The canvas of website development is changing with time. New trends and updates are surfacing each year. This makes it challenging for eCommerce business owners to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments. We understand that keeping up with web development trends can be hard, especially if you don’t have a technical background. Having said that, this is not the reason to update your business website according to the latest trends. For most business owners, the answer is to hire a web development company. Even if you outsource an agency, you won’t be able to measure their progress if you are not aware of the latest trends yourself.
That is why businesses need to keep up with the latest web development trends to stay in the competition. You need a robust website if you want to survive in this competitive market. Hence, to help you out on this, we have accumulated a list of web development trends that will be all in rage in 2022.
Web Development Trends to Follow in 2022
Chances are that you may be already familiar with some of these trends. But they will become more prevalent in the coming years. So without further ado, let’s deep dive into the web development trends that will rise in 2022.
Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)
Simply put, PWAs are web apps that use specific technologies to create a user experience that is similar or equivalent to that of a native app.
Such web applications are installable similar to native mobile applications. They offer features of native apps that make them user-friendly. Web apps are network-independent, secure, and work offline. This makes these web apps extremely functional and user-friendly. Although introduced in 2018, web apps still have a long way to go. So without a doubt, you will see a buzz about these web apps. Building PWAs is as costly if not cheaper than other web applications. The only added bonus is providing a native-like experience for your customers.
The most effective changes that PWAs bring to the table are:
- Easy Installation
- Preserving Device Storage and Power
- Less Cost on Support and Maintenance
- Fewer Development Costs
- Smooth Market Launch
- Flexible Distribution
Many well-known corporations are profiting handsomely from these apps. As a result, we anticipate PWAs to be a game-changer for eCommerce in the next few years.
Rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI will never be out of trend. There it is, we have said it. Artificial intelligence is so broad and versatile in its usability that we still have to discover its full potential. Alongside other uses of AI, it can be incorporated into web development quite successfully. Starting from chatbots and moving towards searches, customer experience, and so on and so far. The biggest advantage of AI is that it gives you an edge over your competitors in a drastic manner. It can make your website more effective than you can imagine. Just consider how much you can benefit from AI, like suggestions for content based on a customer’s interaction with a post or video.
Most web development companies today are using AI for an improved experience of chatbots. Although the buzz surrounding the chatbots is pretty much in the past. You can still find them being used on a number of different websites and trust us they are not going anywhere soon. Their use is understandable as they contribute greatly to building trust with the customer while also reducing the cost of support centers. When combined with natural language processing tools, AI chatbots are almost indistinguishable from humans.
Moving Towards Voice Search
The number of smart speakers and voice assistants like Amazon-Aleska and Google-Assistant is increasing all over the world. In 2016, 20% of Google App searches were carried out by voice search. Again in 2018, the research done by PwC concluded that people prefer to search by voice rather than typing.
You may ask why voice search is in trend after all this time? The answer is simple, necessary tools for this were not available in the past. Now, the tides have shifted. Businesses are making it essential to include voice search in their websites. More and more people are navigating websites and products through voice search. This encourages entrepreneurs and web developers to improve their voice search features.
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) technology is nearly similar to PWAs in terms of website development. The general idea is to provide the customers with a seamless page experience to keep them hooked up to your website. The only difference is the addition of an open-source plugin recently developed by Google and Twitter. AMPs are well-optimized pages that work faster and have a conducive yet basic design. This makes them better than other full-scope web products. With AMP the web pages become mobile-friendly and the content becomes easier to read and understand. Another issue that can be solved through AMP is the difference in internet speed. With AMP you can access web pages at low speeds, which makes it extremely user-friendly.
Single Page Application (SPA)
The rapid technological advancements in web development require an end to outdated approaches towards development techniques. With high-speed 5G internet, you can remove server-downloaded pages from any click on the website page. With an experience similar to web applications, JavaScript led to the rise of SPAs. Single-page applications are being utilized by Google in pages such as Google Maps, Google Drive, and Gmail. Similarly, social media platforms like Facebook are working on the concepts of SPAs. This trend will continue in 2022 and a majority of functional websites are expected to go through the transition.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Future of Web Development
The introduction of augmented reality and virtual reality to the realm of website development has ushered in a big change. According to the study, the mixed reality market would be worth more than $9.982 billion by 2024. Virtual reality technology is being used in industries such as tourism, architecture, and retail to allow people to have a real-time experience of a product before making a purchase. Beauty firms such as L’Oréal and Nyx, for example, are utilizing virtual reality technology to assist their clients in making the best decisions possible.
The pandemic has forced most companies to start working from home. Since most employees are working from home, companies like spatial developed virtual meeting rooms. They allow employees to interact with their coworkers on a virtual level. This creates a sense of presence and makes it easy to work from home.
With Facebook or Mata to be exact moving towards virtual reality, we can only say that AR and VR will only grow and evolve in the coming years.
Automation Testing
Most web development trends have two primary goals. One is to make the website as user-friendly as possible and the other one is to reduce the cost to the maximum. Automation testing can help you achieve the second goal. The use of AI and machine learning is increasing with time. More and more advancements are being made. With AI and machine learning you can build fairly complex projects with a team of limited experts. Product automation will ensure if the product is ready to be launched or not.
Developers will run test cases, learn from them and then utilize that information to build a better product. This will result in an estimated 20% reduction in cost and also less time for testing cycles. This way you can produce better products at fairly less cost.
Bottom Line
In 2022 and beyond, the web development trends outlined above will define how businesses will engage with their customers. These technologies will help your company stay ahead of the competition by increasing user engagement.
