To ChatGPT or to not ChatGPT, That is the Question
...
Read moreTechnology has become more and more ingrained in our daily lives with each passing year, accelerated massively by the pandemic. This has of course in turn led to swift developments in web development.
In 2022, we saw the rapid progression of machine learning, improved cybersecurity and more developmental frameworks appearing among many other things. And 2023 will be no exception; as the possibilities for its utility grow, so does the scope for what we can achieve.
Let’s take a look at 6 key areas in web development that we think will skyrocket this year:
AI is a term already familiar to most, but the advances made in the area this year mean that more developers can start to use it in new and exciting ways. Some of the biggest tech companies, such as Google, Meta and Microsoft have released their AI technology to be used by the public. Other dedicated companies such as OpenAI have also made a splash in popular news with their powerful and user-friendly examples.
We all already encounter AI technology on a daily basis, through social media platforms and search engines for example. But next year will see its further adoption in our daily routine, with a view towards seeing how it can enhance, rather than replace human-level intelligence.
Mobile-first development is already a popular working method for programmers, and with 59.4% of all web traffic being served on a mobile device as of August 2022 it will continue to be a priority. And while it’s obvious that a responsive website will be kinder for your customers to navigate, Google are now also taking mobile-friendliness into account when ranking websites – this makes it even more key to driving your business traffic.
By 2023 it is estimated that 8 billion digital voice assistants will be in use worldwide. Improving web pages to appear in voice searches is known as voice search optimization, and it is something that developers will need to factor in when building web pages. By offering features such as a FAQ section and multilingual support, you will access the vast pool of people searching for information on their smart phone or speaker.
PWAs aim to deliver a rapid and high quality no matter the state of the user’s internet connection or device and removes the necessity to download a dedicated app in order to use a service. Examples include the Starbucks ordering app and Uber. Initially PWAs came about in 2017 and were not a game-changer, but now that there is an increased emphasis on performance concerns, developers have come to further cultivate them to the point where many more companies will see a need to adopt them in 2023.
As stated earlier, mobile accounts for the majority of web traffic, and this is even more apparent for e-commerce sites. 2023 will see more experimentation with e-commerce web design and functionality, personalising the experience for the user when accessing a site. For example, a site could take the location of the user into account and send a push notification when passing a bricks-and-mortar store, offering them an exclusive discount. This blends physical and digital marketing and also encourages physical footfall.
As we share more and more of our daily lives with technology, it goes without saying that more and more of our personal information also becomes vulnerable. Therefore the security protocols in place for a given website will need to be up-to-date and robust to protect customers and businesses from data breaches.
These trends are just a snapshot of the exciting developments in the world of websites. Contact us at [email protected] to find out even more and get our bespoke suggestions on modernising your website in the new year.