Web development is evolving at a breakneck speed. New website technologies are being discovered regularly as developers explore new ways of innovation.
If you are a business owner who uses a digital marketing strategy, it’s important to keep up with the latest developments in the field. To make it easier for you, we have analyzed and created a list of the latest web development trends for this year.
Top 21 Web Development Trends For 2021
1. Blockchain Technology
Blockchain is an encrypted database that underpins the digital currency, Bitcoin. The usage of cryptocurrencies increased significantly in the last decade as major payment systems decided to accept Bitcoin. In 2019, over 34 million blockchain wallets were used across the world. Blockchain has become an emerging technology while leading banks are planning to develop algorithms for crypto transactions.
Blockchain technology enables the participants to make transactions across the internet without the interference of a third party. Reducing the possibility of a data breach is one of the most important features of blockchain. This technology has the potential to revolutionize different business sectors by reducing the risks of cybercrimes.
Early Adopters:
- Barclays
- Visa
- Walmart
Service providers:
- Amazon Web Services
- Microsoft Azure Blockchain Service
2. Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
A PWA is a kind of application software that is built using common web technologies like HTML, JavaScript, or CSS. PWA works on any device that uses a standard browser. The technology has gained popularity for its potential to offer a high-quality user experience.
PWA is widely preferred for many other reasons, including its potential to replace native mobile apps. With this technology, a user can view their favourite websites on a mobile browser without downloading special apps. Many web designs companies across the globe have started offering PWA solutions for their clientele. Besides an amazing user experience, PWA offers interesting features like sending push notifications enabling offline access to cached content.
User examples
- Starbucks
- Spotify
Platform examples
- Flutter
3. Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT is one of the most promising among current trends in web development. A future where objects are connected to the internet isn’t just imagination in 2021. IoT is a network of interconnected devices that require almost no actions from the users’ side to execute useful activities. It is forecasted that there will be around 30 billion Internet devices operating in 2025.
The basic application of IoT is its ability to make our daily life easier or more convenient. With innovations like smart homes, e-health, payment automation, etc., we can use the time otherwise spent on routine activities for more productive ones. The major IoT niches you can expect in the coming years are marketing, healthcare, housekeeping and transport.
Examples:
- Wearable devices
- Connected cars
- Biometric cybersecurity
4. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
AMP is an open-source project born out of the collaboration between tech giants Google and Twitter. The technology is designed to create faster mobile pages. AMP optimized pages load easily and thus rank better than other mobile web pages. AMP pages load in about 2 seconds compared to non-AMP pages, which may take up to 22 seconds.
As the internet is becoming more user-oriented, AMP is a technology that developers are embracing. Moreover, implementing AMP lets companies save costs on UX and attract users with low internet speeds. The technology was created to encourage small businesses by enabling them to build websites that work smoothly across mobile devices.
User examples (early adopters):
- CNBC
- The Washington Post
5. Voice Search Optimization
Devices that use voice recognition are gaining fast popularity, thanks to voice assistants and IoT. The technology has grown so much that by the coming year, these devices will be able to recognize the voices of different people and provide a personalized AI-based experience. In the field of web development, the latest innovations are voice-activated self-standing devices, and voice optimization for apps and websites.
With more AI-enabled devices, voice recognition saves our time and helps us multitask. According to estimates, there will be 8 billion digital voice assistants in use by 2023. The massive growth will impact how VSO will become unavoidable in the list of latest web development technologies.
Examples (early adopters):
- Alexa (Amazon)
- Google Assistant
6. API-first Development
As new technologies emerge, it is necessary to establish a connection between them, and the APIs facilitate these connections. APIs have been around for nearly 20 years. But, earlier, developers used to focus on product development first, and the need to establish a connection with software and devices came as an afterthought.
However, API-first development has major benefits – the most important being it is user-focused. The method allows developers to work in parallel, reducing development time and costs. Moreover, it reduces the risk of failure of a project ensuring that all the APIs are reliable and consistent. Thus, API-first development is becoming a major trend in web development nowadays.
