In the late 2000s, being innovative meant having a basic single-page website with a few blocks of copy in mismatched font. Since then, brands have evolved their online presence in leaps and bounds.
94% of visitors' first impressions of a brand relate to the company's website design, and 38% won't engage with a website they think is poorly designed. Visitors have increasingly high expectations, and brands feel the pressure to activate these hard-to-please leads. So, they're turning to new technology and trends like voice search optimization, API-first development, and progressive web apps (PWAs) to revolutionize how websites are built, designed, and optimized.
Let's explore the latest web development trends in 2024 and reveal the essential web technologies, applications, and insights your brand can leverage for growth.
Contents
AI and Machine Learning in Web Development
Single-page Applications (SPAs)
Cybersecurity in Web Development
Emerging Technologies in Web Development
AI and Machine Learning in Web Development
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms sift through and sort enormous amounts of website data to generate insights on your website, such as low-performing elements or pages, and suggest optimized and even personalized changes.
Here's how you can utilize AI and ML for your website:
Code Generation
Generative AI can rapidly create website code, enabling marketing teams to quickly create and deploy landing pages, promotional banners, or custom website elements for specific campaigns. This agility provides faster response times to market trends and opportunities, and boosts ROI for ecommerce websites.
AI-Driven Design
AI can analyze user preferences and behavior to dynamically adjust website layouts, colors, and content to create personalized experiences for each visitor. This leads to increased engagement, longer visit durations, and higher conversion rates, as users are presented with content and designs tailored to their interests.
Intelligent Chatbots
AI chatbots can be programmed to engage website visitors in real-time conversations, answering questions, providing product recommendations, and leading them through the sales funnel. This enhances the user experience, improves customer service, and can increase sales by providing immediate assistance and personalized recommendations.
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Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
A Progressive Web App (PWA) is like a mashup of a regular website and a native mobile app, taking the best features of each to provide users with an app-like experience through their web browser. Unlike traditional applications, you don't need to download anything.
PWAs are an appealing web development trend because they offer:
- Offline functionality -- You can access PWAs offline because they store data locally.
- Faster load times -- PWAs use resource optimization techniques and strategies like caching, enabling quick load times even with slow internet speeds.
- Improved user engagement -- PWAs offer many engagement features like push notifications, SEO discoverability, and cross-device compatibility. Plus, users can still enjoy a full-screen, immersive experience like a traditional website.
- Better user retention -- The accessibility, speed, and engagement features help your brand create a web experience that ticks all the user's boxes, which increases the likelihood of repeated use and boosts user retention.
Do PWAs work? Spotify launched its PWA in 2019, and by 2021, it had experienced a record-setting free-to-paid conversion rate of 46%. The PWA provided everything Spotify users needed: offline functionality, AI-driven playlist personalizations, and regular updates.
Voice Search Optimization
Hey Siri -- did you know that 41% of US adults use voice search daily?
It straddles devices: voice makes up 20% of mobile queries, and voice search results are usually the top three results on desktop searches. It's the latest in a string of web development technologies that are shaking up the status quo.
If you're looking at implementing voice search optimization as part of your website development process, some best practices include:
- FAQ pages -- Including an FAQ page on your website helps you answer any pressing questions your target audience has, boosting your SEO strategies.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) -- NLP works by classifying queries based on the user's context, which helps voice search tools provide more relevant answers tailored to the user's needs. AI-powered voice search tools use NLP to help them sound natural, conversational, and, consequently, much more friendly and helpful.
- Long-tail keywords -- People don't communicate with voice search tools using only monosyllables like "dress" and "charger." Instead, they use phrases like "blue maxi dress for summer" and "3-meter charger for iPhone." By targeting long-tail keywords, you can ensure your website comprehensively answers the search query.
Single-page Applications (SPAs)
Single-page applications (SPAs) are a web development trend you can use to provide an app-like experience for websites requiring frequent real-time content updates.
Whereas a traditional web browser loads new pages entirely after each user interaction, SPAs simply swap out the necessary content on the page. Popular frameworks for SPAs include React, Angular, and Vue.js.
Google Maps is an excellent example of SPA. When you click an element or search for a location, only the necessary content is swapped---the whole page doesn't reload every time.
- SPAs are ideal for businesses with content-heavy web applications such as large online portfolios or news sites. Some social media platforms use SPAs to enable dynamic content loading, and industries like travel and food delivery use this trend for booking experiences and ordering processes, respectively.
Here's why you should harness this web development trend in 2024:
- Faster load times -- Once the initial page load is complete, SPAs are quick and responsive because the majority of the page stays the same.
- Smoother user experience -- SPAs offer a seamless experience with no full page loads.
- Reduced server load -- SPAs lessen the load on your web server by fetching only the required data.
Motion UI
Users form an opinion about a website in only 0.05 seconds. Yes, it really happens that fast. Motion UI uses animated effects on your website to add visual interest, create a dynamic user experience, and---most importantly---capture users' attention.
It also has practical uses for your user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), such as guiding users through your website and towards important elements like the call-to-action (CTA).
For example, you could add a sprinkle of motion UI and UX magic in your web development with:
- Loading animations -- Animations keep website visitors entertained while page content loads.
