Earning at home becomes easy if you are into web development.  This is one of the ideal freelancing careers that are in demand right now. It may be your chance to become a freelancer where you are your own boss and your workplace is your home. 

So let’s talk about how you can start a career in web development. The first thing you need to understand is the difference between a web designer and a web developer.

Many are still confused about what roles web designers and web developers do.  Although both have important roles to play in web development,  their functions are completely different.  In this article, you’ll learn the difference between the two – specifically when it comes to their roles in creating websites.

What they do

Web designers focus on the appearance of a website. They make the website look good. Their task and responsibilities revolve around the layout and visual aspects of a website. Their objective is to make visitors stay around for as long as possible by making the site visually pleasing and user-friendly. 

Web developers build the website from the ground up.  Whatever creative feature the web designers come up with, the web developers bring those features to life.  Their job involves mostly technical work like coding and frontend configuration, backed server features ad database support.  They ensure that the website is running and functioning as desired.

Skills they possess

There are 3 types of web designers: User Experience (UX) Designers, User Interface (UI) Designers, and Visual designers.  The skill sets may vary depending on the type of web designer you want.  Generally, some important skills include:

1. Creativity and creative problem solving
2. HTML and CSS knowledge
3. Photo editing and graphic design skills
4. Understanding of website design principles
5. Project Management

There are also 3 types of web developers: Front-End Web Developers, Back-end Web Developers, and Full-Stack Web Developers.  Normally they are the technical type.  Their skills mostly include the following:

1. Knowledgeable with coding languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, Java and Ruby
2. Experience with Content Management Systems (CMS)
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
4. Analytical Skills
5. Project Management

Tools they use

The tools they use are also one way of differentiating them from each other. 

Web designers utilize graphic design software.  The most common software products they used are Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Inkscape, and GIMP.  Web Developers use programming languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript to create websites and web applications.   Developers utilize several tools like text editors, command-line interfaces, and version control systems.  Some common software is Sublime Text, Chrome Developer Tools, jQuery, and GitHub to name a few.

How much they make

In terms of salary, it is usually dependent on your level of experience.  For the purpose of comparison, according to the website Glassdoor, the average annual pay for web developers is $68,858 (in the US, as of April 2021), while the median annual pay for web designers is around $57K. 

Final Thought

So which will you be? The good thing about web development is you can be both.  Of course, it is still important to have a niche but if you can learn both, the better.  In today’s setting, it will require you to have adequate knowledge of both fields.  This will give you more job opportunities and a better income.