Think back to a decade ago. The web was once a very different place. Smartphones (the way we know them today) did not exist. Internet Explorer was the most popular within the browser markets. Development methods were also completely different from what they are now.
Since then, we have seen tablets and smartphones emerge. Browser usage on mobile devices has transcended desktop. Development methods have also changed significantly to match up to this, along with other trends.
The important question: Why Are These Changes Important To Your Business?
Staying ahead with the latest development trends shows importance on two different levels.
The first level involves not becoming one of those companies that get stuck in doing things the outdated way. This will make your business appear “behind the times”, giving potential customers and clients a negative impression about your company. For instance, I recently noticed a company website that still required Internet Explorer. What type of message do you think this requirement is sending to its users? Today, your apps and your website should work on every browser and all devices.
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Secondly, you might have missed out on the benefits that these changes are providing. Changes implemented over the last couple of years have drastically improved security, capabilities, speed, and more. In the years to come, improved changes will carry on creating more advantages. Are you prepared to miss out on these things?
Today, let’s discuss the current changes and how they can impact your overall web development. Here are some of the ways web development has already changed and will continue to evolve into the future.
1. The Shift Towards Javascript Frameworks
The rise and popularity of mobile have changed many aspects linked to web development. One of the major changes includes how it has changed the expectations of users. It has forced developers into creating web apps that behave and act a similar way to native applications.
This has resulted in a trend emerging over the last few years: A noticeable shift or turn towards client-side development. In previous years, client-server models were reliant on the servers to do the heavy-lifting, followed by sending these results to clients.
Today, things have started to change. Users now demand more responsive and stronger web apps that rival the native desktop software and mobile apps. This has resulted in more of the apps being placed into the browsers. As we explain below, we have started to notice more Javascript frameworks replacing the traditional and more conventional development methods.
Alan N. Canton, the Managing Partner at NewsMedia Create, has stated that the primary change over the last couple of years includes a shift from the true/tried, familiar LAMP stack, towards the dual-data binding Javascript frameworks such as Meteor and React. He also says that while some of the frameworks are claiming to “ease development” the reality is there is a very steep “learning curve” for the developers coming from LAMP. But once they ramp up, developers will be able to do client-sided things a lot more efficiently.
2. Cyberattacks Continue To Increase
Attackers have become even more sophisticated over the last few years. This is also a trend that continues to expand. 2014, was one of the record years for cyber-attacks, and 2015 wasn’t much better.
The problem: As we previously mentioned, developers still make similar security missteps that they were making 10 years ago. Based on this study, 96% of every web application contains a minimum of one “serious vulnerability”.
HTML5 turned into the “standard” in 2014, but it continues to evolve. New APIs and features are regularly added. While HTML5 is still somewhat confusing, it has changed web developments in a vital way: HTML 5 delivers features that assist web apps to behave in a similar way to native applications.
Let me briefly explain the importance of this. In previous years, websites or web applications involved many pages that all link together. The issue with these approaches includes slower page loading times on smartphones and mobile devices. Navigating complex websites can be frustrating on mobile devices since the user is forced to wait for each page to load. This has resulted in apps now changing over to single-page approaches.
How has this changed how we use the Web? In previous years, this answer was very simple. You opened your web browser on your computer and you browsed the Net.
Today, it is not that simple, since we now have various mobile browsers and apps. We also have different smart devices to access the Internet. In the years to come, the Internet of Things will blur these lines even further. Web development today has become less about pages and rather about the experience and data you are able to deliver to users.
