App development now plays a critical role in business, and it’s a developing trend. As a budding web application developer, the software that you will create and deploy will become part of your competitive edge. If you can innovate quickly and cost-effectively, especially during this period when businesses are moving the web, you will develop a competitive advantage.
But there’s a challenge. Creating web applications is becoming more complex by the day. As a developer, you will need expert knowledge in areas such as programming languages, backend databases, user interface design, responsive design, integration, security, and more. Here are a few tips to make the process easier and cost-effective.
Market Yourself
For some people, self-promotion is an uncomfortable stretch. Others, on the other hand, it’s easy. Bragging is their second nature. There’s a group that falls in the space in between the two extremes. Whatever category you are in, you need to learn to market yourself as a web app developer if you want to make it in this cutthroat world. You can start by setting up a website that showcases your skills.
Show Your Code
Show other people your code; it’s a good way of marketing yourself — if the code is any good — and giving back to the world. Release your code into the world. Use SourceForge or GitHub to do that; they are robust, easily accessible code repositories. As you do that, ensure that your code shows good versatility, documentation, and architecture. If somewhere along the way, you discover efficient ways to do things and other clever hacks, be sure to blog about it on your website.
Networking
Many designers and developers constitute the web application building community. Therefore, you will be coming across a horde of new, sometimes friendly faces in this all-new web app development practice you have adopted. Focus on locating and befriending a few highly-skilled, like-minded individuals that can offer guidance as you deepen your skill set and broaden your career.
Go the Opensource Way
Dedicate some of your time to opensource projects. Every master in the web application development trade can tell you that opensource projects will build your work by providing a hands-on experience that will challenge you to grow. SourceForge and GitHub, again, are good places to look for some opensource projects.
Becoming a professional web app developer is not easy. You will need to put in some extra work every time. If you write a code, be as good at reading it too. That’s how you learn best.
