Every year, we witness advancements in both the technology and the design trends used to develop websites. We dare you to use the Wayback Machine archives to see what current websites looked like a mere five years ago. It seems ridiculous to think we considered those designs to be good. One thing is for sure; progress is undeniable. Each year brings its own trends and technologies that support them, and in the cutthroat world of online business, it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve. Read on to see which web development trends to look for in 2021.
Along with the expansion of the internet into every facet of society came an increased number of cyberattacks. Just in 2021, the U.S. has seen cybercriminals attack Colonial Pipelines and JBS meatpackers. Both of those companies are leaders in their fields, yet they managed to fall victim to digital attacks. Forecasts show that cybercrime will cost the world more than $10 trillion annually by 2025. It has become more critical than ever to scan and update your website along with maintaining your computers. Companies are investing in cybersecurity software to keep their personal information safe from hackers. Maybe it’s time to check if your systems are due for an update.
Although mobile website design is by no means a new concept, we have seen it become one of the most important web development trends to look for in 2021. More than half of online searches are done through smartphones, and developers have noticed. They expect mobile devices to continue to dominate local searches for things like food or services, further supported by search engine functionality. You need to optimize your website for mobile users, or your SEO will suffer, and you will lose visitors. To boost your SEO and make the most of your website, make sure to reach out to moversdev.com or other professionals for help. Many website designers are adopting the mobile-first approach, meaning that they are prioritizing development for phone users. Simply put, mobile-friendly websites rank higher in Google’s search results.
PWAs are slowly replacing natively mobile apps. There is a host of benefits that comes with the use of progressive web apps. We expect designers to continue pushing that trend, and businesses and users have welcomed it. PWAs can load websites quickly and then continue to work offline. They offer a seamless in-app experience within the browser. This will cause them to age more gracefully than apps that need to be made specifically for every device.
Progressive apps also follow the trend of mobile friendliness since it is easier to develop a website as a PWA rather than optimizing for desktop and mobile separately. Companies are also quick to embrace the lower development and support costs of PWAs. We’ve seen progressive apps perform as well as native apps in terms of functionality and feel. When it comes to web development trends to look for in 2021, progressive web apps aren’t going anywhere soon. It’s a safe bet to say we will see more of them in the coming years.
Motion design user interfaces bring interactivity to the forefront of how users surf the web. How users engage with a website has become almost as important as the product being offered. It comes down to increasing user engagement and interactivity to have visitors spend more time on your website. Intuitive interfaces that can help guide the user around the website are the next big thing.
The use of visual cues that help the user navigate pages in the form of simple animations keeps visitors engaged while they browse. It’s much better than simply waiting for the page to load. Customizable front-end animated UI elements are especially effective when paired with progressive web apps. As you can see, most of the web development trends to look for in 2021 have the same underlying principle – keeping the user engaged and present on your website for as long as possible.
Widgets are third-party apps that you can embed into your website. They can provide users certain functions your website might otherwise be lacking. They can be used to show the weather forecast or for displaying social media content. To increase functionality, your website needs to have widgets that add different features. They are best put to use by keeping visitors on your site, but it’s important not to go overboard.
Before you add many random functions to your site, stop and consider what functionality is missing from your page that complements your core product or service. For example, if you own a travel agency, consider adding a currency converter widget. Many of your customers will need to check local currency rates. Adding that widget will prevent users from having to go elsewhere.
Some Sci-Fi enthusiasts are still dismissing machine learning and natural language processing as true artificial intelligence. However, recent advancements have gone way above what we thought would be possible this fast. Having a chatbot engage users in a natural way is no longer a theoretical concept. Businesses are willing to rely on AI to improve the customer experience, and the results have been great across the board. Users are getting the information and assistance they need in a natural way, while websites are seeing more engagement.
Major corporations have also been quick to embrace this trend. YouTube is using language processing to automatically create subtitle text from spoken audio in their videos. Siri, Alexa and Cortana are just some of the many virtual assistants that have become a common household occurrence.
We’ve covered the most important web development trends to look for in 2021, but we are excited to see what else the future brings. There will always be early adopters who are quick to embrace any new technology that comes their way. Likewise, there are also those that choose to wait and see which trends can stand the test of time. Keeping up with the competition is necessary, so make sure you often check what’s trending in the world of web development.
Meta description: Your business will need a modern website do draw in visitors and keep them engaged. Here are the most important web development trends to look for in 2021.
My name is Mukesh Jakhar and I am a Web Application Developer and Software Developer, currently living in Jaipur, India. I have a Master of Computer Application in Computer Science from JNU Jaipur University. I loves to write on technology and programming topics. Apart from this, I love to travel and enjoy the beauty of nature.