In the current digital landscape, where technology is evolving at a breakneck pace, and new trends are inundating the market, the web application development realm remains a vital force, steering innovation, trends, and user engagement.
As we stride into 2024, web pages are no longer static and used for display only, they are more interactive and function-rich. From being a tool for sharing and garnering information during Tim Berners-Lee’s era of the World Wide Web to becoming the backbone of the Internet, web application development has come a long way.
As of now, web application development is on a never-ending journey of evolution. Every new technological advancement in the digital realm hones and improves web development. Technological marvels like APIs, JavaScript framework, and AI have unleashed the real potential of web application development and have allowed developers to craft more dynamic and powerful web applications.
But has web development reached the pinnacle or are we witnessing just a fraction of what web development has to offer to the digital realm? We know evolution is the only certain thing about the future of web application development but how will time and technology shape the heartbeat of the digital realm? Keep reading to stay illuminated.
Web Application Development: Current Status
In the current era, the arsenal of web developers is more extensive than ever. Many popular tools and technologies have shaped the current status of web application development. From the brainchild of Facebook; React to Vue.js, many tools and technologies are being used in the web development realm.
Some popular tools and technologies that are currently being used in the web development world are:
- Flutter for Web
- React
- Angular
- Node.js
- Vue.js
Here are the current web development trends:
Mobile First-Design
Nowadays, the focus of web developers has been narrowed down to mobile-first design. With 6.5 Billion smartphones worldwide, web developers now design web pages by keeping mobile devices in mind, and then big screen adaptation is done. This makes sure that the web design functions seamlessly on all devices.
Responsive Web Design
It is a unique approach used by web developers that makes web pages perform well on every type of screen size and device. Whether the user has a tablet or a laptop, the responsive web design will function the same.
UI and UX Design
Both UI and UX are paramount parts of web development. A web developer must build a seamless, interactive, and simple UI and UX that not only keeps the user engaged but allows them to navigate through the website easily.
But these trends will soon be overshadowed by new tools, technologies, and user preferences. According to the survey, more than 85% of the current internet users think that websites should be more user-friendly while 38% of the users close a website if they find the overall layout of the website is not attractive.
Also, for every second the website loads faster, the conversion rate improves by almost 17%. These statistics clearly show that the current web application development status will soon evolve to cater to the changing user needs and improve traffic while fueling business growth.
The Future of Web Application Development: Latest Technologies
As we take a peek into the future, we can see marvelous technological advancements on the horizon that will shape the future of web application development.
To stay ahead of the curve, developers, businesses, and students should keep tabs on these technological advancements. This is the only way people connected to the web application development world can cater to the changing user needs.
We have narrowed down a list of technological advancements that will shape the future of web application development.
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
Accelerated Mobile Pages is an open-source framework that was launched back in 2016 by Google. The need to replace chunky and slow mobile experience with tightly integrated and highly optimized user experience gave birth to AMP. From 2016 to 2024, more than 4 Billion AMP pages have been published and 25 Million domains are building AMP pages.
The main goal of building this framework is to provide an exact path to build an optimized mobile web page experience for the users. This framework helps to retain users while boosting the speed of website functions.
The straightforward coding and ability to stay responsive on mobile devices while loading quickly on different devices help businesses build a strong online presence. Also, AMPs are known for offering optimized pages with streamlined and realistic designs.
Blockchain Technology
In the last few years, blockchain has emerged as one of the most admired technological advancements. It is an advanced database mechanism that is based on transparent information sharing within a business network.
All the data in the blockchain realm is stored in blocks and they are interlinked with each other in a chain. Without consent from the network, even a minor modification in the data is not possible and this results in chronologically consistent data.
With more than 80% of data breaches happening in cloud-based platforms, businesses are now shifting to blockchain for bank-level security, data storage across different global locations, and safe transactions. Currently, 81 out of the top 100 global companies have made blockchain an integral part of their system.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things has made interconnected ecosystems a reality. In the IoT realm, everyday objects are equipped with the internet. With the widening of the smart device landscape, soon websites will begin acting as an interface for interactions between the user and the device.
Since so many IoT devices will be equipped with the internet, websites will play a pivotal role in presenting, collating, and making sense of the large amount of data in real-time. Also, because of the increased interconnectivity, web application developers will need to prioritize user data safety.
As of now $17.8 Billion devices are connected through IoT and the total spending on IoT in 2023 was $ 805 Billion. All these stats show a bright future for IoT and it will have a huge impact on web development.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
Progressive Web Apps offer the best of both worlds: web and mobile applications. The best thing about PWAs is they can function offline, bringing content to the user and offering a seamless user experience without any internet connection.
Even some features of native apps like push notifications are enabled in PWAs. This helps in enhancing the user experience and engagement. PWAs prove to be 8-10 times cheaper than native apps because, in the case of PWAs, user retention is improved by almost 180%.
PWAs are in the limelight, especially in those regions where internet connectivity is unstable. Even in such conditions, PWAs offer excellent experience and performance.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
From being a buzzword, AI and ML have transformed into an integral part of the internet. Both of these technologies from the future have transformed and will keep on transforming the web development realm.
With improvements in natural language processing, chatbots have become quick, useful, and sophisticated. Nowadays, chatbots offer customers human-like interactions, and that too in real-time. More than 90% of the businesses using chatbots have witnessed faster complaint resolution.
Hyper-personalized content delivery on websites has been made possible only because of AI. In the future, AI will allow websites to adapt to the users in real time. These websites will show content tailored to visitors.
Web Development Trends You Should Watch Out For
The improving role of web accessibility
The one thing that is gaining traction in the digital world is inclusivity. But it is not just a trend that will rise to fame and then dissipate in the crowd, it is currently a necessity on the internet. When businesses will make websites more accessible, their reach will widen.
Even to shrug off possible legal ramifications in many parts of the world, businesses will have to focus on web accessibility. While focusing on web accessibility, the UX of the website will automatically improve.
The rising acceptance of serverless computing
It is a way of offering backend services on an as-used basis but serverless computing is not entirely devoid of servers. Servers are still used in this method but the way developers approach coding is changed.
Since there is no need for server infrastructure management, developers and businesses find serverless computing to be a cost-effective method of providing backend services. But this is not it, as this unique method of backend service equips businesses with automated scaling and less development time.
As we delve deeper into the future of web application development, we get a sneak peek of a more effective, advanced, personalized, safe, and automated web development. New tools and technologies like machine learning, PWAs, and artificial intelligence mark the dawn of a new era in web application development.
The future of web application development is inundated with opportunities and improvements and all of this will cater to both businesses and users. So keep an eye on the upcoming trends and be ready to become a part of the new era of web development or get bogged down with outdated measures that once used to be the trends of web App development.
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