Have you ever wanted to learn how to develop but felt intimidated by the amount of experience required? You’re not alone! This post should provide some guidance into the steps that go into website development in Kansas City (ie: making a web app, making a website, etc.), resources you can use to get started, and some advice from our very own web developer, Chris Meyers!
Q: What’s a good starting point for learning how to code?
“Find a framework that you want to learn and go that website. This might be Laravel or WordPress—they’re both great places to start.”
Q: What are some resources you would recommend?
Q: What’s the first step to developing an app?
“When you’re developing a web app, it’s important to look at what’s already out there. PHP and Java, for example, have been around for a long time and have spawned a lot of software. Odds are, what you want to build may already exist, and you can add or modify from there.”
Q: What’s one of the difficulties you face as a developer?
“One of the greatest challenges is matching the tool to the job. A client might want a WordPress site that they can update themselves, or they may need an ecommerce plugin. If the product catalogue is extremely complicated, Magento may be needed.”
Q: Where should someone start if they’re just beginning their developer journey?
“The easiest programming languages to learn are PHP and Python, since they have the lowest barrier to entry. The syntax is relatively sane, and there’s a bunch of info out there if you need it. You can start small—no need to use a big framework. There are a ton of things available that are already working, so there’s no need to build an app from scratch. Even custom applications use a framework like Laravel.”
Q: What advice can you give to those who want to teach themselves coding?
“Start with a project. Don’t try to learn how to code; Learn how to build something.”
Q: What should a developer never do?
“One of the worst things a developer can do it edit the server directly. In my 18 years as a developer, I’ve learned that coding on the fly isn’t something you don’t ever want to deal with.”
Q: What’s the most difficult challenge a developer can face?
“Trying to code for something that keeps changing shape or clients that don’t know what they want.”
And for those thinking about hiring on an agency for their web development in Kansas City…
Q: What are the perks to hiring an agency over a single contractor?
“Freelance coders can be a risky gamble. You have to ask yourself why they haven’t landed a full-time gig yet, with all the perks of insurance and 401Ks. Single developers need different time frames, and they’ll have to have a variety of skillsets to handle most projects (ie: management, organization). They’ll have to split their time among many tasks. However, with an agency you have different roles available. An SEO specialist can give their input into the project, and a social media expert can help you get the word out about your app/computer program.”
Contact Us
Special thanks to Chris Meyers for sharing his insight for this blog post! You can check out his website here. We are a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in mobile development and website development in Kansas City. Contact us if you have any questions about our services, or check out this blog post to learn more about web development basics!