News, tricks, resources and everything related to creating HTML-based web pages.

2009- 12-02

Web Design and Deveopment Salary Projections for 2010  

In its annual salary guide, Robert Half Technology (http://www.roberthalftechnology.com/SalaryCenter) outlines in great detail the changes to Tech 70 job titles and compares 2009 salaries to 2010 salaries.

Web Developer -2.8%  ---  $57,000 – $88,000

Web Designer – 2.9----$50,000 - $76,000

Technology Positions in Demand

Applications developer and web developer: Maximizing the effectiveness of critical applications is key in any economic environment, but especially when the organization is looking for every way possible to control costs and increase efficiencies. Companies of all sizes rely on developers to create and improve applications that help them acquire new customers, interact internally and perform other key functions. Professionals well-versed in interactive web functionality and social media are in especially high demand.

Fastest-Growing Industries

Here are four industries in which IT growth is expected to continue in several markets:

Healthcare: An aging population, the need for constant technology upgrades and government funding should result in continuing rapid growth for IT in healthcare and related industries.

Government: U.S. stimulus funding is likely to fuel IT hiring both within government agencies and in firms that rely on government contracts.

Financial services: Technology investments and hiring may increase as firms strive to meet reform and compliance requirements. Continuing uncertainty may encourage organizations to consider contract and project professionals.

Education: Technology investments and hiring should remain strong thanks to stimulus funding, rising student enrollments at all levels and the growth of e-learning.

Nov  10-12, 2009

PubCon 2009 : Social Media, Search, & Affiliates conference in Las Vegas
I attended a few sessions of the PubCon 2009 : Social Media, Search, & Affiliates conference in Las Vegas this week. Very interesting conferen

Some of the highlights of what I learned:

• Marketing and promoting web sites through social media such as Twitter, blogs, facebook, FriendFeed, etc.  is growing VERY fast/
  
  Some bloggers and tweeterers(?) with large audiences and “mindshare” are earning good money (sometimes thousands per blog) to “recommend” products and services in their blogs or tweets.

• Content management systems, most notably WordPress. are reducing the demand for tradition web design skills such as Graphics, HTML, Dreamweaver, etc…)

• Many Web Design firms do the basic SEO (search engine optimization) work but FARM out Link Building and site analytics to specialty firms. Many firms are looking to hire people with SEO skills combined with Marketing/Sales skills or technical web Development skills, PHP in particular.

• There seems to be lots of money to be made holding conferences or providing training in Social Media, Search, & Affiliates! Many vendors in the booth area were touting other expensive $$ conferences covering these topics!
  
  Many Web Design firms have to train staff on the BASICS of SEO because schools are not providing this training or it changes too fast for them to keep up.

• Converting web sites to display correctly on smart phones is red hot right now. Process is:

1. Strip out graphics
2. Strip out CSS
3. Strip out most of content
4. Markup new pages using PHP

For a free subscription to Website Magazine, which covers a lot of this content, (cheaper than the conferences!) sign up at: https://www.websitemagazine.com/scripts/sub/subscribe_welcome.asp

and they will mail you 4 free issues per year.Profesional Level . This looks like a good source of information, students can get a free subscription as well.