What Can a Front End Developer Do for My Business?

What is a Front End Developer, and how is it different from a Web Designer? Most importantly, how do you know if and when you need a Front End Development Expert for your business’s website?

You’ve heard the term front end developer – but do you know what makes them different from all the other web and app gurus out there, and exactly why the distinction matters to your business?

Many people use the terms designer and developer interchangeably – but they’re actually two different positions. As a business owner, you need to know about both to stay competitive online.

Let’s take a brief look at the distinction. You’ll hire a web designer when you need assistance with graphics and graphic design software (Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are a few examples) to complete his or her work, which is essentially creating the “look” of the product, whether it’s a website or application. The design is then combined with coding to bring the site to life for your customers.

Know this – the person designing your website definitely could be, but won’t always be, the same person in charge of the front end development of your site. Much of a designer’s work is creative in nature, and often characteristic of the work of the right brain. While aspects of the developer’s job may resemble a designer’s, it is quite different approach. A developer builds the backbone, the very spine, of your website, typically from the ground up, and definitely knows the prime languages of the web, including HTML, CSS, JQuery, and Javascript. Web developers are often thought of as left-brained workers, and technical ability and strong logic skills are essential. Experts are often versed in computer science and programming, are detail-oriented, and keen on specifics.

Front end development, then, also known as client side development, is the practice of producing HTML, CSS, JQuery, and JavaScript for a website, or a web application, so that a user can see and interact with them directly. The challenge with front end development, especially for businesses and brands, is that the tools and techniques that are used to create the front end change constantly, so a good developer is needed so you’re constantly abreast of how the field is developing – and what that means for you, the customers that need to reach you, your SEO, and defeating the competition.

The Reason Why You Must Hire a Skilled Front End Developer

You need a front end developer for your business if you need help in ensuring that the content that you’re providing to your target audience is displayed in a format that’s easy to read, seamless, pleasing – and relevant. With a large variety of devices and screen sizes available to consumers today, all of this needs to be considered when creating, updating, or refreshing a website for your business. A good front end developer will also ensure that your site comes up correctly in different browsers, like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox, different operating systems (cross-platform), and all different devices, like laptops, smartphones, and tablets. This requires knowledge and careful planning by the developer – something that not every run-of-the-mill designer, business owner or team knows how to do.

Obviously, you’re in business because you’re good at what you do, whether it be selling your signature product, providing great customer service, or doing something no one else can do. It’s also OK that you know nothing about front end development! That’s where a professional, customer-oriented, reliable front end developer comes in. When you browse your favorite site or app, and wonder exactly made it so delightful, that’s a front end developer’s work in motion! Ask a front end developer today how they can help you.

In addition to actually developing, your front end developer can consult you and your team on what to do – and how to do it. This includes guidance on developing certain pages for websites, like a career page, or project page, concerns about user experience, and what is to be expected from the new, finished product – and going forward. Much of this has not been reduced to layman’s terms – so go with a front end developer that is good at communicating!