Next year’s trends directly depend on users’ needs and preferences. Developers are directly related to these factors and select tools for creation based on these data. Based on the trends in the development and use of tools, I concluded that some methods would be transferred from this year, as they have not lost their relevance. Therefore, several main trends can be identified.
Hotwire
Hotwire is a set of tools for creating fast web applications with minimal use of JavaScript code from one of the Ruby on Rails correspondent developers, Basecamp.
The approach increases the speed of loading web pages. It reduces the amount of JavaScript code by sending HTML instead of JSON (Hotwire – HTML-over-the-Wire) and using chatbots and artificial intelligence for communication.
Hotwire renders templates on the server side without compromising application speed and response. In addition, it helps the web application to be better indexed in search engines.
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots
A chatbot, or just a bot, is a unique application implemented as a dialog interface. Bots in social networks do not differ from ordinary users for those who communicate with them. But they know how to do practical work, often for minimal remuneration.
AI and bots can learn, collect data, or solve complex problems. AI is considered one of the most influential technologies shaping the future of website development.
We currently see dozens of AI chatbots, virtual assistants (Alice, Siri, Alexa), and voice bots as the latest web industry trends. These technologies enable businesses to engage and enhance human interaction. When building a marketplace, chatbots will help you improve your customer experience.
How are bots better than humans?
- Tirelessness. A bot can work around the clock, unlike a human;
- Speed. If a person, even the most “pumped” in the topic, in any case, needs a few seconds to think, the bot will answer the question instantly;
- The bot is always up to date. The rules in banks and other organizations may change, but this information does not always reach the employee. Bots can be updated quickly, and the update speed is a matter of minutes;
- Accuracy. Operators can perceive information with errors, while robots, as a rule, do not. Operators have a relatively high risk of error or incompetence and take time to learn new information;
- Minimum requirements for the client application and the user’s device. It can be a simple smartphone, a smartwatch, or a TV. Customers often use their favorite messenger: Telegram, Viber, Facebook, or WhatsApp. To start a dialogue with a chatbot, one click is enough;
- In advanced bots, you can write phrases as they come to mind—no need to pick up special terms or know specific commands. The bot recognizes speech using artificial intelligence. This is especially true with complex financial and insurance services, where the service’s subject is complex. A chatbot allows people to start dealing with their money without deep knowledge.
Chatbots can provide not only text but also media content. These are videos, audio messages, podcasts, and other content available on the messenger. This makes communication as complete, lively, and transparent as possible compared to chatbots in separate applications, for example, banking.
Low-Code and No-Code
Oddly enough, while there is a boom in online programming training worldwide, Low-Code and No-Code platforms are becoming more popular – and in 2022, this trend will continue.
Low-Code and No-Code allow you to develop applications, websites, and programs and automate workflows without code knowledge (or basic programming skills).
The most popular solutions in this area are website builders, but there are also more sophisticated platforms. For example, some allow you to process large amounts of data, while others generate code on request that the user can add to their application independently.
Podman
Podman is an alternative to the Docker application containerization tool. Initially, it was free, but in the last year, it became already paid.
On the one hand, such a policy makes the use of the tool expensive for many companies in which it is already implemented. On the other hand, it makes it challenging to implement due to the relatively high cost.
Podman is a free containerization service that, along with Rancher Desktop, will gain popularity among developers in 2022.
Progressive Web Applications (PWA)
PWA is an approach pioneered in 2018 for developing fast, reliable, and user-friendly web applications. The Google search engine separates web applications from native ones according to these criteria, so in 2022 the approach will gain popularity.
- For an application to be called progressive, it must use a particular set of technologies:
- Service Worker – a proxy layer between the frontend and backend through which all browser requests pass;
- HTTPS – the approach assumes that all site resources are transmitted through a secure protocol. In addition, the site should not contain links to unprotected resources;
- App shell – the basis of the graphical interface, which is stored on the client side and loaded when the web application is launched;
- Web App manifest – determines how the name of the application, its icon, and the PWA itself will look in the browser;
- Push notifications are pop-up windows offering to receive news from the site—the only widely used PWA technology many site owners abuse.
The pros of developing websites with PWA include:
- lower development and support costs;
- faster time to market;
- easier spread;
- saving energy and device memory;
- high speed;
- offline use;
- better engagement and conversion;
- hassle-free maintenance and updates.
According to a Swedish telecommunications equipment company Ericsson study, global mobile data traffic is projected to grow 4.5 times to reach 226 EB monthly by 2026. This means people will use mobile devices more often to fulfill various needs. Moreover, by 2026, 5G networks will carry 54% of total mobile data traffic, enabling faster and more responsive mobile services.
A critical aspect of building a PWA is creating a UX/UI design that emphasizes the user experience. Website development with PWA allows businesses to remain competitive in today’s market.
