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If you would like to be a web developer or web designer, there are certain skills that you should be aware in order to be successful in this profession. The skills mentioned below are some of the important skills that you need to be a successful web designer.

1. HTML

For any web developer or web designer, the most important thing is HTML. If you know HTML thoroughly, you will understand how the web works and it will be important throughout for your career. For both web developers and web designers, HTML is imperative.

2. CSS

CSS is an important language for a web designer and it is an important language after HTML. CSS is the one that powers the web design and will determine page appearance. Without this, a web designer will not be able to produce innovative websites.

3. Design Sense

For any web designer, it is important to have good sense of design. Than just looking out for the colours, there is lot more things attached to it. You should be aware of design elements and the principles of basic design.

4. Ajax and JavaScript

The first interactive element of the websites is JavaScript and before learning any other language, the web developers should be always comfortable with JavaScript. You will be able to create Ajax Websites once you understand the how the JavaScript connects with the websites.

5. C++, PHP, Perl, Java or ASP

WebPages can be programmed using the language that you use. Other than the languages that are mentioned above, there are some other languages that can be used to program the WebPages. The programs include C++, PHP, Perl, Java or ASP

6. MySQL Database

For most of the Web applications, building and maintaining a database is very much essential. On the web, MySQL is one of the most popular database and even learning SQL or Access will be helpful.

7. Flash

If you would like to add vector graphics and animation, you can get it through flash. Using this, more interesting websites can be created by both web developers and web designers.

8. SEO

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is one of the most useful and important tool in building websites. The SEO will be affected by the way HTML is written, the content, image quality and much more.

9. Web Server Administration

If you know some things about the server that your website is running on, you will be able to solve the problems and can make your site to run better. Most of the web designers feel that they can ignore the server and you will be able to build a better site once you are aware of the server .

10. Project Management

In any profession, one of the critical jobs is project management. If you come to know how to manage a project, you will be able to keep it on track so that it will help you to endear you to all the managers with whom you work presently and in future.

If you want to decide what kind of Web developer you would like to be, this question is very tricky. There are several options where you can choose from.

Design:
It includes “Layouts” and “CSS” as well as “Graphic Designing”

Programming:
Writing “Flash Applications” or “Ajax Web2.0 Applications or “CGIs”

Content:
In this there will be creation of images and also writing the text that will be displayed on Websites.

Databases:
“Database Administration”, “Working with XML” and “Connecting Sites to Database”.

Information Architecture:
“Setting up of informatics behind Websites” and also “making the Websites easier to navigate and use”.

Metrics:
In this it is only to watch the page views and to track in order to validate the efficiency of “Web design work”.
There are many more options where you can choose from

If you want to be a Web Programmer, some of the languages like Perl. C++, JSP, ASP, Java or PHP will be heavily featured in your works daily. But, usually content writers and Web designers do not use these languages at all. C++ is one language you may use to write scripts and CGIs in order to make your WebPages more interactive and to have dynamic look.

In the field of Web, there are several other jobs that will not require any kind of programming and these jobs will be having the titles like program manager, designer, content co-ordinator, information architect and several other titles. Here you can choose either programming or non-programming route. Here you will be working with designers who will know programming and also with designers who will not know programming.

Money and job prospects in this Web Programming

It may or may not be true that only Web programmers are the ones who could make more money than Web designers and other than these both DBA would make more money. If you do Web programming only for the sake of money, you will not be able to do it and if you do it also, you will not be good at it. Here you will not be making money like the people who really loves doing Web programming and also the person who is really good at Web programming. This is also true with Web designing and with DBA as well. Before taking up any job, you have to be interested first.

When you take up a particular job, you have to even work on all the segments like content, code and design where you have to do some part of the equation as well. If you work with designers who do not know code writing, they will come up with the design the way that you might work and also the designs that they want to look. Then you might work on building some of the codes (JSP or CGI or other languages) that will be used to make the design work.

You have to focus on some parts of the job and have to enjoy working and you will get better.