Our WordPress Gamechangers for 2022
And everything we’re watching for in 2023.
It’s mid-December. Cue the year-in-review blog posts.
For StellarWP, it’s been a big year. We’ve seen new product launches, major updates, and long-anticipated releases. Our team has grown and evolved, and we’ve found our rhythm as a still-new (but no longer brand-new) collective of WordPress brands.
Beyond the walls of our organization, we’ve also paid close attention to what’s happening in the WordPress ecosystem. So we asked folks around the proverbial water cooler to reflect on two questions as the year closes:
- What was the most compelling trend you saw in WordPress in 2022?
- What will you be watching for in 2023?
If we had to pick just one highlight from the answers we received reflecting on 2022, it might be the meteoric rise of block editing. And in 2023, our team is really looking forward to a similar embrace of the Site Editor.
Here’s what members of our team from across many disciplines had to say, in their own words.
2022 in review: The highlights
Block editing hit its stride
“The most compelling trend I saw in WordPress in 2022 is the realization that Gutenberg has matured, is here to stay, and that it has been accepted and embraced by the majority of the community.”
– Devin Walker, General Manager at StellarWP: iThemes, GiveWP, Kadence WP, and Iconic
“The acceptance of the block editor amongst companies but more importantly end-users. In the early days of blocks, there was pushback from all sides. It felt like something that may never get over the finish line. Whilst there is still a long way to go, the editor has come on leaps and bounds and is now a powerful content creation tool.”
– Jack Kitterhing, Product Manager, LearnDash
“In 2022 I saw a lot of work going into Gutenberg and the overall experience. In just a year it’s come on so much.”
– James Kemp, Manager, IconicWP
“The innovation introduced by page building tools has come full force to the native Gutenberg editor; there is an entire generation of new WordPress developers learning to build sites with these tools. Kadence WP Founder Ben Ritner has been a visionary in this respect. This is the year that this method of building sites really hit full speed, and it’s so fun to see people learning how to build with blocks and Kadence WP.”
– Kathy Zant, Director of Marketing, Kadence WP & iThemes
Improved usability
“The most compelling trend I saw was the increasing influx of low-code and no-code solutions for WordPress. Page builders, templates, and other tools make WordPress more approachable for everyone, and I’m all for it!”
– Jaime Marchwinski, Product Marketing Manager, The Events Calendar
“For myself, the one-click import has continued to be one of the most compelling trends within WordPress, especially during 2022. It’s one of the most useful features that lifts a lot of the pressure off the user. While not perfect, it is a great way to import tons of data without having to redo or copy paste your work multiple times. Even better, the ability to bring your menus, categories, pages, settings, and more was one of the biggest time savers.”
– Jon Clark, Marketing Automation Manager, StellarWP
“A huge trend I am seeing in the WordPress world is the simplification of plugin and software solutions, whether that is via instant, pre-setup website solutions like LearnDash Cloud or loading up a pre-designed GiveWP/Kadence WP Starter Template for a fundraiser website. This will open WordPress up to a larger customer base that may have opted for something like Squarespace or Wix because the initial setup to create a WordPress website was too intimidating.”
– Sterling Chase, Marketing Web Developer, StellarWP
In-person events
“The return to in-person events was, for me, the most exciting trend in 2022. The WordPress community has viewed each other through screens for over two years. While that was very affirming for such a global community, and did draw us closer together, it also wears thin over time. Being able to (safely) engage in WordCamps and other events felt good. The timing felt right.”
– Michelle Frechette, Director of Community Engagement, StellarWP
Cloud libraries
“The use of cloud libraries to make tools more accessible across environments is something that was brought to the table in 2022. Kadence WP’s Kadence Cloud, for example, allows users to create a library of content to use across any WordPress website with just a click of a button. This is a game changer for web developers and designers looking to streamline their processes and promote their work to the masses in a new way.”
– Amanda Gorman, Director of Customer Success, GiveWP
Knowledge sharing
“Now more than ever, the WordPress product shops have been exchanging insights and knowledge, having shared successes and failures. Whether it’s on Twitter, or through private Master Mind groups, or Post Status or The WP Minute communities, the knowledge sharing is raising all boats. “
– Matt Cromwell, Marketing, Support, and Onboarding, GiveWP & iThemes
A slowdown—and a challenge
“To me, the most compelling thing happening in WordPress is that its growth has slowed. After years of consistent and reliable growth, we’ve had four quarters where WordPress usage has been flat. While this can be cause for concern, I believe the community and ecosystem will take this as a wakeup call that could encourage both the core project and creators like us to make bolder moves to stay at the top. All across the space, we see the need to make WordPress easier. I like the clarity that comes with a challenge like this.”
