How to Learn Web Development

You’ve been on countless websites, but have you ever wondered how people create them? Web development is the art of building websites, and similar to how there are a wide variety of websites, there are also dozens of ways to learn it. The avenues for learning web development might be overwhelming at first glance: books, video tutorials, and classes are only a few options.

Your learning style and personal preferences will be the best for you. This guide will discuss various methods you can use to learn web development to help you make an informed decision before getting started.

What is Web Development?

Web development is the art of creating a website and ensuring it’s consistently usable. Web Developers use various coding languages to achieve this goal, and it’s common for coding teams to have a person—or multiple people—entirely dedicated to web development. It’s commonly broken down into three types: front end, back end, and full stack development. Each type has a unique role that contributes to the website’s operations.

Front end web development works with the website's client-side, referred to as the “front end.” This part of the website contains the sections people can see, such as sliders, banners, text, and other visual information. On the opposite side, back end web development works on the website's server-side, or “back end.” This part of web development controls the website's functionality and is where all its data resides.

Full stack web development is a fusion of the two and takes on their best qualities. A Full Stack Developer will have skills in each category and can seamlessly maneuver between the front and back end. Teams will often have at least one Front End Developer, Back End Developer, and Full Stack Developer readily working on the website regularly.

Read more about what web development is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Web Development?

Web development can bolster your career, highlight your hobby, and possibly evolve into a small business of its own. Every industry, from medicine to finance to education, has adapted to the world’s changes and is relying on the internet to complete its work. This list only scratches the surface—nearly every business has shifted online because they value the easy access the internet brings them and their clients.

You’ll increase your professional value by having web development skills and helping build your company’s website. You can also shift career tracks by using web development as a bridge. Are you in medicine but want to switch to art? First, you can start web development for hospitals and then pivot to creating websites for artists. The internet’s importance to all industries means you can easily change companies as you progress.

While you can showcase your passions on social media, having a website increases your credibility, helps you connect with others without vying for their attention, and creates a centralized location for your work. Most importantly, it allows you to operate on your own terms without worrying about sudden changes to a social media platform’s algorithms or policies. And, if you want to build a network on social media, why not have both?

In-Person Web Development Training

In-person training is the type of learning everyone is most familiar with– students go to a physical training center and are taught in a classroom. Some perks of this learning method are distraction-free because the building is often intended to be a “learning space.” You’ll also have the opportunity to speak with other people who are equally passionate about web development. The main drawback of in-person training is that you’ll have to commute to your training center consistently, which may not be feasible if you have work, family, and other obligations throughout your week. That includes any traveling fees, such as gas or bus tickets.

If you’re near New York City, you can learn at Noble Desktop’s training centers. If you’re not, you can find a local web development training center using Noble’s Classes Near Me search engine. Some excellent centers include Epicodus, Austin Coding Academy, and any college or university near you that offers web development classes to the general public.

Live Online Web Development Training

Live online courses have been around for a few decades, but they’ve become prevalent within the last few years. They’re as engaging and interactive as in-person classes, but you can take them anywhere. You’ll also learn from the same experts that would teach in-person courses, and you can talk to them in real-time if you ever have questions. The main drawback of live online classes is that you’ll need to set up your work environment by yourself, but thankfully many training centers will provide you with tech support upon request.

You can find live online web development courses through Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me search engine, where you can find popular programs such as the Front End Web Development and the Full Stack Web Development certificates. Other noteworthy providers include Practicum Bootcamp, Nashville Software School, and DeltaV Code School. All of them are solid choices, and you’ll gain practical knowledge in web development that’s worthwhile in the long run.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

Did you know that there are free web development classes too? These courses are ideal for future developers who want to learn some basics before investing in a web development course. Look over this playlist of free web development tutorials from Noble Desktop to help you decide which classes are best for you.

Once you’ve found the topics that match your interests, you can start searching for web development classes. Plenty of free courses are offered directly through Noble Desktop, General Assembly, Udemy, and Coursera to help guide your search. These training facilities have quality overviews of HTML, CSS, and other web development fundamentals.

