10 Trends in Web Development to Watch in 2020

If decades ago, the internet was a luxury or an accessory to people’s lifestyle, it is no longer the case today. Internet use is now intricately woven into society and how we function and interact in this global community. There is no turning back as technology keeps advancing at remarkable speeds year after year, to close the gaps of connectivity and convenience more and more.

The turn of this brand new decade welcomed more than 4.54 billion internet users worldwide.

 Out of this number, 53.3 % are mobile phone users who connect to internet-powered browsing, transactions and services through their mobile phones, with desktop users coming in second at 44% share in users. When web developers are thinking about their design and interface, they no longer need to prioritise desktop users but ensure that their websites are mobile responsive as well. Other mobile devices such as tablets and the like need to be factored. All these emerging platforms and devices have made web development such a dynamic and ever-evolving industry in the last decade alone.

What is Web Development?

Website development or website programming includes all the tasks related to developing, designing, and managing websites for an internet (public use) or an intranet (a private network) hosting. These tasks include, but are not limited to, design, content development, publishing, data management, client-side/server-side scripting, and network security development.

How is Web Development Done?

• Front-End Development – or client-side, includes the front-end aspects of web development, like how users will see and interact with the website. The UI (User Interface or Design) and the UX (User Experience) are key factors to consider in this forward-facing phase of web development, and it is done with HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript.
• Back-End Development – or server-side is the part of the website unseen by users that stores and manages data to generate what’s seen on the front-end or client-side. Backend and front-end communicate with each other to ensure the website is up and running. The programming scripts often used are PHP, Ruby on Rails, C, C++, Java, Python, ASP.Net, Perl, and Node.js.
• Database Technology

Database technologies gather, store, organise, and process data or information that allows users to go back and find details they are searching for effortlessly. Database technologies come in different types and complexity, which includes text databases, desktop databases, relational database management systems (RDMS), and NoSQL and object-oriented databases. The languages often used to manage these databases are MySQL, SQL, PostgresSQL, and Oracle.

10 Web Development Trends to Watch in 2020

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Bots – Gartner forecasts that AI will reach $3.9 trillion in 2022. Many industries, in increasing capacity, use AI because of the way it streamlines operations and production, augmenting human effort. As this technology is improved further, more and more enterprises will migrate to AI and even Machine Learning-powered systems to keep pace with the demands of emerging markets.

Bots will be more self-learning in the future to better serve the needs of users. 24/7 operating bots will be operational soon to augment human resources and delegate low-quality tasks or routine tasks to the bots so human resources can be assigned high-quality functions that require more detailed attention or face-to-face interaction.

2. Internet of Things (IoT) – there will be around 30 billion IoT devices operating in 2025, and all the IoT developments about to come will trigger new web development trends to cater to this growing technology. This technology will is used in transportation, mHealth (Mobile Health) technology, housekeeping, shopping, and more. UX and UI will also have to keep up with emerging trends brought about by the IoT environment—all to increase the capacity of IoT devices to make people’s lives more convenient and more manageable.

In 2020, more than half of smart and IoT devices will also have the capacity to hear users and execute audio or voice commands. They will also be capable of voice recognition for greater security. 55% of all households around the world will use voice assistant technology by the end of 2022.

3. Programming Languages – Older languages like C, Java, and C# will still be utilised, but with newer tools to make them more productive and at par with industry standards. Python will become the standard language, especially for AI and Machine Learning applications. JavaScript will retain its dominance in terms of front-end development scripting, as it is used on 52 billion websites or 95% of the worldwide total. Java will still be widely used for mobile computing platforms such as Android, while Objective C or Swift will be used for iOS apps.
4. Frameworks

• JavaScript Frameworks – React and Vue are not new but have new features and functionalities such as React Hooks, and the object-oriented Typescript. Fir Static Site Generation or server-side rendering, Next.js is used for React, and Nuxt is used for Vue. There is a new React-based framework for static site generation called GatsbyJS. Agility CMS, a headless CMS, has released a source-plugin for GatsbyJS that allows you to create websites quickly using Agility CMS as your content management system for free.
• CSS Libraries and Frameworks – Bulma and Tailwinds are great tools to speed up front-end designing. Bootstrap will become even more popular and an industry-standard in building websites or web-based apps.
• Web Components – this new technology is revolutionising reusable web technologies. It’s a set of web platform APIs to create new custom, encapsulated and reusable HTML tags in websites and web apps. 

