Top 10 Web Development Trends to Watch in 2024

Every year, new web development trends emerge that promise faster and better performance (and of course, more business). While this progress is exciting, it can make staying updated with web development trends feel over-complicated and like you’re constantly grasping at straws.

To succeed in web development, businesses and developers alike need to focus on trends that truly make a difference. But how can you know which ones to act on?

At Wahha Design, we are committed to helping North Carolina businesses elevate their online presence through stunning website design and development. Our fractional CMO professionals We stay ahead of web design trends—so we can help small to mid-sized businesses you cut through the noise and focus on the ones that actually matter.

In this post, we’ll explore the 10 top web development technologies and trends to watch in 2024, offering insights to help you stay ahead of the curve.

Let’s dive in.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are making huge waves across all industries, but they are especially important for the future of web developers.

These technologies enhance the development process, making websites smarter, more intuitive, and more responsive to user needs.

Chatbots, powered by AI, have benefits like smart chatbots that handle customer queries 24/7. Moreover, developers use tools like OpenAI and Jasper for natural language processing, which aid in writing code and content.

Machine learning, on the other hand, uses algorithms that analyze user behavior to create a more personalized, seamless user experience.

Major players like Netflix are already leveraging these technologies to deliver tailored recommendations and streamline navigation. In particular, Netflix adopted an AI-based feature that automatically adjusts video quality based on internet speed.

Your SMB might not be as big as Netflix, but trust us: this is one trend that’s worth paying attention to in 2024. Now’s the time to think about the potential role of AI in your web development, as well as your greater digital marketing strategy.

2. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Progressive Web Apps, or PWAs, are changing the way we think about web development.

These are essentially web pages that have similar features to native apps. As such, PWAs offer the best of both worlds: the reach of the web and the functionality of native apps. They also work offline, load quickly, and can be added to your device’s home screen, offering an app-like experience without needing downloads.

The PWA approach attracts new users and keeps them coming back, as seen with Pinterest. The implementation of PWA resulted in a 60% increase in the platform’s core engagement metrics, including a 40% increase in time spent on the site.

The bottom line: if your customer engagement and retention are low, the PWA trend may offer you a way to gain better traction without spending too much time or money. Our fractional Chief Marketing Officers can help you understand how to employ this new trend in the way that best suits your business.

3. Single Page Applications

Unlike traditional sites, Single Page Applications (SPAs) load all necessary resources upfront and update the content as users navigate, without refreshing the entire page. If constructed properly, they make for a much faster, smoother user interaction.

For example, Gmail is a SPA; when you click on an email or navigate to a different folder, the page doesn’t reload. Instead, just the email content changes.

SPAs are best used selectively. They work particularly well in applications like Gmail or Trello, where users interact frequently with the interface, requiring instant updates without full page reloads.

Already, our professional marketing team has seen firsthand how a great SPA can give a small business a competitive edge, updating content quickly and easily for demanding website visitors.

4. WebAssembly

If you’re building a high-performance website, such as for gaming, video editing, or heavy data processing, WebAssembly could be the perfect solution for you.

First introduced in 2017, WebAssembly (Wasm) is a web development trend gaining significant traction in 2024. Over the past year, it has seen increased adoption across various industries—including web development.

It’s essentially a binary instruction format that allows developers to write high-performance web applications running in the browser. Unlike regular web code like JavaScript, which browsers need to interpret and run, WebAssembly is closer to the computer’s native language, making it much quicker.

TLDNR: WebAssembly is carving out space amongst many small to mid-sized businesses because it enables near-native performance for web applications. In layman’s terms, that means you can facilitate complex computations and rich interactive experiences directly in the browser.

5. Serverless Architecture

Serverless architecture is a game-changer in the web development industry, allowing developers to focus on writing code without worrying about server management.

Traditionally, server management involves tasks like setting up, maintaining, and scaling servers to handle website or application traffic. These tasks require time, expertise, and resources.

Serverless architecture streamlines development by allowing developers to focus on coding rather than infrastructure, leading to cost savings, scalability, and faster time-to-market.

Take iRobot, for example. The company behind the popular Roomba robot vacuum cleaners uses serverless architecture to manage data and analytics. iRobot employs AWS Lambda, a serverless computing service, to process data from their devices and enables real-time insights.

If you (like most SMBs) have little time to focus on managing your own site infrastructure, this could be a lifesaver. Our team can help you look Look into serverless architecture as a solution for adapting to different workloads and reducing your operational costs.

