6 tips to improve your web app development skills

13 min read

January 12, 2024

Developing a web app is a challenging process.

And to do it successfully, you need to have the right skills for the job.

If you’re a beginner just getting started with web app development or if you already have experience, continuously improving your skills is essential.

Here, we’ll discuss 6 tips you should follow to improve your web app development skills.

Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

What is web app development?

Web app development is the process of creating an app that runs on a web server and can be accessed through a web browser.

And browser access is what sets web apps apart from mobile and desktop apps.

But, there’s one thing you should keep in mind – web apps aren’t the same as websites.

Here’s an overview of the key differences:

source: Wesrom

Here’s a good way to think about it – while every web app is a website, not every website is a web app.

What sets them apart is their functionality and complexity.

Web apps are interactive and more difficult to build.

A complex web app has more in common with a mobile app than with a simple website.

And that’s why developing them can be so complex.

Top web app development tools

Let’s take a look at some of the top tools you should use when developing a web app.

The top tools you should use are:

Angular – An open-source TypeScript-based framework developed by Google, Angular is one of the most popular front-end development frameworks for web apps.
Bitbucket – A cloud-based version control service with a built-in CI/CD pipeline You can use Bitbucket to store and manage your code.
Django – Django is a Python-based back-end framework, good for building large-scale web apps.
Figma – A collaborative design tool, Figma is widely used for user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.
Github – Github is a web-based version control service and collaborative software development platform, especially useful if you’re working on an open-source project.
Jira – One of the most popular project management tools, Jira is especially useful if you’re working on an Agile project
Node.js – Node.js is a Javascript-based runtime environment that executes Javascript code outside of a web browser, it’s a good choice to build your web app’s back-end.
React – Developed by Facebook, React is a Javascript library for building user interfaces (UIs). React is flexible and easy to use and is especially suited for developing single-page web apps.
Visual Studio Code – An open-source code editor developed by Microsoft, Visual Studio Code is one of the most popular web app development tools.
Vue.js – Vue.js is a progressive, open-source Javascript framework. It’s especially popular for building UIs and single-page web apps.

The tools you’ll end up using will depend on your expertise and a project’s specific requirements.

Now, let’s take a look at some top tips to improve your web app development skills.

6 tips to improve your web app development skills

Join open-source projects

Working on open-source projects is a great way to improve your web app development skills.

According to JetBrains’ 2023 The State of Developer Ecosystem report, 41% of respondents have contributed to open-source projects – and among those who haven’t, 45% said they would like to do it.

Contributing to open-source projects will also connect you with a network of thousands of other engineers who’ve also contributed to a particular project.

And if you don’t know where to start, here’s a list of the top open-source projects by number of contributors in 2023:

Top open-source projects by contributors in 2023

source: Github Blog

But, how exactly does joining open-source projects help you improve your web app development skills?

For starters, contributing to open-source projects gets you real-world experience which you can add to your portfolio.

This also means you’re solving real-world problems, which is invaluable if you want to improve your critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

On top of that, you’ll likely collaborate with other engineers from diverse backgrounds – this will both improve your teamwork skills and help get you networking opportunities.

And that’s why joining open-source projects is so valuable.

Why it’s important

Gives you practical experience – contributing to open-source projects counts as experience ande
Helps you learn new technologies – open-source projects are the best way you can learn the basics of new frameworks, languages, and tools.
Helps you keep up with the latest trends – open-source projects often adopt new technologies and practices sooner than commercial projects, helping you keep up with the newest trends.

Work on your soft skills

Being technically proficient is key when it comes to developing successful web apps.

But your soft skills are just as important if you want to improve your web app development skills.

In fact, employers are more likely to hire you if you have strong soft skills.

According to NACE’s Job Outlook 2023 report, the top 3 skills employers consider the most important are:

Communication
Critical thinking
Teamwork

All 3 of these are soft skills.

And they’re just some of the soft skills you should work on, some others being:

source: Enterra Solutions

But how can you use these soft skills in practice?

Let’s say you’re part of a team working on a complex web app.

A product discovery team is by definition a cross-functional team.

And this means you’ll need to effectively explain technical concepts to non-technical team members and stakeholders.

You should always try to explain complex ideas in simple terms and clearly communicate technical requirements.

Also, you need to learn to listen to and respect different ideas and viewpoints – this is key if you want to improve a soft skill like teamwork.

It’s also a good idea to regularly ask for constructive feedback from your coworkers and superiors on your soft skills.

Continuously improving both hard and soft skills is key if you want to build better web apps.

Why it’s important

Improves your communication skills – working on your soft skills will help you communicate better with your colleagues and clients
Helps you transition into a leadership role – having strong soft skills will help you much more easily transition into a leadership role as you progress in your career
You’ll work more efficiently – if you’re good at time management and organization, you’ll end up working much more efficiently and get more done

Attend meetups and hackathons

Going to meetups and hackathons is another good way you can improve your web app development skills.

And on top of that, they’re a great way to connect with the tech community and keep up with industry trends.

You might even lay the groundwork for a successful app.

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GroupMe, a group-texting app, grew out of a prototype built during a hackathon in 2010 – and just over a year later, Skype acquired it for a reported $80 million.

So, how do you find meetups and hackathons to attend?

The best place to start is online groups and community forums.

You’ll likely find plenty of local meetups, conferences, and hackathons.

