23 WordPress Trends & Predictions for 2023

WordPress is nearly 20 years outdated. And thru its lengthy and storied historical past, it has modified fairly a bit, with every WordPress model introducing new and improved options. That’s not altering anytime quickly.

With WordPress running over 40 percent of all websites on the web at this time, the WordPress ecosystem is very large — and its future is trying brilliant.

To raised perceive the place WordPress is headed, we spoke to WordPress consultants and customers from all around the world.

With out additional ado, let’s check out some WordPress developments anticipated to emerge in 2023. Hold studying to study the way forward for WordPress.

23 rising WordPress developments

1. Drag and drop page-building
2. Block themes
3. Improved navigation
4. Adaptive media and responsive design
5. Parallax scrolling
6. Minimalist design
7. Customized publish sorts
8. Customization
9. Floor texturization
10. 3D components
11. Darkish mode
12. Retro menus
13. Nostalgic design
14. AI and machine studying
15. Particular person illustration
16. Social proof
17. Video and animation
18. Micro-interactions
19. Chat bots
20. Automation
21. Safety
22. Inclusivity
23. Accessibility

1. Drag & drop page-building

The no-code motion stays on development for 2023.

A key instance of that is the Twenty Twenty-Three theme, launched with WordPress 6.1, which makes use of drag-and-drop components together with model variations that make it fast and straightforward to personalize websites.

“Page builders such as Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, and Visual Composer provide a drag-and-drop approach to content creation, empowering users to create beautiful and original pages without ever touching the code,” says Sam McGraw, CEO of Design Hub.

We’re prone to see continued curiosity in drag-and-drop choices because it permits amateurs and execs alike the flexibility to spin up a novel website in little time.

2. Block themes

Block themes have rapidly turn into a favourite amongst website builders, as they allow you to customise every space of your website.

iBoysoft supervisor Jessica Shee predicts block themes staying in vogue for an extended whereas.

“Incorporating the Gutenberg block builder into WordPress themes and designs will become increasingly popular over the next few years. This will allow developers to create visually stunning and interactive page layouts with minimal effort.”

On the 2022 State of the Phrase, Matt Mullenweg reported that as Gutenberg continues to develop, you’ll be capable to create complete themes solely with blocks.

3. Improved navigation

Web site navigation isn’t simply essential for guests – it may well have an effect on your web page rank in search engine outcomes.

David Zhang, CEO of Kate Backdrop, says “the most innovative trend in WordPress design is the integration of an intuitive user interface (UI) and interactive user experience (UX), which makes it easier for users to navigate the site.”

Model Chic Artistic Director Raine Gui says there’ll doubtless be “a shift toward a more modular, user-friendly structure for the site’s navigation,” in 2023.

“Launching a more intuitive interface for editing global concepts like styles, templates, and navigation will take up the bulk of the time,” continued Gui. “With a more robust navigation block and shortcuts for template browsing, we hope to streamline both the template and post-editing processes.”

4. Adaptive media and responsive design

Nice content material doesn’t matter in case your website is designed poorly. For instance, the dimensions of web page components varies relying on the way you entry a web page. That’s why adaptive media and responsive design proceed to be a consideration for builders in 2023.

“Adaptive media allows you to deliver a different experience based on what device your users are using,” says Michael Miller, CEO of VPNOnline.com. “For example, you might have an ad that’s a video on desktop but a banner on mobile, or you could have a call-to-action button that’s bigger on desktop and smaller on mobile.”

“Responsive design is about making sure your website looks good no matter what device it’s being viewed on,” says Miller. “If you’ve ever had to scroll horizontally to read all of the content on your screen, then you’ve seen how frustrating it can be when your site doesn’t respond well to different screen sizes.”

Ensuring your website works nicely no matter the place somebody views it ensures the consumer expertise is protecting guests engaged.

5. Parallax scrolling

“Parallax scrolling is a common web effect that is utilized to make areas of a website more dynamic,” says CEO and Head of Content material Rikin Shah of GetSure. “It is most commonly utilized in full-width applications with picture, video, or texture imagery that lends depth to a page.”

