Top 10 Web Development Trends

Web development has been a hot topic in the Technology World for the past few years. It can be challenging to keep up with new technologies that are being introduced constantly. There will be some new web development technologies that you’ll need to know about.

If you’re looking for one, I have shared the top 10 web development technologies and trends in future and beyond for enterprises, which might help your business keep ahead of the trends to stay ahead of competitors.

Also, in this post, I have shared some web development frameworks and tips to find the right web application development company to help you improve your business performance through better customer engagement.

Top web development frameworks

• Angular JS
• Vue JS
• JS
• Laravel
• Express
• Ruby on Rails
• Django
• Net
• Spring
• jQuery
• Express
• Symfony

Web development programming languages 

• Java
• C#
• CSS
• HTML
• Meteor JS
• Js
• Python
• JavaScript
• Golang
• Ruby
• Coffeescript
• Zend
• PHP

Web development trends

• Push Notifications

How many of you have witnessed a notification when you pass by a restaurant or a supermarket? Yes, you might have received alerts on offers and discounts when close to some retail stores because of the Push Notifications used by those companies. This is a valuable technique for both the enterprises and users as they provide a high level of personalization, leading to improved visitors and sales.

Top reasons why Push Notification is trending now

• It makes users lives simpler
• It helps users take action without visiting websites
• Direct communication to the users
• High personalization for better sales

According to reports, Push Notifications increase sales by at least 78% for enterprises. If you haven’t tried this, it is a worthy technique to be implemented immediately.

• Motion UI

Beautiful web applications with intuitive designs often garner the attention of online users. Motion UI plays a significant role in creating websites that add value to your marketing team and business.

Image Source: ZURB

Top reasons why Motion UI is trending now

• Less time to develop
• Attracts users easily
• Helps display products easily and elegantly
• Saves cost for enterprises
• Looks attractive and intuitive

So, in a nutshell, Motion UI will play a massive role in the upcoming years, too, as they can close more sales for enterprises.

• AI chatbots

Have you ever seen a website or web application without a Chatbot or virtual assistant? Well, you couldn’t have. And, this shows the power and growth of AI-powered chatbots in the online space.

Image Source – Hubspot

Top reasons why AI chatbots are trending now

• Engages customers faster and better
• Instant replies to customer queries
• Helps make the decision making faster
• Simple and easy to use
• Skyrocket sales

No company would think against implementing AI-powered chatbots for their business improvements with such excellent benefits. This trend is all set to continue for a long.

• AMP

What if your website loads slowly? You’d end up losing potential customers every second of slow loading time. Accelerated Mobile Pages used to avoid such circumstances. They help users by helping the websites load faster and briskly, thus improving visitor engagement and sales.

Top reasons why AMP is trending now

• Loads in 2 seconds
• Delivers amazing user experience
• SEO-friendly
• Improves branding and web visibility
• Creates a massive difference in user engagement

AMP-based web applications are fast and seamless. This is why most companies use AMPs to improve their website performance today.

• Voice search optimization

If one trend significantly impacts enterprise users today, optimizing for voice search. This makes a lot of difference as 98% of consumers or users use only voice search to find a store or make a purchase. By enabling this technology, enterprises can impress their customers amazingly.

Image Source: Google

Top reasons why Voice Search Optimization is trending now.

• Enables users to search without touching the web interface
• Provides faster results and access to data on the go
• Seamless and effective
• Increased user engagement and sales

Experts say that voice search will be the next revolution in enterprise success, so most companies have already optimized their web applications for voice search.

• Progressive Web Applications

Though Progressive Web Applications are not new to the enterprise space, the growth rate of implementing PWAs for business needs is increasing pretty thick and fast. PWAs are widely recognized as a fantastic web application trend because they can perform like native applications, making them friendly to end-users.

Top reasons why PWAs are trending now

• Fast and seamless
• Easy to install and update
• Native-like user experience
• Decreased load time
• Increased conversions

PWAs will be game-changers for most businesses in today’s world, the likes of Forbes, Alibaba, The Washington Post-build on PWA. By now, you know why PWAs will rule the rooster in the upcoming years.

• Internet of things

The role of IoT in web application development is crucial as this is a game-changer in every industry implementation. IoT helps connect data from machines to humans and humans to humans or from anything to humans. Building robust web applications that meet user expectations will never be difficult with such technology.

Top reasons why IoT is trending now

• Faster and more accessible to load
• Highly reliable and scalable applications
• Highly efficient and trendy UI
• Integrated easily with existing technologies to provide an astonishing user experience

According to reports, IoT will be the next-generation technology enterprises use in multiple projects. This is one of the technologies that any enterprise should never miss out on.

• Single page application

What do you prefer? A website with loads of pages to navigate from or a single page application with all important specs on one page. The latter will make your users’ decision-making process much more manageable. Single-page applications are growing popular today, and most companies create such applications to improve their visitor’s digital footprints and buying behavior.

Image Credit: Scand

Top reasons why single-page applications are trending now.

