8 Web Development Trends That Will Dominate In 2021

The emerging conditions have given the digital revolution a massive push. Online commerce was already peaking in 2020, but now, most businesses in almost every vertical are jostling for space on the World Wide Web. At present, besides dealing with the increasing competition, companies must also keep up with the changing user expectations to ensure their website doesn’t look outdated or any critical web standards are ignored.

In this post, we have rounded up 8 web development trends that are going to be the benchmark in 2021. Let’s dive in:

1. Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

Progressive web apps aren’t new in the world of web development, but they recently became mainstream due to the high-quality user-experience associated with them. PWAs enable users to access a website with the same speed and convenience on mobile as on the computer. Not surprisingly, a rise in mobile penetration has given impetus to PWA technology in web development. Another feature of PWAs is that you can make some of the site features accessible offline by storing your static files into the browser cache. Thus, websites with PWAs give you a two-fold advantage – a mobile-first experience and offline accessibility for essential features. 

2. Single Page Websites

In a world where less is more, simple single-page websites are bound to perform better than a complex web of pages. Whether you are setting up a new site or looking to revamp your website experience, investing in a single-page WordPress website is undoubtedly an excellent place to start. 

3. Voice Commerce

The way we access information is evolving. Today, many of us are hooked to AI-based assistants that react to voice commands. Thus, instead of typing queries into a search bar, there’s an increased preference for voice-based interactions that are faster and convenient. However, a voice-activated interface isn’t prevalent at the moment. Still, the trend is expected to catch up soon, making it a worthy addition to your web development strategy.

4. Artificial Intelligence & Chatbots

Artificial intelligence and chatbots have made their presence felt in the past couple of years. Presently, AI-enabled chatbots are not only widespread in customer service but also being used for automation in marketing and other processes. In 2021, there’s no reason that you should not integrate a chatbot on your site to enable 24/7 customer service.

Data indicates that chatbots can handle up to 80% of repetitive queries on their own and can be trained to pass on more complicated concerns to human agents for a more streamlined support process. Besides, chatbots can also help in predictive marketing by analysing thousands of data points and present your site visitors with relevant suggestions and offers, pro-actively.

5. WebAssembly

Stats indicate that 47% of consumers expect a web page to load in less than 2 seconds, and 40% of people abandon a website that takes over 3 seconds to load. Besides increasing the bounce rate, a 1-second delay in page response can reduce your conversions by 7% – which means lost business and lesser profits in the long run.

Simply put, a great looking website will not do much for you unless it is also high-performing. Unfortunately, JavaScript limitations often make websites slow, adversely impacting your user experience. That’s also why WebAssembly is getting popular. It ensures fast performance, irrespective of the programming language and platform. With WebAssembly, you can compile the code in any programming language into bytecode that runs in a browser, resulting in faster loading time, cross-browser compatibility and smaller footprint – the fundamental tenets of modern web development fulfilled by WebAssembly.

6. Motion Design UI

Motion design or animation, a top web design trend in 2020, is going to remain in vogue in the coming year owing to its utility. Motion design can be summed up as a minimalistic design coupled with neat interactions that not only look good but also attract user attention. Some of the examples of motion design include charts, pop-ups, pull-down menu, page header transitions, etc.

With a little effort, motion design can help you create a unique interface that entertains users, leading to increased engagement and better visibility on search engine page results. Another popular UI trend in 2020 is dark mode, adopted by several top brands like Instagram and Apple. Dark mode looks effortlessly chic and highlights the other design elements on your page. It also reduces eye strain in low-light conditions, making it a trend worth considering in your web update.

7. Serverless Architecture

Serverless technologies are becoming popular for improving site performance by avoiding system overload, data loss and simplifying web development. Serverless technologies like cloud computing make it exceptionally quick to execute time-consuming yet straightforward tasks like notification delivery, objects export and downloading file back-ups. If you are a web developer, serverless architecture can change your approach to web development dramatically while delivering some exceptional results at a lower cost. 
 

8. The RAIL Model

The RAIL concept first appeared in 2015 but only recently got popular for two reasons – faster page loading time and exceptional site performance. RAIL refers to:

• Response – Every input receives an instant response, within 100 milliseconds.
• Animation – Scrolling and dragging are used as the main elements for animation to complete every frame in 16 milliseconds.
• Idle – This improves performance by only loading the critical elements on a page instantly. The remaining blocks can be loaded later in the background.
• Load – These are the main page elements, like the navigation bar and the home screen, which are loaded in the first second to hook users and keep them engaged. The most extended time in this framework is one second that is required for loading the initial screen. Everything else is executed in milliseconds. 

As you’d agree, web development trends continue changing. Still, high-quality user experience is what constitutes the core of every website, and that’s something you must never lose sight of as a web developer.

If you are looking for exciting opportunities in the field of web development, sign up on Talent500 to work with Fortune500 companies across the globe.