There have been numerous changes in web design and development in the past years as technology continues to evolve. As a business owner, it is important to be familiar with these changes to optimise your website, improve user engagement, and sustain ever-rising competition. 

This article will highlight some of the main changes that have affected the web design and development industry and the latest trends to follow this year.  

PHP & MySQL 

There was a time when PHP, along with MySQL, was at the forefront of back-end web development. But, with continual changes in web design and development, they have since been eclipsed by other programming languages. 

Today Python and MongoDB are more popular among web developers and designers. JavaScript also deserves an honourable mention. A lot of websites are based on JS frameworks. 

JavaScript 

HTML and CSS build static web pages. JavaScript is necessary for every site. All the graphics, photo slideshows, etc., are thanks to JavaScript. 

Atom 

Atom is free to download. It is an open-source editor for web design and development. It is straightforward to use, and developer tools aid in its simplicity. You can add more features via coding.  Furthermore, Atom’s user interface is highly adjustable and customisable. 

Google Web Designer 

It helps to create interactive content in HTML5, JavaScript and CSS. You can also use it to build ads. It incorporates a convenient library of extra components, including; images, videos, and other advertising tools. 

It is free for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Advanced users can toggle between the default view and code view. This is why the tool can support many advanced features besides ads once you’re well-versed in it. 

WordPress 

WordPress is the leader of the Content Management System that web developers use to make, publish and manage digital content online.  For this reason, the WordPress CMS is widely used for building sites. It is user-friendly. You can use it to create WordPress page templates and site features. 

Bluefish 

This web design tool is less than 60MB and is very user-friendly. Although the main focus is HTML, Bluefish supports a wide range of languages. They are; Java, JavaScript, XML, CSS, SQL, and PHP.  It also comes with a search feature that makes finding text across many projects easy. 

Adobe Dreamweaver 

Dreamweaver is available as a part of Adobe’s mid-range packaged application subscription. It allows users to code website design regardless of their coding knowledge. Because it uses HTML editing, the software is easy to learn.  If you are an advanced user, please take note that Dreamweaver provides multi-monitor support for Windows. It also supports the (CEF) to work with HTML5 elements and CSS grids. 

 

Now that we have explored some of the changes in web design and development in the past years, we can steer our attention towards something equally important, if not more. 

Web Design and Development Trends for 2021 and Beyond 

As a business owner who appreciates the significance of having a website in 2021, it is imperative that you keep an eye on web design and development trends that are gaining momentum. 

Why?  Because new web technologies emerge every day, and web design and development standard practices evolve fast. Being aware of these trends gives you a valuable opportunity to run a thriving business, leave your competition far behind, and make accurate future predictions. 

That said, here are the hottest changes in web design and development in 2021 and beyond: 

Voice Search 

Digital voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana, and Alexa are becoming more and more popular among consumers and are predicted to maintain steady growth in the coming years. People can now use this technology to carry out a wide range of tasks, including scheduling appointments, booking flights, setting reminders, and gaining access to information online. 

So, what does the rapid adoption of smartphones, smart speakers, and other IoT devices for voice search means for you? 

There is an increasing number of consumers looking to buy products and services via voice search. This is an opportunity for you to become an early adopter by optimising your SEO and content strategy for voice search to rank higher on search engines. 

Improved Data Security 

You have probably come across the phrase “data is the new oil,” which serves to shed light on the potential value of this asset in today’s economy. Just like oil, raw data might not be handy. However, you can create value with the proper infrastructure and savviness; think about the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal. 

This means security should be at the top of your mind in 2021 as a website owner with access to a wealth of user’s data and company internal information. That’s because your website is an attractive target for cybercriminals who can use that information to damage your reputation or steal from your customers. 

Therefore, it is essential to partner with web developers who stay on top of cybersecurity best practices like using HTTPS protocols, adopting password management solutions, and setting adequate access control measures. 

Motion UI 

Creating a good first impression is an effective way to improve engagement on your website. And you can achieve that by adding transitions and animations to your website design. 

This explains why motion design is one of the main changes in web design and development in 2021. Web professionals are increasingly using Motion UI to create fully responsive websites that provide richer and more interactive user experiences. 

Motion UI is a powerful front library that empowers developers to create interactive websites using dynamic transitions and beautiful animations. It is highly flexible as it is compatible with many web technologies, and you can use it to create animated charts, modular scrolling, page header transitions, background animations, etc. 

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) 

Progressive web apps are not new in 2021, but many big companies like Twitter and Starbucks have been adopting it in the past few years, as it helps to cut down on web page load time. This is essential as it provides a better user experience and ranks your site higher on search engines. 

With an increasing number of people using smartphones for browsing and making purchases, adopting a PWA allows you to provide your customers with a fully native app experience. PWAs provide a smoother experience and can be accessed offline, among other benefits. 

 

Artificial Intelligence Chatbots 

AI-empowered chatbots are one of the significant changes in web design and development this year. Many huge companies with customers across the globe and in different time zones have embraced this technology to provide seamless 24/7 support tailored to their specific needs. 

This is possible because AI-enabled chatbots can collect data, and leverage machine learning and natural language processing to answer FAQs, connect clients with human assistants or take orders. 

About Xanda 

New technologies are continually emerging to meet the expectations of customers on the web. This is why it is vital that you partner with an experienced and innovative web design and development agency.  

Xanda is a leading technology company that stays on top of changes in web design and development to optimise our clients’ websites and ensure that they remain competitive. 

Get in touch with us for more information.