Web Development Trends to Watch in NZ

Posted on January 3, 2025December 8, 2025 by John Tatu

At Back9 Creative the ever-evolving digital landscape of the online world is second nature to us. But we also understand staying ahead of the curve is crucial for businesses aiming to thrive online. That said however, we still often find ourselves grappling with the task of simplifying complex digital concepts for clients. With this in mind, let’s delve into the latest web development trends in New Zealand you can watch out for. These can empower you to understand and communicate digital strategies effectively and propel your business forward.

The Rise of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Imagine a world where your website combines the best of both web and mobile applications. A world where it offers users an app-like experience directly from their browsers. Enter Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). PWAs are a game-changer in web development, providing faster load times, offline functionality, and a seamless user experience.

Why PWAs Matter

PWAs bridge the gap between traditional websites and native apps. This is because they enable businesses to engage users more effectively without the need for a separate mobile app. As a result. by embracing PWAs, a web development company in New Zealand can help your business enhance user engagement. This in turn leads to improved load speeds and boost overall website performance. This is particularly important in a world where users demand instant gratification and seamless interactions.

The Shift Towards Serverless Architecture

Serverless Architecture Concept For Web Site Development

by Alex wong (https://unsplash.com/@killerfvith)

In the world of web site development, serverless architecture is emerging as a revolutionary trend. This approach allows developers to build and run applications without managing servers, reducing infrastructure complexity and costs. Instead, developers can focus on writing code, while cloud providers handle server management.

Advantages of Serverless Architecture

For a web developer in NZ, adopting serverless architecture can be a strategic move. Firstly, it offers scalability. Secondly, flexibility. And above all, cost-efficiency. By reducing the burden of server maintenance, businesses can allocate resources towards enhancing user experiences and driving innovation. This trend is particularly relevant for marketing managers seeking to streamline operations and allocate budgets more effectively.

The Growing Importance of Web Accessibility

As the digital world becomes more inclusive, web accessibility is gaining prominence as a critical aspect of web development. Ensuring that websites are accessible to all users, regardless of disabilities, is not only a legal requirement but also a moral imperative.

Implementing Web Accessibility

A web development company that prioritizes accessibility can help your business reach a wider audience and foster inclusivity. This involves adhering to guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidlines outline best practices for creating accessible web content. By making your website accessible, you enhance user experiences, improve SEO, and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The Power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are transforming web site development in unprecedented ways. From chatbots that provide instant customer support to personalised content recommendations, AI and ML are reshaping how businesses interact with users online.

Leveraging AI and ML in Web Development

Understanding the potential of AI and ML in web site development can be a game changer. As a result, it can open new avenues for customer engagement and personalization. By leveraging these technologies, businesses can automate tasks, analyse user behaviour, and deliver tailored experiences. And as a result these experiences are more likely to resonate with their target audience.

Embracing the Jamstack Architecture

The Jamstack architecture is gaining traction as a modern web development approach that prioritizes performance, security, and scalability. By decoupling the front-end and back-end, Jamstack allows developers to build static websites that are fast, secure, and easy to maintain.

Benefits of Jamstack Architecture

For a web site developer in NZ, embracing Jamstack can be very advantageous. It can lead to faster load times, enhanced security, and improved developer productivity. This trend is particularly relevant for businesses looking to create high-performing websites. Moreover for anyone wanting to deliver exceptional user experiences and drive business growth.

The Emergence of Web3 and Decentralised Applications (dApps)

Web3, the next evolution of the internet, is characterised by decentralisation and blockchain technology. Decentralised applications (dApps) built on blockchain are reshaping how businesses and users interact online, offering increased transparency, security, and user control.

Exploring Web3 Opportunities

For Business Owners CEOs and marketing managers, understanding Web3 can open up new opportunities for innovation and differentiation. By exploring decentralised applications, businesses can tap into emerging markets, enhance user trust, and as a result, create unique value propositions that set them apart from competitors.

The Impact of Voice Search Optimisation

With the rise of voice-activated devices like smart speakers and virtual assistants, voice search optimization is becoming a crucial aspect of web site development. Optimising your website for voice search can improve visibility, enhance user experiences, and drive organic traffic.

