It's been over 20 years since I first began my career in web development and in that time I've helped numerous companies, from small businesses up to large multinational corporations, establish their place in the online world and exploit new internet technologies to improve their business practices.From the very beginning, as one of earliest members of the team that went on to become major online publisher ZDNet, I was convinced of the importance of the internet as a platform for communication and commerce.In the early 2000s I began working directly with companies looking to further their businesses through the world wide web. Each new project gave me a greater awareness of the need for any effective web developer to be able to grasp not only the technical, but also the commercial issues involved in building software. An organisation looking to create a website or an application to automate some internal process has to make a return on the investment, so alongside my expertise in both front- and back-end development I have found the ability to listen, and to communicate clearly, to be vital.The internet, and the web in particular, is a fast-moving and ever-changing environment. Many technologies that were cutting-edge just a few years ago are already outdated or redundant, so a willingness to learn and an ability to pick up new skills quickly are indispensable. I relish the challenge from a professional standpoint, but I’m also aware that clients look to us as developers to advise them as to which trends should be followed and which ignored in this complex and jargon-laden world.Each day presents new challenges and I draw my motivation from working in an emerging field where innovation and ingenuity are in constant demand to solve immediate, real-world problems as we work to enhance our clients’ businesses.