The enterprise web application industry has been in the limelight for the past few years because of the steady increase of businesses using enterprise apps. Companies are slowly embracing the power of these solutions, particularly when it comes to leveling with or getting ahead of the competition. These businesses recognize the advantages enterprise digital solutions offer: improved efficiency, seamless data management, workflow automation, and increased flexibility.
Like most technologies, enterprise web application is constantly evolving. The development process is non-stop, so tools, resources, and techniques are updated every now and then. New features and capabilities also abound year after year. What you thought was impossible with enterprise web apps are now so easy and convenient to do. There is always something exciting to look forward to.
Businesses that adapted or are in the process of adapting web application technologies enjoy (or will enjoy) a significant advantage over their competitors that have not embraced the trends yet. Success is inevitable.
If you have a business and you want it to stay on top of the ladder, staying updated with the latest trends in the enterprise web application industry is vital.
The Most Important Enterprise Web Application Industry Trends
For the remainder of 2020 and in the years to come, the following trends should be on your watch list.
1. The Importance of Speed
How fast is your company’s web application? How efficient is it? Speed and efficiency are two of the most important factors for enterprise web apps. How important? Well, Google recently added page speed as one of its main ranking factors. If you want to rank high on Google and other search engine results, pay attention to how fast your web app loads.
Improving your web app’s load speed is also a convenience for users, especially if your bounce rate has been quite high in the past months. If it takes your app more than 3 seconds to load, people will abandon your website. As such, a lighter page and app is essential if you want to improve speed.
2. Taking Advantage of VR and AR
Virtual reality and augmented reality are both enterprise web application trends that help businesses bring in more audience and, eventually, more profit.
VR and AR are interactive, which means they encourage the audience’s interaction. For example, if you have a retail app, use VR or AR to project and introduce your products to users. You can come up with a VR or AR fashion show featuring your newest ready-to-wear collection. You’ll not only promote your brand and products, you’ll also entertain your customers. This positive experience could later translate to sales and profits.
3. User Satisfaction is Still Valuable – Motion UI is too
Keeping your audience engaged and providing them the satisfaction they want should be a priority when developing your enterprise web application. If users get no sense of excitement from your app, they won’t continue exploring it and will probably ditch it for another app. Yes, user satisfaction will continue to be as important as before.
So, how can you guarantee audience satisfaction and convenient user experience? This is where motion or animation comes in. Use simple animation for your user interface. Go for the subtle ones and do not put in too much to avoid overcrowding your app. A little animation can go a long, long way in grabbing the attention of your users.
4. PWAs (Progressive Web Apps)
PWAs are websites or applications that are similar to native apps in the sense that they deliver what users want: fast loading speeds, audience engagement, relevance, and reliability. Progressive web apps are also non-internet dependent, so they can be accessed offline.
Progressive web apps are the ideal solution for those who want to offer the best user experience but cannot decide whether to go for native or mobile web applications. These apps help make cross-platform development easier, faster, and more practical.
PWAs will continue to trend beyond 2020. It offers easy navigation, fast loading speeds, offline availability and push notifications.
5. Voice Interfaces
Voice-based interfaces for enterprise web application are becoming more and more popular. Search engines, like Google, already allow users to use voice when searching for or asking about something. Other products have also embraced voice search.
This technology is poised to spread to more industries in the coming years. From smart homes with voice-controlled household items to web-based applications that allow visitors to voice-control pages; this technology will definitely pull you ahead of the competition.
6. Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Chatbots
Yes, AI has been around for some time, but it’s not going away anytime soon. In fact, it is expected to become even more popular (and common) in the coming years.
Artificial intelligence development will work hand-in-hand with automation techniques in creating smarter, more helpful, and useful chatbots. If you have an e-commerce site, for example, chatbots will interact with customers and provide assistance for their orders. Online shopping apps also use chatbots for facilitating orders and other customer-related concerns.
Chatbots help automate the enterprise workflow, improve customer service, personalize each client’s experience, increase customer engagement, and generate better leads.
7. Blockchain Data Storage
By 2025, the global blockchain market is expected to be worth almost $40 billion. This is an approximate 70% increase in its “compound annual growth rate” from 2020 to 2025. That says a lot about the value and popularity of blockchain. If you want reliable security for your data and payment transactions, in addition to improved operational efficiency, use blockchain technology for your enterprise web app. It does not keep data in just one server. Blockchain distributes it across a network of computers. Likewise, it does away with intermediaries – so, protection from outside threats is guaranteed.
Make blockchain technology a part of your enterprise web app if you want long-term security and efficiency.
Knowing the most significant trends in the enterprise web application industry is vital in helping you and your business stay up to date and ahead of the competition.
