When it comes to web development, WordPress dominates over other content management systems, powering around 35 percent of the top one million websites. TheeDigital uses WordPress exclusively for all our web design and web development clients. It’s user-friendly so even novice site administrators and business owners can make basic updates, like adding blog posts or adding images and videos. WordPress also offers a massive library of plugins to its users, making it 100 percent customizable to your unique needs while also providing a mobile-friendly layout and easy search engine optimization.
When it comes to designing your WordPress website, we understand you want to adopt the latest developments. WordPress trends are driven by the latest web design trends in addition to new features provided by the company itself. In the past year, WordPress rolled out the editing platform Gutenberg, featuring block design that offers flexibility to move around features and add videos and images right where you want them.
Naturally, we want to keep up with the latest WordPress trends so we can continue to deliver amazing websites to our clients. Here’s what we can expect from WordPress in 2022:
Top WordPress Trends in 2022
A Rise in Drag-And-Drop Page Builders
While nothing beats the customization and functionality of a professionally built website, drag-and-drop page builders offer computer beginners an opportunity to build their own site without having to use any code. Our Senior Web Developer, Eric Machamer understands the appeal of drag and drop options as users “like the ability to see exactly what their page will look like when the edits are made.” Divi and Elementor are both popular drag and drop plugins for WordPress.
Using WordPress for Ecommerce
Many websites offer items or services for sale on their website, whether it’s an organization adding branded merchandise to a blogger selling an ebook. Having ecommerce capability is a growing necessity on your website, and with WooCommerce, you can turn any WordPress website into an ecommerce site.
WooCommerce marries WordPress’s search engine optimization features and ease of use with the payment gateways, inventory maintenance, and marketing features to help you run your business more effectively and improve customer service. WooCommerce currently powers over 70 million ecommerce shops, including:
- Singer Sewing Machines
- Weber Grills
- Airstream
- Luminaire Home & Decor
- Clickbank
- Blue Star Coffee
If you decide to use WooCommerce to power your online store, you’ll be in good company!
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is an exciting advance in technology that is improving how people shop online by adding a computer-generated image over top of a photograph or real world view. Businesses are able to incorporate this technology into their ecommerce websites to provide customers with a more functional look at the products. For example, a paint store could add an AR plugin for their mobile app or allow users to upload pictures of a room, and, using AR, change the paint colors of the room, adjust lighting, and get decor ideas.
Using a simple plugin like Ozisti for WooCommerce, users can interact with websites using AR seamlessly, leading to higher sales and improved customer experiences. Take a look at Ikea’s take on AR in the photos below:
Voice Search for WordPress Websites
Siri, Alexa, and other voice-activated search assistants are growing in popularity so quickly that by 2020, it is estimated that half of all online searches will be done via voice search. By adding voice search plugins, businesses and organizations are able to offer the convenience features users are accustomed to.
Additionally, because voice search is becoming so prevalent, you’ll want to consider how you can leverage WordPress’s SEO features for voice search optimization. Using keywords that relate to how people speak versus how they type, answering questions in your content that people searching are likely to ask, and creating content that is specifically suited for voice search optimization will all improve your results.
Large Businesses Making the Jump to WordPress
Once thought of as a platform for small organizations and blogs, WordPress has become a content management system that even massive companies rely on to power their website. Because WordPress allows everyone to add content and images and play a role in the functionality of the website, more large businesses are using it than ever before, including:
- BBC America
- Mercedes-Benz
- Time
- Chicago Sun-Times
- AMC
- Beyonce
- The Walt Disney Company
- Vogue
Make the Switch to WordPress and Overhaul Your Site With TheeDigital!
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