Web developers should look for ways to increase their productivity to get work done more rapidly. Maintaining a productive mindset will help a developer more effectively use their limited time to finish various projects. Being productive is not an inherent quality to all people. Just because someone is talented doesn’t mean that it will translate into speed. But finding ways to combine talent and speed will make a web developer more in demand by clients or companies. It can be necessary to develop ideas and routines that will turn into valuable habits.
1. Excitement
A developer will usually find themselves being more productive if they are genuinely interested in what they are working on. Not every project or job will provide it but the developer could need to make a self-assessment if this becomes a regular occurrence. It can be a sign that the developer is not in a stimulating environment or is burnt out. They should list the reasons why they don’t feel excitement for their work anymore. Hopefully, the problems are solvable and they can look for ways to find projects that do generate this excitement. The complexity of web development can lead to many possible problems. A developer who is passionate about their work will view the inevitable problems as interesting challenges to be solved.
2. Feedback
As a web developer completes their project, they can find it more productive over to immediately address any bugs that occur. Setting up a feedback loop to continually assess their work at set intervals can help the developer to reduce bugs in their code. Even though it can pause their workflow to check out what is going on, this will pay off over time. A web developer might need to completely halt their work if the feedback loop shows that bugs are repeatedly happening. If they can’t figure out what is going on, this might be the right time for the developer to seek out advice from coworkers or a trusted source. Having a new set of eyes to review their work can help the developer see if they have missed fixing something to stop the bugs from appearing.
3. Communication
Working on communication skills can be necessary for web developers to be more productive. By effectively communicating with a potential client or others at their workplace developers can decrease the amount of time spent on back and forth conversation and more time getting the job done. Poor communication can inadvertently cause delays in delivering work to a potential client. Some clients know exactly what they want and will be more in tune with what a developer can provide. Other clients might not be so sure of the different factors that go into web development and can be more difficult to interact with. A web developer will save time if they make efforts to address as many issues before the project begins when working with this type of client.
It might seem speedier to just start working and wait to see if what the developer produces will satisfy the client. This can possibly lead to wasted efforts if a client decides to go in another direction after the project is presented. If the developer is working freelance this can cause friction if the project is only paid for after total completion. Instead of giving the client exactly what they want, the developer must develop ways to express criticism constructively.
The client might not understand the limitations or what will be the result of their requests. By giving informed advice the developer can lay out different ways to complete the project. The client can come to see the developer as a trusted source for information and decide that working with them over longer term could be a good idea.
4. Network
Having a social network that the developer can turn to when they need advice can aid their productivity. It can be helpful to bounce ideas off others. A developer should make concentrated efforts to network with other developers. While people will gravitate to others they find personally interesting it can beneficial to seek out developers who have superior skills in different areas. Only maintaining contact with others who have similar skills will not be as beneficial as finding people who are strong where the person is weak. Having this business support in place can make a developer feel more motivated at work. The developer can return the favor by helping out others in areas they excel at. It doesn’t mean you have to be good friends rather a mutual respect can be appropriate when developing a network of business contacts.
5. Code
Developers can find it more productive to reuse previous code where possible. Creating a system that helps to not repeat work is a way to increase work speed. Over time the web developer can begin to compile a library of common code snippets that could be applied to multiple projects. The longer the coder has been working the more this library will grow. It will make work faster and easier to be able to quickly locate and use the code snippets.
6. Tools
In regard to technical proficiency, a web developer will usually be more productive by becoming an expert at using a particular tool. New developers should explore what tools are available and test out what they feel most comfortable using. Seeking advice from other coworkers or from their business network can help them find what will work best for them. Once a tool has been chosen the developer should try and learn all the features that might make their work more productive.
Conclusion:
Web developers should always be reviewing options that can make them become more productive. Taking time to implement the new concepts that they discover will benefit them. By reviewing the topics above a developer can generate ideas that will allow them to become more productive.
Web Developer & SEO Specialist with 15+ years of experience in Open Source Web Development specialized in Joomla & WordPress development. He is also the moderator of this blog "RS Web Solutions".