• It loads faster on a smart device
• Parallels the experience of users in laptops and desktops
• Retains visitors better
• Increases loading time
• Prompts buying behavior

Single-page applications will create a stir in the market in the upcoming years as they can play a prime role in engaging customers better and increasing conversions.

• Blockchain technology

Though the blockchain trend has been there for quite some time, the full potential is not extracted yet. The upcoming years might see the soaring of blockchain technology used in web application development. With many companies focusing on cryptocurrency, this technology will impact the enterprise arena shortly.

Top reasons why blockchain technology is trending now.

• Highly secure
• No intermediaries during transactions
• Data safety
• Improved operational efficiency
• Helps to study user behaviors better

It is worth noting that top banks and other financial institutions widely consider Blockchain for their enterprise needs. This shows this technology can strike gold in the enterprise space.

• API-first app development

Building applications that are API-first will help enterprises integrate with different functions easily. With everything moving towards a connected world and enterprise, creating API-first applications is critical to improving performance.

Top reasons why API-first app development is trending now.

• Front end developers don’t have to wait for backend developers
• Faster development cycle
• Increased capabilities and integrations

API-first web app development is widely favored by most companies today as it simplifies the development process and helps bring products to market faster.

• AR & VR 

Not but not the least. Augmented reality and virtual reality are an excellent addition to any retail business as they can provide an incredible user experience that will almost always lead to skyrocketing conversions.

Here are the Top reasons why AR & VR is trending now.

• Easy, quick, and interactive web applications
• Improves branding and marketing
• Allows for users to get a better understanding of products without unboxing them
• Virtual tours
• No language barriers
• Extensive business outreach

AR & VR can take users’ shopping behavior to the next level. Many retailers have started to feel the impact of these technologies and are incorporating them into their marketing strategies.

These are the top 10 web development technologies and trends that will dominate enterprises now.

Conclusion

Remember, it is no doubt that all the trends discussed above are game changes, but only when implemented correctly. Ensure you have the right web application development company to discuss your needs. A custom application development company with a high level of technical excellence and profound knowledge of business domains, we can help you always stay one step ahead of the competition.

How Long Does Custom Software Take to Build?

Implementing custom software can be a time-consuming process, and the best way to avoid having to wait longer than you need to be to only spring into action when you have a clear idea of what you want to see in your product and what you don’t. Hence, before choosing a software development agency, make sure your goals & requirements are set clearly.

Building Software Is Like Building A House

When planning and estimating a project, we consider each of the following phases separately:

• • • • Requirements & Design
      • Planning, Architecture & Development
      • Software Testing

Of course, the production timing of projects tends to vary wildly depending on the size and features of the software that is being developed. Thrivative believes that a typical custom project takes between four to nine months to complete from conception to completion.

The process of producing custom software begins with planning and analysis, followed by design, which can take anywhere from 1 to 6 months to get right.

This part is crucially important because any oversights here will carry big ramifications for the latter stages of production.

Bear in mind your system requirements, and what you want to achieve from the custom software. Also consider the usability of the end product, and how easy it will be to navigate for all of its users.

The development stage of the process is an exciting one, where you get to see your ideas come together. Developing custom software takes time — up to a year in some cases with larger projects, and you’ll need to brace yourself for curveballs and setbacks during this time. However, if you’ve chosen a competent team to work on your software, the potential for problems is limited.

Once a build has been completed, your custom software enters its testing stages. Much like with planning and designing of a service, this is a quicker process and typically takes from three to six weeks. The focus on testing is to make sure the software performs as intended and is free of bugs or glitches.

When developers are happy with their product, they will open their software up for a User Acceptance Test. This gives you the chance to investigate the final build and check for any issues or errors that might hurt the usability of the service. Once you’re happy with the service, you’ll be able to sign it off and receive the completed package.

Overall, the lifecycle of custom software development is as long as your requirements are. Things that affect this range from the aforementioned pages that are needed to be built, the platforms that it caters for (i.e. if the service is produced with mobile compatibility for Android or iOS), what kind of features are to be included — whether it’s a paywall, external security systems, CRM services, or if it requires complex business content.

Why Software Development Is a Time-Consuming Process

The speed of software development depends on factors like development process complexity, quality of code, team size, productivity, and efficiency. Let’s have a closer look at each one.

The complexity of the development process

Every development team faces issues related to the technical aspects of the project, such as project requirements and tight deadlines. All these challenges may slow down the process of software development.

Quality of code

When the mess in your code increases, so does the time that it takes to maintain it. In the worst case, the code can no longer be maintained and the project will slowly die without continuous updating.

Team size

The success of each project depends on the efficiency of internal communication. Researcher Katherine Klein from Wharton University states that the optimal size for a team is 5 people. If there are more than 7 people in the team, finding common ground becomes more challenging.

Team productivity and efficiency

In general, the performance of the team depends on the contribution of each member. If some team members are skilled and experienced, the team will work faster and smarter to get all of your tasks done.

