WP Engine recently featured an article entitled, “7 Web Development Trends For 2024”. As the year comes to a close, WP Engine explores key trends and emerging technologies that will have an impact on web design in the coming year.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Will Continue to Remain at the Forefront of Technology Innovation
WP Engine predicts that Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will continue to play a pivotal role in the world of web development. Advances in both these technologies will help enhance user experience, automate complex processes, and provide personalized content to key audiences and targets.
Technologies like AI driven chatbots, predictive analytics, and automated content curation will continue to have an outside role and help revolutionize web design in 2024. All of these will be shaped and continue to evolve due to advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The Internet of Behavior (IoB) Makes Its Debut
Not to be confused with the Internet of Things (IoT), the Internet of Behavior or IoB is an emerging trend that merges technology and behavioral psychology. PPC Managers and SEO professionals have long worked to analyze and understand user behavior.
In 2024 IoB is expected to become a critical tool for marketers and web developers. In conjunction with other technologies like API’s and plugins, the future is looking more interconnected and understood. More robust understanding of key data points can allow for an IoB based strategy which can include things like:
- Analyzing purchasing behavior and habits of clients.
- Opening previously unreachable data on user interaction with devices.
- Testing campaign effectiveness and improving it based on results.
- Gaining more accurate insights from the data gathered by IoT devices.
Headless CMS Will Go Mainstream and Have a Larger Impact on an API-Driven Modern Web
The concept of a headless content management system (CMS) is not new by any means, but 2024 is the year it will begin to play a larger role in the modern web according to WP Engine.
A Headless CMS allows for increased flexibility allowing for API-driven content delivery across various platforms, applications, and devices. At its core, headless CMS works to decouple the front end from the backend of your website.
WP Engine has recently rolled out an all-in-one headless WordPress platform known as Atlas which uses a flexible node.js frontend, including Next & React, and offers serious performance boosts (up to 10x faster according to WP Engine).
Micro Frontends Will Expand on Modularity Due to Headless Architecture Increasing in Popularity
As platforms such as WP Engine’s Atlas become more mainstream, headless architecture will allow micro frontends to continue to expand their foothold. While headless architectures separate the frontend (user interface) from the backend (content management system), Micro Frontends take this a step further by breaking the frontend down into smaller, independently deployable components.
WP Engine predicts that as 2024 progresses, micro frontends will become increasingly recognized as a valuable front end development approach. Micro Frontends can significantly enhance WordPress development in a variety of ways including:
- Modular UI Development
- Micro Frontends enable breaking down the WordPress frontend into smaller independent components or sections. This approach can allow different teams or developers to work independently of various aspects of the website
- Tech Flexibility
- Micro Frontends will allow for different parts of your WordPress site to utilize other technologies or frameworks
- Streamlined Updates and Maintenance
- The modular approach of micro front ends allow for updating or enhancing the frontend without a complete overhaul
- Improved Performance
- Micro frontends work to isolate different front end components which in turn can help optimize the loading and performance of your WordPress website
- Enhanced User Experience
- Micro frontends facilitate the creation of more dynamic and responsive user interfaces. Coupled with IoB advancements, tailoring specific parts of your site to different audiences becomes more feasible
Mobile Optimization Reaches New Heights in 2024
Mobile optimization doesn’t seem like a novel trend in 2024 to anyone who has been working in the web development or search engine optimization field in the last decade. Nonetheless, WP Engine predicts that optimization for mobile devices will continue to be of paramount importance in 2024.
As more users connect with a variety of mobile devices, demands and expectations continue to evolve. All of this will translate into a mobile first approach becoming further solidified in the web design and digital marketing world.
GraphQL Will See Widespread Adoption Across a Variety of Websites and Platforms
Developed by FaceBook in 2012, GraphQL has revolutionized the way developers interact with APIs in the modern web. GraphQL was designed to overcome the limitations of traditional REST APIs with more efficient and precise data queries.
The WPGraphQL plugin integrates GraphQL with WordPress, enhancing data querying efficiency in the WordPress environment. This allows for more optimized and tailored data interactions.
It’s particularly beneficial for headless WordPress sites, serving as an effective alternative to the traditional WordPress REST API. This integration aids in managing complex WordPress sites. Anticipated to gain wider adoption in 2024, GraphQL will enable the development of more dynamic, scalable, and adaptable web applications, catering to the evolving demands of modern web users.
WP Engine predicts that GraphQL will see widespread adoption as more developers become comfortable working with a headless architecture.
Cyber Security and the Advent of Zero Trust Architecture Will Become More Critical Than Ever
As 2024 Nears, WP Engine predicts that cybersecurity concerns and zero trust architecture (ZTA) will become increasingly relevant in 2024.
ZTA is an emerging popular security model that assumes no user or device is trustworthy by default regardless of their network or location. This approach upends traditional network security by assuming potential threats can originate from anywhere.
ZTA’s principles of never trusting a user or device can help solve some of WordPresses unique security challenges including outdated plugins and themes.
Zero Trust’s emphasis on micro segmentation means that even if a user gains access through a plugin or theme vulnerability, their ability to move around the network or access secure data is greatly restricted.