Implementing Voice Search Optimisation

For a web development company like us at Back9 Creative, implementing voice search optimisation involves understanding user intent, focusing on natural language processing, and optimising content for conversational queries. This trend is particularly relevant for marketing managers seeking to stay ahead of the curve and capitalise on the growing popularity of voice search.

Conclusion

In the fast-paced world of web development, staying informed about emerging trends is essential for marketing managers looking to simplify digital concepts and drive business growth. From Progressive Web Apps and serverless architecture to web accessibility and AI-powered solutions, these trends are shaping the future of web development in New Zealand.

By embracing these trends and collaborating with a forward-thinking web development company, you can enhance user experiences, streamline operations, and position your business for success in the digital age. As you navigate this ever-evolving landscape, remember that the key to effective communication lies in simplifying complex concepts and aligning your digital strategies with your business objectives.

Now, armed with insights into the latest web development trends, you’re ready to lead your team and stakeholders into a future of digital innovation and growth.

When should I hire a professional to build my website?

Posted on March 1, 2021December 8, 2025 by John Tatu

You want to build a website and it seems like not too long ago that if you wanted to get a new website, it almost always required to hire a professional to do it for you. Doing it yourself required expert knowledge of coding if you wanted it to look anything like you want. Today, there are many DIY platforms that can help you get the website you want. Most of them are simple to use and only need a basic understanding of coding. So when should you hire a professional? Should you contact a developer directly? Or a Digital Marketing company, which offers a range of services? And if so, who is the best digital marketing company to contact?

The current DIY website landscape

Whether you have technical skills or not, there are platforms that promise to have the easiest drag-and-drop approach to designing and building your website. The ones that are widely available are Squarespace, Weebly, and Wix and WordPress, which powers 30% of all websites on the Internet and have a free or paid theme added to your site that you can customise.

One of the main reasons people get websites these days is so they can sell products online. This is called eCommerce and there are DIY platforms that use drag-and-drop that specialise in eCommerce. Some of the most popular ones are Shopify, Opencart, and WooCommerce (works with WordPress). If you’re interested in selling online, click the image below to read our article about which E-Commerce platform is best for you.

What is the purpose of the website?

Before you even think about what platform you should use to build your website, it is critical to know what type of site you need. This will be driven by the type of your business. Thinking about it will naturally lead to thoughts around design and functionality. As soon as you add in all the features you envision your website to have it will help you answer the question “Should I hire a professional or can I build it myself?”

Your capabilities

Even though the drag-and-drop tools we listed above might not require any technical skills, you’ll most certainly find yourself needing at least some basic HTML/CSS skills to make the site look professional and not just a template from the web. You’ll also need to have in mind some other basic web development practices in building your website, such as responsive design. About half of users on the web in New Zealand use a mobile device to browse the internet, so it’s only fair to say that having your website optimised for mobile is a must-have.

After designing your website, you might find yourself in a position where you want your website to do more than just an online brochure. You might want it to generate more leads, or you might need e-commerce to help increase sales. Soon, you’ll realise that you need to integrate 3rd party systems to help you achieve that, such as your CRM system or integrating a payment gateway to process online orders. If you already have systems in place this is very important so you aren’t double-handling.

Your time & budget

If you decide to use a DIY web design tool, it will seem, at first, that you are saving a great deal of time and money. One of the important questions that will come to your mind is: how much is my time worth? If you happen to have a great amount of time on your hands, you may be ok with building a website yourself. However, if you are not sure about how much available free time you have you might consider hiring a web design agency to help you. More than often people start building their websites and halfway into the project they realise it needs more time or skills to finalise the project.

If instead, you are a business owner that has some money set aside for marketing, a website is probably the best place to spend it. Professional web developers are familiar with the different platforms and up-to-date methods for building websites. If you’re already very busy, a web developer may be able to build you a completely custom site in the time it would take for you to use a template builder. Consider a professional if you’re looking for top-quality results quickly and have some budget set aside. Read through our article How much does a website cost for more information.

What’s the right option for you?