- Scroll-triggered animations -- When a user scrolls down, they trigger the animation to reveal new content.
- Hover effects -- Elements change and animate when users hover over them, making your website more interactive.
Motion UI helps set your brand apart from competitors by creating a memorable and immersive experience for website visitors. Well-crafted animations reinforce storytelling elements, helping build an emotional bond between brands and customers.
When done right, interactive elements effectively keep scrollers firmly on your site, reducing bounce rates and skyrocketing conversions. Check out our latest web transformation projects to get inspired!
API-First Development
Next on our list of web development trends is API-first development. This approach means designing and developing the Application Programming Interface (API) before the UI and other visual elements.
APIs act like a messenger connecting different applications so they can work together and exchange data seamlessly.
Here's how you could use API-first development in your industry:
- An eCommerce platform could integrate third-party services like inventory management systems, payment gateways, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools.
- A healthcare provider could build a web app for medicine and prescription deliveries. API-first development can facilitate secure data exchange between the web app, billing functionalities, and other clinics.
- A finance and trading platform could build a custom application that accesses stock market data, integrates with risk management systems, and facilitates purchases via open banking.
API-first development lets you easily integrate your website with other services like social media channels and third-party vendors. As your brand grows and evolves, API-first development means that adding more platforms, devices, and other connections to your website or web application is quick and easy, making it flexible and scalable.
Need help with complex API-first development? A robust digital marketing agency can assist if you lack the in-house resources.
Cybersecurity in Web Development
Cybersecurity is a concern across all industries, so it's no surprise that it's one of the latest trends in web development, too.
Web applications and sites can include vulnerabilities in code, server configurations, and more, especially as modern applications become increasingly complex.
Strategies must protect against common threats, such as API vulnerabilities (where hackers access your website via a third-party connection) and SQL injection (which enables attackers to use malicious code to steal sensitive data).
Best practices for securing web applications include:
- SSL certificates -- SSL certificates encrypt data between the web server and the user's browser, preventing any prying eyes.
- Web application firewall (WAF) -- WAFs filter traffic and block malicious requests to protect your web application from attackers.
- Regular security audits -- You can use vulnerability scanning and penetration testing to scan your website for known vulnerabilities and simulate real-world attacks.
- Zero-trust architecture -- A principle that assumes you should never trust a user or device by default, even if it's on the same network.
- AI-driven security -- AI improves cybersecurity by working rapidly to detect vulnerabilities and automate security responses.
When you're deciding how to choose a web development company, be sure that they take the security of your site seriously.
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Emerging Technologies in Web Development
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are relatively new web technologies, and businesses that embrace them will really be ahead of the curve.
Virtual Reality (VR) replicates digital environments using special headsets to blend the physical and digital worlds. A beauty brand could use VR to create a virtual try-on studio on its website, enabling customers to decide which products suit them best.
Augmented Reality (AR) layers 3D and digital content over the real-world environment. An interior design company could use AR to create a 3D environment to showcase kitchens and bathrooms on its website. Then, prospects can interact with the design from all angles.
AR and VR create dynamic, immersive, and interactive experiences on your website. It's a unique way for your brand to develop super-memorable experiences, encourage users to interact with products, and increase overall time spent on your site.
The Internet of Things (IoT)
In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), web developers are really upping their game. Most IoT devices are now sold alongside a web application that collects data from them and displays it on visually appealing dashboards.
Some web applications that integrate with IoT devices include:
- Home control panels -- If users have digital appliances, lighting, and cameras in their household, it's possible to control them from a web browser or web app provided by the company.
- Smartwatches -- Smartwatches and fitness trackers often have complementary web apps so users can view more detailed information, results, and metrics on a large screen.
- Inventory management -- Retail businesses can equip their shelves with smart IoT sensors that detect low stock levels. The compatible web application will display this information to management using handy reports.
5G Technology
When you hear someone say "5G," you probably think, "Super speedy!" 5G is the upgraded version of 4G, aka wireless cellular technology.
The big bonuses are that it provides faster load speeds and hugely reduced latency, which is the time it takes for data to travel from servers to your phone or TV.
Thanks to the ultra-fast capabilities of 5G, it will revolutionize web development trends in 2024:
- Real-time web applications -- If your brand is hosting a live event on your website, such as an auction, training session, or webinar, 5G ensures the video is high quality and has responsive playback and no buffering.
- More immersive experiences -- Web developers have the freedom to add extra immersive features like AR, video content, and motion UI to their projects, knowing that the load speed will stay high.
- Enhanced mobile performance -- Better connectivity means more opportunities for interactive experiences on mobile devices thanks to the significantly faster page loads.
Key Takeaways
The web development landscape is evolving rapidly. Staying ahead of the curve isn't simply an option; it's vital for brands that want to engage their audience, deliver seamless experiences, and drive meaningful results.
AI, voice search, and immersive technologies like AR/VR are shaping the future of web development. Businesses that embrace these trends early will not only meet user expectations of their website but exceed them.
Moburst's experts are here to help you navigate the latest trends in web development. We provide custom web development services that harness innovative technologies and design, setting your brand apart in the competitive online world.
Contact Moburst today to discuss how we can activate your website vision with the up-to-date digital marketing services you need to succeed.
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