10 Web Development Trends Every Business Should Know In 2021

By Author: olivia cuthbert
Total Articles: 12
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The future of the web is always in flux, but if we look back to the past, we can see where certain trends have appeared in the past and understand where they’re likely to appear in the future. In this article, we’ll explore 10 web development trends from the past year that are likely to continue into 2021 and beyond. While some may seem obvious, others are less talked about but could have a big impact on your business in the next few years. These trends include things like virtual reality, chatbots, and more.

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1| Dark Mode & Low Light UX

Today’s color-drenched internet can sometimes be hard on our eyes. Most of us spend over 4 hours a day staring at screens, and 1 out of 5 users experience eye strain while browsing online. Dark Mode, which filters all background and text colors to a dark grey (or another color), is one way we can combat these problems and make our work less strenuous. Google has already incorporated Dark Mode into their Chrome browser and other companies like Netflix, Apple, Twitter, and Slack are following suit to make browsing less stressful on your eyes.

2| Interactive ...
... & Responsive Elements

According to Statista, as of September 2018, there are 2.58 billion internet users worldwide. With such a huge number of internet users around us, creating an interactive and responsive web design has become inevitable for those who want to engage their target audience online. With so many devices to choose from now, people tend to spend more time on their smartphones and tablets rather than desktops. That’s why we think that every business should be aware of these top trends and integrate them into their websites or applications if they want to be successful online.

3| Voice UI

This is voice recognition software that converts speech to text. If you’re looking for an alternative to tapping away on your phone or typing out emails, look no further than voice UI. One of its most popular uses is playing music, although there are dozens of practical uses when you think about it. For example, text messaging while driving isn’t safe—how much easier would it be if your car could read your texts aloud? And how much more efficient would it be to dictate an email than type one out? Voice recognition technology has come a long way since Siri launched nearly a decade ago and will likely become even more ubiquitous in coming years.

6| Single Page Applications (SPA)

SPAs are web apps that load a single HTML page and dynamically update parts of it as needed rather than loading entire new pages. Web developers have been using SPAs for years, but recently they’ve become much more mainstream with Google advocating them for use in Android app development. SPAs are great for mobile because users are often on slow connections or have limited data plans. What’s even better is that since most people don’t have unlimited storage space on their phones, SPAs allow them to store far fewer data. On top of all that, when you combine a SPA with dynamic websites like WordPress or Shopify it becomes easy to develop applications optimized for your business goals; perfect if you plan on selling products online!

7| Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are one of several emerging technologies that are set to change how we design, develop and deploy web applications. At its core, a PWA is just a website that uses modern technologies to give users an app-like experience. These experiences tend to load quickly, work offline by default, and can be installed on mobile devices, essentially bringing the best of mobile apps to websites. As it stands today, PWAs can provide all of these benefits without needing native code or complex device configurations—benefits that have made them popular among many high-profile companies including LinkedIn, Starbucks, and Google itself.

8| IoT-enabled Websites

It’s been projected that there will be over 28 billion internet-connected devices by 2020, so it makes sense that businesses are integrating more web-enabled technology into their websites. By adding smart sensors and data collection tools to their site, companies can easily track things like traffic flow, device use, and even how effective their website is at generating sales. Internet of Things (IoT) web development trends will change significantly over time—and not all changes will be beneficial. For example, many startups are currently using GPS tracking to pinpoint customers on their site to deliver personalized offerings based on real-time location.

9| Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR)/Mixed Reality (MR)

Augmented reality is a technology that allows users to experience a 360-degree view of a 3D environment. With Augmented Reality, virtual objects are added to a real environment via computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, or GPS location. It's really useful for architecture and construction firms because it can help them see how new spaces will look before they're built. In addition, Mixed Reality combines physical and digital objects within an environment using mobile devices or computers. Virtual reality adds virtual worlds to our lives by stimulating experiences from other environments. Basically, it’s turning everything we see into an experience. Be it virtual vacations, concerts, events—VR allows us to consume media like never before.

10| Artificial Companions / Chatbots

With AI advancing quickly, it won’t be long before we see more and more virtual companions that can answer questions, recommend products or services, and perform other common tasks. While most will be harmless (and some useful), there is potential for people to experience emotional attachment to these AI assistants. Similar to cyber-bullying by smartphones today, it’s possible that people will fall victim to cyber-stalking or cyber abuse by virtual assistants designed specifically for them. Use of these programs should always be carefully monitored—or even avoided—by business leaders concerned about employee productivity or customer retention.

| Conclusion

Once again, it's hard to make accurate predictions about what technologies will hold sway in five years' time. While we can't really say for sure what will be important in 2021, we think these trends—along with likely developments like API-driven software architectures and virtual reality—will have an enormous impact on how businesses interact with their customers. We also anticipate that cloud computing will continue to see explosive growth, making it easier than ever before for small business owners to get started online. Whatever your website development needs are, you should be aware of how these big trends are shaping web technology—and try to get ahead of them. You never know which platform or tool might take off—and without being ready for it, you could miss out on millions of potential customers. If you are looking for a web developer there are many web development companies that can help in developing web applications for your business.