11 Dominating Web Development Trends in Kenya For 2019
In A Hurry…
Trend #1 – WordPress Betty
Trend #2 – Accelerated mobile pages and load speed
Trend #3 – Progressive Web Applications (PWA)
Trend #4 – Animations
Trend #5 – Push Notifications
Trend #6 – Cross-platform applications
Trend #7 – SPA or one-page websites
Trend #8 – Chatbot
Trend #9 – Increased customization in e-commerce
Trend #10 – The internet of things, a new digital revolution
Trend #11 – Blockchain
We review the main web development trends in Kenya that we will see in 2019, a year that marks again the constant improvement of the user experience through different techniques (notifications, animations, chatbots, etc.) and in which, no doubt, one of the protagonists will be the new version of WordPress, very focused on visual editing and which is the subject of much discussion within the WordPress community.
The rapid adoption rate and exponential growth of information is the reason why the web development industry has become so successful. As the years go by, trends come and go, and then some come back again. In 2018 we saw a number of web development trends gain traction and we can expect them to continue to prosper in 2019. We will also give a farewell to the trends that we’ll leave behind.
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The following is a rundown of 11 trends in website development in Kenya that will dominate in 2019:
Trend #1 – WordPress Betty
WordPress is the content manager that we find behind nearly one-third of the existing web pages in the world. Any update should, therefore, be mentioned. And more, the new version of WordPress 5.1, known as Betty, which will include a new visual editor, will integrate Visual Composer features and many possibilities offered by the Divi model.
Its new block structure will be more versatile and flexible in terms of site customization, which will bring it closer to other more modern Web creation options and will be easily accessible for all user profiles.
Currently, many features of this new WordPress are available as a plugin in the latest version, which allows you to get closer to your possibilities, but it should be remembered that its use is not recommended in the pages in production.
Trend #2 – Accelerated mobile pages and load speed
With Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), Google is trying to encourage and enable business leaders to develop websites that load instantaneously and work smoothly on mobile devices.
As Google writes in a blog post regarding AMPs…
But despite those restrictions on creative-minded developers, the benefits of AMPs are real.The median load time, for instance, for content coded with AMP HTML is 0.7 seconds. Conversely, the median load time for non-AMP pages is 22 seconds.
That’s a massive difference.
You should probably consider changing even if you just want to drive higher engagement and brand awareness with your website. They’ll likely become more common in 2019, and you’ll need to be prepared for their popularity one way or another.
Also read – How To Find The Best Digital Marketing Agency in Kenya? [GUIDE]
Trend #3 – Progressive Web Applications (PWA)
PWA or Progressive Web Applications are becoming more prevalent as they take advantage of the features offered by web browsers based on the mobile application interface. AHPs are designed much faster than conventional mobile applications and tend to be easier to implement and maintain. In addition, they offer other benefits than traditional applications, such as the ability to work offline, receive notifications, their reliability and reduced load time.
Trend #4 – Animations
The animations of 2019, including website animations, will be an excellent resource to make them more attractive. We will see that the pages will be much more dynamic than before, either to obtain an interface inviting the user to interact, to facilitate the search for some important elements and information or invite you to take concrete action.
We will see through the use of traditional features GIF, CSS3 and JavaScript but also through the popularization of libraries such as Motion UI.
Also See – 10 Top Web Design Trends in Kenya For 2019 You Can’t Ignore
Trend #5 – Push Notifications
After the user interaction search line, notifications are a good way to get it. Whether in mobile applications with web pages, with the prior authorization of the user, we can send you various notifications containing interesting information, while maintaining your interest in our site and strengthening interactions.
For example, Next Insurance is one of the top car insurance kenya website that uses push notification to share important information regarding Insurance to their visitors.
Trend #6 – Cross-platform applications
As was the case throughout 2018, it is becoming increasingly common to find applications that are valid for different platforms without having to make different developments for each of them (for example, Android and iOS).
Currently, one can find cross platform software technologies, which compile a website into an application via CSS or JS by making calls to native code and React Native type, which use the directives but compile a 100% native application.
Trend #7 – SPA or one-page websites
It’s a very simple and practical concept to present the website on a very long page. It is true that navigation becomes simple since it is enough to scroll the page up or down, avoiding pages that can hinder the user and slowing down the loading. It is particularly interesting for browsing smartphones and the developers guarantee a modern, economical and easy to implement installation, but we do not forget that it also generates headaches for SEO positioning, so we will have to use the SPA with care.