5. Static Website Hosting – i.e. for JAMstack sites, Netlify; Netlify provides affordable, next-generation web hosting and automation, and provide infrastructure for JamStack websites that are known to be fast and high-performing.

6. Single Page Applications (SPA) – This is a web app or website that provides dynamic interaction with users by rewriting current page instead of loading new pages from a server, which makes navigating in the site much easier for the user. 

7. Progressive Web Applications (PWA) – these are websites that look and feel like an app, which makes it easier for users to access information without downloading a mobile app. It can be used offline and can sync content in multiple devices, able to send push notifications and provide users with offline access to cached content. PWAs will be written with HTML and CSS, JavaScript, React, or Angular in 2020.

8. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) – this can speed up page performance and decrease bounce rate. AMP technology is similar to PWA, except that pages become accelerated due to open-source plugin developed by Twitter and Google.

9. WebAssembly (WASM) – it’s a small, fast binary format that delivers near-native performance for web apps. It is meant to complement JavaScript and other programming languages to build high-speed web apps. 

10. Digital Transformation – more and more web designers will migrate to Headless CMS to get more benefits in terms of content-first delivery. Headless CMS can be integrated with multiple platforms and devices and is becoming the more popular choice in delivering content than traditional CMS. It also makes websites more adaptable and responsive. Web developers can keep using their preferred programming language with their existing tools, frameworks and processes without removing full control over the lifecycle of an application, and without interfering with the CMS mode.

Cybersecurity and GPDR for Web Development

As we continue to automate our world for the sake of greater convenience and connectivity, we are also increasing cybersecurity risks. It’s is not a reason to stop all advancements, however. Cyberattackers will always be present, so we need to be a step ahead in every automation process we take. Data and online payments are most at risk. The cybersecurity market is seen to reach $300 billion in sales by 2024 because the connected world is increasingly becoming aware, defensive, and even offensive in their cybersecurity measures.

This year, 2020, the development of algorithms that could protect users from phishing attacks will be heightened. IoT interaction security and mobile protection will also gain momentum.

GPDR in Europe (General Data Protection Regulation) is the latest in the development of privacy policies for web development. GPDR is an international law and puts a fine on Internet product owners who use unsecured data collection tools or services or sell user information illegally or deceptively.

On a more personal level of protection, users must also be aware of ways to keep their computer and online credentials safe and secure. Our online security is our responsibility, and we should be the most concerned and the ones who are intensively labouring to defend our data, our systems and our networks from cyberattackers, amid all these fast-emerging digital technologies that come our way.

Conclusion: Web Development Should Not be Stagnant

With all these future trends and even current developments we are already applying and using today, it is essential that web development stay fresh, relevant, and continually improving peripheral to all the growth. Web Developers, with all their expertise and creativity, together with multi-industry bulwarks who have the means and resources, research and development to streamline operations further, secure its use and users, and search for more technological advancements to better serve human needs will be possible. We are looking at a very dynamic future where the growing complexities of technology will make life is easier, more focused, and simplified for people and communities worldwide.

Author’s Bio

John Ocampos is an Opera Singer by profession and a member of the Philippine Tenors. Ever since, Digital Marketing has always been his forte. He is the Founder of SEO-Guru, and the Managing Director of Tech Hacker. John is also the Strategic SEO and Influencer Marketing Manager of Softvire Australia – the leading software eCommerce company in Australia and Softvire New Zealand