It’s estimated that nearly 400 new websites are created every hour, with the overall number now totalling over 1.5 billion. The competition to make your business stand out from the digital crowd is greater than ever before, but so are the opportunities. Consequently demand is high for innovative web development.

Nearly half of internet users say that they determine a website’s credibility by its design, so it’s crucial to keep up appearances. This doesn’t just mean making a site aesthetically pleasing, but it also involves incorporating the latest development trends and innovations.

Below we explore some of the current innovations making waves in the world of web development.

Serverless savings

One of the biggest recent trends in the industry is serverless computing, which removes the need for expensive, complex infrastructures by replacing them with cloud-based alternatives.

Arguably the main benefit of eradicating these physical systems is that developers will not have to waste time maintaining and fixing the servers, so they can focus more on the websites themselves. This should lead to more creative and innovative websites, as individuals will have more time and opportunity to experiment with the possibilities.

There are also significant business advantages to serverless computing, as its implementation can result in financial savings. Unlike with regular servers, which are continually active and usually require advanced payments, serverless code just operates when triggered, so companies only pay the provider when people visit their site. This means that during spells of low site traffic, businesses aren’t paying out unnecessarily – potentially an easy way to cut outgoings.

There are now a number of cloud-based servers available and industry heavyweights, such as Netflix and AOL, have already started to incorporate them into their operations. Such endorsements suggest that serverless computing is not going away, but instead, is going to grow in popularity in years to come.

Progressive Web Apps

4G mobile internet saw the popularity of smartphone applications  skyrocket. This spread to the wider online market through the rise of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

PWAs allow developers to effectively replicate the capabilities of apps, such as push notifications and independent connectivity, on mobile websites. They provide reliable, fast and engaging experiences which are slowly rendering regular smartphone apps redundant.

PWAs are able to function in low-network environments and operate smoothly, with minimal lag time. It is even possible to install them to the home screen of mobile devices, further increasing their accessibility.

The business benefits of investing in PWAs are tangible. The Indian e-commerce site Flipkart created a PWA to combine the best features of its app and website. The resulting PWA has seen the company experience a 70% increase in conversions. Users now spend three times as long on the site as they did before, further showcasing the benefits of PWAs.

It’s critical that an installable PWA is fast and reliable. Users who install a PWA expect that their apps work, no matter what kind of network connection they’re on. With the recent role out of 5G connectivity there’s no reason why PWAs won’t grow even more commonplace in the future, able to be developed with more features and greater capacities.

JavaScript Frameworks

JavaScript frameworks are effectively ready-made foundations for websites – pre-written code that can be used for basic programming functions. While there are many different types, Vue.js and React and leading the way. They are starting to dominate the industry and for good reason – their frameworks save time and resources by only updating web components that have changed, rather than whole pages as has traditionally been the case. Furthermore, code is stored in vast libraries which enables it to be reused – increasing productivity for developers.

Frameworks are a good example of how an innovative software development can be applied by other businesses. Rather than spending time coding every single feature of a website, developers can now use the JavaScript frameworks to give them a head start. Business can then spend more time on the creative side of websites, rather than getting delayed by the nuts and bolts of the technical elements.

JavaScript frameworks are now becoming so advanced that they can be used for most elements of web development. With frameworks taking on an increasing amount of the legwork, developers can focus more on innovation and making them work as best as they can for their individual sites.

The future

Software developers are always pushing their industry and businesses forward. Companies which hire such staff are therefore likely to qualify for the government’s R&D Tax Credit scheme, which offers Corporation Tax relief to businesses investing in research and development .

It can sometimes be tricky to identify exactly what software development activity is eligible for the funding, but generally, if your project has helped to advance or create some underlying technology, which progresses the industry and not just your own company’s capability, you should be able to claim.

At MPA our Technical Analysts are experts in identifying areas of eligible actively. For further guidance on whether your software development project is eligible for R&D tax credits, get in touch today.