Conclusion

On average, we see software projects taking between 4-6 months to design and develop.  The size and complexity of the project are the biggest factors in overall duration. A project is considered large or has a greater complexity if any of the following apply:

• Involves 25+ screens
• Includes an administrative portal as well as a user application
• Supports multiple platforms (web, tablet, phone, iOS, Android, Windows Phone)
• Integrates with multiple systems (security systems, payment gateways, CRM systems, ERP systems, HR systems, etc.)
• Involves data migration from an older system
• Has complex business logic
• Has complex reporting requirements
• Involves a data warehouse or data mart

However if you really wish to have the complete benefits of the trends and technologies partnering with a right web application development really matters. Thrivative help fast-growing start-ups and scale-up to build quality software, staff their teams, and create outstanding designs for websites and applications. We are looking forward to partner with you!

 

Digital Transformation: Key features of effective software development

 

Nowadays, the world is changing faster than you can imagine. With the rise of technologies like the internet of things (IoT), machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), the cloud, blockchain, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), computers and digital technologies have become a core component of business.

The need to innovate and transform is a necessary part of being competitive in the market. This is where digital transformation comes in. If you’re unsure what that is, you’re right where you need to be. Keep reading!

Using software development to differentiate brands and gain competitive advantage requires proficiency with the techniques and technologies that can accelerate software deployment, quality and efficacy.

• Artificial intelligence (AI)

  AI enables software to emulate human decision-making and learning. Neural networks, machine learning, natural language processing and cognitive capabilities present developers and businesses with the opportunity to offer products and services that disrupt marketplaces and leap ahead of the competition.

One of the top benefits of using AI is the enhanced customer experience it enables. Artificial intelligence enables organizations to put forth enhanced product offerings through the rigorous, ongoing analysis of consumer activity. For instance, if users are regularly engaging with certain features and functions, or experiencing performance issues on certain pages, AI can help you immediately identify these issues, and even provide suggestions to resolve the problem.

• Cloud-native development

  Cloud-native development is a way of building applications to exploit cloud environments. A cloud-native application consists of discrete, reusable components known as microservices that are designed to integrate into any cloud environment. These microservices act as building blocks and are often packaged in containers. Because of this architecture, cloud-native applications can use cloud environments to improve application performance, flexibility and extensibility.

• Cloud-based development

  Just as IT organizations look to the cloud to improve resource management and cut costs, so do software development organizations. In this way, the cloud can be used as a fast, flexible and cost-efficient integrated development environment (IDE) or development Platform as a Service (PaaS). Cloud-based development environments can support coding, design, integration, testing and other development functions. They can also offer access to APIs, microservices, DevOps and other development tools, services and expertise.

• Blockchain 

  Blockchain is a secure, digitally linked ledger that eliminates cost and vulnerability introduced by parties like banks, regulatory bodies and other intermediaries. It is transforming businesses by freeing capital, accelerating processes, lowering transaction costs and more.  Blockchain presents a tremendous opportunity for software development.

• Low code 

  Forrester defines low code as: “Products and/or cloud services for application development that employ visual, declarative techniques instead of programming and are available to customers at low- or no-cost in money and training …” In short, it’s a development practice that reduces the need for coding and enables non-coders or citizen developers to build or help build applications quickly and at lower cost.

• Analytics

  Annual demand for data scientists, data developers, and data engineers will reach nearly 700,000 openings by 2020. The demand signifies how critical it is for companies to gain insight and value from the explosion of data. Accordingly, software developers are integrating advanced analytics capabilities into their applications. Cloud-based services and APIs make it simpler to guide data exploration, automate predictive analytics and create dashboards that deliver new insights and improve decision making.

• Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)

  In MBSE, software modeling languages are used to perform early prototyping, simulation and analysis of software designs for early validation. Building designs in MBSE helps you to analyze and elaborate project requirements and move rapidly from design to implementation.

• Mobile: 54% of global executives believe that customer buying behavior has shifted from products and services to experiences (PDF, 788 KB). Many of these experiences occur in mobile environments. A key capability for software developers is creating mobile apps with deep connections to data that enriches and elevates user experiences. Forrester has found that “deeply integrating digital/mobile customer data has a strong effect on how customers interact with brands.”

Selecting the right software development service company: Define your objectives and goals

A decision without clear, relevant and actionable objectives may create ambiguity and hinder your future success. Therefore, here are some questions that would help you organize your thoughts and produce a SMART goal:

• What are your business priorities: is it cost-saving, scalability, time-to-market, competencies, vendor diversification, or something else?
• How will you align an outsourcing model with your current business strategy?
• What services do you expect a vendor to provide?
• What will be outsourced and what will be kept in-house?
• Time-frame: When will you start the first project? What does the overall timeline and delivery plan look like? What are the milestones that need to be kept up with?

However if you really wish to have the complete benefits of the trends and technologies partnering with a right web application development really matters. Thrivative help fast-growing start-ups and scale-up to build quality software, staff their teams, and create outstanding designs for websites and applications. We are looking forward to partner with you!