But, there are many open hackathons you can join from anywhere in the world, like:

As for meetups and conferences, some of the biggest are:

Whichever meetup or hackathon you attend, they’re a great place to expand your professional network, learn new things, and keep up with the latest trends.

And that’s a great way to improve your web app development skills.

Why it’s important

They’re a good networking opportunity – hackathons and meetups are a great way to meet other professionals in the field, which can lead to new opportunities and collaboration in the future
Hackathons improve your problem-solving skills – because they usually involve a challenge and a time limit, hackathons help you come up with innovative solutions and solve problems quickly
They improve your technical skills – working on a hackathon project or participating in a discussion during a meetup will help you improve your technical skills and learn

Use AI coding assistants

AI coding assistants are a game-changer if you want to improve your web app development skills.

A survey by Github shows that the vast majority of engineers are already using them – 92% of them, in fact.

And for a good reason, too.

According to a study by McKinsey, AI coding assistants can help you complete certain tasks in half the time.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

source: McKinsey

Generative AI coding assistants significantly speed up tasks like writing code documentation, code generation, and code refactoring.

But, which tools should you use? And how do they improve your web app development skills?

There’s a number of AI coding assistants on the market, like:

They automate repetitive tasks and improve the quality of your code, so you’ll work more efficiently.

All of these tools have a free pricing tier or offer a free trial, so feel free to try them out and see which one best fits your workflow.

If you use them to automate repetitive tasks and write code faster, you’ll have more time to tackle complex tasks.

And solving challenging problems is the best way to improve your web app development skills.

That’s why investing in an AI coding assistant is a good idea.

Why it’s important

You’ll work more efficiently – By automating repetitive tasks, AI coding assistants increase your efficiency and allow you to focus on solving more complex problems
They can improve the quality of your code – AI coding assistants can analyze your code for errors and inefficiencies, improving your code’s quality and readability
They encourage you to use best practices – AI coding assistants are trained to suggest the latest coding best practices, which encourages you to adopt them as well

Get the right web development certificates

Getting the right web development certificates is a great way to improve your web app development skills.

If you’re a beginner looking to get into web app development, there are a lot of certificates for beginners on the market.

And if you already have experience, you’ll also find plenty of specialized and advanced certificates.

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So, how do you make the right choice? And what are some top certificates on the market?

The most important thing is picking certificates that align with your career goals.

So, if you want to specialize in front-end development, a specialized certificate for back-end development isn’t relevant to you.

If you’re a beginner, some certificates you should consider are:

And if you’re an established engineer, you can get certificates like:

Certified JavaScript Developer by the JavaScript Institute
AWS Certified Developer – Associate
Certified Professional Web Developer by the World Organization of Webmasters (WOW)

All of these certificates will help you get a better understanding of web app development.

And that’s the best way to improve your skills.

Why it’s important

They’re a validation of your skills – Certificates are a formal recognition of your skills and knowledge which improves your credibility
You get access to valuable resources – Many certification programs give you access to valuable learning materials and resources you can use even after you’ve finished your certification
They make you more attractive to employers – Having credible certificates will make you stand out from the crowd and make your resume more attractive to employers

Focus on writing clean code

Writing clean code is essential if you want to improve your web app development skills and build better web apps.

Like software engineer Martin Fowler once said:

“Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.”

In fact, you spend a lot more time reading and trying to understand code than actually writing it.

Nicholas Thapen, founder and CTO of Sourcery, estimates that engineers spend around 80% of their time reading and trying to understand code.

And that’s why writing clean code is so important.

But, what does it look like? And how can you write clean code?

Here’s an example of cleaned-up PHP code:

source: DEV Community

As you can see, the clean code on the right is much more readable and easier to understand.

So, how do you write clean code?

There are 3 key things you should always do:

Have consistent naming conventions
Write clear function and variable names
Have organized file structures

That’s the foundation of writing clean and readable code.

On top of that, you should also follow industry-standard style guidelines – that’ll help you with consistency.

Also, make sure you document your code.

While good code should be self-explanatory, appropriate comments and documentation will make it even more understandable.

And writing clean, well-documented code will help you develop better web apps and improve your skills.

Why it’s important

More readable code – clean code is easier to read and understand, which makes working and iterating on it in the future easier
Fewer bugs and issues – writing clean code means you minimize the risk of introducing major bugs, making your web app more stable and secure
Improves collaboration – if your colleagues can easily read and understand your code, you’ll collaborate more effectively

Tips to improve your web app development skills: FAQs

What is web app development?

Web app development is the process of creating an app that runs on a web server and can be accessed through a web browser.

Which tools should I use to develop a web app?

You should use:

Angular
Bitbucket
Django
Figma
Github
Jira
Node.js
React
Visual Studio Code
Vue.js

What are the best tips to improve my web app development skills?

They are:

Join open-source projects
Work on your soft skills
Attend meetups and hackathons
Use AI coding assistants
Get the right web development certificates
Focus on writing clean code

Which soft skills do employers think are the most important?

The top soft skills employers think are the most important are communication, teamwork, and critical thinking.

Conclusion

Improving your web app development skills is key if you want to become a better engineer and build better web apps.

And the tips we’ve covered here will help you do just that.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

If you want to learn more, read our step-by-step guide to developing a web app and our article on the top 10 web app development tools to use in 2024.

6 tips to improve your web app development skills

What is web app development?

Top web app development tools