Technology has given us a plethora of new products and services. As internet and smartphone users rise, so is the number of digital products, solutions, and services growing. From enabling seamless content delivery to automating repetitive functions and driverless cars, technology is transforming the very world we inhabit. In this fast-paced globalized world, customer expectations and market dynamics are in constant flux. New products are released every other day to meet some business problem or add value to our lives in some way. Web app development is also increasing as digital transformation envelops organizations and governments alike.
This article explains the web app development trends you need to look out for in 2023. But first, let’s define web app development services.
What is Web App Development?
Web applications are software applications that people access through browsers. It is stored on a remote server which delivers the application on a browser using the internet.
Web apps, which share a lot of features with websites, are built using standard frontend and backend technologies. These are CSS, JavaScript, and HTML for the front end, while backend technologies involve using server-side languages like Python or Ruby.
So, what is the difference between a website and a web app? The former’s primary goal is to present information to the user, while the latter is designed to be interactive in nature. While websites make their users consume information by scrolling and navigating the website, a web app is designed to deliver an optimized user experience (UX), enabling users to do more than what they do on websites. Facebook and Twitter are very good examples of web apps that seem like websites. You can do a lot more on Twitter through a web browser than, say, going over the e-menu of your favorite restaurant via its website.
Types of Web Apps
There are primarily four types of web apps. These are:
- Static Web Apps – These apps have cached and pre-defined material which the user’s browser can easily access. It doesn’t require any customization to access the data. Moreover, once a static web app page finishes loading, all modifications become visible. Setting up a static web app requires minimal effort and preparation, and you can easily manage it.
- Dynamic Web Apps – It uses server-side and client-side processing features to generate code in real-time. Whenever you refresh a page, the dynamic web app has the power to alter it.
- Single Page Apps (SPA) – These apps interact with the user on a continuous basis by dynamically rewriting current pages. The SPA handles the browser logic instead of the server, and you only need to load it from the server and not change the current page. Moreover, SPAs need an API-only framework to operate.
- Progressive Web Apps (PWA) – These apps have the looks and feel of a website but are actually web applications. Building PWAs involves using both web app and mobile app development tools and technologies. Progressive apps feature push notifications, are connection-independent, and you can add them to the app drawer icon.
Web App Trends in 2023
Let’s discuss the trends in web app development in 2023.
Optimizing Web and Mobile App Development
Optimizing your web apps in the tech industry for online platforms and mobile devices is going to be one of the foremost priorities of companies using or developing web apps. This is because an application optimized to function on all kinds of devices helps you get a better Google SERP ranking, thus helping you reach a broader audience.
It improves your brand awareness, brings more leads, and helps build traction for your application.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The internet of things is proliferating rapidly as car manufacturers and home appliance makers, and others use it to enhance the impact of their technology. In our globalized and digital world, the number of devices connected to each other is growing exponentially.
Consequently, the use of IoT is going to impact the web application development sector as well. Although examples of IoT integration with web applications are few right now, this will change in the coming years. More companies will look to integrate their web apps with other devices and technologies using IoT.
Chatbots
Chatbots are automating many customer support operations these days. In fact, the rise of ChatGPT, a conversational AI tool by OpenAI, is making headlines worldwide for its human-like responses and incredible benefits. It has given a serious boost to chatbots and AI.
These bots are virtual assistants built on language models and possess natural language processing (NLP) capabilities. They use machine learning and advanced dialogue management as well.
Many software development companies are turning to chatbots to enable a more efficient development process—for example, some businesses use Google Assistant in their web app development tools.
Serverless Architecture
Serverless architecture is a software development approach that seeks to eliminate server management while building and running apps. It operates in the cloud and lets you run the code virtually without supervising it.
It is crucial for a company’s success to reduce its costs wherever it possibly can without compromising on quality. This is why the trend in web and mobile app development will increasingly shift to serverless architectures in order to cut development costs, avoid system overloading, and improve data security.
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
AMP is an open-source technology developed by Twitter and Google. It helps you build fast-loading pages specifically designed to enhance web page performance on mobile phones. It’s also primed to deliver an exceptional user experience so that the user can stay on a web page longer. AMP brings down UX costs, improves readability, and enables greater outreach. Hence, web app developers are turning to AMP plugins to deliver smooth UX.
Conclusion
Web app development is rapidly growing as companies seek to improve their digital footprint. Many are first-time buyers of web app services, while others want to enhance their existing web apps. Whatever the case may be, full-stack development is expected to grow as new technologies bring down development costs and improve user experience. The web app development trends in 2023 mentioned above are the ones everyone needs to keep an eye on. These trends will continue to shape the software development industry in the years to come.