Early adopters:
- Netflix
- Etsy
7. AI-Powered Chatbots
AI-based bots have advanced features like 24×7 problem-solving skills, human-like experience, and behaviour analytics capabilities. According to experts, self-learning bots are the future, and companies can cut costs by replacing their support managers. An AI-powered chatbot can easily be integrated into regular/professional websites and PWAs.
AI chatbots are a trend that is considered to be a worthy investment in the long term. They can answer FAQs, connect with the right human assistant, and even take an order. Chatbots generally provide quick answers in an emergency and are quick to resolve complaints.
Examples:
- Nestle’s NINA
- HDFC Bank’s EVA
8. Push Notifications
As we saw, Push Notifications is one of the most favoured features of Progressive Web Apps. Push Notifications is a powerful tool that helps gain users’ attention and increase retention rates. Internet giants like Facebook and Google have already implemented the technology to their web applications.
In 2021, we can see the technology being adopted by more businesses. Also, these instant notifications are likely to replace common communication channels like emails. Push Notifications can easily be integrated into online shopping websites, existing blogs, and other websites.
Early adopters:
- Amazon
- Buzzfeed news
9. Content Personalisation with Machine Learning
Machine Learning (ML) is used in web development to provide an improved experience to users. Developers use ML to enable software to analyze incoming data, detect patterns and personalize content. Many leading companies use this technology to enhance user experience. For instance, Airbnb and Netflix use ML to customize search results for their users.
ML helps you to personalise content without targeting a whole segment of users. You can identify each user particularly, and cater to their interests. The algorithms provide tailored content based on user intentions. Content personalisation with ML is an amazing trend that allows you to adjust your content by analyzing visitor behaviour.
User Examples:
- Yelp
10. Motion UI
A website should not only provide the information a user is looking for but has to be attractive. Beautiful-looking websites have more chances to get noticed by your target audience. Motion UI is a new design approach that makes digital products more intuitive and user friendly.
The approach involves custom animation integration and CSS transitions sourced from SASS libraries with an array of animated elements. Motion UI helps to create an easy interface that guides users offering an enjoyable experience. It is one of the most important trends in web application development as it makes UI design faster and simpler.
11. Data Security
Cyberattacks can cause huge blows to your business and reputation. Thus, data security is one of the trending web development technologies in 2021. No matter what web app you are planning to launch, data security has become a prime concern.
In the coming years, we can expect AI to become much more helpful in data security. The most recent innovation we saw was AI-powered biometric logins to scan fingerprints and retinas. Also, it is easier to detect threats with AI-powered software.
Data security providers:
- Cisco
- Symantec
- IBM
12.Multi-experience
Multi-experience is an unavoidable web development trend in 2021. Today, smartphones, tablets and laptops are not the only smart devices that your potential customers use. There are other gadgets like smartwatches, AR/VR modules, voice assistants and other IoT devices.
Besides creating dynamic websites that adapt to common devices, you should go for multi-experience, where you can communicate with your customers across all devices they probably use. Focusing on creating a multi-experience application in 2021 can increase your odds of becoming the best business in your niche.
Multi experience development platforms:
- Oracle
- Appian
- Salesforce
- Microsoft
13.CyberSecurity
CyberSecurity gains more importance in 2021 because, while we automate more processes, there is an increased risk of our data being stolen. The latest technologies in this field include the development of algorithms that protect users from phishing attacks. Another interesting trend is IoT interaction protection and mobile security.
The development of privacy policies like GDPR in Europe (General Data Protection Regulation) is also one of the latest developments in the field of cybersecurity. These new cybersecurity innovations help you streamline information security and optimize business continuity management.
Popular providers:
- Cisco
- Splunk
- IBM
14. Micro Frontends
Microservices architecture is popular with developers today. It helps them build flexible backends, unlike the old-fashioned ones. However, there are still complications with frontends, where monolithic codebases are used to build interfaces. Fortunately, Micro Frontends is the latest web development trend that can avoid this headache.
The technology helps developers cut a monolithic frontend into simple units, before testing and deploying them separately. Moreover, multiple teams can work on different frontend components, and then put them together to create an amazing web application. This also makes app upgrades easier and contributes to the overall development flow.
