If you told developers in 2011 that by 2023, sleep tracking apps would be an integral part of every smartwatch and website customizations would come courtesy of AI algorithms; they may not have believed you — we’ve seen so much progress since then that anything seems possible!
Every few weeks brings another incredible developer tool or feature to experiment with, making it hard to predict precisely what will become mainstream five years from now. That being said, there are likely a few areas where developers will prioritize their efforts that can help us get closer to forecasting where these changes might take us.
This post will discuss trends shaping web development today and explore how they could evolve over the next few years to revolutionize the online user experience.
Overview of Web Developer Trends
The web development landscape has come a long way in the last decade. Modern web developers are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to customize user experiences based on individual data. They are also developing smarter web tools and apps that blur the lines between different types of devices, such as web-connected wearables and home devices.
In addition, web developers are relying more heavily on automated testing to ensure quality — including analyzing error logs and collecting metrics — as well as web security, which is becoming increasingly important in the wake of global data breaches. Finally, they are exploring new ways to make web content more interactive and engaging through virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) applications.
Let’s take a closer look at how web developers prioritize these trends over the next few years.
Top Web Developer Priorities for 2023
1. Mobile web development
It's no secret that there are more mobile web users than desktop web users, and this trend will only continue to grow over the next few years. This means web developers will need to create content that works on any device. As a result, they have to prioritize creating responsive web experiences, meaning they can adapt to different screen sizes. Additionally, web developers should focus on ensuring web content is lightweight and optimized for mobile devices, as users will expect fast loading times.
2. Security
With more people accessing the web via mobile devices, web security is of utmost importance. Developers must protect web apps and webpages from malicious entities, like hackers, who may try to steal data or disrupt services. This means developers must stay informed about web security best practices and prioritize preventing security breaches by ensuring web content is safe and secure.
3. Accessibility
Developers should prioritize making web experiences accessible for all users — whether they have disabilities, use different browsers or devices, or come from various cultural backgrounds. This could mean implementing a range of technologies such as voice recognition tools or captioned videos so that webpages cater to the diverse needs of all web users.
4. Automation
Web development trends today show us that automation plays an important role in creating efficient user experiences. Automation tools can assist web developers with tasks like web page testing, design, debugging, and more. As web pages become increasingly complex, web developers should prioritize using automation to keep up with the demand for web development projects.
5. Artificial Intelligence
AI plays an integral role in web development today and will be even more important over the next few years. From creating more personalized experiences to understanding user behavior, AI algorithms are being used by developers to optimize web content and create better digital products faster. Developers should prioritize learning key skills such as machine learning to use AI technologies to improve web experiences even further in 2023.
6. Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology, the backbone of Bitcoin and other digital currencies, has a range of applications in web development. It is being used by web developers to create secure web applications and web pages, as well as to store data in a decentralized system. In the coming years, web developers should prioritize getting to grips with blockchain technology and learning how to use it in blockchain development services.
These are just some of web developers’ top priorities for the next few years, and they will undoubtedly continue to evolve as web technologies advance. While web development trends can change quickly, understanding these current trends can help web developers stay ahead of the curve — ensuring web users have the best experiences possible.
What does the future hold for Web Development?
The advancements made since 2011 prove that it's impossible to predict precisely where web development will be in 2023. However, we can better understand what web developers should prioritize by looking at trends shaping web development today and understanding how they could evolve over the next few years. By focusing on mobile web development, security, accessibility, automation, AI tools, and blockchain, web developers will be able to create more efficient user experiences and revolutionize the online world by 2023.