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to get a basic web site up and running in no time these days. But should you do it? The first step in helping you make the right call is to write down all the feature you’d like your website to have. Then, browse the internet and see if that is going to be achievable using one of the platforms and figure out how much time and other resources you’re going to need. If you add these together and feel you’ll be investing more than what you’ll get in return, then getting a professional web design agency to do it for you might be the best decision for the future of your business. Get in touch today to find out more about how professional web development can work for you.

Ad-hoc one-off advertising seldom bears fruit

Posted on April 9, 2019August 6, 2024 by John Tatu

Advertising in isolation is unlikely to lead to results

Putting all of your advertising budget into a single campaign on one platform is a lot like playing the stock market. If you put everything into a single stock, there’s a chance that it will boom and you’ll have huge returns. But there’s a larger chance that you’ll have small gains or even losses. Instead, most financial experts suggest diversifying and putting smaller amounts of money into several places or choosing a stable mutual fund.

Advertising works in the same way. There are tons of places you can put your ad these days. You can put it on Google and target a specific audience. You can sponsor a social media post for better exposure. You can buy a short spot on the radio. Make a video ad on YouTube. Reserve a small column in a newspaper. Take a page in a local magazine. You can even have a large billboard with your company name on the side of a building or on the wall of a gym. But no matter the case, one-off advertising rarely works. With so many options, how do you know where to invest your limited budget to maximise you return?

I tried ______ advertising once; it didn’t work

Ads have a lot of power, especially when done right. They’re the reason we buy diamond engagement rings, use mouthwash, and shower every day, sometimes more than once. And the campaigns that made these cultural norms weren’t just one and done; they were hammered down far and wide until people accepted them as normal and expected.

Because of this, you can’t measure the effectiveness of advertising from a single one-off experiment. “I tried a radio ad once. I spent $300 and got nothing back.” It’s something that we hear a lot. And we don’t disagree that your experience is true. But there are a lot of variables that could have made it ineffective, such as:

Does your target audience typically listen to the radio?
- And if they do, are they listening at the times your ad ran?
  - What about the specific station?
- Did you run your ad by people outside of your company before it went live?
- Was there an offer or promotion included?
- Did you make it clear how your product would benefit the listener?

There are a lot more factors that could explain why the ad could have failed. And that’s just for radio ads. What about all the other mediums out there?

Exposure is a key element for effective marketing

A recent study by Nielsen suggests that it takes a person 5-9 exposures to a brand to resonate. At this point, most people become aware of your brand and what you offer. An ad campaign that launches on multiple platforms is more effective, but be careful—Too much exposure is bad too and can make people sick to death of hearing about you and swear off doing business with you for good.

A strategic, targeted approach is best

So, if one-off advertising is likely to fail, how do you succeed? Choosing the right platforms for your ad campaign is crucial, as well as appropriate distribution of your budget. But which platforms specifically?

The hard truth is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. Just like your business is unique, you advertising should be customised just for you as well. Maybe your audience doesn’t listen to the radio because you sell shoes to teenagers who prefer a music subscription service, people who think AM somehow stands for breakfast. Or maybe Snapchat is ineffective because you offer mould inspections to homeowners. Focusing on the right platforms is much more efficient than the shotgun approach where you try to hit everything with a small piece of spending.

What if I don’t know my market for sure?

When you have a specialised product—something like men’s fireproof overalls—you already know who your market is; men who at risk of being on fire often (so most men). But knowing your target audience isn’t always so straightforward. Your target market and your target audience may not even be the same. Sometimes, who you think buys your products and services and who actually uses them aren’t the same group. And focusing on the wrong group might mean you’re missing out on a good amount of potential revenue.

Failure to find the right audience is a major reason why a lot of new, smaller businesses fail. Connected to that, Investopedia and many other financial outlets agree that not investigating the market is the number one reason why businesses fail. But that doesn’t mean going into a competitive industry means you’re destined for failure, not when you have something special that the competition doesn’t. Letting people know that you have something different and better is the hard part. And how can you do that? Through proper advertising.

Proper advertising can make all the difference

If you’re thinking of concentrating all of your advertising money into a single channel or have tried it before and think it’s pointless, you may want to reconsider. Especially if you have local competition, the difference between success and failure can come down to simply letting them know you exist and have something good to offer.

