Essential Front-End Developer Skills: The Top 10 You Can’t-Miss

Websites nowadays are eye-catching and also responsive at the same time. Ever wondered who’s the reason behind such creative websites? What makes it look so attractive? Front-end developers are responsible for building such beautiful and purposeful websites. Front-end developers are the ones who look after how well the website looks and behaves.

Now that you know the reason behind those amazing websites, let’s look at some of the skills needed to be a front-end developer. Although there are numerous skills, In this blog, we’ll be going through the Top 10 front-end developer skills you must definitely know in order to become one.

Let’s understand who’s a front-end developer before we read about the skills needed to be one.

Who’s a front-end developer?

A front-end developer is one who works on the design and implementation of the interface. He/She is responsible for the look and feel of the website. Front-end developers need to have a good command of programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The look, navigation, and layouts are all made by front-end developers.

Confused about full-stack developers/front-end developers/back-end developers?

Also, full-stack developers are completely different from front-end developers. Front-end developers implement the interface in which the user interacts, back-end developers are responsible for handling data and infrastructure. Full-stack developers are those who have knowledge of both front-end development and back-end development.

Salary of a front-end developer

The salary of a front-end developer varies as per the location, and experience one has, and also on the basis of skills. If you’re an experienced person and have good skills in front-end development, the salary you may receive will be high. Let’s understand this in brief:

In India –

Fresher – 2-3 LPA
Experienced – 12 LPA
On Average – 5 LPA

In the USA –

Fresher – $67k
Experienced – $128k
On Average – $78k

Top 10 Skills of a Front-End Developer

Front-end developer skills include technical and non-technical skills which perform all the responsibilities successfully. Given below are the most important skills you should have to be a front-end developer.

1. HTML

HTML abbreviated as Hyper Text Markup Language is a scripting language used for building web pages. It is the foundation and basic building block of websites. HTML is the most important skill that you as a front-end developer must have. HTML is used to create text and links and add images, videos, and many more elements to a webpage.

It is a beginner-friendly language that anyone can learn easily and in a short span of time. If you’re a beginner, you can use Notepad to edit and save the file with the .html extension to see how it works on web pages. Also, you can use different IDEs in case you want to build projects.

2. CSS

CSS which stands for Cascading Style Sheet is another important skill that is a must to have along with HTML. HTML and CSS come hand-in-hand so you can practice both simultaneously. It is used to make the webpage look attractive and catchy. It is used to add color, font, format, and layout to the page making it more engaging.

You can also play with the font, font color, and text, and bring effect to the page. It brings life to your webpage. It is because of CSS that users stay on your website and invest their time in it because of its engaging and attractive nature.

3. JavaScript

JavaScript is the most demanding and highly popular programming language that every developer must learn. Front-end developers use JavaScript to make the webpage interactive and dynamic thus adding meaning to your website. Also, it is the default language of the browser and thus can be recognized easily. You must be very well-versed in the concepts of JavaScript like functions, arrays, loops, objects, variables, and many more.

The best thing about JavaScript is that you can use it for front-end and back-end development, both. Start practicing small projects on JavaScript and then move to the implementation of applications.

Do check out the online JavaScript course which covers all the concepts required for you to have a good grip on it. Also, if you’re a beginner and wondering where to start here’s the Best JavaScript Roadmap Beginners Should Follow which covers all the basics to advanced-level concepts of JavaScript

4. Frameworks

After learning the programming languages, another most important skill for front-end developers without which front-end is nothing is a framework. You must have knowledge of the framework. You must be wondering now what’s a framework.

The framework is a collection of well-defined codes that act as a tool to build well-structured, reliable software and systems used to speed up development time. You should be familiar with at least one framework. There are various frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue, etc. for front-end development.

Have a good command over any framework – the most demanding one and easiest is React. React, developed by Meta (Facebook) is an open-source, JavaScript-based library used to build UI (User Interfaces).

5. VCS

Version Control System is another important skill that every front-end developer must have. It is a system that holds the record of modifications made in the code in a file. Using VCS, you can keep track/record of changes made in the source code from time to time, thus knowing the updates in the version.

