JavaScript is the single most important programming language used throughout the globe today. The popular programming language is used to build many of the world’s most popular websites and mobile applications. In fact, an estimated 95% of all websites use JavaScript for at least part of their code.
In fact, many companies currently redesigning their websites are using JavaScript development services to build a website with a lean budget. That’s because website redesign is a relatively short project, so it doesn’t make sense to hire a permanent development team.
Read on to learn why JavaScript is essential for your next website redesign and how you can use the language to improve your customer experience.
JavaScript is King
The programming language, along with HTML and CSS, is used to build the type of highly interactive websites that customers have come to expect. In addition, JavaScript increase website responsiveness and improves the overall user experience.
Developers also prize JavaScript because of its flexibility. In fact, one reason that JavaScript development services have become so popular is because the language can be used for both front-end and back-end development. This helps businesses save money by eliminating the need for separate front-end and back-end development teams.
The language is also cross-browser compatible. This means that website code only has to be written once–and can still function properly on any popular web browser. JavaScript is one of only a handful of languages capable of operating across browsers, making it essential for efficient website design.
Website Responsiveness
Website responsiveness is the idea that a website should respond to a user’s behavior and chosen device. Responsive websites look good and function smoothly whether a visitor is using a PC desktop, Macbook laptop, or any brand of smartphone.
User experience design experts are at the forefront of the website responsiveness movement. They’ve focused on creating flexible layouts and structural elements, such as fluid grids and images, smart mark-ups, and duplicate style sheets, in order to make their websites adaptable to multiple devices.
Mashable is an excellent example of well-crafted website responsiveness.
The media company effectively uses smart reading panes, smooth navigation, and cross-device functionality to create a fun-to-use website that readers love. In addition, the company seamlessly integrates social media sharing into every part of their desktop and mobile websites.
Dynamic Effects
JavaScript is also useful for introducing dynamic effects into your website. That’s because the programming language allows developers to easily code useful features like hover and pucker fish menus, slideshows, animations, autoplay videos, and more.
These features help you design a more minimalist home page, which is useful since negative space improves the user experience and increase the time spent on a page. In addition, these dynamic effects can also highlight your products and services, helping customers understand their options better.
Netflix’s user homepage made excellent use of JavaScript’s dynamic effects capabilities. The website used the JavaScript framework Node.js to personalize each user’s experience and to include dynamic video previews on every page.
For example, when a user hovers over a movie title, such as the Avengers, the preview for that movie immediately starts to play at the top of their screen. This keeps visitors on the page and helped improve the company’s hours watched and retention rates.
Cross-Browser Compatibility
Cross-browser compatibility is simply mandatory for any modern website. The concept refers to how websites function across different web browsers. This is in contrast to website responsiveness, which deals with how websites function across different devices.
Companies should emphasize cross-browser compatibility in all of their website design projects because it simplifies the development process and shortens the length of the overall development cycle.
Software engineers have tackled the compatibility challenge by using JavaScript features to write code that remains error-free and functional across browsers and in older versions. These include removing the browser detection feature and using cross-browser friendly frameworks like Angular JS and React JS.
ESPN is a great example of a company that emphasizes cross-browser compatibility. The sports media company created an extremely complex, interactive website that works seamlessly across multiple web browsers. They accomplished by building their website with the popular JavaScript framework Backbone JS, which emphasizes cross-browser compatibility in its code. Types
Form Validation
Form validation has become the gold standard in the web development field for good reason: it ensures that your customers give you the necessary information to answer their questions and prompts the user to correct mistakes before their form is submitted.
This user feedback helps businesses and their customers save time because both parties no longer have to worry about contacting one another about incomplete information.
The Washington Post’s website is a great example of a successful contact form. When visitors land on the Contact Us page they are presented with a very well-built contact form. Someone interested in advertising online will select the Advertising subject, Digital ad sub-field, and then provide a detailed description of their advertising goals.
If a visitor forgets to fill out a field or selects an incorrect option, the form generates an error message and prompts the user to correct their mistake. This type of contact form saves the Washington Post provides their users with another means of communication and saves time since these forms are now always filled out completely.
Conclusion
JavaScript is essential for business owners interested in building interactive websites for their customers. Companies like Mashable and The Washington Post are excellent examples of how JavaScript can be used to create beautifully-designed and highly functional webpages.
In addition, the language can help you introduce dynamic effects into your company’s website. The best JavaScript development partners will also make your website responsive, ensuring that your customers have a seamless experience using your website.
Finally, Javascript is an excellent way to make your website functional across multiple browsers and to make sure that future changes to your website can be completed with ease.