Read about more free web development videos and online tutorials.

On-Demand Web Development Classes

You might have a busy schedule that can’t easily change within the next few weeks. That doesn’t mean you have to wait to begin your education. On-demand web development courses are one of the best ways to start learning because you can take them at your own pace. They’re the perfect supplement to in-person or live online classes to help you review subjects or refresh your memory on specific topics.

The major drawback of on-demand classes is that you won’t be able to contact your instructor quickly. There’s a chance you won’t be able to contact them at all. However, on-demand classes will help you decide which web development subjects you want to try first. From there, you can search for other classes that appeal to you.

Which Learning Method is Right for Me?

Everyone has their optimal way of learning, and what works well for one person may not be the best choice for you. Experiment with multiple tools and see which one feels right. One of the best aspects of web development is that there are multiple ways to make a well-functioning website—you don’t necessarily need to stick to the methods your teachers use.

It’s crucial to consider your current schedule before choosing your learning method. If you have responsibilities such as a full-time job or family commitments, you may be unable to devote time to a structured course that requires you to travel daily. Self-paced classes or video tutorials may be a better fit if that sounds similar to your situation. People with more flexible schedules may prefer learning in-person or live online.

Why Learn Web Development?

Web development is unlike most coding disciplines because it has many uses beyond computer science. The world has become increasingly digital over the last decade, and since 2020, more and more businesses are looking for people to build their websites.

As the world becomes more reliant on the internet, the demand for web development skills will continue to increase. Plenty of programming languages used in web development also apply to other fields, allowing you additional opportunities to branch out in your career. For example, Back End Web Developers frequently use Python in their daily tasks, which is also used in other in-demand fields like data science and machine learning. That leaves plenty of room for income raises in positions that already earn six-figure salaries.

Read more about why you should learn web development.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost

Web development’s difficulty will depend on how much you try to learn at once. You might get overwhelmed by taking multiple classes to learn web development quickly. Most people have an easy time learning web development, and it’s common for new coders to try it before branching into other programming languages.

While there are no specific prerequisites to learning web development, it’s a good idea to look into learning search engine optimization (SEO), web design, user interface (UI), and user experience (UX) design as well. These topics don’t necessarily require web development knowledge; you can start learning about them before or after your web development training.

The programming languages needed for web development are open-source, meaning they’re free to use and modify as you please. The only costs associated with learning web development are the ones you’ll spend on your computer and any courses you choose to take.

If you want to prepare for a web development career in a short amount of time, an immersive bootcamp is the best path to take. For those who are only trying to learn the basics, try a shorter, low-commitment web development class first and see if it’s right for you. Once you have the fundamentals down, you’ll find that the workload of web development classes is much easier to manage.

Read about how difficult it is to learn web development.

Learn Web Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers high-quality web development classes and bootcamps that are flexible to your learning needs. These courses, taught by experts in web development, are available in-person at their training center in Manhattan and live online internationally. Noble ensures that you will work in small groups with your instructors to help you receive individualized attention, support, and career mentorship. All Noble courses are also available for a free retake up to one year after completion.

Beginners might be interested in the Front End Web Development certificate program because it gives them the practical knowledge needed to become Web Developers. This program has two tracks depending on how quickly you want to learn: the full-time option takes four weeks to complete, while part-time students will complete the course in four months.

For those that are interested in learning more about web development as a whole, the Full Stack Web Development Certificate will show you all of the significant concepts associated with client-side and server-side web development. This course is another excellent option for beginners since you can take it with no prior experience. Noble’s courses come with certificates that you can proudly display on LinkedIn or send to employers alongside your resume.

Key Insights

• Web development has diverse applications, even if you work outside the computer science field.
• There are many ways to learn web development, including in-person, live online, and on-demand classes.
• In-person classes are ideal for anyone who can travel consistently.
• Live online classes are best for you if you have work or home obligations.
• On-demand classes are ideal if you have an irregular schedule.
• Video tutorials can help you choose which web development course to try first.
• Noble Desktop has comprehensive web development training, resources, and classes to assist you in your web development journey.