Web development has been the invisible architect behind the global rise of businesses, sculpting their digital destinies. However, it is a dynamic field and new trends keep emerging each day, offering many opportunities. Staying on top of them ensures that web development companies stay competitive. Want to know about trends expected to gain momentum in the web development domain in 2024? Let’s dive into them in this post.
1. AI and ML will become integral parts of the web developer’s toolkit
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly transforming various industries, including web development. These powerful technologies are being integrated into web applications to enhance personalization, improve user experience, and enable predictive analytics.
The potential applications are vast. For example, AI-powered chatbots created with natural language processing can provide 24/7 customer support on websites. ML programs can customize product recommendations for shoppers by analyzing past browsing data. Even web design can be enhanced with AI through tools like Wix ADI which create website templates optimized for conversions and SEO. Code completion and debugging tools leveraging AI will boost developer productivity. Testing may be automated using ML techniques as well.
The key for developers will be finding ways to thoughtfully implement AI/ML to solve genuine problems for users, not just as gimmicks. With robust frameworks like TensorFlow.js, web developers in the near future will have new opportunities to delight users and reduce tedious work.
2. React, Vue, and Angular will continue to dominate
For front-end developers, the “big three” frameworks of React, Vue, and Angular aren’t going anywhere soon. These mature libraries have proven their worth for building complex, interactive UIs. In 2024, I expect they will strengthen their grip on front-end development. However, we may see increased fragmentation as new frameworks emerge to challenge the status quo.
Svelte is one rising star to watch, providing a lightweight yet powerful approach to building web interfaces. Incremental improvements are also likely to come up in established players like Angular and Vue. For example, React is focusing on optimizations like concurrent rendering to boost performance. State management may get easier with built-in solutions like React Hooks.
Overall, these frameworks will provide a solid foundation for crafting web experiences while competing frameworks apply pressure to continue evolving.
3. Voice & AR/VR interfaces can see normalized and heightened usage
The presence of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa has transformed how we interact with technology. As the technology progresses further, voice user interfaces (VUI) are set to become more important. The web remains the most universal platform, and AR/VR can unlock its full potential as an immersive medium.
In 2024, web developers are likely to use robust tools to build apps and sites that blur the line between the digital and physical worlds. WebXR APIs along with frameworks like A-Frame and Three.js will make it possible to deliver AR/VR content through browsers. For example, web-based AR shopping experiences could allow customers to visualize products in their own physical spaces (eCommerce giants like Amazon already provide this feature for certain product categories).
Additionally, WebVR can transport users to interactive virtual worlds without installing native apps. Omnichannel strategies will leverage web AR/VR to provide consistent yet engaging experiences across devices.
Challenges remain around performance and input systems for AR/VR, but rapid innovation is overcoming these barriers. As headsets become mainstream, developers should focus on providing utility and accessibility rather than novelty alone. With care, AR and VR can enhance websites in exciting new ways.
4. Resurgence of web components is expected
Beyond popular frameworks, there are signs that Web Components could gain traction for encapsulating widgets and controls. Frameworks come and go, but Web Components use native browser abilities to let us build reusable components that work anywhere. In 2024, Web Components may finally fulfill their promise as an interoperable way to develop modular UI elements. Combined with frameworks, Web Components can help developers construct sturdy, flexible front ends.
5. Serverless architecture is likely to become more widely adopted
The advent of serverless architecture has ushered in a paradigm shift in how we design and deploy web applications. Much like voice interfaces, serverless architecture is a transformative force in the tech world, offering numerous advantages and applications and emerging as a powerful tool for businesses. The global serverless architecture market was estimated to be worth over $7.6 billion in 2020 and was expected to continue growing at a CAGR of around 22.7% over the following years [Source].
In 2024, while serverless won’t fully replace traditional servers, it will complement them for specific uses like streaming data processing.
Serverless computing is ideal for automating tasks, processing data, and building APIs. Services like AWS Lambda allow running code without managing servers, simplifying deployments. With granular scaling, resources can be allocated automatically based on traffic spikes. Costs are reduced by paying only for compute time used. Microservices architectures will leverage serverless functions for greater flexibility. However, limitations around bootup times, debugging, and long-running processes remain.
As challenges are addressed, serverless solutions will become part of most web developers’ toolkits in 2024 – for the right use cases. But servers won’t disappear from back ends. That’s because the best results come from choosing the right tool for each task, serverless or not.
6. CI/CD pipelines will be the norm
Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) will become standard practice for most web projects by 2024. CI/CD pipelines allow seamlessly pushing code changes to production with automated building, testing, and deployment. Cloud services like GitHub Actions also now make CI/CD accessible for smaller teams. As development velocity increases, CI/CD will be crucial for maintaining speed without sacrificing quality.
7. Containers & Orchestrators will be widely adopted
Related to CI/CD, containers and orchestrators like Docker and Kubernetes will reach mainstream adoption. Containerizing apps simplifies deployment across environments. Orchestrators then manage container lifecycles at scale. Together, they enable true infrastructure-as-code and environment consistency. As microservices also grow, containers and orchestrators will be key enablers. They empower reliability and velocity as complexity increases.
8. Content delivery networks will evolve and HTTP/3 and web bundles will arrive
In a related vein, content delivery networks (CDNs) that bring content closer to end users for faster loading will continue evolving. For example, Google’s AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) framework optimizes pages for speed and distribution through the AMP CDN. Facebook is also exploring a content delivery network modeled after AMP. By caching and serving content efficiently from edge locations, CDNs will help developers improve performance.
At the protocol level, advances like HTTP/3 will aim to speed up web communication. HTTP/3 reduces latency by multiplexing streams over the same connection, thus improving parallelism. Web Bundles are another innovation that may emerge in the next year, bundling assets and code into single files for faster transfers. Browser-level changes will complement the work developers do to analyze and optimize performance. The web platform will continue evolving to meet demands.
The road ahead
The web remains a dynamic, exciting platform full of potential. While no one can predict the future perfectly, current trends point to some likely directions for web development in 2024. Of course, there’s room for new surprises and paradigm shifts. But developers who master current skills while keeping an eye on emerging technologies will be ready to navigate whatever comes next. As developers (if you are one), balancing proven practices with strategic innovation while building on past achievements will help put new possibilities within reach. As businesses, it will be way more cost, time, and effort-effective to simply reach out to such developers by outsourcing web development services.
