Web Application Development: 7 Essential Skills You Need to Get Started

Web application development skills are in high demand. Learn the seven skills you need to become a successful web developer.

Share Share Apr 08, 2024 6 minute read

A prototype smartphone layout.

In our digital age, organizations rely on technology to support everything from product development to customer service. As technology advances, career opportunities in information technology (IT) will continue to grow.

Pursuing a career path in IT can be exciting — and lucrative. Professionals with strong technical skills are in high demand, and many job opportunities offer high salaries. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for IT occupations is higher than the median wage for all other occupations.

Web development and web app development are popular career options for IT professionals. Web developer jobs are expected to grow by 16 percent by 2032 — much faster than jobs in other industries. Between higher salaries and job security, the future looks bright for professionals with web application development skills.

What Is Web Application Development?

Web application development is the process of creating interactive web-based applications that are accessed through web browsers. It is a subset of web development, which involves designing, building, and maintaining websites and web applications.

Web developers build webpages, which are primarily static and display information that users can consume. Web application developers build web applications, which are dynamic and interactive. Web applications have functionality that enables a user to perform tasks.

For example, a bank has a website that displays information about its products and services. A web developer created the website and maintains it using basic coding languages like HTML and CSS.

The bank also has an online banking application, where customers access their accounts, transfer money, and pay bills. The bank customer signs in to access their account and manage their tasks. A web application developer created this application using more advanced programming languages like React or PHP.

What is the Web Application Development Process?

Web application development typically involves a seven-step process that entails the following eight phases:

  1. Identify the purpose. Website applications solve problems. The first step in developing a web application is to identify the problem that your application will solve.
  2. Conduct research. Next, research the needs of potential users. You may also research and assess other applications that offer similar solutions.
  3. Define the functionality. This step is about defining what the application will do. Document how the user will interact with the application and what features it will have.
  4. Sketch the design and workflow. Think about how users will progress through your application to solve their problem. Map their journey from beginning to end and try. Be sure to anticipate all the different scenarios a user could expect or choose.
  5. Build the application. After the prototype has been approved, you’ll begin coding the front and back end of the application, including the integrating databases needed to support the application.
  6. Develop a prototype. Next, create a prototype that includes basic functionality. This step helps you and stakeholders visualize the product and making decisions about design and functionality before you develop the app.
  7. Test and validate. Before pushing the application out in a live environment, you want to make sure the features and functionality work properly. If you are building an application for a corporation, testing can happen with other IT team members or with employees in a testing environment. If you are building an application on your own, you can recruit peers and other professionals in your network to test the functionality.
  8. Deploy the application. Once you have tested the functionality, the application can be pushed into a live environment.

Front end web development certificate

Back end web development certificate