Learn HTML: Find Out How to Learn HTML Fast

Posted Manisha Gupta

HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language, is one of the most common forms of code in the world. It is used on pretty much every single web page in existence, and it allows web designers to present text, images, videos, and other content in a clear, concise manner. Naturally, many beginners choose this language to learn first, yet find the difficulty to understand what is the best way to learn HTML?

If you want to become a front-end web developer, you have to learn HTML. Luckily for you, there are are literally hundreds of websites out there teaching you HTML basics that will allow you to build a simple HTML page. However, these websites don’t always teach you the best or most efficient way to learn HTML. They don’t always teach the most up to date version of the language, and they don’t always teach you everything that you need to know.

The purpose of this simple HTML tutorial is to therefore give you an insight into HTML, what it is, how to learn it, and how to use it. We will go over why you should take HTML seriously, and we will look at both the best way to learn HTML and some of the other resources you can draw on.

To begin, let’s look at what HTML is and why you should learn it.

What Is HTML & Why Should I Learn It?

As we noted above, HTML is incredibly widespread. It is primarily used by front-end web developers to style and present web content in a readable manner.

HTML Uses Tags

One of the primary features of the HTML language is its use of tags to style text and other visual elements. Some examples of these tags include:

• <p></p>, which are paragraph tags. They tell your web browser that everything between the tags belongs in one paragraph.
• <title></title>, which tells your web browser what the title of  the page is.
• <video>, which allows you to insert a video directly onto your page.

As you may be noticing, HTML tags have a few features which are clear and universal:

• Most HTML tags begin with an opening tag, <> and finish with a closing tag, </>. However, only a few have an opening tag.
• In most cases, the content that we want to be defined by the tags goes between the opening and closing tags. Sometimes things are included within the opening tag.

HTML & CSS

Although it can be used on its own, it is very rare for someone to use HTML by itself. In most cases, HTML is used to define the general layout and look of a webpage, while a different language, CSS, is used to style the content.

The main reason for this is because HTML is limited in what it can do. Using HTML you have limited styling of text and image properties. You can define what type of text you want to include, you can make tables and lists, and you can embed things like images and videos. However it is difficult to change things like the font, text color, and the exact positioning of elements within a web page.

It is therefore recommended to learn HTML and CSS together.

Why Should I Learn HTML?

We have said that HTML is an essential language for anyone who is aspiring to become a front-end web developer. This is due to the fact that it is used on pretty much every web page in existence, that it makes it simple to create engaging content in a way that web browsers can understand, and that it is simple to learn and easy to use.

Some of the other reasons why you should seriously consider learning HTML include:

• It is simple. If you have zero coding knowledge, but you would like to become some sort of coder or programmer, HTML is a great place to start. It is easy to learn and use, it will provide a good introduction to coding, and it will help you get your head around basic coding concepts.
• It can help you find a job. Programming and coding in general are in-demand skills which companies throughout the world are looking for. Simply having some knowledge of HTML basics to put on your resume can make you more employable and can help you find a job.
• It could result in a promotion or pay rise. As we said before, coding skills are in high demand in the modern world. Even the most basic programmers are charging up to $100 per hour, which means that having programming skills could help you get your next promotion or pay rise.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why you HTML is a great language to learn. Keeping them in mind, let’s move onto the people who should think about learning HTML.

Who Should Learn HTML?

In the previous section, we said that HTML can provide a basic introduction to coding, that it could help you find work, and that it could provide the basis for a pay rise. In line with that, here are three groups of people who should think seriously about how to learn HTML:

Aspiring front-end developers

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript form the basis of front-end web development. This means that if you are serious about becoming a front-end developer, you have to learn HTML. The fact that it is simple and easy to learn means that it is often the first language that aspiring developers dabble in.

People who work in content management or other internet related fields

Anyone who works in content management, writing, or anything else related to digital content could benefit from having a working knowledge of HTML. For example, let’s say that you need to write articles for a client’s website, but that you have to publish them directly into the website. Sure, you could probably manage without knowing HTML – content management systems like WordPress and Wix have made sure of that – but it will be a lot easier if you understand how to format a simple HTML page.

Website/blog owners

If you own and run your own website or blog, you may find it very beneficial to learn the basics of HTML. Doing so give you more flexibility when it comes to formating both your website and your content, potentially saving you money. After all, web developers are expensive, and it could cost you a small fortune to employ a developer for even a few hours. You would be much better off if you were able to make small HTML changes by yourself.

What Is The Best Way To Learn HTML?

Now, before we get into this in too much detail, we have to note one very important thing:

    There is no single ‘best way’ to learn HTML.

Some people will be more suited to different methods of teaching, and the best way to learn HTML for one person won’t necessarily be the best way for another. Keep this in mind as you read the following couple of paragraphs.

Now, for most people, we believe that the best way to start learning HTML is through an interactive online course. As a language that has been developed for use on the internet, it makes sense to use the internet to learn the basics of HTML. Some of the features of online HTML courses which we believe make them the best way to learn include:

• They are fun and engaging. This means that they make it easier to stay motivated, which reduces the risk of you giving up before you have finished your course.
• They cover the basics first, meaning that you aren’t wasting your time learning irrelevant information at the start.
• Many online HTML courses allow you to write code directly in your browser as you learn, teaching you good habits from the beginning.

If you think that you would like to learn HTML, and that an online HTML tutorial would be a good place to start, then check out the courses on the BitDegreeplatform.  