“As the user scrolls past a picture or video, the scrolling behavior creates the illusion that the image or video is located behind the adjacent portions. This tiny characteristic makes the text more intriguing.”

Parallax scrolling is just not a brand new impact, however it’s being utilized increasingly more. The fake 3D impact has a contemporary, subtle really feel the place phrases “float” over imagery, making a extra immersive expertise than scrolling over a set background.

6. Minimalist design

Everybody is aware of much less is extra, and the identical is true for web site design. Jacob Briones, CEO of Headphonesblog.com, thinks we’ll see loads of simplistic design in 2023. “Users no longer have the patience or the time to slog through a convoluted website with ambiguous navigation or pages that take forever to load because of heavy motion graphics. The future of web design is straightforward, and we mean in all aspects.”

Internet design professional Peter Manzano from RizeReview.com tells us, “Minimalist design involves using clean, simple, and uncluttered layouts to create a sense of order and focus. This trend can be seen in the use of white space, clean typography, and simple color schemes.”

Harrison Acha, CEO at Primegate Digital, says minimalism is on the rise “due to the growing popularity of responsive design, as well as the need to create faster-loading pages. Minimalistic designs can help with both of these issues, and they can also be easier to manage and update.”

7. Customized publish sorts

Not all posts have to look the identical, and it shouldn’t be exhausting to customise. Whereas your website ought to look constant, you won’t desire a web page to appear like a weblog publish, a product web page, or a navigation menu.

WordPress Customized Publish Varieties are the reply for that. Primegate Digital’s Harrison Acha predicts elevated curiosity in customized publish sorts.

“Another trend we’re seeing is an increase in the use of custom post types. This allows developers to create custom content types that are specific to their needs, and it can make it easier to manage and display content on a website.”

8. Customization

Customizability is synonymous with WordPress. You possibly can have a look at your favourite websites and edit blocks to copy your favourite options. You can also make types all your personal. No matter you need to see – you can also make it with WordPress.

“The ability to easily customize your website to match your brand and meet your specific needs is one of the main benefits of WordPress. As a result, many WordPress designers are focusing on creating customizable themes and templates that allow users to create a unique and personalized website easily,” provides Manzano.

WordPress meets you wherever your experience stage could also be. Deepti Boddapati from TotalOnlineMarketingSystem.com says full website customization advantages all website homeowners no matter their consolation with coding.

“If you’re a small business with a low code website, full site customization means that you’re not limited to what is implemented by the theme developer. If you’re an enterprise business with a high code website, you don’t have to use up development resources on these foundational things.”

9. Floor texturization

Inge Broerman, VP of Advertising at BluLogix, believes that design is about to get much more groovy. Or perhaps bumpy? Floor texturization stands out as the subsequent large factor for WordPress design.

“Textured backgrounds were formerly a popular design choice, but they were quickly dismissed as unnecessary and obtrusive,” says Broerman. She isn’t satisfied going out of favor as soon as means it’s an aesthetic catastrophe.

“As we go towards the year 2023, we may expect to see more web designers experimenting with organic forms to add subtle but strategically placed textures to their designs.”

10. 3D components

website positioning and WordPress design professional Genaro Palma of GenaroPalma.com acknowledges that the long run is 3D. “The proliferation of 3D objects, which are inextricably linked to virtual and augmented reality, is set to continue in 2023.”

With Meta and different VR choices changing into extra mainstream, there will likely be demand for design that makes use of the know-how. “Interactive volumetric elements improve visualization and attract attention. Objects can be left static or made animated. The main thing is to fit them into the design appropriately and not to slow down the loading of the site.”

Whereas others say we’re shifting towards extra minimalistic design, Palma thinks we’ll be seeing much more life. “The world is moving away from the usual minimalism and again comes to realism. After all, fashion is cyclical!”

