Web Development in Melbourne: What’s Hot and What’s Not
If you’re reading this article, you’re one of the savvy few who knows how important it is to keep your website prepared for the future. A number of business owners and marketers are currently planning to make sure that their websites are prepared for 2020.
Picking out and implementing the latest web development Melbourne trends is going to give you an advantage over your competitors. It’s important to keep in tune with trends that will move your business ahead of the pack and say farewell to older trends that aren’t working as well anymore.
Let’s get started!
The Emergence Of One-Page Websites
Let’s face it. The attention span of internet users has dramatically decreased in the past few years. They expect information fast and will go elsewhere if they can’t find it. These users are information skimmers, which means that they don’t want to spend a lot of time doing research. This has led to the rise of one-page websites.
In fact, a number of web development Melbourne trends in the next few years will be based on delivering convenience and speed. One-page websites fit both factors perfectly. The experience of a user when they visit your website is becoming even more important, especially with search engines like Google.
It’s also not surprising that this design trend is becoming popular. If you’re a company that knows the importance of having a website that’s mobile-friendly, you understand why one-page websites are going to be an essential part of catering to mobile users, and with more individuals hopping on mobile every day, there’s a need for more sites to adopt a responsive design that’s compatible for all types of devices.
Here are some reasons why you might want to consider this type of design for your business:
- Reduces clutter on the screen
- Provides easy, intuitive navigation
- Is more engaging for your users
- Has been yielding conversion rates that are higher than other designs
We Need More Motion
Static images have been used for a number of years to provide visual imagery for users. Not surprisingly, users are now demanding more visually, which is probably due to the enormous popularity of video. Static images are on their way out and will be replaced with GIFs, animations and videos.
These moving images are much more engaging and provide interactivity. They’re also a great way for you to use them as storytelling tools for your brand. They can be utilised to establish your message and identity on the internet. You can expect to see more movement on web pages in the future.
Progressive Web Apps Are Becoming More Popular
When researching upcoming trends, it helps to watch what the big players are saying. In the case of Google, they’re pushing for wider implementation of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Google wants its chrome apps to be PWAs. These apps are versatile as they work well with both mobile and desktop.
An advantage of developing a PWA is that it works on multiple platforms, and it has similar functionality to a native app, which is much more cost-effective. With a native app, development must be done for different operating systems. This obviously has its drawbacks and is more expensive.
The trends are showing that users are starting to become less interested in using native apps. App stores are seeing a decrease in the number of downloads each month. Look at your own app usage. Are you still interested in looking for new apps to download on your smartphone?
PWAs are still relatively new. In the coming years, you’ll start to see them used much more as developers discover and understand their potential.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) will become even more embedded in web development Melbourne trends in the future. Have you noticed that some businesses are starting to incorporate AI by offering chat bots to their audience? These are becoming more popular in the area of online customer service.
From social media apps to e-commerce websites, chatbots are creating direct interaction between a brand and its customer. They have the ability to strengthen engagement by answering questions, which will help bring about even more loyalty to a brand.
Behind The Scenes
The computer languages that work behind the scenes are always improving and offering new capabilities to emerging trends. JavaScript is a backend language that helps make web pages more interactive. It’s the code that’s used for making, slides, animated graphics, interactive maps and chatbots.
JavaScript is one of the most popular languages for programmers. It is an integral part of a full-stack development system. As AI systems and design become more advanced, there will be a requirement for a higher standard of efficiency. JavaScript has its shortcomings right now, but it is always improving.
PHP offers a good example of the positive changes that can occur with a programming language. While PHP has been used for a number of websites, it never has the greatest reputation as being a trendy language. However, with the release of PHP 7, it has stepped up its abilities and has helped increase the performance of many websites.
Cybersecurity
Website security has always been important. However, in the past few years, there’ve been more reports of sites being hacked and data stolen. To ensure that customers stay loyal to your business, it’s crucial to make sure that your current security standards are up to date and in alignment with current cybersecurity trends. Your website must be able to protect your users’ data and make sure that it stays private.
Be Unique
It should also be mentioned that while trends are important to follow, there should also be the constant push to create a unique looking website. Web development projects are not based on following exact patterns. Developers and designers are always trying to make improvements.
The key to utilising current trends and creating a great user experience is to interject as much uniqueness into each project as possible. Try to do more than just sell products or services. If your website can tap into the emotions of your users and make them feel something, you’ll create loyalty and a bond with your brand.
