Websites are one of the most crucial parts of any business. It is very important to keep the websites up to date with the latest trends and technology. There was a time when the websites were static and whole content was purely based on HTML. The technology slowly changed and we shifted to ASP and PHP along with Java, Flash etc. The competition between two or more companies depends majorly on the ease of the navigation of their website as the user spends much less of a time and need more information.
There are some technologies which are bound to come in the next coming years. As 2018 is coming to an end, we can expect some of them to be visible in the website development by the end of next year. The following are a few examples of the features which you can expect from the updated websites in 2018
- Age responsive design
One thing we need to understand is that the age of the user of any website is getting lower every day. At present time we often see the web pages changing their outlook in accordance with the size and resolution of the device. Sooner or later these pages have to adopt changes as per the user’s age so that he or she can stick to it for a longer period of time. The reason is simple. You cannot expect an 8-year-old to read news formatted for a 30-year-old.
By the end of 2017, you can expect the pages to response according to the age of the user. The pages may change the look of the navigation bar to a stripped-down version for the beginners while it may remain a bit complicated for the expert users. For elderly users, the font size may also vary. The young ones can expect to see more vibrant colors while the middle-aged and elderly ones will see a much simpler version of the web page.
- Mobile browsing to increase further
As the technology of smartphones is increasing very quickly, more users will divert their attention to mobile devices rather than buying a big computer. This will increase the need for mobile based apps and website versions in the future. Those websites which are still feeling insecure to include a mobile version have to upgrade in order to keep their users return repeatedly.
- Space to get more creative
As we advanced in the web technology, the web designers ny felt that the website should look simple and sleek. The trend is again changing and customers, as well as users, are looking for more vivid and soothing designs instead of just looking at a simple page.
- Lazy Loading
It is a concept that allows a part of information of the page to load as soon as it is requested. The user does not have to wait for the whole page to load. This not only saves a lot of time and data of the user but also allows the website owner to save bandwidth. This trend may increase in the coming year and more websites will use it to reduce loading time for the users.
- Responsive design
In the last few years, the websites are slowly shifting to responsive designs which change themselves according to the size of the device. The CMS based fluid website designs are taking over and the whole business website is now easy to fit in a single page design. This trend will help the company owners to make it easy for the visitors to find all the information without clicking repeatedly.
- Custom graphics
Since the bandwidth became cheap and easily accessible, the stock illustrations, images, and videos are becoming a trend. In the last couple of years, the website owners are now looking for something different and unique. With more designers and artists coming forward to use the internet as a platform for selling their work, this trend may catch up the pace in 2018.
- Hapnotic feedback
The Hapnotic feedback basically refers to the sense of touch in a user interface. When you press a key on a virtual keyboard, it sends out the tactile feedback to the system. The Haptic technology is becoming far superior in the mobile devices which will help the designers and developers to form a system that encourages the user for the “Call for Action”, especially on e-commerce websites.
- User off boarding
In layman terms, it is basically like a movie which has the perfect plot. When a user visits a website, he should see an opening introduction about the product or the services. This should be followed by the product experience and climax. In the end, the user should be able to experience a sunset moment which will take him or her to a point where either the purchase is complete or the link has been saved or shared with other users over social media. If the design is creative and holds the user from beginning to the end, it will definitely convert into a transaction.
- Integration of AI in the websites
There are lot AI platforms which are being tested in different UIs. Siri, Echo, and Cortana are some of the AI systems that are slowly getting hold of websites and pulling information from them and providing it to the users. Today it is easier to ask SIRI for a menu of the nearest restaurant while working rather than looking at its menu. This AI will help the developers to slowly embed more features on their websites that are compatible with these systems.
- SEO will be the winner
In the end, every website owner wants to stay ahead of the competition. The website has to be optimized according to the latest trend and rules narrated by the search engines so that it can stay on the top of the search results. In 2018, the search engines will get more intelligent and it will get harder to fool them with Black Hat techniques. The designing of the latest websites has to be fluid and properly structured to get more visitors.
Conclusion
It is not a wise decision to be the frog in the well which thinks that there is nothing else in this world to learn from. You have to be productive and active about your websites. The regular updates in the designs will help you to get ahead of the competition and create a better platform for you.