11. Darkish mode

When you’re something like us, you’re gazing a pc display all day. Shiny white backgrounds on internet pages, e-mail purchasers, and doc editors can contribute to eye pressure.

Most of our gadgets can robotically change settings to “dark mode,” which replaces light-colored backgrounds and darkish textual content with mild textual content on a dark-colored background. Web sites don’t robotically try this – although there are plugins that make it simple so as to add to your web site. You too can simply design your website in “dark mode” to start with.

Adeel Abbasi of CondoControl.com believes darkish mode design is on 2023’s radar.

“More and more websites and apps will adopt this style. A website designed in dark mode is more practical than changing after the fact or adding extra plugins. Dark mode also provides a more comfortable reading experience as opposed to staring at a bright white screen.”

12. Retro menus

Who doesn’t love nostalgia? Advertising professional Claire Jarrett of Jarrett Digital Ltd says, “A retro (or rather nostalgic) navigational menu is definitely one of the most common trends that only started to pop up more and more in the past few weeks. We actually use it on two of our recently developed landing pages (WordPress) with great CTR.”

Jarrett wonders if it could be seasonal, nevertheless, she thinks “2023 will be the year where we see quite a few of these retro menus implemented in some of the best-selling WordPress themes. Some already added them.”

13. Nostalgic design

Proprietor and CEO Mark Valderrama from Aquarium Store Depot additionally predicts a return to retro this yr.

“Expect that everything, from social media postings and advertisements to landing sites and packaging, will have a warm, reassuring tone in the new year.”

“Google, Later, Figma, and even MTV have used this vibrant, nostalgic sketch style to create social media images,” says Valderrama. “This style in graphic design is causing a stir as it modernizes the tried-and-true graphics of the past.”

14. AI and machine studying

“The AI world is probably the most interesting vertical to follow these days. With the release of GPT-4 on the horizon, I think a lot of WordPress plugins and theme devs will adapt and use the OpenAI API to implement one-click solutions to common problems,” says Jarrett.

Jarrett goes on to say that “AI and machine learning will play a huge part in the next iteration of plugins and updates. This may include generating site content, schema markup, feature images, meta tags, widgets, chatbots, documentation, privacy or GDPR related pages, security, etc.”

15. Particular person illustrations

In direct distinction to business leaders saying we’ll see an uptick in AI artwork – some individuals suppose we’ll see loads of the other.

“It’s crucial to use original, creative, and distinctive drawings rather than generic visuals. It is a proven truth that such inventiveness greatly influences brand recognition and enhances commercial style. It follows that more businesses will probably post these illustrations on their platforms,” says Christian Velitchkov, co-founder of Twiz LLC.

Cybersecurity professional Patrick Smith from Fire Stick Tricks agrees.

“The use of hand-drawn graphics in WordPress design is back in style. These 2D illustrations add a personal touch to a blog,” says Smith. “It is an excellent way for artists to express their creativity and make use of original designs for their blogs.”

16. Social proof

Purchasing on-line removes some components of the expertise that you just simply can’t replicate digitally.

A technique you may encourage belief in potential prospects is to make use of social proof.

Léa Soller, CEO of Digiberries Paris, says that within the coming yr, extra web sites will likely be utilizing social proof to generate belief and subsequently improve gross sales.

“We advise displaying overall customer satisfaction ratings, customer testimonials, and average customer ratings. You can link to a review platform like Google or Yelp, too.”

Soller additionally recommends asserting your credibility by having lively SSL certificates and displaying trustmarks like padlocks on checkout buttons and including your return insurance policies or different statements that define your enterprise insurance policies.

17. Video and animation

Infinity Web Solutions is certain devs will likely be specializing in video and animation this yr.

“Video and animation can be powerful tools for engaging visitors and conveying information. As bandwidth and technology improve, we’ll likely see more websites incorporating these elements into their design.”

“Animation is the latest trend that needs your attention. Many brands are now utilizing animations in the form of GIFs. Companies see how users get fascinated by GIFs, and they are adapting this design,” says Rodney Warner, CEO at Connective Web Design.

