What does it take to be a successful web developer, according to you? Skill set, knowledge of the platform and coding language! Is it all? Not really! Being a truly successful web developer requires a set of characteristics and personality trait. Rather than considering it a knowledge that can be mugged up, it should be considered a skill that should be developed with time. Other than the technical experience, there are a lot of things that you need to learn with time. Are you a website builder? Do you aspire to be a trail blazer in this field? The blog has complied some of the skills and traits that are a must for becoming a successful web developer. Have a look.
Analyze the customer requirement
The entire designing and development phase depends on the requirement of the user. In fact, the web development starts and ends with the user requirement. So, a developer who understands the needs of the end user will turn out to be a good developer. Analyzing the user need doesn't mean that you need to observe what attracts the user more. The visitors may initially be attracted to the visual graphics, but they may exit from the site if they don't find any value. Get an insight of what actually the users are looking for instead of what they are using.
Plan before you code
No matter how good a coder you are, an efficient strategy is a must. Gone are the days when every department of the website building right from graphic designing to the marketing worked separately. In the competitive scenario, you need to plan everything ahead of time. Nothing should be kept as a reserve for the future. A developer should have be a good strategist as well. Planning ahead of designing is the first aspect of the same otherwise everything can get messy. The idea is to create a solution for the client and not just a website. Things like optimizing the load time, and creating a friendly interface should be considered first.
Keep yourself updated with the latest technology
Having the basic knowledge of the HTML, Javascript and CSS is the building blocks of all web development. However, the technology keeps changing and you need to keep yourself updated accordingly. A single person just can't master each and everything, but being aware of the progression of the industry is important. For instance, if you are looking to build an eCommerce store, you need to have an idea about the various platforms and factors such as responsive website and others. Whether you are a builder yourself or you are planning to hire an eCommerce web development company, this basic information will help you get the heart's desire.
Be a market researcher
The market research is a must, regardless of the purpose. Whether you are designing your own site or that of your client, doing an in-depth study of the market forces is essentials. Along with a high-quality code, an efficient user interface and user experience are essential. So, once you take the requirement of your client, check out the competitor's site. Analyze the good and the bad reviews of the users of the similar type of websites. Take the Heatmap analysis of these sites. This will give you an idea of the items on the site that are getting more attention from the visitors and the things that are being ignored.
Work as a team
As mentioned above, the entire process of web development should be planned and executed simultaneously. An ideal developer should work as a team along with the designers, testers as well as the marketing personnel. The designers should be aware of the functionality of the pages that they are designing. The marketing team should be aware of each and every function of the site. The testers should know the goal you are working for. This will help them find the gap between what was required and what has been developed. A good team player means understanding the role on a larger scale. Haste brings waste, so instead of going ahead of others, try to take every aspect together and move steadily.
Have a business sense
The design and development in the real world are all about a good business sense. Regardless of the fact that you are a freelancer or a salaried employee, you need to take the charge. Right from taking the note of the requirement of the client to balancing cost, everything needs to be considered efficiently. As mentioned above, it is not just about designing the site for the client, it is all about creating a business solution.
Summing up
Wrapping it up in few words, I would say that web development is a fun-filled, but challenging field. It is all about coping up with the ever-changing market scenario and brushing up the skill set with the technological advancements. So, whether you are hiring a PHP developer or aspiring to become one, keep yourself in sync with the changes and be an ideal developer.
