What Is Web Development? (Definition, Types, Career)

Summary: Web development involves building and maintaining websites, covering front-end design, back-end logic and full-stack development roles. Web developers use coding languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and the field is growing rapidly with strong job prospects and competitive salaries.

Web development is the act of designing, building and maintaining websites and web applications. The field encompasses a broad range of tasks, including everything from coding, to technical design, to the optimization of website or web application performance. Web development largely consists of front-end and back-end components:

Front-End Web Development vs. Back-End Web Development

Front-end web development consists of the user interface (UI) and the look and feel of the website or application for end users.
Back-end web development consists of the databases, logic, APIs, servers and everything else that powers the website behind the scenes.

Web Development Explained in 10 Minutes. | Video: Aaron Jack

Types of Web Development

The three main types of web development are front-end development, back-end development and full-stack development.

Web development covers all aspects of how a website functions and appears to end users, but the work itself is often broken down into these three types:

1. Front-End Development

Front-end development is responsible for the aspects of a website that users see and interact with: the user interface (UI). Front-end developers are well-versed in HTML, CSS and JavaScript, often working closely with design and UX teams to capture both the intended look and feel of the site, while also creating a quality user experience across multiple device types.

2. Back-End Development

Back-end development is responsible for all the aspects of a website that users do not see. This is also known as server-side development because back-end developers focus primarily on the behind-the-scenes logic, APIs and database interactions that power the site.

3. Full-Stack Development

Full-stack development is a more holistic approach where the developers responsible for the site or app take care of the entire development stack, from the inner workings typically performed on the back-end to the presentation layer normally handled by front-end developers.

What Does a Web Developer Do?

Web developers create and maintain websites and web applications, specifically by creating a website’s code, connecting the site to a server and maintaining its accessibility to users. Web development is responsible for building the sites and applications we use through a web browser in our day-to-day lives.

Web developers — often working in teams or alongside other tech professionals like data scientists, UX designers and product managers — use specialized techniques and a thorough knowledge of one or more programming languages to create a foundation that supports the website’s database and server-side logic, known as a back-end.

The back-end is dependent upon the website’s server, which stores web pages and applications to be loaded into the web browser upon request. The web server acts as an intermediary, delivering requested web content by processing client requests and retrieving data from its associated database.

Web developers are also responsible for creating the front-end of a website through the use of HTML, CSS and JavaScript, which creates the layout and style that the user sees and interacts with when using the site.

Finally, web developers are responsible for maintaining the site’s functionality and overall performance over time.

Is Web Development a Good Career?

The median salary of a web developer is $92,750 in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web developer jobs are expected to grow 8 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for other occupations.

Web developers are in high demand. There are currently more than 2,000 front-end developer jobs hiring on Built In’s job board.

Frequently Asked Questions