This kind of confusion happens more often than you’d think. For example, maybe your site suddenly looks strange on mobile, or a button doesn’t do anything when clicked. Maybe you’re trying to change content or settings, but nothing happens even after refreshing the page. Or your website seems fine, but it’s loading painfully slow or showing errors. Each of these issues falls under different capabilities, and reaching out to the right person can save you time, money, and frustration.

Many people assume that a “web developer” handles everything from how a site looks to how it functions, but in reality, web development is usually split into two main areas: frontend and backend. Each plays a unique role in building and maintaining a website.

What does a frontend developer do?

A frontend developer takes care of everything that visitors see when they land on a website including how each page looks, and how the menus, buttons, and images appear on the screen.

However, it’s important to know that a frontend developer usually does not design the website itself. Instead, a designer creates the visual plan, and the frontend developer builds it so it exists and works properly on computers, tablets, and phones.

Frontend developers may also add interactive features like sliders, pop-ups, and animations, as long as they comply with accessibility guidelines. 

Accessibility is a key part of frontend development, ensuring that websites are inclusive and usable for everyone. This involves adding descriptive alt text to images, using a clear and logical heading structure, properly labelling form fields, and making sure the entire site can be navigated using a keyboard or assistive technologies such as screen readers. By following accessibility best practices, websites are more usable for a diverse range of people, including those with visual, motor, or cognitive disabilities.

Frontend development also involves dealing with cross-browser issues, ensuring that the website behaves properly on different web browsers such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Microsoft Edge and others.

What does a backend developer do?

A backend developer focuses on what happens behind the scenes. This is the part of a website most people never see but rely on every time they click or submit something. The backend handles things like storing information, managing databases, making updates, addressing security issues, taking care of the hosting environment, and keeping everything running smoothly on the server.

It’s also important to understand that certain tasks, like updating site functionality, editing or rebuilding forms, resolving server issues, managing security settings, or setting up automated backups are part of the backend developer’s role. These jobs often require access to the server or hosting environment and aren’t related to how the site looks or behaves on the surface.

What about a full-stack developer? 

A full-stack developer is someone who handles both the frontend AND the backend. In simple terms: 

Full-stack = Frontend + Backend. 

They take care of how the website looks and how it works behind the scenes, from layout and styling to servers, forms, databases, and functionality.

Who should you contact?

When deciding who to contact, think about what the project or issues are. If something isn’t showing up correctly, if pages don’t look right, or if the website needs new features that visitors can see, a frontend developer is probably the right person. If the task involves data not saving, pages loading slowly, or problems with security, it falls under a backend developer’s area of expertise.

Here’s a few simple questions to help decide who you should reach out to:

• Does the website look broken, messy, or strange?
  This is usually for a frontend developer.
  
  
• Does the website look wonky on mobile or tablet?
  This is usually for a frontend developer.
  
  
• Is the website working, but you want to change how it looks or feels?
  This is a job for a frontend developer, working with a designer.
  
  
• Is the website finished and ready to go live?
  This is for a frontend developer with possible help from the hosting provider or backend developer depending on the setup.
  
  
• Does something that used to work (like a contact form, map, file uploads, etc.) now give an error?
  This is usually for a backend developer.
  
  
• Is your site down?
  This is usually for a backend developer or hosting provider.
  
  
• If you update something on the site and nothing seems to change?
  This is usually for a backend developer.
  
  
• Does the website need regular backups or does it need to be restored after a crash or error?
  This is usually for a backend developer or hosting provider.
  
  
• Does the website need an update?
  This is usually for a backend developer.
  
  
• Does the website look fine, but it’s very slow or won’t load at all?
  This often means contacting a backend developer or the hosting provider.
  
  
• Is there an issue with your domain name, hosting, or email accounts linked to the website?
  This is usually for the hosting provider’s support team.
  
  
• Is there a security issue happening on the site?
  This is for the security specialist or the hosting provider’s support team.
  
  
• Do you need to track visits, clicks, or conversions on your site?
  This is usually for a digital marketer, SEO specialist, or backend developer.

If none of these questions seem to fit, it can help to first ask any developer for guidance. Most professionals are happy to point in the right direction if something is outside their area.