Seven tech trends web designers need to understand (and why?) In 2021

The events of the past year have had a significant domino effect across the world. The way we work, communicate and connect has become a hot topic of conversation — a vital topic for web designers as we move forward. New technological trends are influencing the way end-users navigate the Internet and the way they interact with digital content.

By staying on top of the latest technological developments, you can better position yourself. This article will explore seven of the top trends that could be useful in your future projects.

1. Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been on the scene for quite some time now. However, this technology has made significant progress in 2020, so it is worth looking at what is new and how you can use it.

Chances are, many of the latest developments in AI, such as automated driving and quantum computing, are not too relevant to your web design projects. Fortunately, this technology has also made a pretty giant leap forward in applied natural language processing.

AI systems are now more adept at capturing feelings and intentions. Besides, they can better imitate human speech and writing and can even understand images better than before.

It could mean tremendous opportunities for you in the area of ​​chatbots in particular. More advanced language processing capabilities could help these tools direct users to the proper channels more quickly. It’s a great way to deliver a better overall user experience (UX).

The processing of AI data has also been improved and played an essential role in developing the COVID-19 vaccine. You can implement this technology to collect user data and create more personalized experiences for website visitors, thereby improving their knowledge and satisfaction with your customers’ sites.

Voice interactions are another area where the latest artificial intelligence technology can come in handy. Improved language processing could allow more users to step away from the keyboard and start searching the web aloud. It brings us to our next tech trend.

2. Optimization of voice search

As if search engine optimization (SEO) weren’t already sufficiently involved, voice search is now one of the biggest tech trends of the year. Google, Apple, and Amazon all have voice assistants on the market in one form or another. It means that more people have access to this feature.

How much voice search optimization you can make to your web design projects will depend on the scope of your services. However, it is best to know about the latest SEO standards if you are in the industry.

Here are some of the top tips for voice search optimization:

• Create content based on questions and answers. Voice searches tend to use more natural language than text searches. It means that users often pose their research in the form of questions. Optimizing content to meet the most popular queries related to your customer’s domain could help their site move up the rankings.
• Favour local SEO. In addition to searching for answers to their top questions, voice search users ask their assistants to help them find restaurants, local services, and more. Encourage your customers to create and manage their Google My Business profiles and optimize content for local search. You could make it a point to include your customers’ addresses in their footers. You can also offer to design contact pages that include Google Maps integration.
• Try the featured snippets. Google, Siri and Alexa often offer these as the best results. Optimizing your content accordingly can help increase your customers’ voice search visibility.

If you are not participating in your clients’ SEO efforts, you may want to consider passing this information on to them. Even if you’re not the one doing the job, they’ll likely appreciate your taking the time to offer valuable suggestions.

3. The Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to devices that can “talk” to each other over the web. Two common examples are fitness trackers and intelligent lights. They share data and require minimal interaction from humans to do their jobs, making them well suited for increasing productivity.

Again, language processing and voice search are essential here. For example, consider intelligent home devices. They use voice commands to turn lights on and off, start coffeemakers, listen to music, adjust thermostats, and more.

In terms of web design, there’s not much you can do from a practical standpoint to better integrate IoT — yet. However, this field is changing rapidly. We, therefore, recommend that you keep an eye on it and look for opportunities to incorporate it into your work.

In the meantime, you may want to consider learning more about designing for tiny screens. Smartwatches and other “wearable devices” are still gaining ground. If you are involved in designing applications for your clients and websites, this technological trend could be a functional area to grow.

4. Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

Speaking of apps, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are another of the top tech trends expected to emerge in 2021. They offer several advantages over native apps, including offline use as well as improved performance and SEO.

If you are looking to expand your services, offering PWA development (especially for e-commerce sites) could be a profitable endeavour. There are many low-code and no-code solutions that can help you impress your customers without requiring significant time or effort on your part.

It could be a beneficial technology trend for you and your customers as businesses look for ways to better connect with customers in the aftermath of the pandemic.

5. 5G

The latest advances in mobile Internet have had a significant impact on the browsing experience of smartphones. With 5G being one of the most important technology trends, it also means new opportunities for you as a web designer.

First, reduced latency and improved load times allow you to incorporate more videos into your designs without worrying about disrupting the UX of your customer sites. Video is engaging and high converting media. Therefore, being able to use it more freely in future projects is a huge step forward.

You may even be able to integrate virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) into your mobile sites now that 5G is out. Let’s take a closer look at this latest technology.

6. Augmented reality (AR)

AR technology has an important role to play in the future of e-commerce. More and more people are shopping online due to the pandemic, and they are expected to continue to do so even after things get “back to normal”.

The downside is that when you don’t have the object physically in front of you, you can’t try it on, feel its texture, or experience it to the fullest. Some companies have implemented AR to help bridge the gap.

Virtual try-on features allow shoppers to upload images of themselves and “see” what they look like while wearing a hat or a pair of glasses.

If you are designing e-commerce sites, learning how to take advantage of this technology could pay off greatly.

7. Problems related to confidentiality and data security

Data privacy in 2021 is complicated. New uses of digital information such as contact tracing are causing some people to ease their concerns about protecting their data online. Companies are also looking for ways to monitor employees when they are working from home. Also, with the boom in online shopping, we are more exposed to targeted advertising.

What does this mean for web design? Well, you’ll always want to make sure that your customers’ privacy policies and cookie acceptance agreements are visible and up to date. New data privacy legislation is still expected to come into force even if new applications for user information emerge.

It is also essential to make sure that all of your projects meet the latest safety standards. With so many people relying on the web to stay connected in their personal and professional lives, there is more data to mine (and malicious hackers know it).

Industry-specific tech trends for web designers to consider in 2021

Before concluding, we want to touch on some technology trends specific to certain industries. While they may not be relevant to most of your web design projects, it pays to be aware of them on behalf of clients and their niches.

First, online learning has become much more prevalent over the past year. Students and workers who once stuck at home turned to platforms like Skillshare to expand their knowledge.

Healthcare is another area that has recently moved much of its services online. Doctors want to minimize contact with sick patients and prevent those with mild symptoms from going to offices or hospitals where they might catch something more serious. It means that telemedicine is on the rise. If you are building sites for doctor’s offices, medical groups, or hospitals, they may be looking for ways to integrate their websites with this technology.

Finally, retail and restaurant businesses have embraced contactless delivery, curbside pickup and other solutions to minimize human interactions in the wake of COVID-19. You can be expected to help your customers implement these options into their online payment processes, so it’s essential to be prepared.

Conclusion

This year’s main technological trends were strongly influenced by the events of 2020, notably the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how the digital world has adapted to the recent crisis can help you improve your future web design projects.

In this article, we’ve covered seven rising tech trends, as well as several industry-specific considerations for 2021. For example, leveraging AI and AR can help you deliver a better end-user experience. . Voice search is also a rising star in the marketing world. It is essential to consider the changes brought by 5G and an increased need for privacy and data security.