Things are far from what they used to be in the 90s. The clothes, hair, makeup and even lifestyles have evolved in unforeseen ways. But some things were predictable, like in technology advancing.
We knew this would continue to grow in various ways, and it has. The web has become our go-to resource for just about everything – shopping, dating, home buying and organizing our lives.
The mobile scene has really transformed the way modern Americans live their lives. There’s an app for just about everything – you can manage your fitness, count calories, read books and watch TV shows all from your smartphone or tablet.
As these trends continue to change, it’s important for businesses to keep an eye on them. In doing so, you can ensure your web properties remain in line with the happenings of the world.
For example, updating your website so that it is easily found and used by your target audience. And on that note, we bring you a list of the top web development trends expected in 2018 and beyond.
Mobile-First Is the Way to Go
You can thank Google for this concept.
They were the first to adopt the mobile-first agenda, penalizing any websites that weren’t mobile-friendly. So with that, it’s highly essential to design your site with mobile users in mind.
Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t continue making sites that are accessible by desktop users. Your site should have a responsive design so that it can be accessed on any device, but we’ll delve into that later.
The mobile-first trend began a few years ago and is expected to continue in 2018 and beyond.
After all, who’s going to detach themselves from their beloved smartphones? A lot of people today are carrying around phablets (large screen smartphones). So they’re getting an even better experience.
To sum this trend up, make sure your site can be easily used on a smaller screen than your typical laptop or desktop monitor.
The Use of Responsive Designs
You’ve likely heard the term responsive design kicked around all over the media. It’s a buzzword in the online marketing community and for good reason. It’s the key to appeasing the Google gods and your mobile-using visitors.
And it’s expected for this trend to only grow as people jump from one device to another. For example, searches for a home or new shoes may begin at work using a smartphone or tablet. Then once the user gets home, they complete the purchase using their desktop or laptop.
For this reason, it’s important to have a website that is designed responsively. If you’re unsure of what this entails, here’s a quick breakdown.
A responsive design consists of CSS media queries and grids and layouts that are flexible. This develops a single, dynamic website that can adjust the content based on the size of the screen, offering the best experience and look.
The benefit for your business is that you only have to pay for one website design instead of a mobile site and a desktop site.
And let’s not forget – having a responsive design will help your website rank in search engines.
AI: One of the Most Interesting Web Development Trends
Yes, artificial intelligence is finally here, but not like it will be in the future.
While there aren’t any robots and cyborgs walking around, there is an AI presence inside various web development trends.
As you would imagine, some of the biggest minds in technology are all-in on this trend: Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. It’s a race to see who will come out with the best programs.
For example, AlphaGo is one program developed by Google DeepMind. This was the first program to outwit the professional Go player.
However, you can find various AI technology being released to the public. Some are designed to improve search engines and content, such as the one used by Wikipedia. This helps the site to find inaccuracies and damaged articles.
If you want an example of a site already using an AI, you have The Grid. This has Molly, an AI web designer that asks you questions to help build your site. For instance, you’re asked about your branding, layout, colors, and content.
Then everything is automatically created for you. You can update the design as much as you like. Of course, this won’t have the finesse and pure genius a live web developer could offer, but an interesting trend nonetheless.
Virtual Reality Is Here
This is another technological concept that we’ve been waiting around for many years. Since the 80s even, if not before! We now have the equipment and software to create VR experiences.
This is being done for video games, as well as advertising. A VR system can be used by consumers to get a realistic tour of a home far away or experience the use of a new product before even touching one.
So there are many clever ways brands can go about implementing virtual reality into their own marketing campaigns. And even for their website design.
Just imagine, a user enters your site using VR goggles and experiences your product or service firsthand. That could help get people to convert easier without the need of an in-person salesperson.
We’re expecting to see virtual reality continue being used in all sorts of applications, such as news apps, real estate tours and more.
Turn Your Business to Gold
What do all of these web development trends have to do for your own site?
Not all web development trends are worthy of being used, depending on the business you’re in and your goals. So rather than trying to keep up with the Joneses, you need to figure out what will work best for your brand.
You can do this with the help of Midas. Here, we have a team of experts who can assist you with your web design, search engine optimization, digital marketing, logos and general branding.
So contact our office today to get consulting for your business website!
