Web design in Kenya keeps changing as developers adopt the latest trends. New trends are sometimes improvements of ideas introduced in previous seasons. For instance, virtual reality was introduced years back in the world of games. The technology has invaded web development.
Almost every business website you visit today has a chatbot ready to assist you before you can talk to the support team. VR will continue to dominate web development as developers explore new ways of utilizing the technology on websites. What other trends can we expect in this industry in 2019?
One-page websites
The popularity of these websites started last year and more businesses are likely to adopt the trend. The one-page websites are more convenient to users than the traditional websites with multiple pages. Whether you are a developer or a website owner, you must wake up to the reality of technological changes.
The easiest way to connect with your clients now is through their mobile phones. An app is trendy but some aspects of your business still require a website. One-page websites are easy for mobile phone users to scroll and learn about your brand without clicking on buttons.
Less text and more illustrations
Companies have been spending a significant amount of money on web content. The expense was tied to the traditional designs that needed large blocks of text to complete the layout. Web developers should shift their focus from multiple fonts and large text. Using creative fonts should not be a priority this year.
Current web users prefer a combination of less text, more illustrations, and photographs or images. The most important details about a brand should be visible at a glance. With so many web and mobile solutions competing for attention, the target audience has no time to read large blocks of text.
Major changes in programming languages
Every programming language has its shortcomings. Despite the advancements in this field, experts in web design in Kenya still use JavaScript and PHP in their projects. The changes in these languages will continue this year as the developers try to eliminate their shortcomings.
The developers of the PHP language recently released PHP7 with major changes that have improved the performance of websites significantly. The changes include anonymous classes and the ability to group ads, which were missing in previous versions of PHP. The emergence of digital products such as cryptocurrencies and blockchain products will continue to trigger changes in programming languages.
Progressive web apps
The trend to develop progressive web apps started a few years ago. The popularity of the apps is likely to increase this year. Progressive web apps are developed on HTML, CSS or Javascript. The popularity comes from the simplicity they offer to users.
Businesses that intend to increase their client base and convert visitors into loyal customers prefer progressive web apps. The web apps adapt to the user’s devices. Each app is updated autonomously or independently. Another unique characteristic of these apps is that most of them do not require installation.
Static web pages
Web development started with static pages and then progressed to dynamic web pages. The industry is now going back to static web pages. With static web pages, developers code one page at a time in HTML. Every user views the same static content on the page, which is a different experience from that of dynamic pages.
Static web pages are simple and easy to navigate. Users can find the information that they need easily and make quick decisions. Data analytics also show that the static pages load faster and do not require large amounts of text. On the parts of developers, static pages are easier to develop than dynamic pages.
Motion UI
Users visit a website with the sole purpose of finding information and not just viewing the design or layout. Top website developers in Kenya understand this and focus more on the user interface. In the process of simplifying the interface, web development has adopted motion UI. The change has improved the users’ experience by eliminating the disruptive flashy advertisements.
One of the advantages of adopting motion UI is that it brings life to all sites including minimalistic sites. In addition, it boosts user engagement because using different parts of the site is easy. Motion UI allows developers to customize websites to suit specific needs and different brands in the market.
Push notifications
Most people are familiar with push notifications on mobile apps but the technology has expanded to web development. Companies are demanding such notifications on their sites because of the marketing advantage. Push notifications enable users to receive instant messages whenever a company posts new content.
Unlike other alerts, users do not need to be on a website or access their email to view the new content. Users can view the click with a single click, which points to another advantage. Push notifications boost the clicking rate for websites and improve conversion rates.
Adaptive websites
As mobile technology advances, the importance of creating adaptive websites increases. Most people access websites on their mobile devices and expect a great experience while at it. Developers now understand the need to create mobile responsive websites. Mobile phone users expect the same experience on their devices while using a website as when using their computers.
The major advantages of adaptive websites are that they are scalable and versatile. Users can access several services fast on the internet. However, developers are also moving towards offline web solutions where users can access web apps without an internet connection. Even with affordable internet connections in the market, web users still value saving data.
Conclusion
It is important for professionals in web design in Kenya to keep up with the latest trend in the industry. Clients expect developers to use the latest technology to update or create their web solutions. In addition, most new trends simplify web development and improve user experience. By insisting on outdated trends in web design, developers deny web users a great experience and high conversion rates to their clients