6. Motion UI

Motion (user interface) UI gives a website life and personality by making elements move or change in response to user actions. For example, when you hover over a button, it might grow or change color, or when you navigate to a new section, the content might slide into place smoothly.

This type of responsive web design is essential in 2024, allowing pages to adapt to various screen sizes and devices and creating a more intuitive user experience. Tools like GreenSock and libraries such as Animate.css make it easier for developers to implement these effects without heavy coding.

By incorporating motion design, SMBs can differentiate their brand and create more memorable and effective user journeys, driving higher conversion rates. It’s a win-win all around.

Interested in adding some fun, engaging elements to your business website’s design? Our web dev team can certainly help you out with that.

7. Enhanced Cybersecurity

Each year as technology evolves, so do online threats. According to MIT, data breaches increased by nearly 20% in the first nine months of 2023 compared with all of 2022, and ransomware attacks escalated by almost 70% in the same time frame.

That’s why enhanced cybersecurity is becoming a critical focus for web development trends in 2024. Today, best practices include using multi-factor authentication, employing encryption, and adopting a zero-trust approach, which assumes that threats could be both external and internal.

Companies are also focusing on regular security audits and staying updated with the latest vulnerabilities to safeguard sensitive data and maintain a strong defense against emerging threats.

The truth is, if you aren’t already prioritizing cybersecurity this year, your site (and your customers) are likely in danger. Even small businesses with minimal business still need to up their security protocols as the latest threats evolve.

8. Voice Search Optimization

By now, all developers should know they need to optimize their websites for mobile devices. With smart speakers and voice assistants becoming household staples, optimizing websites for voice search is undoubtedly crucial.

In fact, according to Markets and Markets, the voice search assistant market is projected to reach $11.2 billion by 2026, with 51% of consumers using voice-activated devices for product research.

Implementing voice search involves focusing on natural language processing, ensuring content is conversational and matches how people speak.

Voice search is also pushing developers to rethink their SEO strategies. To enhance visibility in voice search results, consider using long-tail keywords, focusing on mobile optimization, and implementing structured data (Schema.org is great for this). These steps help search engines better understand and categorize your content.

Trying to rank in all the right searches, either locally here in North Carolina or beyond? Now’s the time to think about how voice searchers are looking for and finding your business’s services.

9. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

AMPs, or Accelerated Mobile Pages, are special types of web pages designed to load quickly on phones and tablets. By stripping down the HTML, they have fewer features that might slow them down. The benefits of AMP extend beyond speed, including improved SEO rankings and better ad performance.

An excellent case of AMP’s effectiveness is with Razorpay, a financial solutions provider in India. By implementing AMP to embed interactive surveys directly within emails, the OpenJS Foundation found that they achieved a 257% increase in response rates.

If you’d like to implement AMP on your website, you’ll need to start by using AMP-specific HTML tags in your web page layout. Then, apply AMP components for media, ensuring quick load times for images and videos.

You’ll also need to inline all CSS and validate your page to meet AMP standards—which can be relatively complex tasks.

Sound like a lot of technical jargon that just went over your head? Don’t worry, implementing these changes on your own can be tricky. For best results, we recommend hiring a developer—like Wahha Design—to handle the complex annoying nuts and bolts for you.

10. API-First Development

Last on our list, let’s talk about API-first development. In this kind of approach, developers build the core backend systems (APIs) before designing the app’s user interface.

As a result, APIs can efficiently manage data and services, which can then be used by various front-end applications, like websites or mobile apps.

A content management system (CMS) fits well with this approach. It separates content management from presentation, offering flexibility in how content is delivered across platforms.

An API-first strategy also offers advantages like faster integration with new technologies, improved scalability, and the ability to easily add new features. Additionally, this method benefits developers by allowing parallel work on different parts of the project.

Join the Future of Web Development

In this overview of the top web development trends in 2024, we’ve seen how technologies like AI, PWAs, and WebAssembly are shaping the future.

The web development world moves fast, and continuous learning is key to keeping pace. To stay in the loop, make it a habit to explore new trends, refine your skills, and adapt to new tools and methods. Better yet, hire fractional CMO services to do that for you!

Future-Proof Your Website with Wahha Design

We don’t need to tell you that web development can be complex. At Wahha Design, we want to make it simpler.

Our web developers and consultants We take care of integrating cutting-edge web development trends into your website, so you can focus on your business (and frankly, things you care about more). We’re also here to answer your questions and identify crucial areas for improvement.

Get in touch with us today to see how we can help your business grow and thrive in the digital space. You can also subscribe to our newsletter for more updates on the latest news in web development tech.