Why you should consider becoming a Frontend developer at Code by Linda Bleijenberg

Code is the right place for her then! Since early 2017 our firm has also made a bit of a career switch. Where we used to build complex websites with lots of custom made code, we now churn out one Shopify webshop after the other.

For the frontenders this is a much more rewarding way of doing things. Senior Frontend developer Mark Rijkelijkhuizen explains: “It used to go like this with a new project. First the frontenders would determine what a site would have to look like. Then the backenders took three months to put in the required database. By the time we frontenders had all but forgotten about the whole thing, it would finally go live. So we didn’t really feel much of a connection to what we were actually making.”

With Shopify it’s a different story: it comes with the database included. Our Shopify frontenders now see the webshops come alive under their hands – the result is immediately visible. As soon as they finish there’s a fully functioning webshop, and they can watch it being launched. “It’s cool to see how those shops take off. Really fast too, in some cases! Not an issue for Shopify, but clients sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed themselves. They didn’t expect to be so successful so soon.”

The direct collaboration with clients is very inspiring. Mark: “We make an effort to involve them as much as possible. While we are working on a shop, for instance, we already give the client an area where they can add their products. That way we spot issues early on. And we work with sprints: clients can see in real-time how we tick off one task after another.”

It helps that clients are always over the moon with Code. “Before we come into the picture they have often spent years messing about with their webshop software, and then out of the blue it’s fixed within two weeks! Usually they stay with us for a long time after that, so you really build a relationship with them.”

Bianca’s favourite? That would be kids’ wagons store JipFish, her first real Shopify webshop, for whom she worked on a renewed version last month. Mark goes for Veloretti, a recently relaunched bicycle webshop. “But the last is always the nicest!” He is also impressed with the original actions frequently cooked up by sneaker king Filling Pieces: “They take a very active interest in their webshop, so we usually reserve a day for them every week. A few weeks ago we temporarily closed up their whole webshop for them, counting down to a big sale. Creative and varied work.”