Before we delve into web application development trends, let’s recall that CERN, the very first website, went live in November 1992. With all the modern technologies around, it’s hard to believe that websites used to be 100% text-based back then. Anyways, that was exciting and groundbreaking.
Fast forward to 2023. The internet has evolved immensely. Web development has become a superior and profitable niche, with more people every year learning to code and desperately trying to get a job. Being a web developer means you’re cool and intelligent. And rich, too. Right? Or?
Finishing a web-dev course is not enough to become a professional and deeply understand web application development trends. It’s a long journey of endless learning, progressing, and catching up with trends, as those tend to shift quite often. In this article, we’ll uncover some of the latest web application development trends so that you can stay on top. But first, let’s figure out the difference between web applications and websites.
Web Apps vs. Websites
The web application is software that runs in your web browser. They allow you to use complex functionality, such as item search, shopping cart, messaging, etc., without downloading and installing software.
Examples: Amazon, YouTube, Facebook
A website is a set of connected web pages with images, text, audio, and video. It can consist of one or numerous pages so users can view and read the provided content.
Example: JetRuby’s blog
Now that we have mentioned the difference between those two terms, we can finally move on to the web application development trends.
Multi Experience
“Multi-experience” term refers to delivering a flawless user experience through various touch-points. In other words, developers should now consider how users interact with their applications, whether through voice, touch, gesture, or even augmented reality. Creating a cohesive user experience across all these touchpoints can be challenging, but it is essential in today’s multi-experience world.
Multi-experience is a massive web application development trend. However, it also includes other noteworthy tendencies. Let’s discuss some of them.
Progressive Web Applications
When responsiveness is not enough, progressiveness comes into play. Progressive web apps (PWAs) are web applications that look and feel like native mobile apps, although accessed through a web browser. Such applications aim at delivering a native-like user experience with faster conversion.
PWAs are fast and designed to work offline seamlessly across many devices. Thus, they adapt to any screen size and browser. Huge companies, such as Facebook, Uber, Spotify, and others, have already adopted PWAs, and there’s no sign they’ll give up this idea soon.
Optimized Voice Search
Google introduced voice search in 2011, but this feature is still gaining popularity among users. The voice search assistant market is projected to grow to 11.2 billion by 2026. 51% of consumers use voice-enabled devices to research products.
Voice search optimization is a set of SEO techniques that make your content more likely to appear in voice search results. Voice search optimization aims to address common verbal queries in your content so that voice search technologies and virtual assistants present your page to users in voice search results.
Voice search presents another critical opportunity to capture organic search traffic, regardless of industry. By tapping into voice search, companies access a new cohort of users who rely on smartphones and smart speakers to find businesses and purchase products.
AI Chatbots are at the forefront of Web Application Development Trends
The increasing use of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) technologies is expected to revolutionize chatbots, making them more “human-like.” These advancements could lead to more conversational and engaging interactions between users and chatbots, improving the overall user experience and providing more personalized service.
Here are some of the scenarios of how AI chatbots can change businesses of different industries:
- eCommerce. Bots save support managers’ time by taking over mundane queries and offering personalized services to customers;
- Healthcare. More precise and personalized consultations, symptom analysis, appointment making;
- Fintech. Financial consultations, expense control.
In terms of development, a user-centric approach is crucial for any project’s success. Although we’ve mentioned only three web application development trends, they all aim at delivering a smooth user experience. As these web application development trends evolve, they offer exciting opportunities for businesses, their customers, and developers, creating a compelling and user-friendly digital experience.
