The figures speak for themselves: there are currently more than 1.5 billion websites on the Internet. According to internetlivestats.com, with new websites created every second. However, there are only about 200 million active websites. These digital benchmarks continue to change, as do trends in web development and technology.
With changing emphases and new technology players, companies must always stay on top of the latest web development trends, technologies, and approaches to take advantage of new opportunities.This means that it is essential for web developers to be well informed about current trends to deliver relevant and quality software products.
There are several key trends emerging in 2021 for web development:
1| Artificial Intelligence (including chatbots
AI and bots are among the major trends in web development 2021. It is not surprising – the demand for automated communication has increased significantly this year. The popularity of AI chatbots and virtual assistant applications is therefore on the rise. Case studies include vacuum bots and Netflix or TechCrunch bots designed to provide movie suggestions or news updates based on deep analysis of human behavior and all previous interactions, to name but a few. As AI solutions gradually replace human intelligence, AI bots can eliminate many customer service professionals, which will undoubtedly reduce costs for companies.
2| Blockchain
Why is Blockchain on the list of the fastest-growing web programming trends? First of all, it is a high level of security. As there is no intermediary between transactions, every transaction is verified. In addition to the safety of the transactions, there are many benefits, including improved cash flow, website interactivity, reduced financial costs for businesses, fewer transaction contracts, etc. So, if your company needs total data security, it is an excellent decision to involve Blockchain in the web project.
3| AR/VR
Augmented and virtual realities have rapidly gained popularity in recent years. E-commerce is one of the sectors where virtual reality and augmented reality enhance the user experience, turning user stories into business success stories. Augmented and virtual realities, on the other hand, are among the most popular new technologies in web design, as they are intelligent tools that help potential consumers choose the most suitable product. The creation of virtual showrooms can hardly do without VR, and virtual fashion shoots look visually appealing while saving buyers time.
4| Progressive Web Applications, or PWAs
According to Wikipedia, a progressive web application (or PWA) is a type of web application software built using standard web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
The notion of a progressive web application is not original, but PWAs remains one of the most popular trends in web programming. Apple, Google, and Microsoft are betting on its effectiveness, while Forbes and Twitter are reaping the real benefits of PWAs, such as increased impressions and reduced bounce rates.
The main advantage of PWAs is their efficiency. According to Google’s report, 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if they take longer than three seconds to load. PWAs are always accessible and allow their users to enjoy the whole app experience without sacrificing convenience and quality.
5| Single Page Applications or SPAs
Another trending technology for web development, particularly attractive to developers because of its high performance, is the single page application (SPA). Based on JavaScript, SPAs do not require page reloads during use and provide users with a comfortable web space with clearly organized content. Easy to develop and fun to use, single-page applications are fast and responsive. Their users appreciate their simple, linear UX and comfortable scrolling.
6| Accelerated Mobile Pages, or AMP
AMP is an open-source library created by Google to improve websites, web applications, or web pages and reduce their loading time. The fast loading speed of AMP allows websites built with this framework to rank high in search engine results pages (SERPs). AMP remains the modern technology for website development for several benefits, including higher rankings in mobile searches, impressive loading speed, higher levels of audience engagement, and maximum user satisfaction.
7| Motion UI
Let’s take a closer look at user interfaces and the latest technologies used in web design. Motion UI is a Sass library for quickly creating CSS transitions and animations. Simply put, Motion UI provides a variety of pre-defined animations that can use in web design.
It’s an easy way to combine fun with real value, using primary and background animations, colorful hovers, animated graphics, eye-catching CTAs, and other elements as tools to grab the user’s attention and contribute to a more efficient web browsing experience. Motion UI websites keep users engaged and promote better interaction between businesses and their customers when done well.
8| Responsive design
When we talked about single-page applications, we already mentioned responsiveness as one of their strengths. Now it’s time to explore this concept in detail.
The more straightforward, the better – today’s businesses feel a direct correlation between the ease of use of their website and the number of loyal customers. Responsive form plays a vital role in the usability of websites. It includes responsive navigation on all devices and screen resolutions. If website users face minimal resizing or scrolling, it promotes their positive experience and increases the website’s ranking positions.
9| Push notifications
Push notifications initially design to inform users about current events and news, but they have quickly become an essential tool for driving conversions. This type of push notification intends to keep users’ attention and increase user retention. Cost-effective and affordable push notifications are actively used by companies seeking to provide a more interactive experience for their website users, whether small, medium, or large.
10| Cybersecurity
Recent trends in web development cannot go without security. Remote working will be a hot topic in 2021, and more and more organizations are looking to secure their data as much as possible to become digital businesses. As mentioned above, technology tops the list of innovations in developing customized web applications, as its distributed nature offers greater security and makes it more difficult for hackers to break into systems.
