Published on October 18, 2024

What Does a Web Developer Actually Do?

Web Developers bring website designs to life by setting up layouts, adding graphics and content, and making sure the site runs smoothly and quickly. They also test to make sure the website works well on all types of screens—whether it’s a computer, mobile phone, or tablet. If you want to be a Web Developer, you’ll need to know how to write code using popular languages like JavaScript, HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and others.

Web Developers often work closely with others on larger teams, like Software Developers, Web Designers, Project Managers, and other key people. They spend a lot of time collaborating and communicating to make sure everything runs smoothly.

What Is a Web Developer?

A Web Developer designs, builds, and maintains websites, software, and web apps. They use coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to turn a design—whether their own or from a design team—into a functional website, product, or mobile app.

When a Web Developer does their job well, the website strikes a balance. It shouldn’t be too simple for experienced users, but it also shouldn’t be so complicated that beginners get confused or frustrated.

A Typical Day for a Web Developer

The daily tasks of a Web Developer can be very different depending on the project. With a variety of clients and their web products, as well as the focus on front-end or back-end development, Web Developers often wear many hats. This is one of the exciting parts of the job — no two days are exactly alike!

Here are some common tasks a Web Developer handles daily:

Collaboration is a big part of a Web Developer’s daily routine. They often attend team meetings with Content Creators, Graphic Designers, UI Specialists, Marketers, Client Services Managers, and others. Web Developers also work together to troubleshoot, review, and fix code that needs improvement. Senior Web Developers might spend time mentoring Junior Web Developers and managing team projects and schedules.

Depending on the size of the company, a Web Developer might focus on a specific role or handle a wider range of smaller tasks. Freelance Web Developers, however, often take on client projects from beginning to end.

What Is the Job of a Web Developer?

Web developers are responsible for creating a product that satisfies both the client’s needs and the needs of the end user. They work with stakeholders, clients, and designers to understand the overall vision, including how the final website should look and function.

Debugging

A big part of web development is finding and fixing bugs in a process called debugging (you can even use a rubber duck to help!). This helps keep improving a website or system.

Web developers are great problem-solvers who often find solutions and workarounds to keep everything running smoothly. If you’re thinking about switching to a coding career, being a good problem-solver is a valuable skill to have!

Working with Programming Languages

All web developers know how to use certain programming languages. However, the languages they work with can vary based on their job title and area of expertise. For example, an AI engineer would need to be skilled in at least one AI programming language to complete their tasks.

If you want to see how these tasks look in real life, we spoke with one of Mueller-Solution’s coders, Florian Mueller, to get a glimpse into a typical day for a web developer.

At a higher level, web developers can be divided into three main types: frontend, backend, and full-stack. This infographic provides a clear comparison of the tasks for each type.

To better understand what a web developer does, let’s take a closer look at each type, starting with frontend developers.

What Does a Frontend Developer Do?

A frontend developer is responsible for coding the part of a website or application that users see and interact with. In simple terms, anything you can see and use on a website is the frontend developer’s job. This includes buttons, drop-down menus, and pop-ups, as well as ensuring the page looks good and works well on mobile devices.

Frontend developers take backend data and turn it into something easy to understand, visually appealing, and fully functional for everyday users. This part of programming is also known as the “client-side.”

Let’s look at some of the tasks frontend developers are expected to perform:

Frontend Developer Tasks

The frontend developer creates the website’s layout and adds interactive elements like buttons and scrollbars. They also work with images, content, and internal links (links that take you to different pages on the same website).

Frontend web developers also make sure that websites look good on different browsers and devices. They write code to make the website responsive or adaptive to various screen sizes, so users have the same experience whether they’re on a mobile phone, desktop, or tablet.

Frontend developers also perform usability tests and fix any bugs that come up. They keep SEO best practices in mind, manage software workflows, and create tools to improve how users interact with a website in any browser.

Front-End Developer Responsibilities

Here are some basic tasks that a Front-End Developer may be responsible for:

What Does a Backend Developer Do?

Just as the frontend focuses on what users see on the website, a backend developer takes care of what happens “under the hood.” This is called the server-side of web development.

If you’ve ever bought something online or filled out a form, you interacted with the frontend, but the backend is what makes everything work.

Backend Developer Responsibilities

A backend developer is responsible for building and maintaining the technology that powers the frontend, which includes three main parts:

The code that backend developers write ensures that everything the frontend developer creates works properly.

In addition, it’s the backend developer’s job to ensure that the server, application, and database all work together smoothly.

Backend Developer Tools

So how do backend developers do this? First, they use server-side languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, or Java to build the application. Then, they use tools like MySQL, MongoDB, and SQL Server to find, save, or edit data and send it back to the user in frontend code.

The server side is also known as the data layer, and being able to work with databases is a crucial part of being a backend developer. Like frontend developers, backend developers also communicate with the client or business owner to understand their needs and requirements. They deliver solutions in different ways, depending on the specifics of the project.

Backend Developer Tasks

Typical tasks that a backend developer might perform include:

If you ask many people what a web developer does, they might laugh and give a sarcastic one-word answer: “Debugging.” Backend developers are no different—they are responsible for testing and fixing any issues with the backend elements of a system or application.

What Does a Full-Stack Developer Do?

A full-stack developer is someone who understands and can work on both the frontend and backend of a website. They are experts in every stage of the web development process, which means they can actively code and also provide guidance on strategy and best practices.

Full-stack developers are skilled in both frontend and backend languages and frameworks, as well as server, network, and hosting environments. The specific technologies a full-stack developer knows can vary based on their area of focus, but for example, they typically have a strong command of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for frontend development, along with the backend runtime environment Node.js.

Most full-stack developers have many years of experience in different roles, giving them a strong foundation in all areas of web development. They are also knowledgeable about both business logic and user experience.

Because of their wide range of skills in programming, it’s no surprise that full-stack developers are not only well-paid but also well-suited for freelance work.

What Does a Mobile Developer Do?

Lastly, web developers and software engineers may also specialize in mobile app development for iOS or Android. iOS developers create apps that run on Apple’s iOS operating system. They typically use Swift, the programming language that Apple designed specifically for their apps.

Android developers create apps that work on all Android devices, like Samsung smartphones. Java was once the official programming language for Android, but it has now been replaced by Kotlin, which is the newer language used for Android development.