What's the Key Difference Between Frontend and Backend Development?

It’s important to have at least some understanding of frontend and backend development if you’re involved in web design, but the truth is that most developers are only fluent in one of the two. What’s the key difference between frontend and backend development? And which should you focus on as an aspiring web developer? Let’s take a look at the differences between frontend and backend development so you can choose which side to be on.

Frontend Developers

Many companies hire frontend developers for their projects. The role of a frontend developer is to build websites, applications or mobile experiences from scratch. Some companies will have one or more front-end developers on staff while others will outsource work to a third party. A significant difference between front-end development and backend development is that there are fewer specialists in desktop application building than web developers, which means that hiring a talented professional can be somewhat difficult. Since it’s hard to find skilled talent, some companies will recruit full-stack engineers—developers who understand both back- and front-end processes—to fill these roles.

Project Managers

First, you have to hire frontend developers, who are skilled in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AngularJS, Bootstrap and/or some other front-end development platform. Then you need to work with them to come up with wireframes for your site (not unlike what web designers do). Once these are completed, you can begin putting together the back end of your website. This typically involves writing or rewriting a CMS backend that is responsible for publishing content on your site. You'll also want to make sure your site will be optimized for mobile devices. That means either creating a separate mobile version of your site or building a responsive design into your existing one.

If you're building a new website from scratch, it's also likely that you'll want to build an eCommerce solution into it so people can buy products directly from your online store without having to go through another retailer like Amazon or eBay. At any rate, once all of these pieces are put together, it’s time to test everything before launching your new business online! You don't want any last minute surprises when it comes time to launch!

Content Managers

If you’re in charge of hiring new talent, it can be difficult to tell whether or not they have a background in frontend development. While you may think their resume would give it away, there are key differences between frontend and backend roles that might surprise you. We’ve outlined three of these differences here to help your next hire thrive at your company. The obvious difference is where each developer works. Frontend developers work primarily on how things look, while backend developers work primarily on how things work. What isn't as obvious is what exactly each developer does within those two categories: For example, do both designers and engineers touch HTML code? Yes! It’s all about what you want to achieve with your site/app/software. There are many different kinds of webpages—homepages, product pages, 404 error pages—and each one needs different kinds of styling.

Business Analysts

When companies are trying to figure out how to develop a website or mobile app, they’ll often look for a business analyst. As a business analyst, you’ll create documentation and specifications that businesses will use when hiring a frontend development company. Business analysts usually don’t have much (if any) coding knowledge, but instead have deep experience in problem-solving. This is particularly helpful if they know what questions to ask of developers. They may also work with product managers, who help figure out exactly what a business needs from their product. The most important thing about being a business analyst is being able to think like your client—in other words, knowing exactly what your client wants from their product. If you can do that well, then you’re well on your way to becoming an expert at working with clients and helping them build great products.

Website Owners

For website owners, it’s critical to have a handle on both front-end development (or client-side programming) and backend development (or server-side programming). A website owner has to understand both sides of code in order to ensure that their site is properly optimized. If they don’t know how things work behind-the-scenes, they may be compromising their own site by using outdated coding techniques or improperly designing their pages. Both mistakes can lead to serious problems with user experience, security, and performance. To avoid these pitfalls, we recommend working with an experienced team of web developers who are familiar with both sides of web development.

The key difference between frontend and backend development lies in what each side does for your website. In short, a developer who specializes in one side will be able to create beautiful websites but won’t always understand why certain features aren’t working as expected. Meanwhile, a developer who knows only about one side will not be able to create beautiful websites but will always know why certain features aren’t working as expected.

Conclusion

The key difference between frontend development and backend development is that they're entirely different jobs. For example, frontend developers create user interfaces using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. On the other hand, backend developers focus on software design but are often responsible for working with a team of backend developers as well. Because of their specialization, these two roles are often filled by two different people on a software development team.