As time rolls on, it seems like everything is moving to an acronym-based system. We are all too familiar with terms such as HTTP, HTTPS, SEO, ISP, DNS, CPU, DHCP, IMAP and URL - not to mention BRB, LOL, TTFN and ROFL. Then on the business side of things you see ESPN, KFC, CNN, ATT etc. The initials keep coming and coming. When we peek into the website development trends for 2024, this tendency continues with terms such as AI, ML, WebAR, VUI, WCAG, Motion UI, ZTA, SPA, IoT, IoB and more.
What do these mean? And more importantly, are these new terms really something you need to know?
At VisonAmp, we pride ourselves in staying ahead of the curve. This means that you do NOT need to know it all when it comes to building and maintaining a website. That’s what we do, and we do it well! But when we do sit across the table from you - or are on a Zoom call to discuss your website needs, you may hear us drop a new acronym or two during the course of our conversation. Let’s look at a few of these “initials” that 2024 has in store:
In a previous blog, we introduced the subject of AI and how VisionAmp uses this “intelligence.” In case you missed that one, click here. The huge advantage of implementing AI technology is that it is adaptive, can learn/collect data, and many times bring helpful solutions to the problem. It is said that more than 1.5 billion people use AI chatbots each and every day. Already we’ve seen dozens of AI virtual assistants (Alexa, Siri, Cortana) as the latest web development trends.
WCAG stands for “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.” It was created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and is designed to make a website usable for all of your customers regardless of their physical capabilities. According to WCAG.com, “Website designers, developers and content authors, can remove many of the barriers that people with disabilities face when navigating a website or other digital asset. Some examples include:
Images must contain descriptive alternative text (ALT text) so people who are blind have a description of an image that accurately conveys its meaning.
The on-page text must be realizable without disrupting the way the page displays so people with vision disabilities can magnify content and have an easier time reading.
All form-entry tasks need to exist without a time limit or include an extended, lengthy time limit to accommodate the needs of people who need more time to fill out forms.
Components that exist across multiple web pages, like navigation, headers, footers, and sidebars, must consistently appear in the same places throughout the site so people always know to find them regardless of what page they’re on.
Users must be able to navigate your website without the use of a mouse. Users should be able to use the “tab” button on a keyboard to progress through any given page.”
WebAR is all about “augmented reality. This technology will grow and be useful in mobile utility apps, healthcare, education and more. Examples of WebAR include the Target retail app that has a feature called “See it in Your Space” which enables users to take a photo of a space in their home and digitally view an object, like a picture on the wall or a chair, to see how it will look there. Other examples include Apple Measure and Snapchat.
VUI stands for Voice User Interface. According to Tech Target, “Voice user interface (VUI) is speech recognition technology that allows people to interact with a computer, smartphone or other device through voice commands. Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant and Microsoft's Cortana are prime examples of VUIs. What makes a VUI unique is that it uses voice as the primary mode of interaction, in contrast with the traditional keyboard-mouse-monitor combination or touch screen. This voice-first approach can allow users to initiate automated services and execute their day-to-day tasks in a faster, more intuitive manner.”
This interface will be especially helpful with tasks such as shopping, playing music, setting alarms, getting the latest news, weather and traffic updates etc.
ML stands for “machine learning” and not “more or less.” Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science that focuses on the use of data and algorithms in order to imitate the way that we learn, gradually improving its accuracy. This technology specializes in image recognition as well as data analysis.
Motion UI (user interface) is basically used to create customizable animated elements. It is the point of contact between humans and computers. Any technology you interact with as a user is part of the user interface. Recent trends show that when there is an absence of a responsive design like the one UI can create, visitors tend to leave the website more frequently. Note that UI is not about the use of fancy images, but rather it focuses on creating intuitive and responsive interfaces that users will interact with.
SPA stands for “single-page applications” and provides your website visitors with a “one page does it all” experience. SPA is a JavaScript-based web application and avoids loading separate HTML pages from a server. You’ve already seen some of this with applications such as Gmail, Facebook, Twitter (X) etc. Benefits include high speed experience, mobile friendliness, ensuring a consistent and optimized experience across various devices.
(For what it's worth, in my humble opinion), if you’re interested in having a successful and viable website, the use of the most recent web development trends will help to increase traffic as you grow your business. If we stand still, the world and its newest web technologies will pass us by. Stay in the game and leverage the expertise and experience the staff at VisionAmp has to offer. If you’re interested, give us a call today! 870.580.0909
