The exciting world of website development is always evolving. New technology, new user trends, all of it is pushing the design and structure of current and future websites toward the ultimate experience & SEO ranking. Here’s what to look for in the next year.

1. UI Animation

Flashy movements have been an aspect of website development since the early days of the internet. The difference is that we now understand how to make it work for us. User interface (UI) animation makes use of movement to increase the interactivity as well as the appeal of a webpage. Imagine, for instance, you hover your mouse over a car and the headlights turn on. Not only is it a cool thing to look at, but it also draws the visitor in.

These features allow the user to feel the website in a different way. Clicking a static button doesn’t translate the same as a button that changes color and size when clicked. UI animations don’t usually stand out as singular centers of focus. But when done correctly, they add up to a more pleasurable user experience.

{{cta(‘771f3622-0e75-4b5f-a309-3728438a57d9’)}}

2. Voice Technology

Voice-controlled virtual assistants are quickly taking over. It has been predicted that half of all web searches in 2020 will be done with voice search. The market is leaning into smart speakers and such with increasing tendencies. Websites will need to take this into account moving forward.

Voice-activated technology can be worked directly into the website. This allows users that found your website through voice search, to continue searching through your website using their voice. Another point of focus will be on finding ways to make sure your website comes up during the initial voice searches. There are many SEO tactics to optimize your website for these searches.

3. Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) is a means of combining real world experiences with technological features. Do you remember when everyone was swarming parks a couple years ago, chasing Pokemon with their phones? That’s augmented reality. There have been many apps that have integrated AR capabilities, but it has yet to make a big breakthrough in website development.

Smart phones and mobile websites have the most to gain from AR. An example of the functionality is pointing your phone’s camera at a corner of your living room while the website populates the area with your selected bookshelf. This allows the user to get an idea of what the item would look like before bringing it home.

4. Mobile Design

Mobile internet traffic has gone up 222% over the last five years. This is not particularly surprising but it is important for how websites are going to be developed. Previously, a desktop website has been designed and then altered to fit onto the smaller screens of smartphones or tablets. This has been swinging in the opposite direction for the last few years but it’s reaching the point of fruition.

2020 is going to see a continuation of this trend and website development is going to need to keep up. The emergence of increasing voice searches is only going to compound on the tendency to view sites on mobile devices. Special attention is going to be necessary to ensure mobile websites load quickly, are easily navigated, and remain engaging.

5. Usability

Websites need to be easy to navigate. This is nothing new. However, this will always be a trend because it is one of the most important aspects of website development and design. If a person can’t figure out how to find what they need, they’ll go elsewhere. There are many different aspects that can factor into this. Knowing your customer will help you align your website to their specific needs.

Where to put your menu options, how information is displayed on the screen, and a lack of annoying pop ups can make huge differences in a visitor’s likelihood of remaining on a website. Focusing on these factors will continue to be a focus for website development.

6. Data Security

Users want to know their information is safe. It seems like a new story comes out every other month of a massive website being hacked, compromising the information of millions of people. This information can include everything from social security numbers to credit card information. These breaches can have drastic effects on people’s lives. The fact that these stories are in the news means it’s also on the minds of people visiting your website.

The ability to stand behind your security practices will matter to users. If they don’t feel safe on your website, they aren’t likely to return. Website development will need to focus on protective measures for their visitors’ information. Not only that, but they’ll need to be able to convey this security to the users.

{{cta(‘5bbc5166-f62f-4433-b478-ec7cf12a2682′,’justifycenter’)}}

{{cta(’50acfdae-ab57-47fe-98c8-3d26f356cfb8′)}}