- Like
- SHARE
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Save
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- JOIN
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
Introduction
What are you thinking of building? A website or maybe a web application? Let’s figure out what each of them entails to get you started.
A website is a collection of web pages that are usually visibly the same and can be viewed but not edited. For example, door businesses can give their customers all the information about doors in one place. Websites are more like magazines. They are primarily informative and provide you with texts and images of different doors and prices.
A web app is usually a piece of software that can be accessed from anywhere using a phone, tablet or computer. It’s all on the web so that users can interact with the content directly. YouTube and Wikipedia are just two examples of services that require servers. So if you have an app with a web interface, you will need to set up servers for it.
Websites are usually simpler and faster to build than web applications. However, once you figure out your needs and find a team that can support you, it’s easier to get started.
What Kind of Specialist Do You Need?
You need to consider specific skills when finding a web developer for your business. For example, a startup might need someone who has good coding and design skills.
Designer vs Developer
Many people think that the words’ design’ and ‘development’ are used interchangeably. But, more accurately, a web designer creates its visual aspect, while a web developer is someone who makes its technical part.
A web designer doesn’t write the code. They design the page and prototype it. Developers turn that into an actual webpage afterwards. Their job is to make graphics for a project so that the frontend developer can finish what they started.
Frontend vs Back-end Developers
The front and back ends can also be referred to as the client and server sides. The two do not have to be opposed, as both are essential for a website or web app. The simplest contact form has a backend behind it so that entered data is sent where needed.
Frontend developers are in charge of the visible part of the website. Frontend developers assign values to such attributes of a web page as the size of all visual elements – width, height, and their overall look.
Full-stack Developers
Developers who can create websites from back to front are beneficial. They know all about programming and building a server with PHP/Python to manage the database. Full-stack developers know HTML, CSS, and JS to get the job done right.
The Takeaway
Some companies might prefer to hire just one developer on either the frontend or backend and save money. On the other hand, if you have an idea about what you want, it’s essential to find a developer who has that specific skill set.
The more complex a project, the less likely it is that you should hire a full-stack engineer since one person’s expertise usually isn’t enough for building complicated projects like a fintech web platform or a social network.
However, a full-stack developer may not be the best option for every project. For a standard project like creating a webpage with a contact form, someone with more experience in frontend development might be better.
