Last Updated on Jul 28, 2022 by Numinix Developer
Each year holds new prospects for web development, with changing trends dictating a variety of directions for business owners and the professional developers who manage their websites. Nevertheless, while technologies such as Progressive Web Applications, Artificial Intelligence, and Application Programming Interface are evolving the way the consumer conducts purchases online, you must keep up with market innovations. That being said, just because Numinix is a Vancouver-based web development company, doesn’t mean we aren’t bringing technological advancements to all corners of the web!
Progressive Web Application are an emerging technology
For those of you who don’t know, a Progressive Web Application (PWA) is a type of software that’s delivered through the web and is built using common technologies including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While it’s intended to work on a variety of platforms that use the standard-compliant browser, most shoppers take advantage of PWAs on their mobile devices.
Since there’s no denying the popularity of PWAs, let’s discuss their striking advantages:
- They give users the freedom to shop, order, or browse even when they’re offline.
- They send push notifications — this allows businesses to message users a reminder or pass along relevant information.
- Creates a user experience that’s comparable to native apps (those that come pre-set in your device’s hardware) but takes up less space and is faster to download.
- The development process is less challenging than most native apps because PWA developers monitor only one codebase.
- Once the app is finished, you’re able to upload it to the server without needing to purchase a license for the app stores.
Artificial Intelligence is booming
While most people understand the basics behind Artificial Intelligence (AI), when it comes to computer science there’s an abundance of intelligent machines that are designed to work and react as if they were actual humans, performing activities that comprise learning, planning, voice recognition, and problem-solving.
Our Vancouver-based web development company has helped a variety of clients process their customers’ data using AI, enabling them to create a level of personalization that’s relevant to their consumer needs. Since AI can utilize the previous purchase and search history of the customer, including their top category pages and the number of times they have visited the website, the smart technology can target the customer with accurate recommendations that appeal to their interests. It’s through statistical and cognitive analysis that websites collect data to serve the needs of their customers, reshaping the current realm of web development.
For example, Chatbots are easily one of the most popular forms of AI, and in the past few years, the demand for this form of automated communication has skyrocketed across multiple industries. Chatbots use integrated machine learning algorithms to respond with smart solutions to common queries without the need for any human assistance. This gives customers quick and accurate answers to their questions when an employee isn’t available, saving the business owner from financially investing in more customer service representatives and allowing them to have a more flexible schedule and downtime when needed. This technology will also pass on any issues that can’t be solved to a higher authority.
Another common AI trend that has increased in demand is voice search technology, allowing users to use their voices as a command tool to perform a search on the internet, a website, or an application. Since every smartphone possesses a speaker, many users prefer to speak into them rather than spend time pressing buttons or typing. The results of the search will pop up immediately on the screen, making this AI technology more convenient and beneficial to the user’s experience.
Single-page applications & websites have proven their advantages
Many big companies already use single-page applications (ex. Facebook, Google, etc.) however, it has become a recent trend among smaller companies as well.
Why you may consider having a single-page application:
- It works within the browser and does not require page reloading while it’s being used. This allows users to enjoy easy and uninterrupted scrolling.
- It effectively caches any local data, which is convenient if the user has a poor internet connection (the data is then synchronized with the server when the internet becomes available).
A single-page website only contains one page without any additional for the “About Us” section, a description of services, or product selection.
Why you may consider having a single-page website:
- All of the content is fully loaded on the initial page.
- Keeps content neat and comprehensive.
- Condenses the most important information into well-structured content.
- Easier to retain attention of visitors.
- Cheaper design and development.
- Easier to optimize for mobile devices.
More businesses are using Accelerated Mobile Pages
In its simplest form, Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is an open-source initiative project that’s designed to optimize web pages on the user’s mobile device so that they load faster. Originally created by Google to compete against Facebook’s Instant Articles and Apple News, AMP uses the HTML framework to speed up mobile web use. The reason that AMP is extremely popular for e-commerce is that most consumers don’t enjoy waiting and will often opt to buy from other sources if they’re able to offer a speedier service. So, since slow-loading pages reduce e-commerce conversion rates it’s recommended that you do anything to ensure that your website gets optimal visibility. While AMP is not the successful standard for every type of website, it does also possess the power to benefit from search engine rankings if done by a professional web development company.
Application Programming Interface is picking up
This intermediary software allows two separate applications to talk with one another, taking the user’s request to a system and returning a response with seamless connectivity. For instance, each time you use an app like Facebook, send an SMS message, check the weather on your phone, or answer an email, you’re using an Application Programming Interface (API).
There are several benefits that API offers in terms of web development:
- The code can be recycled between projects which lower the cost of development to the business.
- It increases speed to market by maintaining high-quality standards in design and development without the need to redesign new features.
- It gives startups a chance to benefit from a technology that would be too costly for them to develop outright.
Which of the above trends do you see yourself using for your business in 2021? Drop a comment below to start a conversation.
Heading into 2022, I definitely saw more of an uptick in one-page sites and mobile responsiveness. These are two features that will have more of an impact this year and onward, too.