You can also edit, undo, and redo the changes made earlier. Git is a perfect example of VCS where developers make changes in the code without affecting the earlier version. GitHub is a system where multiple developers put their thoughts into a project and come up with innovative applications.

6. DOM Manipulation

DOM (Document Object Model) is a programming interface for web documents. DOM represents the document as nodes and objects and you can change the document structure, style, and content using programs. DOM manipulation is a must-have skill for any front-end developer.

DOM manipulations interact with the DOM API to bring modifications in adding, removing, editing, and moving elements rendered in a web browser. It allows you to create, change, and remove elements from a website document. You have to select and store a reference to the DOM inside a variable and then you can update the data and change the layout of the page without refreshing it.

7. JSON and AJAX

The next important skill that front-end developers must have is JSON and AJAX. JSON and AJAX are two important elements without which the front end may not function properly. Let’s look into each briefly:

JSON – JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is a lightweight data interchange format, it uses JavaScript prototype objects to transfer the data. You can a lot of encoder and decoder libraries for server-based web languages like ASP.NET MVC, JSP, etc. It contains data types like arrays, strings, Boolean, and even null.

AJAX – Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, (AJAX) is a technology where you can perform asynchronous request-response cycles. Using AJAX, you can send requests to and get responses from the server without any disturbance to the current page. AJAX is a must-have skill you should learn for building webpages that are multi-functioning.

8. NodeJS

NodeJS is an open-source, cross-platform, back-end JavaScript runtime environment to execute JavaScript code without a browser, that runs on the V8 engine. Using NodeJS, front-end developers can minimize delays and process a high quantity of requests, providing a smooth experience. NodeJS uses are not only limited to back-end development but also offer maximum uses for front-end development.

It also offers useful minimalism and speed that can empower an exceptional user experience. Node.js gives you the power to create a speedy, JavaScript-based framework that minimizes server load and user waiting time.

9. Responsive Design

The next and the most important skill, a front-end developer must have is “responsiveness“. Front-end developers must focus on how well-responsive a website is. Being responsive means, a web application must be accessible on a mobile, tablet, laptop, and other devices as well.

Not only accessible, but it should work as well on multiple browsers. The page should fit in and look good irrespective of the device in which it is opened. On the basis of the platform on which the webpage is opened, it should adapt itself properly. Following this practice increases the traffic of the website and thus improves the search engine ranking results.

10. Testing and Debugging

The last step when all the functioning part has been done in front-end development is testing and debugging. This is a must-know skill for front-end developers. Front-end developers should make sure that the website is bug-free and thus testing and debugging are performed to find bugs/errors in the website.

You can read code line by line, skim through it, and check for errors. Testing is a practice to ensure the quality and functionality of a web application. Some of the types of testing commonly used are unit testing and component testing.

To Conclude

In this blog, we have discussed the top 10 front-end developer skills that you must know and follow. When you learn these skills and become proficient in them, the chances of getting hired as a front-end developer in a product-based company increase. Also, these are the most demanding skills one should have. In your front-end developer journey, these skills are a must-have.

FAQs

Q1. How to become a front-end developer?

Ans1. To become a front-end developer, you just need to follow a few basic steps and have rigorous practice on them-
1. Be proficient in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
2. Read about frameworks
3. Start working on some projects
4. Build your portfolio
5. Explore GitHub

Q2. Which language is mostly used in front-end development?

Ans2. For front-end development, you need to be proficient in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You’ve to learn these languages very well and have proper hands-on practice with them. Using these, you can build some amazing websites/web pages.

Q3. How can I become a front-end developer?

Ans3. To become a front-end developer, start by learning the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Take online courses or attend coding boot camps. Practice building projects and collaborate on open-source projects to gain experience. Create a portfolio to showcase your work and apply for front-end developer positions.

Q4. How can front-end developers optimize website performance?

Ans4. Front-end developers can optimize website performance by minimizing file sizes, leveraging browser caching, using content delivery networks (CDNs), and reducing the number of HTTP requests. Performance optimization leads to faster loading of websites and better user experiences.