Oh hi, I didn’t see you there…I am assuming you came here because you were intrigued by the heading of this blog? Awesome, let’s have a chat about the future of websites. I’ve been thinking recently about where websites have come from, how they kept us afloat during the pandemic and more importantly…what’s next?
The World Wide Web as we know it is 30 years old…it’s younger than the Simpsons!!!
For many of the Gen Zs you wouldn’t remember what it was like to know a world without the World Wide Web. When I was in school I used to reference the encyclopedia, not Wikipedia.
Below is an image of what websites looked like when I was a youngin’
Oh yeah, check out the UX on that site.
But it did get me thinking. Back in the ’90s and ’00s…even the ’10s, could we have predicted how websites would evolve? It’s hard to imagine surviving the past 18 months without the internet. Without websites that allow us to purchase products at the touch of a button, without even leaving your house. Just imagine researching the signs of covid-19…you would have had to wait for the Encyclopedia 2021 ‘C-Edition’ to find out your symptoms!
But if that’s the past, what is the future of websites?
According to research, the average lifespan of a website is 2 years and 7 months (Forbes, 2021). Which is really interesting, it means a lot of websites out there are past their use-by date already (I know you’re sitting there with a guilty look on your face!)
So, what will the next 10 years bring for websites? Here are my top 3 predictions:
Progressive web apps (PWA)
A progressive web application combines the best of web and mobile apps by utilising cutting-edge technologies. Consider it a website built with web technologies that also functions and feels like an app. Best of both worlds really.
Voice Commerce
Many of us already have voice assistant speakers in our homes, so there is no doubt that this is already becoming part of our everyday lives. But would you think to optimise your website for AI? I say YES, definitely. More and more people are now asking their Voice assistant devices “Where can I buy a nice bottle of wine” instead of typing into google “Bottle shops near me”. Optimising your site to match the way we speak will be so important!
Integration of Data Science
I’ve got one word for you, DATA. Integration of Data Science will be key in the future of websites. If you were going to refurbish a restaurant, you would probably do your research. Who is coming to your restaurant? Where is the best place to put the bathrooms? What are your competitors are doing? You would then collate all your data and start planning with these things in mind (imagine if you had to walk through the bathrooms of a restaurant to get to your table!!) Same goes for your site, you want to see who is going to your site, where is the best place to put your CTA and how your visitors are using the site to best optimise. It’s all about the CX! Your data science will drive your CX!
If the past 18 months have taught us anything, nothing is predictable, but it’s always nice to dream! It would be great to hear what other people’s thoughts are for the future and growth in this space! Let’s get talking!