SPA development is based on JavaScript frameworks such as React and Angular. Developers benefit from SPA because of its high-performance and ability to work seamlessly across all devices, making it easy for developers to create cost-effective hybrid apps.
Trend #8 – Chatbot
And Gartner predicts that over 85% of customer interactions will happen without a human on the business end by 2020. Similarly, according to TechEmergence, chatbots will become the number one application for consumers across all
Today, making the difference for the competition is crucial to succeed in the business. A good way to do this in the Internet world is to include chatbots on the website. In this way, our users can stay in constant contact with our company, getting answers and solutions on the spot, without having to wait for the opening hours of customer service teams.
Chatbots evolve so much that their artificial intelligence allows them to immediately improve the user experience and yields good results to the companies that implemented them. For the example of the successful and effective implementation of Chatbot, you can check the Next Insurance Kenya website here.
Trend #9 – Increased customization in e-commerce
The WooComerce-WordPress, PrestaShop and Magento combination will continue to be the top three open-source online sales platforms and their updates will continue to bring new features. From a usability point of view, all indications are that new updates and extensions will, in particular, strengthen the collection of key information in searches, browsing history, and personal preferences, so that each user is offered the products or services that best fit your profile.
Trend #10 – The internet of things, a new digital revolution
The process is simple: take a daily object (watch, clothing, bracelet, glasses, sneakers, water bottle) and add new features (data sensors, operating systems, Bluetooth etc) and you get a connected object or smart object. Thus these everyday objects are assigned new functions sometimes going well beyond their primary use.
They can communicate with each other, share data, analyze them, transmit them, receive remote commands, in short, bring additional services to the user. The less and less intrusive, more and more accessible and general public, they make already part of everyday life in the fields of Sport, Health/Well-being and home automation. This is how a simple bracelet measures the calories spent.
But what does this new connectivity create in our lives? Do these connected objects respond to real needs? For many specialists, connected objects and wearables (connected objects to wear, clothes, shoes, accessories, jewellery and more) are destined to be socially accepted and to integrate our consumption patterns, but the trend is just beginning.
- an object = an usage = an application
In contrast, the Google Glasses, too complex, have suffered a bitter failure: only early adopters are really interested.
Today, the consumer does not yet recognize the benefits of the product, many still consider them useless. The sensational arrival of the Apple Watch marks the spirits. But the need for the connected object remains to be created.
Trend #11 – Blockchain
The Blockchain developer profile is more and more sought after. The Blockchain, thanks to its media coverage and its exponential development, attracts more and more companies or entrepreneurs wishing to take advantage of it. In an era shaken by scandals of all kinds, the transparency of this technology brings many solutions.
Some envisage its use in democratic elections to avoid fraud and manipulation; others imagine the creation of virtual nations within which exchanges would be regulated according to established laws, specific to each of these nations.
- Authentication of products to fight against counterfeiting
Counterfeit goods are a problem all over the world. This is because illicit manufacturers are increasingly able to create counterfeits of all kinds. Handbags with soy sauce, anything that can sell can be counterfeit. Brands suffer from significant revenue losses and their image is tarnished, while consumers face quality and safety issues.
The Blockchain can provide solutions in terms of traceability, particularly through the implementation of referenced chips acting as a digital certificate of authenticity.
- Secure and transparent transactions
Blockchain technology eliminates the need for a central authority or intermediary to manage transactions. Cryptography secures records as part of a transaction and each of them is linked (in the chain) to previous transactions or records. In addition, the log of operations is shared and viewable by all participants (or only those chosen in the case of a private blockchain).
An attempt to tamper with the data would, therefore, require the hacker to modify all the blocks preceding the one targeted by the attack, before being spotted which is a real nightmare!
In IoT, we are seeing more and more applications and hands-on services interconnecting products and devices, enabling them to communicate with each other more autonomously and efficiently, making life easier for individual users or speeding up the transformation process.
Something similar is also happening with the Blockchain, which will continue to be heard by all in 2019. This technology has already begun to be evaluated and used for the development of commercial and private functions, beyond the Bitcoin virtual currency.
Blockchain could be said to be a method of storing user data around the world, thus verifying the accuracy of the data provided when comparing different data sources.
This technologies will revolutionize Internet interactions and may eliminate some middlemen for many of the directions we take on a daily basis. Do not forget to visit the DimeHub, a digital marketing agency in Kenya that can help you in implementing all the trendy web development features in your website.
