer courses and degrees in web development and design and upon graduation the career possibilities are endless. From in-house development and management to outsourced project development and consulting, there’s bound to be a career path that is right for you.