If you’re a little short on time and just want to get a brief overview of HTML, I would recommend starting with the HTML Coding For Beginners Course. This course will teach you the basics of HTML coding, along with some of the most important syntax, in under an hour of video tutorials.

Alternatively, you could start with a more advanced course, the Comprehensive HTML5 Tutorial. This course contains just under 5 hours of video lessons, and it will teach you basic HTML principles, how to implement these principles on a website, and how HTML is used in apps.

The last option, the Interactive Coding for Beginners HTML tutorial, is perfect for people who are on the way to becoming front-end developers. It teaches both HTML and CSS alongside each other, it will show you how to use them together, and it will also introduce you to the basics of responsive web design.

What Other Resources Should I Use?

When searching the internet for the answer to how to learn HTML, you will uncover a lot of different resources. Some of these are free, some of them are paid (more on that in the next section), but the single common theme is that they all claim to be the best.

However, a lot of these resources are outdated. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t good ones out there, but you should be careful. Consider the following things to help you uncover HTML basics alongside your main course:

YouTube Videos

Watching videos that touch on difficult or confusing concepts can be a great way to get your head around things that you’re struggling with. If you find yourself having trouble with a specific concept – or if you would simply like a deeper explanation than your course offers – search for the answers on YouTube.

Language Reference Guides

Language reference guides are a great resource that you can use to discover new syntax, to refresh your memory on old syntax, or to learn pretty much anything else about a programming language. One of the best HTML reference guides on the internet is the Mozilla Developers’ HTML Reference Guide.

Online Forums

If you can’t find the answers to your questions anywhere else, you can always ask other people who have a better understanding of how to learn HTML than you do. Online forums and chat boards are a great resource for people who are trying to learn a programming language like HTML. Use them to ask questions, to participate in discussions, and to discover the solutions to even your most difficult problems.

Free Resources vs Paid Resources

Now that we’ve covered the types of resources available to HTML learners, it’s time to have a quick look at a debate which has grown in magnitude over the past few years – free resources vs paid resources. It is quite simple to find free programming courses and other resources on the internet, but are they worth using? Or should you be paying for your courses to make sure that you’re learning everything you can?

Below we will have a quick look at the pros and cons of free resources and paid resources:

Paid Resources

Historically, people have had to pay to access high-quality learning materials. There are a variety of such resources on the internet, ranging from paid tutorials to paid tutors and code helpers.

Pros of Paid Resources:

• You will be learning from industry professionals who know about the things that they are teaching. This can help reduce the risk of learning incorrect information or poor habits.
• When you pay for something, you’re more likely to use it. This will help you stay motivated, and may result in better results from the learning process.
• You will probably find that paid courses are very well organized and that they contain all of the relevant information.

Cons:

• Paid courses are, well… they’re paid. They cost money. Not everyone can afford them.
• Some people want to delve into coding without committing themselves. Paying for a course can feel like commitment to some.
• Paid courses don’t always provide the answers to simple questions in a quick and efficient manner. If you want to learn how to do one specific thing, look for free resources.

Free Resources

The rise of alternative income sources like internet advertising and ‘freemium’ courses means that a huge number of free courses and other free resources have made their way online in recent years. In fact, this article is a great example of a high quality free resource!  

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Pros:

• Free resources are free. They require no financial commitment, which is great for people with little money.
• If you don’t like a free resource, you can just choose another one without losing anything from a financial perspective.
• Free resources are accessible to anyone with an internet connection and a little bit of time. This means that people can explore the basics of writing a simple HTML page without committing to a course.

Cons:

• Free resources can be lower quality than paid resources. This is because they are sometimes created by people who are less than professionals themselves. They can contain incorrect information, and they can miss important details.
• There are so many free resources out there that it can be super hard to find the ones which are right for you.
• Sometimes it’s worth paying someone for a simple answer, rather than having to wade through pages of forum replies or Google search results.

As you can see, both free and paid resources have their positive and negative aspects. If you are serious about becoming a HTML professional, we would recommend paying for a course. However, if you want to discover the language without committing, free resources can help you do that.

How Can I Practice Writing HTML Code?

Once you have decided to learn HTML and have mastered the basics, everything really comes down to practicing. As the old saying goes:

    “Practice makes perfect”

This has never been truer than it is with coding. But how do you practice?

Well, the best way that I have found to practice coding in HTML is to create your own website. Use a drag and drop website builder that eliminates the need for more complicated languages like JavaScript or PHP, and focus on the HTML syntax.

Alternatively, you can do things like writing HTML files in a code editor, taking freelance jobs, or practicing your HTML by learning CSS. Whatever method you choose, remember this – if you don’t practice a skill, you will lose it.

Conclusion

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HTML is the language of the internet. The best way to learn HTML is something that has been debated for years, and there really isn’t one clear answer. Everyone is different, and the best way for one person to learn won’t necessarily be the best way for someone else.

However, we believe that online courses, like those offered on the BitDegree platform, are a wonderful resource that can help people throughout the world start their HTML journey. When well made, online courses can provide a concise, accurate overview of the HTML language, and they are a perfect place for learners to start.

A lot of people choose to use paid resources when learning a programming language for the first time, but this isn’t essential. Free courses can be useful as well, especially if you aren’t sure if you want to become a web developer or programmer.

Hopefully this tutorial has given you enough information about learning HTML to get you started. Remember, learning any language is difficult, so you need to practice, practice, and practice some more. Good luck, have fun, and welcome to the world of HTML!