What are the web development trends and strategies of the year that you need to know about? In this post, we look beyond grids, aesthetics, and gradients. Let’s pay more attention to what drives the web. As the web matures, designers, developers, and web companies need to be at the forefront of modern web technologies and practices. While overlapping design elements, white space, typography, broken grids, parallax scrolling, etc., are all critical web design practices, web development is how they work. Therefore, it is essential to stay ahead of the trends to thrive in this dynamic field. The trends we are about to reveal are about the best immersive experiences available only to privileged users and our customers, and us.
We must recognize that technologies have redefined web development as we know it. If you want to serve your audience better and deliver the best experiences, you need to go in and completely rethink your idea and direction for web design. That said, here are ten trends and strategies that will disrupt web development in 2021:
| 1. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)
The internet is evolving rapidly. As internet speeds continue to accelerate globally, many users can now consume multimedia content such as videos, podcasts, infographics, etc. New technologies enabling 360° videos, virtual reality videos, interactive videos, and 360° images have become possible today. In the medical field, for example, virtual reality therapy is a common practice.
Embodied Labs uses virtual reality to simulate what it feels like to live with certain diseases. A 360-degree interactive video is played through a VR headset, allowing users to experience life from another person’s perspective.
Although these new technologies are not widely available, designing and distributing videos on websites is pretty expensive.
In 2021, virtual reality (VR) will take the stage. The importance of VR and augmented reality lies in the invaluable experience it gives users. It is essential to increase product sales as customers can see how the product works in real-time before buying it.
Major brands such as Microsoft, YouTube, Google, etc., have integrated VR and AR into their platforms. Depending on where you live and your internet speed, you can watch interactive videos in VR. By 2021, this technology will be an integral part of web development – and in turn, it will establish itself as a video communication tool.
| 2. Responsive web design
If you need a refresher on what responsive web design is, here’s a brief definition from Smashing Magazine:
“Responsive web design is an approach that proposes that design and development should respond to the user’s behavior and environment based on screen size, platform, and orientation.”
Responsive web design is perhaps one of the most potent trends the web has ever seen. It wasn’t an adjustment in web development but a complete shift thanks to portable working frameworks.
Looking back at 2020, we’ve seen iOS and Android wage a war for market share on mobile, connected devices, and other internet-enabled systems. This trend is not going to stop anytime soon.
It is the era of mobile phone users, and customers are portable, and so should you be. Web developers and businesses need to adapt to mobile users. There is no point in continuing to deal with the headaches of creating one website for mobile users and another for desktop users. A responsive website will serve users irrespective of the device they are using, will make the developer’s life easier this year.
Whether you are developing a website for desktop users or mobile users, make it responsive – this way, everything will display well regardless of the screen size and resolution.
Responsive web design is on its way to the future. Interestingly, Google has declared mobile-first search, which means that Google now rewards websites based on how well they display on mobile phones first, before taking into account how they look on a desktop computer or laptop.
| 3. Artificial intelligence and Cybersecurity
If you want to serve your audience better, you need to start incorporating AI-powered systems into your web development and business. Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft use AI to price a ride, minimize wait time for pickup, and even find the perfect passengers to minimize detours – all made possible by machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). It would be best to let your users know they are safe when they use your website. Web developers who adapt to and learn artificial intelligence (AI) can optimize everything from competitive analysis to trend prediction to image recognition. And more importantly: In areas of customer support, AI will define the future of cybersecurity.
According to a forecast by Statista, “between 2016 and 2025, companies will spend up to $2.5 billion globally on artificial intelligence to prevent cybersecurity threats.”
Robots play a crucial role in the world of cybersecurity. While cybersecurity experts can take countermeasures to prevent cybersecurity problems, they are not always there. They are human and need to eat, take breaks, visit friends, and so on. But robots are available 24/7 to fight cyber attacks against users in real-time. It’s safe for customers, employees, and the community.
| 4. Chatbots and Customer support
Customer service and support are crucial to growing a successful business. No matter how compelling the product offering, if customer service is poor, negative word of mouth will spread like wildfire.
Every business interacts with customers. But how do you maintain that interaction outside of business hours – or when customer service representatives aren’t around?
That’s why chatbots are so effective. They provide immediate answers to users’ questions while they’re still browsing the site. 69% of consumers prefer chatbots because of their immediacy. On the other hand, you might think that website users don’t want to talk to a bot. Isn’t it evident that they would rather have a human answering their question? Your concern is valid, but the information may surprise you. Millions of online consumers would like to receive real-time feedback. About 48% of consumers want to interact with a company via live chat, so chatbots are the perfect solution. And there’s more. 95% of consumers rely on chatbots for instant feedback when confused or want to get what they’re looking for quickly. It’s clear that consumers have shown a strong preference for chatbots, and businesses are ready to invest in them this year and beyond.
| 5. Integrating Emerging Messaging
Emerging messages are becoming a communication tool for businesses. They are flexible and can be a great advantage for web developers who are starting to integrate them into their overall strategy. This technology has made it possible to send instant information to customers and website users. It can report changes in traffic, announce promotions and sports results or invite users to leave feedback. Here is an example from Brigman Heine. This form of real-time communication is essential for several reasons: it can increase engagement between businesses and customers and saves money by developing a flexible application for each web platform. The beauty of pop-up messages is that they don’t distract the website user. Web developers are finding ways to implement them in web portals, such as mobile apps, discussion forums, etc. This trend expects to dominate in 2021 and beyond.
| 6. Voice search and Instant answers
Web developers have no other choice when it comes to optimizing for voice search. Google and other voice devices like Siri have seen a significant change in how they process data – and users like it. Voice search is an impressive technology that allows people to search the web by voice. It’s been around for years, but only in the last few years has its use increased. Last year, Business2Community estimated that voice search adoption would reach 50% globally by 2021.
| 7. Motion design in the user interface (UI)
Motion UI is already gaining ground. Web developers understand the need for smooth transitions, especially when there are moving objects. In 2021, there are clear signs that Motion UI will grow, even more, considering how animated GIFs and Motion UI can work together. Fishing for entries is an excellent example of mobile UI design, thanks to Mari Kostova, the freelance web developer at Dribbble. It’s a simple animation that adds some interaction to the account page while staying true to the brand. The fisherman appears to be asleep waiting to catch a fish (i.e., get new sign-ups), but when users try to log in to an existing account, the fisherman remains alert and stands, showing off his catch. Motion UI can use many pre-built CSS classes to help developers achieve a goal as quickly as possible.
Here’s a good example:
Gone are the days of developers struggling with JavaScript or jQuery – with this trend, a piece of content can be animated, improving the user experience on the site and adding aesthetics to the site structure.
| Conclusion
Although these web development trends and strategies expect to gain popularity in 2021, you should keep an open mind. The web is a dynamic space, and new trends and tools may emerge while you still hold on to these trends. There is no single approach to developing a user-friendly website. If your goal is to design and develop a site that best serves your target audience then you can contact top web development companies in India.
