Drupal is preferred as the main software foundation by over a million websites operating across a range of niches. Home Depot, and even Cambridge press are using the technology as their web framework of choice along with many other renowned names that simply can’t go wrong. And with the flexibility and customizability it brings to the table, Drupal perfectly falls in line with the web development trends of 2021, the most relevant of which include the following.
Drupal is preferred as the main software foundation by over a million websites operating across a range of niches. Jysk, and even the University of Oxford are using the technology as their web framework of choice along with many other renowned names that simply can’t go wrong. And with the flexibility and customizability it brings to the table, Drupal perfectly falls in line with the web development trends of 2021, the most relevant of which include the following.
AI, NLP and ML aren’t going anywhere
The capabilities of modern Artificial Intelligence along with the underlying principles of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing continue expanding and becoming more accessible to use on-demand. That’s why it’s best to make sure that your web software foundation can handle multiple complex integrations well.
The major purposes for which one may want to integrate AI capacities with a Drupal-powered website include the following
Image recognition for managing visual content
Drupal developers may use Google Vision API and Azure Cognitive Services API to create bespoke picture editing apps. Multiple ML-based modules are available via the Azure Cognitive Services API.
Image classification, visual data processing, and face and emotion identification are all supported by these modules. They're perfect for sites that rely on user-generated content, including eCommerce websites, news portals, and community forums as particular examples.
NLP-powered marketing automation
The active extensive Drupal community is working on a number of modules based on Natural Language Processing capabilities, which streamline and smooth out a number of content management and marketing efforts.
Cognitive computing-powered chatbots
The advanced cognitive computing capacities we have today give us highly intelligent responsive chatbots that can be integrated with your site’s voice assistant features. Alexa and Dialogflow are among the most known integrations here. And developers can also use Acobot AI Live Chat - a module that helps create self-learning assistants and website guides.
As a result, conversational user interfaces can significantly smooth out the purchasing experience for customers in personalized ways. These can assist companies and entrepreneurs in improving their overall customer satisfaction levels.
Mobile-first web design prevails
About 54% of website views across the world are made via a mobile device. Browsing the web and shopping online through a smartphone is a constantly growing trend that doesn’t seem to hinder popularity. And this is where Drupal comes in more than handy, being a framework that was initially created as a mobile-first solution and granting responsive web design for the mobile vertical.
Drupal is designed with mobile users in mind, with a strong emphasis on responsiveness and user interface. In the past, Drupal has launched a mobile campaign to encourage community engagement in mobile-first development and multi-device compatibility. Furthermore, the Accelerated Mobile Page module improves the entire user experience of a website when viewed on a mobile device.
Low-code and no-code standardize
Low-code and no-code approaches to creating new software are becoming truly booming trends set to make the field of web development easier to manage for developers who can essentially avoid numerous unnecessary routines and streamline processes. They should also allow non-savvy users to conveniently build new solutions without having to gain in-depth expertise (or any expertise whatsoever).
Low-code tools can be integrated to optimize and balance out development projects inside and out. On top of that, Drupal 9 has a built-in WYSIWYG editor (What You See Is What You Get editor), which replaces a ton of contributed modules by providing simple drag-&-drop UX customizing in one place.
PWAs are advancing further
Progressive web apps for the most hassle-free way to access and start using a full-blown application of any format and purpose. PWAs are especially convenient for dedicated smartphone users that simply don’t wish to bother with many “PC-like” manipulations.
Thankfully, there already exist well-optimized PWA modules for powerful web development frameworks. A specialized Drupal PWA module helps get the best of both worlds - the most relevant and efficient native and web app features. They can be created quite easily in Drupal 9, granting excellent engaging user experiences.
AR and VR go for eCommerce
Augmented and Virtual Reality technologies may as well be the future of eCommerce as we know. With capabilities that have already been tested out by IKEA and numerous make-up and clothes stores far and wide, AR and VR offer truly game-changing features that should help shops push sales on a new level.
The prototype of Lift HoloDeck is another use case worthy of mention. It was created based on the commercially available tech stack, including Drupal (as a content framework), Acquia (as a custom engine), Vuforia (as a library of AR assets), and Unity (as a 3D game framework). The development team created a mobile app with smart notifications and non-intrusive pop-up info about objects in real life that appear on the smartphone screen. This promotes a truly novel customer experience in the long run.
Conclusion
Many of the web development trends either continue their logical expansion or appear as more novel concepts that should see widespread unfolding throughout the year. However, it all comes down to the fact that if you are looking to adopt the most relevant capabilities in the modern market arena, you should pick the sturdiest, most flexible software foundation there is.
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