If you are unsure that learning HTML & CSS is right for you, consider reading on to learn more about the myriad uses of HTML & CSS tools and techniques. Not only will learning HTML & CSS open up a number of new career opportunities, but it also has a lot of potential personal uses.
What is HTML & CSS?
HTML and CSS are two essential tools that form the foundations of any web page. They’re often used together, but they both serve different purposes for web coding. The key differences lie in their implementation, ease of use, various features, and their structure, but both are essential to web development.
HyperText Markup Language HTML) HyperText is a markup language that’s understood by computers, designed to describe web pages and make text more interactive. Originally invented in 1989, HTML is used for creating the primary content of a website, is supported by every single browser, and is established on pretty much every web page in existence. No licenses are required, you don’t need to pay for it, and it can be pretty easy to learn and code.
Cascade Styling Sheets (CSS) is a type of language you can use to describe the presentation of a markup language, like HTML. It effectively determines how the building blocks, as laid by HTML, are decorated and presented to the user. CSS originated in 1996 and is used for background color, styling, layout, borders, and shadowing, all the essential design features that make a webpage look smart and navigate easily. It allows you to distinguish between presentation and content by modifying the design and display of HTML elements.
If you’re interested in exploring the world of programming and web development, HTML and CSS are the ideal place to start. Mastering these tools will provide you with the appropriate foundation to learn programming languages like JavaScript, Ruby, Python, or SQL.
Professional Uses for HTML & CSS
Computer Programmers, Web Developers, and Web Support Specialists are just a few of the positions that use HTML and CSS. Other job titles you’ll see are Front End Developer, Junior Developer, and Webmaster. Each of these jobs will have their own individual responsibilities that will dictate the kind of work you do and the ways you use HTML and CSS.
The primary overlapping responsibilities of these roles are to employ various programming techniques and tools to create high-quality websites. Front end web development focuses on the "client-side" of websites that users can see and interact with, primarily using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Junior Developers and Webmasters will also focus on these things while incorporating some back end development as well.
These roles are tasked with creating a coding environment that is reusable, understandable, and simple to modify or debug, and a key part of this is constantly updating the program to maintain a flexible coding framework. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that demands for Web Developers will increase by 8% between 2019 and 2029, faster than the average for all occupations, so there’s ongoing potential for a fulfilling career in web development.
Creating the Visuals
Anyone working in web development will use HTML to dictate the format, style, font size, and pictures that are seen on the webpage they are creating. Within an HTML page, there are five sections:
- <!DOCTYPE>: this tag exists to tell the browser about the type of HTML used on the page; it doesn’t contain any content.
- <html>: there must be a <html> tag at the beginning and end of each document, communicating to the webpage that anything between those tags has HTML content.
- <head>: this section contains metadata; this part isn’t displayed when the page loads but instead contains key information about the page, such as characters, links, and styles.
- <title>: this is where the title of a webpage goes; this is a key place to include keywords if the web page wants to be well-positioned in search engines. With only one <title> tag per page, it’s a key part of the page setup.
- <body>: here’s where the meat of the website lies, containing all text, paragraphs, links, images, videos, and more.
Faster and Easier Page Setup
CSS helps you to use less code to accomplish multiple things, creating pages that are faster and easier to set up. CSS also makes the overall user experience more pleasing, thanks to its ability to create more attractive web pages. And, since CSS code can be replicated across multiple pages, you can save time and speed setting up the page and loading it later on.
Compatible and Adaptable
HTML is compatible with every browser, and CSS is heralded for its adaptability to websites, mobile web design, and so much more. Combining HTML and CSS can help you easily and quickly create adaptable web designs that can be read and navigated on a variety of devices which, in today’s digital age, is a must.
Other Uses for HTML & CSS
If you aren’t interested in becoming a professional web developer, HTML and CSS can still be useful to you. Whether you’re a coding hobbyist or own your own small business, mastering HTML and CSS can create exciting new challenges and opportunities.
Customize Your Personal Site
If your goal is to have a website that stands out from the crowd, you’re going to want to learn HTML. Plenty of website templates exist for everything from blogs to portfolios, but creating a one-of-a-kind website will be much more rewarding. HTML lets you customize your website or build your theme from scratch. It also allows you to create and organize the elements of your website, like images, text, tables, or forms.
Collaborate With Technical Teams
Many roles unrelated to programming work with developers on a daily basis. Learning HTML helps ensure that you and your technical teammates are aligned and understand each other. Being an expert in the basics of programming can save time and streamline communications as you’ll understand what is required to implement your new ideas.
A Stepping Stone for Programming Languages
When you’re just starting out, it’s easy to get intimidated by complicated syntax and various functions and methods of programming languages. Starting with a programming language that’s relatively easy to learn, like HTML and CSS, will help build your confidence. Plus, HTML and CSS are commonly considered the foundations of all other programming languages. Once you’ve mastered them, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to easily master others like JavaScripts, SQL, and more.
Learn HTML & CSS Skills with Noble Desktop
Live HTML and CSS courses are an ideal learning method for those entirely new to the field. Live online classes are great for those who prefer a solitary learning environment with minimal distractions. They allow you to learn from the comfort of your own home (or wherever you choose), providing more flexibility. Additionally, if you live in an area with limited (or no) in-person options, online classes open up more opportunities for you.
Live classes allow you to work with other students, make new friends, and receive feedback and input from your instructor in the moment. These classes also provide a higher level of accountability and are a superb choice for those who struggle to keep themselves motivated or on task. They are, of course, less flexible than an online class, but often their advantages outweigh this one disadvantage.
A great place to start would be Intro to HTML & CSS, a hands-on course that will teach you the basics of both of these fundamental tools. You’ll hand code a webpage from scratch using HTML, learning how to format paragraphs, headings, and lists. You’ll also learn how to create links, add images, and modify tags with attributes. By the end of class, you’ll be familiar with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), including tag selectors, class selectors, and the class attribute.
Noble Desktop’s HTML Email Certificate will help you gain skills to create responsive emails with personality. Boasting small class sizes led by expert instructors, you’ll learn HTML and CSS coding, including how to code effective and cross-mail-client compatible emails and optimize emails for desktop, webmail, and mobile users. By the end of this program, you’ll be able to code emails that display properly in various email apps for your business or clients.
Their Web Development with HTML & CSS will teach you how to develop websites with HTML and CSS, the coding languages used to create web pages. Using HTML, you’ll learn how to create webpages with text, images, and more. Then you’ll use CSS to style the content, create centered page layouts, add background images, style navigation, and make the page responsive so it adapts to various screen sizes using media queries. Finally, you’ll upload files to FTP to make your site go live.
If you’re looking to go a little deeper, you could try the Front End Web Development Certificate. You’ll learn HTML to mark up web pages, CSS for styling, JavaScript to add interactivity and animation, and Git to track code changes and collaborate with other developers. Ideal for those new to coding, you’ll develop the skills to create responsive websites optimized for any size screen (mobile, tablet, and desktop). Additionally, you’ll learn how to use WordPress, the world's leading content management system, to create customizable websites and edit content without the need to be a programming expert.
How to Learn HTML & CSS
Master HTML and CSS with hands-on training. HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are used to build and style webpages.
- Front-End Web Development Certificate at Noble Desktop: live, instructor-led course available in NYC or live online
- Find HTML & CSS Classes Near You: Search & compare dozens of available courses in-person
- Attend a HTML & CSS class live online (remote/virtual training) from anywhere
- Find & compare the best online HTML & CSS classes (on-demand) from the top providers and platforms
- Train your staff with corporate and onsite HTML & CSS training