If you don’t have a healthy web presence, you’re missing out on opportunities and business.
If your website doesn’t shout reputable and respected, they may not do business with you. Continue reading this article to learn about the web development trends you need to pay attention to this year and beyond.
1. Chatbots
When you visit your favorite websites, you’ll often see a little box pop up in the lower right-hand corner. The little box will be a chat box asking you if you need help and offering an instant message box.
Most of the time, these boxes aren’t real people waiting to talk with you when you type in these boxes. What you’re looking at are chatbots.
These chatbots are programmed to answer basic questions. If you go beyond their basic questions, they will then redirect you to a human that can help you further.
Chatbots are continuing to grow in popularity because they get people to engage on the site. Chatbots make the site interactive and interesting for people looking to buy a product or service.
2. Progressive Web Apps
We all love apps on our phones, and it is easy to get spoiled and hate going on a web browser. Progressive web apps (PWAs) are trying to remedy that problem.
Using mobile apps and mobile web browsers are totally different. To build PWAs, you’ll need special tools like Polymer and React. The good news is that it is less expensive than building an app but still gives the user a good experience.
3. Responsive Websites
If your website isn’t responsive yet — you’re still stuck in the 1990s. While responsive websites aren’t one of the big web development trends, they are still trending and important.
Years ago, if you had a responsive website, you were at the cutting edge. Now, if you don’t have a responsive website, you won’t show up in Google’s mobile search results. Not only won’t you show up in Google’s mobile search results, but mobile visitors will click away because the site is hard to view.
4. Optimizing for Voice Search
Every business wants to rank at the top of the search engines, but most websites aren’t prepared for what is going to happen. What is going to happen is people using voice search to make their queries.
What’s the difference between a search you type and a search you say? While it might not make sense why it will make a difference whether a query is typed or said – there is a difference.
When people type in a search, they use keyword type searches. When people use voice search, they use conversational searches.
Your website needs to be optimized for both if you want to stay at the top of the search engines.
5. Push Notifications
Push notifications are notifications that show up on people’s desktop or cell phones. These notifications aren’t through email or through social media networks. Push notifications get in front of people every time because of the delivery method.
6. Single-Page Applications
Slow websites are the bane of internet user’s existence, and single-page applications are here to help. You likely already use some of them like Gmail and Google. They are quick, and they give you all the information on one page vs. expecting you to navigate elsewhere.
7. Augmented and Virtual Reality
Consumers are in love with augmented and virtual reality. More website designs will find ways to use augmented reality and virtual reality to bring their designs to life and get more attention.
8. Browser Extensions
Does your browser lack a function you need? No worries – there’s an extension for that.
There are almost limitless browser extensions you can use to customize your browser experience and make life online easier.
It’s easy to get lost in the sea of extensions, but finding a few that give you the results you want and build from there as necessary.
9. Cybersecurity
Your website can’t lack security and be successful these days. If you process payments or collect information, you need to pay attention to cybersecurity. If your website has a breach and there is a problem because of your website, people or companies could sue you for their damages.
Companies will continue to learn about cybersecurity and find new ways to make it stronger. Learning how your website design plays into your online security is a must. Don’t leave any cracks in the armor.
10. Motion UI
One of the cooler trends you’ll come across this year is the Motion UI. You can use Motion UI to animate different design elements and draw users into the experience on your website.
Since this technology is easy to use and it offers such great results, you’ll be seeing more of this coming to life. Many of your favorite websites will be using this technology, and your company should consider it for their website design as well.
Keeping Up With Web Development Trends
Now you know more about web development trends, and you can use them to your advantage. Keeping up with the trends will allow you to use best practices to get attention and convert visitors into customers.
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