“Animations work really well if the target is to engage the visitors and get them hooked,” provides Warner.

“One important thing to know before using this design is to avoid overdoing it. A lot of animation can ruin the fun and disturb the focus of the brand. Homepage is one place where animations can do well.”

18. Micro-interactions

Each little bit counts. Manzano describes micro-interactions as “small, interactive elements that can enhance the user experience on a website. These can include things like hover effects, drop-down menus, and animated buttons.”

Manzano tells us that “by adding micro-interactions to your WordPress website, you can make it more engaging and user-friendly.”

Ronald Ander, CEO of SEOAnt, thinks we’ll see much more micro-interactions in 2023. Ander says this development is predicted for use closely, particularly “in things such as moving icons on the homepage and text or images that change size or perform a quick action.”

19. Chatbots

Customer support feels higher whenever you’re speaking to an actual particular person. That’s why chatbots are more and more common.

“Chatbots break down language barriers and promote communication between customers and service providers conveniently. This makes it possible for customers to discuss their problems in a quick, real-time manner by using text or voice-based user queries,” says Sarah Jameson, Advertising Director of Green Building Elements.

“Chatbot integration with custom WordPress development enables businesses to address customer issues quickly and in an organized way,” she continued. “By implementing this approach, businesses can provide better customer satisfaction which will result in improved productivity and increased revenue.”

20. Automation

Automation makes duties simpler. Typically it takes a bit of labor to arrange workflows, however the time spent now pays off later. Automating internet improvement and different work duties assist you to deal with the work you must be doing.

“The biggest change we’re going to see in WordPress is a move toward even more automation. With tools like WP Smush Pro and Google AMP, it’s easier than ever to make sure your sites are optimized for mobile and search engines,” says Michael Miller, CEO of VPNOnline.com.

Automating website optimizations, social posts, blocks – there’s loads of time to be saved. Miller is trying to WordPress to innovate much more.

“It will also be interesting to see what happens with the Gutenberg editor. There are still some bugs that need to be worked out, but I’m excited about the possibilities of this new editor!”

21. Enhanced safety

Internet safety is nothing new, however protecting updated with the most recent safety updates is essential for ecommerce success — particularly in 2023.

“As WordPress continues to experience increased user growth, so too does its exposure to malicious actors attempting to gain access to your website. In light of this, proper security considerations need to be taken when utilizing WordPress,” provides Jameson.

“Plugins like Wordfence, Jetpack, and Sucuri can provide an additional layer of protection on top of any existing measures already established,” says Jameson.

“These plugins have been designed specifically with the purpose of keeping malicious actors away from WordPress sites and helping keep sensitive information secure. With these tools in place, you can trust that your WordPress website is safe and secure against potential threats.”

22. Inclusivity

The WordPress neighborhood is made up of individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, ranges of potential – and the platform and its instruments might higher replicate that in some areas.

“As our consciousness of marginalization and intersectionality has grown, so has the demand for more inclusive representation, i.e., representation that transcends varied skin tones and same-sex partnerships,” says Kenny Kline, President and Monetary Lead at BarBend.

We’ll see “forward-thinking designs, which allow audiences from all walks of life to recognize themselves in a company’s goods and mission.”

23. Accessibility

(*23*) says Lucy Hurst, Managing Director at Sherbet Donkey Media.

“98% of the world’s top one million websites don’t offer full accessibility,” says Stef Ungureanu, Founding father of RockyThemes. “This is a figure I believe and hope will begin to shrink in 2023 as accessibility becomes a highly important and fast-growing focal point for developers. This should be implemented in all future and currently developed WordPress themes and applies to almost any type of website, not just WordPress themes.”

We’ll doubtless see design issues made for coloration contrasting, display studying, ALT textual content, and way more.

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This weblog was initially revealed in December 2021. It has since been up to date for accuracy and comprehensiveness.