Web developer – is a specialist who creates, changes, and supports websites and web applications.
Web application – is an interactive website. A user can interact with content on such kinds of websites: get requested information, fill out forms, purchase, etc.
The result of web developers’ work is the products that we daily face in our routine life: social networks, streaming services, online banks, etc.
In this article, we will try to work out all the issues that might happen when hiring web developers.
In This Article, Let’s Figure Out:
- What does a web developer do,
- What are the types of web developers,
- What kind of web developer do you need,
- Where to find one,
- How to assess his knowledge,
- And finally how much it will cost.
Web developer responsibilities
In his work, a web developer:
- Elicits and clarifies project requirements;
- Collaborates with web designers and other developers;
- Creates website mockups based on the clients’ requirements;
- Develops application server part;
- Integrates data from various server services and databases;
- Creates and manages development documentation;
- Helps in emergency situations (ex. when the site is down).
- Maintains and improves the website after its completion.
The set of duties depends on the project a specialist is involved in and a role performed. It can lead to the shortening or expansion of the tasks listed above.
3 Types of Web developers
Web development is a complicated process and not always a developer can do all the works alone.
In recent years, common practice assumes the division of web development into 2 separate major areas: frontend and backend development.
Such division implies that 3 types of developers can be involved in the development process: frontend, backend, and full-stack developers. Each kind is responsible for a certain part of the process.
Frontend-developer – is a person who creates what users can see and interact with on the site (buttons, forms, tables, menus, etc.).
This is done based on the mockups and designs created by web designers. The task of a frontend developer is to transform images into code that a machine can understand. Moreover, this should be done so that the image looks equally good on different screens of laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Such adaptive design is called a responsive design.
Backend-developer – is a person who works with what is hidden from users’ eyes. He writes code that processes users’ actions (processes and writes information in the database)
The objective of a backend developer is to make a website that will make all the calculations in a fast and secure way.
Fullstack-developer – is a developer able to take care of both frontend and backend. This professional is not deeply versed in certain types of development, however his knowledge is sufficient to do the job at an acceptable level.
What kind of developer do you need
On average any team should include both full-stack developers and specialized developers (separately frontend + backend). What matters is the ratio of developers in the team to make the development process more efficient and meet the expected quality.
Here are some tips to help you build a proper team for your needs.
What projects should have more full-stack developers
Versatility is the main peculiarity of full-stack developers. Due to the fact that they are well versed in both directions of development, they can easily switch between tasks and adapt to the necessary conditions.
This distinguishing feature of full-stack developers makes them a perfect match for startups where project requirements can practically change on the daily basis.
What projects require more specialized developers
Specialized developers focus on a targeted field and know all its specific details. Such professionals are in demand for projects where specialized knowledge matters a lot.
For instance, the Zolak project where neural nets are leveraged to determine articles of furniture in interiors.
A professional in machine learning who can create the logic of application work is required for such a project. A full-stack developer may simply not have sufficient knowledge to cope with it.
How to share responsibilities with the team
One of the best practices is to use full-stack developers at the beginning of the project. They create the framework for frontend and backend developers. Due to understanding both fields, they can define potential discrepancies beforehand that results in higher project integrity.
This framework is further used by specialized professionals. Since they are focused on certain tasks, they often have more field-specific experience. This enables to solve problems in a more efficient way rather than full-stack developers with the same work experience would do it.
What should be done in case of a really small project
If you have a small project like a company website or a landing page, one full-stack developer can help to address this need in a better and more economical way.
First, you will pay fewer taxes compared to paying salaries to two developers. Second, it will be easier for one person to link the frontend and backend parts into one system since negotiation and potential misunderstandings are simply excluded, and the same person will do this job from the inception to the end.
Where to find a Web developer
The location where you should look for a developer depends on how you plan to collaborate with him.
If you are looking for a full-time team member, leverage personal connections, job aggregators, and professional recruiters. In the case of a one-off job – freelance platforms and dedicated developers.
Learn more about where and how to look for an appropriate candidate in our article How and Where to Find Developers who Meet your Needs.
How to interview a Web developer
An interview of a web developer consists of two parts: theoretical knowledge and practical skills assessment.
Questions to be asked to a web developer depend on the kind of professional you interview: frontend, backend, or a full-stack developer. The seniority level of the interviewed developer: Junior, Middle, or Senior will also guideline the asked questions. Learn more about how to interview web developers in our dedicated articles: How to Hire Frontend Developer, How to Hire Backend developer, and How to hire FullStack Developer.
How much does it cost to hire a Web developer
Rates of web developers are mainly determined by two factors: geographical location and type of developer. We’ve studied the rates of web developers on Stackoverflow, Ziprecruiter, Payscale, and Glassdoor and distilled the average data in a single table.
More information on what forms the cost of a developer, what it depends on, and what are the ways to cut the costs when hiring a developer is presented in our article How Much Does It Cost to Hire an App Developer in 2021.
All in all
The most important thing when hiring web developers is to find the balance between frontend, backend, and full-stack developers. To do so, you should clearly understand what is the objective and what resources you are ready to spend on the initiative. We hope that the answers given in this article will help you find the necessary balance. Good luck!
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