The web development profession has been at the forefront of technological change for years. Web developers have been among the earliest adapters of big data and machine learning technology.
The role of big data in web development is becoming more important than ever. This is hardly surprising, since the Internet is responsible for such a large portion of new data. The four largest websites have over 1,200 petabytes of data. As large as these websites are, they still only account for a tiny fraction of all data generated over the Internet.
Web developers play an important role in the accumulation of new data. However, the relationship with big data technology does not and there. Savvy web designers and developers also appreciate the importance of utilizing data technology to its full effectiveness. Companies like Flat Site use big data to manage websites better, while other companies use it for web development.
Changes big data has brought to the web development profession
How has big data impacted the web development profession? Some of the biggest changes are described below.
Using non-intrusive personalization more effectively
There is a strong misconception that the average consumer does not want any of their data to be stored or used by companies that they work with. The reality is that customers are willing to share data, as long as it is respected and used for valuable purposes.
One of the biggest advantages of big data is that it makes website personalization possible. Personalization is actually incredibly important to modern online marketing. Brands have discovered that they can increase their sales by 20% by offering personalized recommendations.
But how do customers actually feel about personalization? One poll found that 60% of them enjoy personalized content and find that it helps and feel more favorable about the brand offering it.
Streamlining the development process
Expediency is one of the most important elements of modern web development. In the beginning of the Internet revolution, companies were mystified by the novelty of websites. They were willing to wait long periods of time for a new website, because they recognized the complexity of these projects at the time and didn’t want to skimp on quality. Web developers around the turn of the century needed to create websites from scratch by typing HTML, JavaScript and PHP code one line at a time.
Today, websites have lost their mystique. They have gone from cutting-edge platforms during the dawn of the “Dotcom” revolution to basic necessities for every business. There is no longer a massive shortage of qualified web developers to assist with these projects.
The normalization of websites has made businesses more demanding when it comes to website design and management services. They are not willing to wait indefinitely for a new website to be designed and launched anymore.
Fortunately, big data has helped web developers design websites much more efficiently. A number of new tools like Canva use sophisticated machine learning capabilities to conceptualize new designs in a fraction of the time. Web developers can also minimize the guesswork involved in evaluating possible website wireframes by using analytics data from previous websites.
Improving the capabilities of responsive design elements
The proliferation of mobile technology has fundamentally transformed the nature of web development. Before mobile devices were widely used, websites could easily be designed to appeal to a small range of common desktop devices. Newer websites have to be designed to accommodate the needs of mobile users as well.
Responsive design is key to creating websites that are well optimized for both desktop and mobile devices. This ensures that users have a uniform experience regardless of the device they are using to browse a website.
Artificial intelligence is very important in the field of responsive web design. Modern websites can use machine learning technology to monitor the behavior of users across various types of devices. AI monitoring capabilities can help identify unnecessary elements on mobile versions of the site that can be removed to bolster engagement rates.
Install new updates properly
Machine learning is also invaluable for helping websites install new updates. This ensures that users are provided with the necessary features that they are looking for.
This saves website administrators from needing to manually install new updates individually. They also won’t squander resources by adding new features that users are not interested in. It is one of the most important benefits of AI in web design.
Provide more granular insights into website traffic
Big data is also very important for traffic analysis. Every brand needs to understand how it is reaching new customers and identify which traffic channels are converting the best.
All major website analytics tools such as Google analytics and Crazy Egg rely more heavily on big data these days. Big data has made it easier for them to get more nuanced insights into their traffic. This helps them optimize their marketing strategies for the highest possible conversion rates.