Native Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is the process of protecting sensitive data, networks, and software applications from cyberattacks. Cyber attacks can be seen as exploitation of resources, unauthorized access to systems, and ransomware attacks to encrypt data and extract money.
The days when it was enough to have only a strong password are long gone, and our personal and business data is exposed to many dangers.
Cybersecurity is essential not only for business organizations and government agencies. This could be for anyone who uses digital devices such as computers, mobile phones, tablets, etc. These devices contain any personal information that digital thieves would love to have. What’s also important about this is that if your data is exposed to hackers, they may use you as bait to lure friends or family into a digital scam.
Several models for ensuring security are recognized as the most effective. These include Zero Trust and Threat Hunting.
Zero trust
This is a zero trust model. According to it, any user and device connected to the network have zero trust. They need to prove by identification all the time that they have the right to access the system. It does not matter where they connect from and to which network segment. Zero Trust assumes that the security service must watch for any suspicious signal entering the network.
For this, distributed accesses and multi-level identification are used. Distributed data access makes it possible to provide full or limited access to users. Zero Trust uses AI to ensure that IT systems independently detect various vulnerabilities and suspicious activity, eliminating them.
Specialists’ duties include monitoring systems’ functioning and adjusting search algorithms.
Threat hunting
It began to be used ten years ago. Now, it has transformed the proactive and iterative analysis of information collected from endpoints and sensors to detect threats that bypassed the protections used.
Threat intelligence professionals use Threat Intelligence technologies to understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures of attacking cyber-fraud groups.
The main component of Threat Hunting is the team. Only trained personnel can take full advantage of Threat Hunting. Personnel must know the host and network forensics, cyber intelligence, and network and OS security.
Voice search
Voice search is a technology that allows you to ask a search engine a query without using a keyboard. Most often, voice search is used on mobile devices, where it is more convenient to say the desired phrase than manually enter it.
Previously, all information was in the text. But over time, more and more Internet users prefer to communicate using audio rather than textual information. This is why the Internet uses sound and speech interpretation as one of the fastest-growing technologies in website development.
Voice search optimization provides many benefits to both users and business owners, including:
- saving time and the ability to order more goods;
- serves as a source of customer behavior analytics.
Augmented Reality (WebAR)
Augmented reality is an environment that supplements the physical world as we see it in real-time with digital data using any devices – tablets, smartphones, or others, and the software part. As part of AR, on various devices’ screens, you can view 3D objects and visualize non-existent objects in a particular room. AR allows you to superimpose visual objects on physical space. Combine them.
Augmented reality has penetrated our lives. It is used in many countries around the world. AR is utilized in the following spheres:
- Medicine
- Military industry
- Computer games
- Applications for smartphones
- Polygraphy
- Literature
- Motion pictures
- Television
- Advertising
Augmented reality in the development of sites for e-commerce helps:
- reduce waiting time;
- allow customers to try out the product before buying;
- improving user experience;
- make online shopping more tangible.
AR is used to improve the user experience. Amazon, IKEA, and MOSCOT are prime examples of e-commerce brands using AR.
AR technology allows the creation of virtual showrooms, allowing customers to feel like they are in a store. Thus, customers can choose from various styles and be sure of the right product.
Web assembly
WebAssembly has been the most talked about new technology trend in recent years. This tool, also known as Wasm, allows developers to create high-performance applications. WebAssembly integrates with browsers. It can be used to develop various solutions such as 3D environments and cryptographic computing.
Web systems are primarily written in Javascript. But running applications with complex logic makes it difficult to achieve near-native performance. Multiple operations on a site result in delays and slower loading and prevent your web content from being promoted.
This does not mean that JavaScript should be abandoned. Instead, these two tools should work in parallel so that developers can get the most out of them.
Main advantages of WebAssembly:
- simplified and optimized development;
- better performance;
- less hassle associated with page loading;
- use of open development platforms;
- compatibility with any equipment and language;
- easy debugging;
- safety.
WebAssembly is the perfect choice when building a site that loads faster.
Serverless architecture
Forced work-from-home shifts marked 2020 and 2021 due to the ongoing spread of Covid-19. This is why cloud solutions have only recently expanded. And the Internet, as one of the fastest growing domains, has documented significant growth in demand for serverless architecture.
As one of today’s most exciting web trends, serverless computing boasts many benefits.
- Increased scalability
- Faster time to market
- Profitability
- Delegated service
Serverless development means programmers build and run web applications without thinking about servers. These sites still run on servers but are backed by cloud providers.
Conclusion
In 2022, current web technology trends will change how businesses interact with customers. The technologies are becoming more personalized, more user friendly, and increasing user engagement. One of the main trends is the further development of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, advanced web applications, etc.
