WordPress has evolved far beyond a simple blogging platform since 2003. It is a complex and one of the most successful content management systems globally and empowers almost 42% of the world wide web. At the end of the article, we will mention some of the best wordpress hosting UK companies for you. Stay tuned!
2021 has been an excellent year for WordPress. However, some key trends will continue to reshape and revolutionize WordPress. Here are some predictions from experts.
- Headless WordPress
Let’s check some key findings from the study of a WP Engine about headless technology.
- 64% of the enterprise respondents are already using headless technology.
- More than 90% of those not using it currently plan to evaluate it in the coming year.
The market is witnessing the continued adoption of headless technology in the enterprise market. In light of the current market share of WordPress, it is most likely that many headless implementations will use or continue to use WordPress as the back end.
The founder and CTO of WP Engine, Jason Cohen, expressed his opinion in these words at a press release by business wire.
“Given WordPress now constitutes of the entire web, powering many of the largest popular sites in the world, it makes sense that it will, increasingly be a very popular choice for headless architectures.”
The headless CMS contains separate website front and back ends. It is perfect for omnichannel marketing applications. The exciting thing is that WordPress was never supposed to be a headless CMS. Yet the large market share makes it a favorite choice for headless architecture.
- Full Site Editing
The Full Site Editing (FSE) is a bundle of features. It lets users edit the complete website using blocks instead of just posts and pages. Block patterns, global styles, templates, and design tools for blocks usually are part of the collection. FSE is part of the Gutenberg project road map of WordPress.
However, the feature is currently in the development phase. Already it has changed many things. Some of them are how users develop themes and edit their navigation menus. We may see more of it in the upcoming Gutenberg editor and WordPress core (Launch in January 2022).
- Block Themes
WordPress themes that make FSE possible are called block themes. Or in other words, FSE leads to a great innovation that we refer to as ‘block themes’. This is because these themes are entirely composed of blocks.
So you can use the Gutenberg block editor to edit all areas of the website, including headers, post content, sidebars, footers, and many more.
Themes may drastically change as per users’ feedback, as they are still in the experimental phase. However, the team is creating more and more.
- Adoption of Version 5.8.1
The company released WordPress 5.8.1 for the public on September 8, 2021. However, it has three major security fixes, 41 bug fixes on core, and 20 bug fixes for the Block editor. The recommendation of WordPress for users is to update their sites immediately, saying it is not just a maintenance release but a security release. Expectations are that users will adopt this version widely to keep their WordPress websites running smoothly on both front and back ends.
Another sheer possibility is those still using outdated versions will be more vulnerable to infections.
- Gutenberg Enhancements
Gutenberg is following a four-phase roadmap. It will touch the major pieces of WordPress and change the way users customize their websites, which we are already noticing.
For instance, there were many improvements in the latest version of block editor, Gutenberg 11.6, released in October 2021. In addition, there was essential support for child themes and block-level locking.
Collaboration and multilingual are the subsequent phases. In 2022, we may see some advancements in those categories in upcoming releases. Providing a more intuitive way to co-author content and core implementation for multilingual sites is the goal of each phase.
- Template Kits
Divi began to offer website packs that include multiple pre-designed layouts in 2017. Teams designed these layouts with the same theme or business niche to help users create a website with the same look and feel on every single page. Following the suit, Elementor started releasing template kits in 2019. Then in 2020, Evanto launched a vast library of template kits for Elementor. Next, they plan to do the same for the Gutenberg editor.
So expectations are that more and more theme marketsplaces and developers will offer template kits. Also, the users will prefer template kist over themes in the future.
- Accessibility Improvements
WordPress 5.6 ‘Simone’, released in December 2020, had a few accessibility improvements. So what was the most significant advancement in it?
The Gutenberg video block could add captions and subtitles to videos using the Web Video Text Tracks Format (WebVTT). Moreover, there was a default Twenty Twenty-One theme. Finally, it addressed several WCAG level AAA standards and confirmed WordPress accessibility-ready guidelines.
That means we can expect more accessibility improvements in the upcoming releases.
- Performance Improvements
The new performance team of WordPress even has Google and Yoast members on board who put in their best efforts to improve WordPress performance in every area.
During their kick-off meeting in November 2021, they have agreed upon four major areas where there is room for improvement.
And those areas are Site Health, Measurement, JavaScript, and Images. So
the audience can expect progress in these subjects.
Top Three WordPress Hosting Solutions
- The Email Shop – Set up your business instantly with an excellent WordPress hosting to build a strong online presence.
- DreamHost – Grow your online business with a feature-rich WordPress hosting.
- Grid Hosting – Manage your small business in a flawless and effortless fashion under an affordable budget.
Putting It All Together
The evolution of WordPress over the span of more than a decade is dramatic. We cannot visually depict whatever future holds for us. However, the core software and Gutenberg editor will surely change and their impact on the WordPress community and CMS market as a whole.