– Zach Tirrell, General Manager at StellarWP: LearnDash, Restrict Content Pro, and The Events Calendar
2023 on our minds: Our expectations
Embrace of the site editor
“I expect to see the Site Editor take on a similar community acceptance pattern [to Gutenberg]. It has already begun to show its promise, continues to improve by the day, and eventually will be the preferred solution for building sites in WordPress.”
– Devin Walker, General Manager at StellarWP: iThemes, GiveWP, Kadence WP, and Iconic
“When plugins and themes start leveraging the Site Editor more for their existing features, and create new features around it as well, we’ll start seeing a whole new way to WordPress.”
– Matt Cromwell, Marketing, Support, and Onboarding, GiveWP & iThemes
“I’m excited to see the progress of Full Site Editor and how it will change the way we interact with WordPress sites.”
– Jaime Marchwinski, Product Marketing Manager, The Events Calendar
WordPress + ecommerce
“I’m looking forward to seeing how many more users start using WordPress for ecommerce types of solutions. It’s gotten much easier to set up, and with tools like WooCommerce, you can make a pretty robust ecommerce site.”
– Jon Clark, Marketing Automation Manager, StellarWP
Growth for WordPress businesses
“I expect the small WordPress businesses to flourish. Small businesses that we see springing up now will evolve into medium-sized businesses. Mid-sized will grow to be larger. There’s so much innovation in the community, and despite the weird economic environment, the need for compelling websites is strong. I’m excited to see the WordPress creator economy continue to step up to the challenge. “
– Matt Cromwell, Marketing, Support, and Onboarding, GiveWP & iThemes
International events
“WordCamp Asia will be the first major regional event in that part of the world. Continued internationalization of the WordPress project is critically important, and an event like this bringing folks together could have positive repercussions for the project for many years to come.”
– Zach Tirrell, General Manager at StellarWP: LearnDash, Restrict Content Pro, and The Events Calendar
“I’m most excited for more events coming in 2023, including the first WordCamp Asia, which had to be canceled mere weeks before it was to have begun in 2020. Meetups have been starting up again, and many of those that have been online will begin to meet in person again. My hope is for hybrid events and the continuation of some online conferences so that those who cannot travel will still be involved in the forward momentum of the open-source project.”
– Michelle Frechette, Director of Community Engagement, StellarWP
Built-in ease for WordPress users
“I think website performance and website ease of use is going to be big in 2023. I think WordPress will have an opportunity to get customers off of third-party builders like Elementor, Beaver builder back onto Gutenberg as a primary builder using solutions like Kadence WP. As users give Gutenberg another try and learn about the performance advantages, starter templates, and global settings, I can see the Gutenberg user base steadily growing.”
– Sterling Chase, Marketing Web Developer, StellarWP
NextGen forms
“For 2023, I’ll be keeping an eye on the NextGen forms GiveWP will be releasing next year. I’m looking forward to seeing how this release impacts not only our users, but the WordPress ecosystem as a whole, as our team sets a high bar for development best practices, quality assurance procedures, and customer onboarding.”
– Amanda Gorman, Director of Customer Success, GiveWP
Innovation
“Over the past couple of years we saw a lot of larger companies buying up plugins (like LearnDash!), and with more resources thanks to the size of these larger companies, the room for truly innovative products is just beginning. And of course, there’s innovation coming to the table from small plugin shops and teams that can nimbly and quickly iterate to get to market before anyone else.”
– Jack Kitterhing, Product Manager, LearnDash
“In 2023, I think we’ll see a load more AI based plugins and tools for WordPress, from generating images to blog post outlines and other content.”
– James Kemp, Manager, IconicWP
“I see more innovation coming to WordPress in 2023, as this is just the start of a new age of building with WordPress. I am very interested in the innovations I’m seeing in the WooCommerce space. Default product page layouts have not been easy for typical store owners to modify, but with new tools like Kadence Shop Kit coming to the fore, we’re seeing innovation in ecommerce site design that is creating new opportunities for store owners to connect with customers and convert more sales. There are a lot of opportunities for WordPress designers, developers, and marketers coming in the next year, and I’m excited to be here for it.”
Kathy Zant, Director of Marketing, Kadence WP & iThemes
Wrapping up before starting fresh
The future looks bright—we think it always does in the starry Stellarverse—but we’re also seeing clear skies and unlimited opportunity for the entire WordPress project and community as a whole.
What did we miss? What were your highlights from the last year? What gamechangers do you predict for WordPress in 2023? Let us know @stellarwp. And check back here next week, when we’ll share a recap from State of the Word 2022.
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