We’ve come a long way from 1983 when the internet was barely a newborn. Now, we have more than 5 billion active daily users visiting more than 1.58 billion websites.
The thing is, technology is forever revolutionizing the internet with more trends emerging every year. Though it may be challenging, business owners and website developers need to stay on top of these changes to stay in the race – and the same goes for you.
If you want to keep up with the most recent trends, here are the top latest website building technologies to keep an eye on in 2022.
Improved Cybersecurity
Improving a website’s security is no new trend, although it’s becoming more imperative to upgrade your website to meet the latest cybersecurity trends every year. For instance, the number of distributed denial of service attacks, which cause significant financial losses and damage to personal reputation, doubled in 2020. And then there was the attack on 700 million LinkedIn users in 2021 that accessed their personal information.
Despite the developments in cybersecurity, the sophistication of the attacks keeps developing as well. It’s no longer enough to have a firewall and anti-malware programs; you also need to use the latest security patch. Application-based multi-factor authentication is also on the rise.
AI Chatbots
Various websites have already integrated AI chatbots to such a degree that it’s becoming mainstream nowadays. However, we can expect 2022 to introduce more sophisticated AI chatbots that understand and fulfill the users’ needs. This level of sophistication can be possible thanks to advanced natural language processing, machine learning, and information retrieval techniques.
The primary role of AI chatbots has been to provide assisted voice or text chat to increase the operational efficiency of a company. However, nowadays it’s aimed toward improving the overall customer experience by collecting data and interacting in a smarter way with users.
Motion User Interface
Today’s customers are taking a lot of things for granted. They got used to fast-loading websites and mobile-friendly experiences, and now they’re looking for breath-taking graphics.
It’s no surprise then that motion UI is now on the rise, as it’s unparalleled when it comes to rich and interactive experiences. A motion UI designer provides a custom web design by taking into account the business’ needs and goals. Using the motion UI framework, the designer can make elements spin, transition, bounce, or slide on your website.
Speed Increasing Technologies
Fast loading speed is still one of the essentials of running a website, whether for SEO purposes or customer experience. Although they’re nothing new, speed-increasing technologies are still on the rise in 2022.
Accelerated mobile page (AMP) is one of these technologies that was launched back in 2015. AMP provides instantaneous website loading for mobile users, which drastically reduces bounce rates, as well as improves core business metrics, like conversion rates.
Progressive web apps (PWAs) are another old trend making a comeback. PWAs allow websites to work offline in separate apps like Maps, and they also possess the remarkable ability of loading websites in no time.
However, the most remarkable trend here has to be single-page applications (SPAs), which automatically and dynamically update a page’s content without needing to press the refresh button. SPAs are easy to create and are also cost-effective. The fact that they’re also space-efficient makes them an all-time favorite for developers and users.
Mobile-Friendly Development
More than half of the current web traffic comes from mobile users, and around three-quarters of e-commerce sales are completed through mobile phones. These statistics make it clear why we keep investing in mobile-friendly technologies.
That said, the definition of “mobile-friendly” keeps fluctuating every year. In 2022, it involves integrating geolocation, biometric authentication, one-click ordering on e-commerce applications, and other trends.
One of the most remarkable trends is 5G, which also aims to drastically increase mobile network speed. The technology is relatively new though, so businesses are still trying to determine the scope of its applications.
Optimized Voice Search
Intelligent virtual assistants have made working, leisure, and living easier than ever for quite a number of people. With the introduction of even more voice assistant products, we can expect the use of voice search to keep spiking.
However, the most relevant fact here is how users initiate voice search commands from their smartphones and IoT devices. This is one of the reasons voice search results keep ranking higher on the search engine result pages. Companies looking to improve their SEO ranking will have no choice but to incorporate voice search in their 2022 strategy.
Low-Code/No-Code Development
Advanced software development requires continuous coding and maintenance – otherwise, web programmers would no longer be needed. However, the rise of low-code and no-code platforms make it possible for even amateurs to build, upgrade, and maintain their websites.
Low-code platforms provide pre-built codes and pre-designed templates that a customer can use to create software solutions. No-code development platforms (NCDPs) allow customers with zero technical experience to use pre-built interfaces and configurations to build software.
Serverless Architecture
Maintaining, upgrading, and provisioning servers have always been a developer’s nightmare. The amount of data needed to run a website can easily overload the system. And although costly, managing the servers is essential to prevent data loss.
The search for a solution gave birth to a serverless architecture.
Serverless architecture allows the user to run codes without needing an underlying infrastructure. Since it runs on cloud technology, there’s no need for administration or server management.
Dark Mode Standardization
Various platforms have already implemented the dark mode feature. Recent studies show that 80% of users prefer to use the dark mode whenever available. That’s why 2022 is sure to see a spike in apps and websites offering the dark mode interface. Before we know it, it’ll become the default mode for websites and applications.
Website-building technologies keep upgrading every year, and this forces website owners to stay on top of the trends. Ideally, you’ll have a web development team who’s hyper-aware of these trends so you can upgrade your website right away. Thankfully, most of these technologies are designed to allow even amateurs to use them seamlessly.