Proper advertising is a lot more complicated than talking into a microphone for a few minutes and sending the slightly edited product to the local radio station to put on when they please. And it’s possible even with a small budget. It’s about having your money work smarter and harder, like building a website to be a productive employee instead of napping half the day away.

What makes an effective ad campaign then? Know who your audience is and how they make purchase decisions. Focus on the right part of The Buyer’s Journey. Create relevant ads that provide useful information—and discounts don’t hurt either!

What if I don’t have time for all this advertising?

If you’re a business owner, you probably don’t have much time for sleep, let alone taking the time to learn about the right way to advertise on all of the different platforms that can help you. If that’s the case, we’re happy to help.

We believe that even small businesses should have the opportunity to do big marketing and can take over your advertising efforts to maximise your budget usage. That way, you can focus on what your business—what you do best—while we do what we do best, helping businesses like yours grow and expand.

The Buyer’s Journey, Simplified

Posted on March 22, 2019November 29, 2022 by John Tatu

Being a customer is simple. You need something, so you go and buy it. Job done! Okay, it’s usually not so simple, is it? Especially not for big purchases. When you’re spending a few week’s worth of pay on a product, you make sure that it’s exactly what you want. It’s a good price, it’s highly reviewed, it looks cool, whatever it is you care about. In this case, the destination is the destination, or making a purchase. The path to making a purchase is complex. We cover it more in our article What is the Buyer’s Journey, but we’ve simplified the process here.

The simplified buyer’s journey

What are the steps a buyer takes, and what do they need to make that decision? Well, they need some dollars of course. But everyone goes through a series of steps when they’re considering a major purchase. To keep it easy, we’ll call them 1, 2, 3, because most of us can at least count that high. And to make sure everyone can understand the steps, we’ll use a product we all use, know, and love. Pizza. Again.

Step 1: Awareness

The first step is admitting you have a problem. And that problem is that it’s been far too long since you’ve had pizza. It might have even been a full week! You’ve identified the problem, and you know that it’s an emergency that needs to be solved as soon as possible. But where do you get it from? Bring on step 2!

Step 2: Consideration

Meat Lovers with BBQ swirl vs Meat Lovers without BBQ swirl. Meat Lovers with extra bacon vs Meat Lovers with double extra bacon. There’s so many choices, which one do you pick? At this point, you’re doing research to decide what pizza is the best option.

Do you choose one of the pre-made specialities, or do you add extra sauce so you can classify it as a vegetable like the American school lunch program does? (It’s true!) By this point, you know you’re eating pizza and narrow down the choices to which Meat Lovers is best for tonight.

Step 3: Decision

For the final step, you’re looking over your cart to make sure you have the maximum number of free toppings and are about to choose delivery or take away. All you need to do now is check to see if you have a promo code for free delivery and you’re good to go. And then finally, you can put that pizza in your oven. Your mouth oven that is.

Why do these steps matter?

Any sales process should recognise the buyer’s journey and salespeople especially should understand it too! When you build a website – your website should be your best salesperson, after all it is working 24/7. That being said, it’s important that you have the buyer’s journey in mind right from the initial design, which is why you should build custom. Not doing this can be confusing or off-putting and can make your customers look elsewhere. For example, when you first go to the site to order your pizza, you don’t want a popup that asks if you want to go to your cart, because you haven’t put anything in there yet. Likewise, you don’t want an ad that asks “Have you thought about pizza for dinner?” right before you push the button to confirm your purchase. And you don’t want them to go when they’re so close!

A well-designed website employing an inbound strategy guides buyers through these steps so that they can make the decision you want. That might mean calling you and setting up an appointment or coming into your store or buying a product directly from the website. This means that your site needs do more than have pretty pictures. Careful consideration needs to go into design, word choice, usability and more in order to be effective. Sound like a lot to do? Then let us do it for you! Get in touch or give us a call and we’ll be happy to make you an awesome custom website where the buyer’s journey ends in adding funds to your wallet – so you can buy more pizza!

Author: John Tatu