WordPress is one of those content management systems that is in constant development. Usually, developers will take the technologies that are available and make sure that the system can handle them. For example, themes for WordPress are often created with responsive designs to take advantage of mobile devices produced today. In WordPress 4.4, several changes were implemented to enhance user experience, as well as improve efficiency in the back-end. Of these changes, here are four things that have made the most impact for many people.
1. Automatic Responsive Images
Mobile devices are the most utilized systems browsing the Internet. By 2014, there were more mobile units online than there were desktop computers. This evolution in technology has prompted many to create a more smartphone and tablet-friendly version of websites. Screen resolutions are much smaller on these units, and your images and content needs to be seen without squinting.
In the new version of WordPress, the system itself modifies the images for a responsive look to websites. This means you no longer need a third-party theme or plugin to adjust your pictures. This can open up new possibilities into deciding which themes you want to use to enhance the way your site appears.
2. Increasing Support for oEmbed
Did you know that nearly every major social media site has some form of embedding feature to add to your pages? This means that you can directly paste videos, content, Twitter feeds and more into your site with a simple copy-and-paste code. This version of WordPress provides an even greater support for oEmbed for sharing content online.
When someone adds the URL of your pages, it will create a preview of the content complete with an excerpt, link and even your site’s icon. It’s like creating a quote from your website while making sure you still receive credit for the original post. This has potential to enhance the reputation of your site while driving additional traffic to its pages. Providers for oEmbed include: Cloudup, Reddit Comments, VideoPress and more.
3. REST API Development
For those interested in developing for WordPress, the REST API is now part of the core of this CMS platform. Without requiring additional plugins or modifications, those who develop using the REST API will have a much easier time implementing changes without extensive coding and time-consuming alterations.
Essentially, WordPress is delving more into helping people create an application framework that is easy to use. By adding the REST API to its core, developers can extend what they can offer in terms of new plugins and advanced features. This means that there will be new and feature rich plugins in the near future of WordPress.
4. New Customizable Theme for 2016
For several years now, every major update to WordPress has been rolled out with a new default theme. These themes take advantage of the newest additions and give users a platform that is ready to go right out of the box.
Attributes such as site identity, colors, header and background images and more can be modified to deliver a unique look from the default theme. With all of the plugins and settings you can change, the default Twenty Sixteen theme may be all you need to deliver your content to the masses. If you don’t receive the newest template after updating to WordPress 4.4, it can be downloaded from the “Themes” section in your dashboard. Just click the “Add New” button at the top and search for “Twenty Sixteen.”
Other small changes are also apparent in the new WordPress 4.4 version. These include the displayed links on your posts, image enhancements of the dashboard and updates for plugins developers create to ensure support for the new platform. The constant development and evolution of WordPress is what makes this system one of the most used on the Internet. It will be interesting to see what innovations are in the future for this powerful content management system.
What changes to WordPress are going to benefit your site the most? Does the automatic responsive layout change your plans for installing new themes?