Why Learn Web Development?

You’ve been on websites before, but have you used them for every profession? Web development is used by all industries currently on the market, and people will use it in positions that don’t exist yet. Web development has a place in any role, even if it mainly operates offline and in-person, and having these skills will improve your overall value to your company.

This guide will teach you more about how web development can enhance your professional life and personal projects. Learning web development is a valuable and impressive skill to add to your resume regardless of your goals.

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?

Common Professional Uses for Web Development

Because the internet is becoming increasingly relevant, Web Developers have a place in nearly every industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, web development professions are expected to increase by 13% between 2020 and 2030, which is faster than most other fields. That’s a significant number of openings, and it’s reassuring for those who are seeking job security in a high-paying field.

Saying that every industry can use web development might sound extreme, but think about it—there are websites for sodas like Coca-Cola, ketchup like Heinz, and clothing stores like Macy’s. Your local hospital, school, library, and pizzeria likely have websites to help them connect to the public. As more effective ways to connect through the internet develop, these industries will need more Web Developers to ensure that people can use them consistently.

Your Career Will Thank You

Anyone’s career can benefit from web development skills. As more and more businesses move online, “online skills'' are increasing in demand. Any amount of coding experience will improve your chances for employment, promotion, and overall career advancement because of the web’s long standing relevance.

Since 2020, more companies are hiring remote employees, and more people are using the internet for everyday tasks such as grocery shopping. Fields such as education, medicine, finance, law, marketing, and entertainment shifted online quickly to adjust to the pandemic, and there’s one thing that’s been unanimous: interest in the online world is strong, and ease of access will only get stronger.

The web is the power of today, tomorrow, and beyond. Even small businesses benefit because owning a website helps improve its credibility, branding, and traffic. Small businesses can now reach global audiences thanks to their online presence, which they cannot achieve from in-person operations alone.

To paraphrase Steve Jobs, learning to code helps people think in ways that will help them as the world becomes more tech-savvy. Learning web development will help you, your business, and your career evolve as the internet becomes more synonymous with growth.

Showcase Your Passions—Without Social Media

We all have our passions, and many people showcase them online through social media to engage with a community that shares their interests. But social media has limitations that may make it difficult to reach the people you want to reach. If the platform ever shuts down—as MySpace and Vine did—your page will go down. There’s also the possibility that your posts may not be found by those who share your passions. Although hashtags and SEO play a role in discoverability, it is usually limited by the algorithms used by each unique social media platform.

Creating a website for your passion projects gives you more control over who sees your work. More importantly, you’ll be able to choose how your audience can engage with your work and connect with them in a more personalized manner. But that doesn’t mean you have to choose between the two. Why not have both?

Your Hobby Can Grow Into Something More

Did you know that Facebook, Microsoft, and Disney all started as side hobbies? Similarly, think about the YouTubers who presented things that excited them—from gaming to cooking to comedy—in a video format and then turned their passions into full-time jobs. If you have a website, you’re effectively building a digital portfolio. You can link all of your social media to it. All of your photos, all of your art, all of your sports accomplishments—your website can act as a hub where everything that represents the best parts of you is in one place.

Many common hobbies use the same skills as web development, including those that do not involve technology, such as exercise and board games. Interestingly, many hobbies improve web development skills without needing to write code. You never know what can happen. Joe Merrick, a UK-based freelancer, started his Pokemon news site, Serebii.net, for fun with a friend in 2004. It’s now his full-time work, which he fondly has called a “full-time hobby.” This achievement would not have been possible if Joe hadn’t learned to code.

Start Today

The best time to start learning development is now since the internet’s showing no signs of slowing down. As mentioned earlier, education has shifted online, and you can take web development classes from anywhere.

Check out the selection of courses and certificate programs that are available and see which one is best for you. Take your passions to the next level, expand your career horizons, and build your dream website that builds your dream future.

How to Start Learning Web Development

Learning web development can seem complicated, but many resources are available to simplify the process. Many people benefit from in-person and live online web development courses because of their interactions with classmates and instructions. Each course is taught in real-time, so you’ll learn from the same experts whether you’re in a classroom or halfway across the world.

You may want to try a class, but obligations keep getting in your way. Life happens, and it’s perfectly understandable if you want to reshape your schedule but need to wait a while first. During that time, you can try an on-demand web development class to build some foundational knowledge while you’re getting everything situated. Plenty of on-demand courses are accessible through Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare.

If your budget is tight, you might want to avoid spending money immediately. Luckily, Noble Desktop has created a playlist of free web development video tutorials on YouTube and a collection of web development reference guides that will help you through each step of the process. These resources will be invaluable as you start your journey from beginner to professional Web Developer.

Read the full guide on how 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 is one of the most diverse skills in the modern world.
• Every industry needs Web Developers to bolster their online presence.
• Having a website increases your credibility for your small business and passion project
• Websites complement social media accounts by centralizing attention without worrying about competing posts.
• You can receive comprehensive web development training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.