2022 has been an impressive year for web development. Sites are showcasing a sense of fun and excitement that hasn’t been seen for years. Thanks to the latest trends in web development, developers can recapture the wonder and delight that made the internet so exciting in its early years. The incredible power of today’s cloud-based, high-powered, data-driven web development tools is helping make dreams come true for business owners and web developers alike.
Nothing seems impossible on the web today. I”f you can dream it, we can build it,” is the ethos. From thoughtful, user-friendly, interactive sites to breathtaking animation and visual effects, the sky’s the limit. And when you combine simple, elegant design with a mobile-first sensibility and data-driven decision-making, it’s clear why so many of this new breed of websites are delightful to look at and use.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the key trends behind today’s web, and how web developers are running with them.
What’s Driving These Web Development Trends?
In the world of web development, there’s a newfound sense of optimism about what’s around the corner. It seems that the giant web companies’ stranglehold on the online experience is loosening slightly, and new ways of doing digital are coming into view. Consider the impact of blockchain and decentralization, for instance, and how this gives users more power and options.
People are also looking for more playful online interactions. They love it when companies shake things up — like when Twitter changed the “Like” button to a Lion on a Beyonce hashtag when she was promoting her film, and fans went crazy for it. They’re also finding a sense of community and belonging as they spend more and more time online. The explosive growth of NFTs, for instance, offers owners perks and fellowship.
Fun, speed, community, mobility — all are in high demand and serve as powerful drives behind a new breed of web development.
5 Trends Shaping Web Development in 2022
What trends are these impulses driving? Let’s take a closer look at some important trends shaping the future of web development.
1. Automation
This is a huge trend shaping web development right now. AI tools are helping developers to write safer, more efficient code and create incredible usability for consumers. Automation is streamlining workflows everywhere and playing a role in reducing the human workload, particularly for repetitive tasks where bots are simply much better and faster than a human could ever hope to be. For most people, not being burdened with these tedious tasks is providing a great sense of relief, while offering them the space to focus on the more essential and creative parts of the job they were hired to do.
Many of the leading Silicon Valley giants, such as Google and Facebook, are boosting their customer experience by adding AI functionality into their ecosystems. Where they lead, web developers are sure to follow. Applications such as filing bots, email marketing tools, content generators and fraud prevention software are all changing the ways websites are used and created. This has led to another big trend in 2022: a hunger for knowledge and education around using AI, machine learning and automation. People see the future, and they’re eager to be a part of it.
Chatbots are probably the most successful AI application that people use every day. They’re out there right now, answering questions, gathering data and solving problems for tens of thousands of companies. This web dev trend is only going to increase over the next few months.
2. Mobile Responsiveness
It almost goes without saying that more and more web design is aimed primarily at mobile devices. It’s a tacit acknowledgment that, for many people, the web is mobile. Not only does it speak to user needs, but mobile is also a much more successful platform for getting users engaged. After all, 70% of web traffic happens on mobile devices. That’s having a profound effect on web development trends.
The rise of mobile means more people are engaging with apps than ever before. Web developers are using app-like processes and interactions to build more pleasing, responsive websites that mimic the satisfaction of using a downloadable app.
What does a mobile-friendly web development look like in 2022? Many things:
- The smart use of geolocation data to deliver personalized experiences
- E-commerce apps that offer one-click ordering functionality
- Biometrics such as fingerprint scanning or voice recognition that speed up the login process
The use of mobile devices continues to grow exponentially. Data from Statista reveals that American users will be spending over four and a half hours per day on their devices by 2023. With that kind of attention, it’s no wonder that developers are so focussed on the potential of mobile devices.
3. Minimalism
A simpler, streamlined approach is taking hold online, perhaps as a response to the complex world all around us. Websites that do one thing really well — think Google’s Search page — are more popular than ever. Web developers are stripping sites and applications down to the very essence of what they are, and realizing that’s enough. Design-wise, 2022 favors bold, oversized type, fewer distracting hero images, more one-page sites and a focus on art and elegance.
Behind the scenes, minimalism is also having an impact, particularly in the realm of low-code or no-code platforms that help users build pages and applications without writing a single line of code. Being able to create without having a lot of technical knowledge brings many more people into web development and guarantees fresh, interesting ideas.
4. Voice Response
Web developers have realized that many consumers prefer to use voice commands over typing. Provided the application works like it’s supposed to, voice-driven search is faster, easier and more fun to use than manually inputting commands. It’s also proving to be a major draw for people with reading difficulties.
Add this to the fact that so many in the U.S. now rely on e-commerce through virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri, and it becomes increasingly clear that voice interactivity will play a huge role in web development over the coming months. Forecasts say that 55% of U.S. households will have voice assistants by the end of the year. That’s a huge market that simply cannot be ignored.
One downstream consequence of this web dev trend is that voice search results are beginning to rank higher on Google. This will spur more innovation to meet that demand, leading to a future in which the web becomes a far more hands-free environment.
5. Progressive Web Apps
Although they’re not new, progressive web apps (PWAs) have proven to be quite popular and durable on the mobile web. Developed in 2015, PWAs essentially function as a bridge between regular web pages and native applications. They have been put to highly effective use by some of the big retail giants like Starbucks and Pinterest, which are both using PWAs to deliver web pages that mimic apps but are lighter and faster. Not only do PWAs offer automatic updating and enhanced security, but they are also far less data-heavy. As a result, they’re more efficient than applications. All these factors add up to lower development costs, which is obviously a huge bonus.
Unlike the first generation of web apps, PWAs are not reliant on the browser to work properly. They can be installed and launched from a mobile device, make use of push notifications and other mobile features, and blend the best of desktop and mobile platforms.
A Golden Age for Web Development
These trends illustrate that it’s a great time to be a web developer — and an even better time to be a business owner. Web assets can now connect with users all over the world. Globally, broadband access is soaring. Sophisticated smartphones reach even the smallest villages in remote countries around the world, and the web’s potential is only limited by your imagination.
At Orpheus, we’re a website development company that takes pride in building custom web applications, scripts and WordPress plugins that serve the many needs of our clients around the world. We have years of experience in the field, with deep expertise in extracting the best out of WordPress and other platforms. We have what it takes to design, build, deploy and improve websites, PWAs and mobile applications that work for you and showcase what you can offer
It’s vital that your website reflects the times and keeps up to date with changing consumer expectations. Orpheus is the perfect partner to take what you have and build on it. Reach out to one of our sales agents today, and let’s start talking about the kind of web development that can take your website and application to the next level.
