WordPress continues to evolve and in doing so there is a whole new ecosystem that opens the door to different approaches for creating exciting modern websites. Let’s talk a bit about the block theme and how it might work for you.
What are block themes?
It’s safe to say block themes and the Gutenberg editor have matured into one of the most advanced modern CMS solutions available today. Block themes allow the user complete control over every aspect of their website content and design. This can be somewhat daunting but with some research about functionality most WordPress users (or those familiar with CMS basics) can get up to speed in little time.
When customizing a block theme most of the work takes place in the Gutenberg editor. The user will build a page choosing from a wide range of blocks, which offer many options for design and functionality. In addition to the wealth of default blocks that WordPress ships with there are numerous third-party block plugins that can help add sliders, forms, and other common website sections.
Block theming, it’s the new standard?
As we mentioned earlier block themes give the user complete control over every aspect of their website content and design. Is this the perfect solution for every client? Obviously not as it can be daunting and time-consuming if you lack the experience, but it can save some cost on development which can then be used for creating design and content. This might make it ideal for smaller businesses and startups.
Do developers love block themes?
Yes! Block themes embrace the idea of component design, which at a high level just means keeping things isolated is a more flexible and safer way to build! We can add a new slider block to a theme for instance without having to rebuild a theme template, which saves us time. All blocks are built using a combination of ReactJS and PHP which also serves us well if we are building a Headless front end (this will be a topic for another upcoming discussion).
Custom block theme or commercial block theme?
There are a few factors to consider when you are deciding on how to move forward with a new WordPress website or redesign. With a custom design and build from Flower Press you will enjoy the security of knowing our experienced team will be available to assist you with custom modifications that can’t be solved by using plugins in the existing WordPress landscape. With a custom build, we can offer more design solutions to help your business stand out from the competition. Commercial block themes have a lot to offer these days for those with less budget upfront. As your business grows we can replace default blocks with more complex custom blocks to solve problems and enhance design.
If you are considering a commercial theme and would like to work with us we would suggest taking a look at the GeneratePress theme and Blocks. GeneratePress is very flexible and we can offer budget-friendly estimates to design and configure the theme and its blocks.