Front-end development is a vast (as vast as the ocean) area with a plethora of tools and use cases. It is easy to get overwhelmed and attempt to cover all bases. However, this approach usually does more harm than good.

In this article, we will emphasize the significance of selecting a niche, particularly for beginners, and explore the available options.

Importance of having a niche

As developers, we often strive to excel in every aspect of our field. We desire to create both small and large websites with a variety of features, make them visually stunning, and utilize the latest technologies; we want to do it all!

Now, there's nothing wrong with that, and honestly, I believe that over time, your cumulative experience will naturally make you proficient in nearly all of these areas (I hesitate to use the word "expert" here, as that may not be the case for every niche).

The issue arises for beginners. As a beginner who has only recently taken their first steps in this industry, it causes some problems:

1. You become overwhelmed

2. You lose opportunities

Let's examine these issues in detail:

Being overwhelmed as a front-end developer

When you see so many things that can be done as a front-end developer, you become overwhelmed with the amount of tools out there. Even after three years, I haven't tried all of them myself!

"How can one person know so much? Is it even possible?" These thoughts are sure to cross your mind at some point.

But, the main question that you should be asking is "Is it even required to learn so many different things?"

You lose opportunities

I am sure you have heard of the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none".

I don't think there is anything wrong with being a "Jack of all trades". In fact, they are in quite high demand nowadays (simply search for full-stack developer jobs in your area to get an idea).

But, as a beginner, you don't want to do that. You want to be a person who can solve a particular problem for anyone who has that problem. People are willing to give a beginner specialist a chance, rather than a beginner "Jack".

Choosing a niche does not limit your opportunities; it enhances them!

Even after learning about the drawbacks of not having a niche, many people may still remain unconvinced. Narrowing down your focus might seem like a surefire way to limit your opportunities. I thought so myself, even though I had heard multiple experts say otherwise. However, in reality, it does just the opposite! Allow me to explain how.

A real-world comparison

Let's suppose you are someone who is quite skilled with hardware tools and can perform minor repairs around the house - fixing a leaky faucet, changing a light bulb, repairing furniture with basic woodworking, and so on.

However, would a builder hire you to handle the plumbing for an entire house? No! They would seek out a professional plumber for that task.

The same principle applies to development. You might be capable of creating small projects and websites on your own. However, when someone is looking to hire you, they are seeking a professional.

If a client needs a one-page website with many animations, even 3D ones, would they choose someone who knows various tools but might lack experience in landing pages and animations, or would they pick an expert in creating landing pages with animation experience, including three.js animations?

My experience as a freelancer

When I first began front-end web development three years ago, I decided to start freelancing as soon as I learned HTML, CSS, and JS (I hadn't even touched a framework like React at that time). The reason I made this decision was that I saw numerous gigs posted on platforms like Fiverr that only required expertise in those basic three skills.

So, I created a gig stating, "I will convert your designs to HTML pages." However, no matter how many times I edited my gig offering and tried to lower my prices, I never landed a gig!

Then, I created a new gig that said, "I will add animations and hover effects to your website." Suddenly, I received five gigs in six weeks! It was also through this gig that I landed my first big project, which paid me $500 (I upsold myself).

By focusing on the niche of animations and hover effects, I earned more than before. Of course, the projects I received were quite small compared to a full-scale website, but considering I was earning nothing before that, it was a significant improvement.

Niches to consider

By now, hopefully, I have convinced you about the importance of choosing a niche. Let us now take a look at the available options:

Disclaimer: The experts to follow sections below do NOT include an exhaustive list of experts in the domain. I have included those who I could think of at the moment, from the top of my head.

Marketing pages specialist

A marketing page needs to be catchy and fast with superb SEO.

Developers in this niche know CSS like the back of their hand. They know how to create complex layouts that are cross-browser compatible as well as responsive and are also aware of page speeds. They also know how to include developer SEO on the page.

Knowing animations and especially, three.js would be a huge plus in this niche.

Opportunities

• Freelancing

• Selling templates

Expert to follow

Lucian Tartea is a great expert in this field. He has created and sold a lot of templates and his e-book for the same is an amazing handbook for creating and selling templates!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/luciantartea

SaaS Specialist

As a developer who wants to market themselves as a SaaS specialist, you will primarily need to know at least one popular JavaScript framework. In addition to that, you will also need the following skills:

• You need to be comfortable working with APIs

• You need to know how to create good forms as well as basic security measures that come with it as well

• You will also need to understand browser technologies like localStorage, sessionStorage, cookies, etc.

• SaaS usually involves a team of developers with different people working on different functionalities, hence, you need to know how to be a team player.

• You might need to take care of the backend of the app as well with full-stack frameworks like Next.js or Remix. Hence, a good knowledge of tools like Firebase or Supabase for authentication and other services will be a plus

• More often than not, SaaS apps also include dashboards. Hence, a good knowledge of data visualization libraries is a plus!

Opportunities

Most front-end jobs that are not from a design agency fall into this category

Experts to follow

• Brad Traversy

• The Net Ninja

• Maximillian Schwarzmüller

E-commerce expert

If you have development knowledge of an e-commerce platform like Shopify, wooCommerce, Wix or Squarespace, you can use it to advertise yourself as an e-commerce expert.

Opportunities

• Job opportunities

• Create and sell templates

Jamstack expert

This is like a crossover between marketing pages expertise and SaaS expertise.

JAMStack stands for "JavaScript, APIs and Markup". It is an architectural design that focuses on decoupling the UI from the data. It usually uses a headless CMS (like Sanity, Contentful, etc.) for data and the actual UI is created in something that allows for either server-side page generation or static site generation (like Astro, Next.js or Gatsby).

This field requires good expertise in creating UI along with some expertise in dealing with APIs and content from API responses. Knowledge of GraphQL is also a plus as a lot of CMS use that for querying content.

Opportunities

• Freelancing

• Job opportunities

Expert to follow

• Dan Spratling

Choosing your niche

Now that we have seen some possible niches that you can choose from, the next natural question is "How do I choose one?"

The answer is the ages-old phrase: "Follow your gut"

No, seriously, that's the best way there is! Let me explain.

If you have already worked on some projects, you might have a preference. When you think of your next project idea that you are sure to enjoy developing, you automatically get a sense of what it could be. In this case, simply follow your gut and continue creating those types of projects. You'll become a specialist in no time!

If you haven't worked on any projects yet, start now! Try one niche and see if you enjoy it. If you don't enjoy it or if you're uncertain, give another one a try. Otherwise, voila! You've now discovered your niche! Congratulations!

Choosing your niche should be a natural thing rather than a tedious task.

Conclusion

Choosing a niche is a crucial step that should not be overlooked in one's career as a front-end developer. It can entirely transform your opportunities and clearly define your career path. Moreover, it's not as difficult as it may seem! So, what are you waiting for?

TL;DR

Focusing on a niche in front-end development can prevent overwhelm and increase opportunities. By choosing a niche, you become more appealing to clients and employers. Consider niches like marketing pages specialist, SaaS specialist, e-commerce expert, and Jamstack expert. To select a niche, trust your instincts and base it on your interests and project experiences.