When it comes to creating a new WordPress-based site, choosing a theme (or template) is undoubtedly one of the most delicate decisions.
It is currently estimated that more than a quarter of the world's sites use WordPress as their content management system. Taking into account only sites that use a CMS (among the well-known ones), about 60% of them use WordPress. Among the factors that have contributed to such success is certainly the wide availability of themes and plugins for this platform .
Whatever your need, it is very likely that someone has already created a specific theme for it. Browsing sites specialized in WordPress themes, such as ThemeForest , you can choose from almost 6.000 premium templates: from multipurpose to specific, such as templates for restaurants, clothing e-commerce, web agency, etc.
This incredible number of alternatives, both free and paid, often makes the choice difficult, both for those who are used to developing sites with WordPress, and for the user who perhaps approaches WordPress for the first time and simply wants to create a blog, a portfolio or website for your company.
WordPress Themes and Frameworks: Some Basics
If you've already been browsing the web looking for the best responsive themes for WordPress, you've probably come across both themes and frameworks for WordPress. But what does this difference consist of?
To explain it in an elementary way, A theme can be considered as a ready-to-use finished product, while a framework is basically a starting point designed to facilitate the creation and development of a theme. .
A framework is usually used as a starting point (in WordPress jargon it is called main topic ) for the development of a custom template (which is called secondary theme ). A good framework gives you a solid foundation to then be able to customize the design and functionality of the site, without having to start from scratch each time.
Just to clarify (or complicate things ;)), the main topic -> la logic of secondary theme It is not limited to just WordPress frameworks.
Many templates, such as the standard ones (Twenty Fifteen, Twenty Fourteen...) present in any WordPress installation, support the creation of secondary themes . In other words, you can create a folder inside the /wp-content/themes/ directory (where WordPress themes reside), in which to create a secondary theme let him remember the main topic . These secondary themes They are generally used to change the layout or to make some changes to the functionality of the initial theme. In the WordPress Codex you will find a guide to create secondary themes .
You're probably wondering what's the point of wasting time creating a child theme , when you can simply edit the initial theme. The main reason is basically one: not to lose the changes you made in case of updates to the main theme.
Editing the original theme files directly is never a good option . In the event that an updated version is released and you decide to update it, you will lose the changes made previously. That is why they are used secondary themes .
However, the fact of being able to create a son to theme starting from an initial theme does not represent all the themes of the frameworks.
What are the advantages of using a WordPress framework?
Why do many people use a framework when there are thousands of WordPress themes ready to use, or why not create your own custom template from scratch?
First of all, it should be noted that using a framework does not necessarily mean having to develop everything by hand from scratch. In fact, there are already numerous ready-made themes based on the most popular frameworks. StudioPress, for example, the company that created the Genesis framework (the one I personally prefer and use), reports on its site a whole series of Genesis-based themes that are ready to use.
Developing a theme from scratch or using a framework?
Regarding the possibility of creating a theme from scratch, the way I recommend is without a doubt to start from a good base, such as the theme of that underscores , For example . This extremely minimal theme has been specially designed to be used as a basic framework for creating a new theme, but should not be used as main topic . It should be downloaded and customized as you see fit.
I also emphasize that creating a new topic from underscores no It is by no means a trivial operation, since the theme is extremely minimal and necessarily requires customization interventions, for which a good knowledge of the WordPress structure, the HTML language, CSS and possibly also JavaScript is required.
Using a framework, like Genesis, for example, allows you to start with a theme that is already perfectly usable and functional.
The advantages of using a framework They are perceived especially by those who need to develop more than one theme for WordPress, here are some of them:
- Higher development speed : since you don't have to start over all the time and you don't even have to design the basic functions from scratch. Additionally, using the same starting point for different sites makes managing different projects much easier, compared to having to manage multiple sites each created with a different theme.
- Custom code tested, safe and optimized - Code written for the best frameworks is usually much more efficient than most standard themes out there.
- Support and community : For the most popular frameworks, generally the manufacturer provides unlimited support over time and on the web you can find hundreds of tutorials created by community users.
- Easy to upgrade : thanks to separate management between the framework and the child theme , it is possible to update the framework without risking losing the customizations made to your theme. In the case of major versions , i.e. major version changes, adjustments may still be required in the child theme .
- Countless customization possibilities – Compared to a theme built to allow you to change only the header image or theme colors or other presets, a framework has been designed to give you maximum freedom of customization with as few restrictions as possible. If you have ever gotten your hands on one of the many themes available on ThemeForest, You may have noticed that doing fairly heavy editing is definitely not the easiest thing in this world.
- SEO optimization : In this aspect I prefer to shine a little, given that 99% of the themes available in WordPress are declared optimized from an SEO point of view, since it is an aspect that helps sell. However, it must be said that the best frameworks for WordPress have interesting features on the SEO side (see for example the article I wrote about Genesis ). However, it must be reiterated that it is not just the chosen topic that will make your site reach the top position on Google ;)
- Accessories dedicated – Dedicated plugins are available for many of the most popular frameworks making it even easier to quickly and easily add features to your theme. For example, take a look at these plugins designed specifically for Genesis .
Does using a framework also have disadvantages?
Even the best frameworks for WordPress are certainly not a panacea for all ills and may have some less positive aspects than those mentioned above. Here are some of them:
- Price - Many popular frameworks are paid. Some have a one-time cost, while others have an annual fee that allows you to receive support. However, I advise you not to rely on the price to choose a frame ;)
- Learning curve – Keep in mind that a framework adds a level of complexity to WordPress and is something more to learn and manage. You certainly won't have to invest years in training, but it is good to think of choosing a framework and training as an investment to be evaluated in the medium term. At first you may be discouraged and think that perhaps designing a theme from scratch is easier, but if you have perseverance and put a little effort into it you will see that you will not regret it.
- Some limitations – Each framework has its own logic and potentially some limitations, which may arise in cases where very particular customizations are required for your site, which require you to bypass some features of the framework. That is why I recommend that you read carefully before proceeding with the purchase. A framework like Genesis, for example, is much more flexible than others that may seemingly offer more features but, consequently, greater restrictions.
Some of the most popular frameworks
To conclude, here is a short list of some popular WordPress frameworks:
- StudioPress Genesis (paid)
- DIYthemes Thesis (paid)
- Hybrid core (Free)
- CherryFramework (Free)
- Headway (paid)
- Ultimatum (paid)
- IThemes Builder (paid)
- Portico (Free)
