The internet, as we know it today, is in a constant state of evolution. It is difficult to continue to be successful as the owner of a web-based business without aligning with the future of web development and making adjustments accordingly.
To put things in context, a little over three decades ago, most would've only been able to imagine the level of mobile adoption among internet users. Now, we have up to 4.32 billion users accessing the internet from their mobile phones, causing developers and companies to put mobile responsiveness at the top of their priorities while building a website.
In the coming years, the internet is bound to become even less recognizable, and so are the behavioral patterns of internet users. To help you adapt efficiently, we'll address web development's future and detail the web development trends companies use to cope with changes. You'll also find how to position yourself to benefit the most from these trends.
Most of the trends in this list will fit into one or both categories - functional and visual. The former, as you might be able to imagine, relates directly to trends that impact the usability and functions of the website. The latter relates to the aesthetic appeal of a website.
MotionUI
A little over a decade ago, many developers widely believed it best to keep a website "clutter-free." Clutter, in this context, referred to media files and fancy animations deemed unnecessary to maintain the speed and accessibility of a website on lower-end computers that often had trouble processing large amounts of information.
In more ways than one, that sentiment is still logical and valid today. You'll often find MVPs offering only the bare minimum required to get their product running until they secure a reasonable amount of funding to get their ideas off the ground.
However, in relatively more established companies, we're witnessing a shift from bland and static websites to those built on the foundation of MotionUI. This becomes possible with CSS shifts and standalone libraries that offer unique animation integrations and components. In the coming years, this trend is likely to transcend from yet another possibility in a potentially distant future of web development into a regular part of any developer's job.
Even on websites today, there are several traces of MotionUI. Some websites predominantly use it for simple aesthetic features like displaying slider images and texts. Like many websites built on the Webflow platform, others make MotionUI the foundation of their development, complete with interactive components and other such nuances.
While deploying MotionUI might not always dramatically enhance your site's functionality, it might aid your user retention by improving your aesthetics. As a quick tip, consider the efficiency of the development process before going along with this trend. You can achieve this by choosing the right web development framework. Otherwise, you might find yourself expending more resources on building a fancy website than actually running your business.
Mobile-First Web Development
Earlier, we referenced the impressive number of internet users accessing the web through their mobile devices. By that statistic alone, it might be safe to say that mobile-first website creation is no longer in the future of web development and is here already. But, that notion might be limiting as it only considers a few parts of the multiple details that go into mobile development. Granted, mobile responsiveness and app speed have already taken their place and will only continue to grow. But, outside of that, we're witnessing a few more changes in mobile website development. One example is biometric authentication, like fingerprint scanning and face recognition, to access sensitive accounts like banking apps and messaging platforms.
This isn't very common among laptop/desktop users, and it makes perfect sense that it's instead being adopted on mobile. Another example of mobile-first website creation is the use of location data to provide highly personalised experiences to users. This is possible because the average mobile phone user is more likely to turn on their location on their phone than their computer.
Blockchain Technology and Web 3.0
This trend is relatively complex, but it is also one of the most interesting, especially if you're considering a career in web development. It first began in the early 2000s with the appearance of cryptocurrencies on the internet. Back then, nearly everyone who knew about blockchain was sceptical or indifferent. Those who didn't know it weren't bothered to find out what it's all about.
Today, in contrast, nearly 80 million people across the world actively use blockchain wallets. Apart from individual users, major governments in different continents are warming up noticeably to blockchain technologies and their associated concepts. Some noteworthy examples are Japan, China, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
As we advance, blockchain technology is likely to play an even more prominent role in the future of web development, and this isn't particularly surprising when you consider its benefits. For context, when used properly, blockchain technology offers true traceability and transparency, increased security, especially on transactions whose copies are held by different nodes, and enhanced speed through automation.
To truly enjoy these benefits on crucial projects by leading governments and companies, there'd be a demand for skilled developers. As such, it's safe to say that blockchain would be a key player in the future of web development.
Single Page Applications (SPAs)
One thing that seems to have consistently risen over the years since the creation of the internet is the average user's desire for speed. In a survey by Unbounce in 2019, roughly 70% of buyers admitted that page speed influenced their buying decision in online retail stores. You can programme websites with multiple pages for speed and efficiency, but not always.
More often than not, web developers often include unoptimised animations and lines of code that the website doesn't need. These impact the load time on even the fastest internet speeds and hurt the website's conversion ability. Single Page Applications are a core part of the next web development phase because they're uniquely positioned to solve this problem.
Unlike multi-page websites, SPAs load the entire site at once, allowing users to navigate to specific pieces of content on the same page without needing to reload. Web developers use AJAX and HTML5 to maintain responsiveness on SPAs. Beyond the quick speed of SPAs, a few other benefits that might put it at the fore of web development include easy navigation, relatively stress-free debugging, and a reduced bounce rate.
AI-Powered Chatbots
One of the primary problems the average B2C business owner faces is the disproportionate customer service personnel-to-customer ratio. That is, there aren't enough people to respond to every customer need while keeping the business afloat. In theory, it might be a good idea as that might bring a level of order and coordination.
But, realistically, limiting customers to a single platform might not be the best idea. At the start of the creation of AI chatbots, companies positioned their tools as solutions to this problem. But, some raised the issue of the responses being robotic and ultimately unhelpful. This isn't surprising, considering that AI chatbots weren't capable of solving complex customer problems. Plus, there was the issue of AI chatbots only being able to recognise specific words and speech patterns.
Today, we're seeing a consistent improvement in the quality of artificial intelligence CS representatives on websites. Some eCommerce chatbots, for example, can help with everything from answers to inquiries to order fulfilment, among other things. Others can integrate seamlessly with third-party social sites, from Instagram to Facebook to WhatsApp Messenger, among other places where customers interact with brands. In the coming years, AI chatbots are bound to be game changers in the future of web development, especially for B2C companies.
Final Thoughts: Positioning Yourself for Success With Web Development Trends
It's important to note that the future of web development is constantly changing. Beyond that, this article isn't an exhaustive list of things to expect from web development in the coming years.
As such, before making any decisions, you must first understand which is relevant to you and most helpful to your customers and the cost of making any changes if you must. Also, be sure that you're implementing the changes properly.
Not every part of your website needs MotionUI. In addition, you might only need dark mode if users are likely spending a lot of time on your website via mobile phones. Otherwise, it would be best to implement dark mode on your blog subdomain. Find what works for you and implement it accordingly.