WordPress is almost 20 years old - a time when it has changed quite a bit, with each version of WordPress introducing new features and important improvements. WordPress is the engine of over 40% of all websites on the internet today, which makes the WordPress ecosystem massive and growing.
But let's see where WordPress is headed in 2022. Read on to find out about the future of WordPress.
Top Trends for Wordpress
No-Code & Low-Code Tools. Lesley Sim, co-founder of the Glue Newsletter predicts an increase in codeless and low-code tools that will help newcomers get started using WordPress in 2022 and beyond.
"Drag & Drop Builders is the easiest way to develop an entire website without the help of a developer. They are extremely easy to use and very affordable. A good example of this trend is the addition of the new WordPress blockchain editor Gutenberg, ”says Leandro Santorsola, entrepreneur, digital consultant, and WordPress user.
Automatic Updates. Many users find it annoying that they need to update a plugin almost every two days. Enabling automatic updates for WordPress plugins can save you significant time and money. To prevent any problematic updates, you can use a visual comparison tool, which automatically creates a copy, updates the plugins, and gives you the opportunity to see the changes (if any) made by the plugin update before going into production.
Full Site Editing & collaboration. Viewed from above, the vision of full site editing is to provide a collection of features that bring the familiar experience and extension of blocks to all parts of your site, rather than just posts and pages. You can think of the full edit of the site as the umbrella project name for various sub-projects within Gutenberg that make this vision possible. Full Site Editing (ESF) projects include everything from site editor, global styles, numerous site/post / page-specific blocks, query block, navigation block, templates, and blocking themes. Until the end of 2022, we can expect the development of collaboration features in the complete editing of the site, using the Gutenberg plugin.
Fewer external page builder tools. "I've been using WordPress for over 11 years. Based on the most recent major changes, I predict that there will be less reliance on third-party page builders and design plugins for full site editing. The main reason behind this prediction is the roadmap launched by WordPress regarding the Gutenberg project ", says Ankit Singla from Master Blogging.
WordPress design & video headers. "Despite the fact that video headers and backgrounds have been around for some time, they still haven't picked up the expected momentum on WordPress sites. Every year, WordPress launches a new default theme that is automatically available to all WordPress users and incorporates some of the strongest features of the theme, as well as some custom elements that add interest, ”said Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko and co-founder of Backlinko. Exploding Topics.
Dark Fashion. "Dark mode is an imposing state-of-the-art design that creates a vibrant impression while maintaining exceptional clarity and visibility. In addition, the dark mode helps the audience focus more on the content you present, as it alleviates eye fatigue, ”says Marc Stitt, Chief Marketing Officer at GoFMX.
In the Purdue study (via Android Authority), researchers analyzed the use of energy in the dark mode from six different applications. Computer, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google News, Google Phone, and YouTube have all been tested on a Pixel 2, Moto Z3, Pixel 4 &Pixel 5 - all phones with OLED screens, of course. The researchers tested power consumption when running each of these applications in dark mode for 60 seconds based on a set of tools to accurately measure the power absorbed in pixels.
"When the industry was in a hurry to adopt the dark mode, it still didn't have the tools to accurately measure the power absorbed by pixels," said Charlie Hu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michael and Katherine Birck of Purdue. "But now we are able to provide developers with the tools they need to provide users with more energy-efficient applications."
At about 30% -50% brightness, the researchers found that switching from light to dark mode saved only between 3% and 9% of energy on average. However, switching to 100% brightness can save up to an average of 47% of battery power.
Themes are easier to change. "In recent years, we've seen an increase in theme-based ecosystems, where your theme and related supplements control much of your site experience. With full site editing and theme.json, WordPress themes will return to defining a site's style elements. This will bring massive benefits to users who will be able to change themes more easily, as they will not be stuck in a single theme that controls much of their site, ”says Chris Lubkert, co-founder of Extendify.
Themes mobile-friendly. "Mobile users have outpaced desktop users, and the gap is widening. As WordPress has moved to mobile, the focus has shifted entirely to improving and enhancing the mobile user experience, ”said Girish Redekar, co-founder of Sprinto. "Thanks to the billions of smartphone owners, we will see WordPress themes adapted for mobile devices as a top WordPress trend in 2022."
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