The web industry is continually changing, and it is crucial that professionals vigilantly update themselves with the latest emerging trends. This helps to benefit web specialists by helping them to maintain producing websites and services with better functionalities that will be suitable for future technologies. Therefore, looking towards 2018 we have put together some of the newest trends in web development that are set to influence the industry.

Javascript (Node & Angular)

According to Google Trends, JavaScript is the current trending framework that is both easy to use and has a user-friendly language. As of 2017, it is the most popular programming language framework used by web developers. There are two JavaScript frameworks that are expected to increase in popularity within the coming new year.
 Angular- JavaScript and HTML integration is used for a better user interface.
 Node- Provides faster communication whilst enhancing Real-Time Interaction between the user and the website.

As of 2018, it is expected to develop upon these frameworks further making them increasingly more flexible and powerful.

Google AMP

From 2018 Google will be introducing AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) which is fundamental for a faster website. Integrating Google AMP gives you a fair advantage over other websites in the following ways;

• Offering an improved mobile search experience,
• AMP pages are SEO friendly and Google preferred, which are further given a Google ranking boost
• Website pages are displayed in the carousel showcasing top content along with other AMPed websites
• An AMPed page is 4X faster and uses 8X lesser data compared to traditional mobile optimised pages.

With 80% of internet users owning a smartphone, it is essential that businesses ensure their websites are responsive. Websites require being accessible to every user especially those accessing websites through different devices and alternatives to desktops. Therefore, the next consideration is improving the speed of your website when being viewed on mobile devices. Audience engagement is crucial and potential interest is lost when users are unable to access or load a website especially if it takes more than 3 seconds. Subsequently, the introduction of (AMP) in 2018 could prove constructive to solving the problem of slow and sluggish website loading for mobiles.

E-commerce Web Development

E-commerce web development has continued to grow and will become a dominant fixture in 2018. It will focus on the strengths of other trends in web design such as software that can collect detailed information about users and recognise their preferences. Additionally, it will require websites to produce rich content that will have to adapt to individuals visiting the site and be created based on their interests and behaviour. Therefore, new E-commerce should be better informed of their customer’s shopping habits and preferences and only offer them the relevant products.

Materialize CSS Framework

Material designing is a key trend for the year ahead especially as the new Materialize CSS framework will be compatible with all modern browsers. Materialize CSS framework, is a mixture of CSS, Sass and JavaScript as an open-source framework that works on user experience by merging simplicity and cleanness of flat design with the real world. Furthermore, it creates a better user experience through controlling styling, custom components, transitions and animations. Overall, it bridges the gap between design and reality creating the illusion of being submerged within a genuine environment.

SSL & HTTPS

With 43% of users abandoning a website after viewing a security alert message, it is increasingly important to secure your website. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) are cryptographic protocols that are secured through TLS (Transfer Layer Secure) by three layers of protection;

• Transferred data is encrypted
• Data, when transferred, cannot be modified or corrupted without detection
• Data is authenticated to prove that the users are communicating with the intended website.

Additionally, using HTTPS is beneficial because it generates higher Google rankings within SEO campaigns. The future will see websites being predominantly focused on using HTTPS because Google prefers sites that are more secure. Furthermore, users anticipate a secure and private user experience.

User Behaviour Tracking

Although tools such as Google Analytics and several open-source platforms like WordPress facilitate the integration of third-party tools to track user behaviour they are have been seriously underutilised until now. It is predicted that 2018 will see an increase in businesses wanting to track the behaviour of users visiting their website and further analyse how they react to certain sections and web pages to see which are the most important. Studying these activities can help businesses understand their audiences and customers which can improve conversions and generate sales. All of which is valuable to the overall process of a successful online marketing campaign.

Multilingual Websites

If you are looking to promote a website that is presenting to a global audience, then a Multi-language website is obligatory. Multilingual Websites are beneficial because they attract audiences who are not proficient in speaking English and who do not speak it as their first language. This helps to increase the number of conversions you receive internationally.

Our Future Thoughts

The future of web development in 2018 appears to offer extensive benefits to businesses and further heighten their rankings and online marketing presence. Written and sourced with information from a professional web developer within Orkis Media who are experienced industry web specialists. You can easily find the source of this information and a great deal more about our web developing services by contacting Orkis Media, The Old Vicarage, Market Street, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2JB, 01332 492161, info@orkismedia.com, https://www.orkismedia.com