Forward advances in coding standards are commonplace, but so is the way you carry out development as a whole. Tunnel vision on your own working practices could have a cumulative effect, which could stifle your growth and income. Or, you could try implementing some web development trends, which can minimally affect your own processes while having a significant positive impact on your clients and colleagues. Tangibly related elements of your day-to-day work — such as the website design stage — can also help you maintain a strong working relationship on future projects.
3 modern web development trends to implement
In this post, we’ll look at three emerging web development trends you should slot into your own workflow and offer our take on why you should adopt them.
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Use virtual machines to develop locally.
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Develop with user and site security as a top priority.
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Consider an alternative to your default design software.
Ready to learn more? Let’s get started!
1. Use virtual machines to develop locally
The traditional way of designing WordPress websites locally has been to install a tool, such as XAMPP or WampServer, and create a development environment on your computer from scratch. For advanced users, this is no issue.
However, the time this takes could also be spent doing something more productive with your time.
This is where “virtual machines” come into play. These are self-contained installations of WordPress, and their overall deployment and setup is all handled under the hood. For this reason, they help you save time and energy when getting a fresh WordPress install off the ground.
In addition, you can often save templates of regularly used setups. By clicking a button, you can create all manner of WordPress instances based on your regular clients’ needs in a flash. Some solutions even offer extra features, such as a way to deploy your local installations live. This means that practically everything you’ll need to develop WordPress websites can be found within one package.
If you’re looking for a specific tool to use, we recommend DesktopServer. It’s quite simply the best — and almost only — solution of its kind. Using DesktopServer to deploy a local install to a live server is simple, and it works with a variety of different hosts.
This solution can be used on both Windows and macOS machines. What’s more, there’s a completely free version, enabling you to give it a test drive. However, we recommend the premium upgrade, since it’s a great value for money if you develop for WordPress regularly.
2. Develop with user and site security as a top priority
In times past, the success of a company directly correlated to its marketing vision. However, in the modern world, many customers are starting to see their overall experience is key.
User experience has become a primary factor in whether or not a business will see profits.
In addition, 2017 has seen web development trends where HTTPS and other security-related measures are coming to the forefront. In fact, none other than Google and WordPress themselves have joined forces in order to help protect users and sites from malicious intent.
Given this, developing with your clients and their customer base in mind as a primary concern is absolutely crucial for repeat business and a boost to your reputation. In fact, we’d consider it the No. 1 trend to implement right away.
Fortunately, getting started with this strategy is much simpler than it used to be. The first step is to get your site working with HTTPS. That process is straightforward, and we’ve previously discussed how to get everything up and running.
Then, you’ll likely want to make sure your clients’ sites are running a real-time, powerful security solution. GoDaddy offers a comprehensive suite of tools to help with this, all powered by Sucuri — a leading internet security provider.
3. Consider an alternative to your default design software
For the last of our web development trends, let’s shift focus to design. For years, Adobe’s products have ruled the roost, mainly due to their comprehensive functionality, integration with other products in the line, and ubiquity.
However, as Adobe has moved away from the traditional single-sale business model to Software as a Solution (SaaS), many designers have switched away to other tools that don’t have a recurring cost attached.
We believe it’s a good idea to be flexible with regard to other design teams’ workflows. That usually means becoming proficient with all of the potential software you’ll come into contact with. This will increase your own value, as you’ll be able to target a ton of other designers who don’t use Adobe’s products, and it will also ease their mind about whether you can do business with them and their paying clients.
While quality alternatives have been slow to arrive, the last couple years have seen a number of solutions appear, with burgeoning communities and eager-to-please development teams. For open-source tools, GIMP and Inkscape are good go-to options. However, design packages, such as Serif’s Affinity line, are now standing toe to toe with Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator. What’s more, users often have direct involvement in how these products are shaped in future versions.
Final thoughts on web development trends
While building momentum with a solid workflow is a good goal, taking some time to think about changing your approach is also smart. At best, you’ll save countless hours with a more efficient approach, which will have a major impact on your clients, your colleagues and their working day, and ultimately your bank balance.
This post has discussed three modern design and web development trends you can implement into your workflow. Let’s quickly recap them:
- Employ a virtual machine such as DesktopServer to streamline your local development.
- Make sure the end user and the site as a whole is secure, starting with your base code and plugin decisions.
- If you’re part of the design stage, flexibility in the software you use will enable everyone to see your overall vision.
Editor’s note: Ready to implement these new trends? Make sure you’re a part of GoDaddy Pro so you can manage your clients and projects with ease, giving you more time to create.
