Do you ever find yourself wondering “what does a web developer do?”
We don’t blame you! Their role is incredibly important, but often flies under the radar.
All digital marketing activities eventually lead back to your website, and to get the best website, you want a web developer.
Put simply, web developers are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining websites. But that doesn’t do their work justice. They are masters of both design and code, combining both to create websites that function perfectly and look good doing it.
Read on to learn more about what web developers do, as well as hearing from our own expert web developer, Todd Esplin!
The responsibilities of a web developer
There are three main kinds of web developers:
- Front-end – who work on user-facing projects like websites
- Back-end – who work on server development
- Full-stack – who work on both
In this article, we’ll be discussing the activities of a front end web developer.
While developing a website is complex, there are three broad responsibilities a web developer has on a day-to-day basis: integrations, writing code scripts and optimisation.
Integrations
Integrations are the bread and butter of web developers.
Often, a client will want their website to perform a certain function, but won’t know whether it’s possible. Rather than completely rebuilding their website, a web developer can often find an integration that can connect their website to a software that will perform the desired function.
Where an integration can’t be found, web developers will create one. This is where website clients are really getting value for their money. Custom integrations are – as the name suggests – brand new connections that have been tailored to the client’s specific needs.
Pretty cool!
Writing code scripts
Web developers can write in code the same way we can write using regular language. The difference is, where we write for humans to understand, they write for machines to understand.
Most front-end web developers are fluent in the HTML, CSS and JavaScript coding languages and can use them to create the layout and functionality of a website.
Aside from writing new code to create website functions, they must also be fantastic trouble shooters. Often they’ll be approached by clients who have failing or outdated websites and they’ll need to use their diagnostic abilities to identify and repair broken code.
Optimisation
It isn’t enough for a website to just be functional – after all, websites are assets. Web developers don’t just want them to be okay – they want them to be great!
This means websites need to be optimised for speed, responsiveness and general usability. Just a few of the things web developers will optimise include:
- Compressing images and videos to improve loading times
- Minimising unnecessary code to improve site speed
- Managing the cache to improve site speed for repeat visitors
- Implementing ‘lazy loading’ which only loads images when the user is looking at that part of the site
- Ensuring responsiveness on all devices
It’s these tricks, and countless others, that make website browsing a smooth and enjoyable experience.
Skills web developers need
There are many skills, both technical and behavioural, that web developers need to create incredible websites. These include:
- Able to analyse a complex problem and identify a solution
- Create custom code scripts
- Diagnose and correct bugs
- Deploy code in a live environment
- Optimise websites or update outdated ones
- Develop processes that assist with troubleshooting and quality control
- Maintain the security of websites, integrations and plugins
- Advanced problem solving skills
- Ability to work autonomously or as part of a website design team
- Able to interpret client requests and deliver solutions
Interview with a web developer
Todd is our resident web developer here at Oddball. It’s his magic that allows us to do incredible things with websites. His custom solutions make sure that every client walks away from their Oddball experience with the website they wanted.
What does a web developer do and why is it important at Oddball?
In a nutshell, web developers are problem solvers. Our role is to deliver business outcomes for our clients by implementing technological solutions.
From the client’s perspective, this means creating websites that not only look beautiful, but are also functional, and effectively do everything the client needs to help them to reach their goals and objectives.
This is really important at Oddball in particular, because websites are really the cornerstone of digital marketing, given that they allow all other online marketing activities to be possible. In that respect, it’s essential to have a strong foundation.
What do you enjoy most about being a web developer?
Honestly? Writing code is just fun! It always provides plenty of opportunities for analytical and creative thinking.
I find it really rewarding to be able to create something new out of nothing. Even more so when I get to see how that creation benefits other people. It’s a great feeling.
What’s your greatest achievement as a web developer so far?
Perhaps my greatest achievement has been developing EDGE-compliant software for Company Registrations (ASIC). However, I also won an award for an application I developed at a financial-planning software provider, which turned a 5-hour manual daily task into a 15-minute automated process!
What’s something unique about being a web developer at Oddball?
I love the diversity. It’s great having an opportunity to work with clients from a variety of industries, and interact with different systems and software.
No two projects are the same, and each has their own unique challenge so there’s always the opportunity to learn something new. It’s also a great collaborative setting at Oddball. We have an amazing team, and plenty of creative talent, so it always pushed me to deliver my best work.
Do you want to be a web developer?
Being a web developer is one of the most exciting digital marketing careers available. Website revamps and builds are one of our fastest growing service offerings.
Oddball Marketing is a constantly growing business. We are often hiring for a variety of roles. Check our careers page to see if there is one that suits you.
Even if there isn’t an open position, enquire anyway so we can retain your details on file for future positions.
We also have more resources about digital marketing which you can read on our website.