Popular providers:
- Cisco
- Splunk
- IBM
- Cisco
- Splunk
- IBM
15. Virtual Reality
The adoption of virtual reality (VR) is going strong in 2021, and we can expect to see more of this technology being utilized in web development. VR is used in websites to help users visualise the products they are going to purchase. VR devices like Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard are expected to revolutionise industries like tourism, architecture and retail.
Besides the above-mentioned industries, another application of VR involves virtual meetings that would enhance remote work. Ultimately, it is all about creating the best experience for users, and VR thus becomes one of the most important web development trends.
Early adopters:
- Volvo (Test Drive)
- Mc Donald’s (Happy Goggles)
16. Serverless Architecture
Serverless architecture, also known as serverless computing, is a software development model where apps are hosted by a third party, so you need not handle server software or hardware. The technology helps you avoid system overloading, data loss and reduce development costs. Serverless architecture is a recent web development technology that is supported by major vendors like Amazon Web Services.
The model allows you to replace regular servers with cloud to manage machine resource consumption. Besides the above-mentioned benefits, serverless architecture helps to keep the internet more sustainable. In the coming years, the technology is forecasted to be used widely for IoT apps and products that require complex backend requests.
Examples:
- Google Cloud Functions,
- Amazon Web Services Lambda,
- Microsoft Azure Functions
17. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of resources, especially data storage, without managing it directly. It emerged as an important trend during the pandemic as more and more organisations are shifting towards remote working.
In 2021, we can expect new advancements in the field. It is predicted that the cloud infrastructure market will grow a whopping 35% this year. The technology helps avoid data loss and data overload besides offering multiple benefits like reduced development costs, flexibility, and robust architecture.
Users:
- Netflix (moved to Cloud in 2016)
Most common providers:
- Amazon Web Services
- Google Drive
18. Single-Page Applications
A single-page application can be defined as a kind of app that doesn’t need to reload itself while working in a browser. The user could enjoy a natural experience and seamless usage. The apps we use daily, like Facebook, Gmail, and Twitter are SPAs. It is one of the top web development trends in 2021 and is expected that in the future, most functional websites will be built as SPAs.
Single-page applications have more capability to hold the attention of users, as they seem to operate quickly. A user gets instant feedback unlike regular websites, where they have to wait for the page load.
Examples:
- Netflix
- Google Maps
- Paypal
19. Javascript Frameworks
JavaScript is not new, it is everywhere even in 2021. It is considered to be the most used programming language and new website trends in the coming years will see the further development of JavaScript frameworks.
In the coming years, JavaScript frameworks are expected to involve UI/UX, testing, and product management aspects. The benefits of JavaScript like immediate feedback, high efficiency, and coding simplicity will be used to maximum potential in the future. JavaScript has evolved over the years to become the most preferred programming language and will continue to be.
Popular JS frameworks:
- Vue.js
20. Automation Testing
Testing is an essential part of web development, especially to guarantee the quality of a product before delivery. While manual testing is the standard process, it’s not the best approach in 2021. Automation of the development stages allows developers to accomplish complex projects with a small team. Likewise, test automation helps them check whether the product is ready for deployment, with greater test coverage and transparency.
Automation testing can help the development team collect test cases and learn from them, as well as reduce development time and cost (up to 20%). So why is automation testing an important web development trend? Simply because the digital environment is becoming more competitive – so being faster and delivering better quality products will help you lead.
Tools:
- Selenium
- Eggplant
21. Responsive Websites
One cannot make a list of the top web development trends in 2021 without mentioning a responsive websites. Every second a search request is being made on the internet from a mobile device, which means that companies should invest in responsive design to create websites that automatically adapts to any device.
The technology helps solve a lot of problems, like improving user experience, and increasing the amount of time a user spends on a website. Additionally, Google had already announced that mobile-friendliness would be a ranking factor in its search engine algorithms.
User Examples:
- Wired
- Dropbox
What is the Future of Web Development?
2021 saw a lot of advancement in the field of web development, and we have gone through the most important ones. These trends are going to shape how web experiences will be delivered in the future. So, it is important to stay on top of these trends to provide your users with the best experience, improve your website ranking and achieve new heights. Embracing them can help you have an edge over the competitors, and grow your business.
Source: GMI
