WordPress framework: what is it and why is it better than working with templates

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It is often repeated that WordPress is a content management system that makes building a website accessible to anyone, even non-developers. And that’s because there is the option of building a website with a WordPress template or with a WordPress framework, since Installing WordPress does not mean having a website.

WordPress is the engine that makes the web work, with basic functions such as generation of pages, generation of posts, header and footer, etc ., but to develop any design and programming of functions, we must necessarily start from a template, either a framework from which to build a custom website or a predesigned template with a final design.

What is this post talking about?

What is a WordPress framework?

A framework is a set of tools in a given work environment. In the case of a carpenter who makes cabinets, for example, perhaps it could be a stock of boards of the most requested types of wood, his most used tools (saw, tape measure, sandpaper, varnish, etc.) and his reference measurements .

In the case of web development , a WordPress framework is a template (or theme ) that makes up the working environment for a developer. Contains the tools or utilities (for example, a front-end code library CSS and JavaScript such as Bootstrap, a plugin to make the sending of contact forms more secure or to evaluate the SEO of the page, a database optimized for a specific server, etc.) that constitute the starting point of a website for a developer, saving him from rewriting the code of functions that any website has: layout grid (content distribution), contact forms, buttons, composition of texts and images, fonts and colors, etc.

The framework is installed directly in WordPress and allows a total customization of web development, without the limitation of a pre-designed template or having to carry all the code libraries that are not going to be used never that they carry and that slow down the web, damaging the navigation flow (and therefore the request for information or purchase) and the positioning in Google.

Ultimately, a WordPress framework is a set of tools to help build custom themes quickly by handling common challenges on any website in advance. “Framework” can be equated with “toolkit”.

What are predesigned themes ?

A pre-built template (also called a pre-built theme or theme or pre-built theme in English -although it is not usually called that way to avoid to give the image that it cannot be customized-) is the alternative used by non-developers who do not know much or nothing about programming. It is a web package programmed ready for implementation, with back-end design and functionality and any other function that may be needed at the discretion of the author of that template, which only requires customizing the texts, images and little else. They can be found for free or for about 50 euros on specialized download pages such as Theme Forest from Envato Market.

Being designed for programming laymen, the authors of this type of template tend to include infinity of design options for the cover of the web, for the contact section, for the pages services, for galleries, for product sheets, etc., and thus allow maximum customization for those who do not want to stick to a specific aesthetic proposal.

Disadvantages of predesigned themes

The downside of this is that all the code libraries, designs, etc., of the options that will not be used, remain in the code, and Google and the browsers will have to index them anyway, and that affects the positioning and loading time , something especially pernicious in a website that aspires to increase the turnover of a business (an online store, a corporate website aimed at users sending requests for information about products and services, etc.)

In addition, by limiting the design options, the predesigned themes subordinate the content (texts, videos, images) to a specific presentation, when in reality it must be the other way around, because correctly presented content is key in the purchase intention . In this post we explain this question extensively.

WordPress framework

Modifying and updating a website with a WordPress framework

A website made with WordPress , as with other types of content managers, needs to be updated. Over time, new versions of WordPress appear, of the installed plugins , or of the same template if we work with a predesigned one, which if not updated can lead to security problems or incompatibility between them.

The pre-built templates ( pre-built themes for WordPress), as we have said, subordinate the design and the functions to those that the author considered necessary for that topic, but we can decide that they do not fully adapt to our needs and make modifications in additional files ( child theme or child theme), so that they are kept separate from updates in the base framework ( parent theme or parent theme). Thus, if “update” is clicked, even if the parent theme files are replaced, the customizations remain intact.

To develop a child theme from a main theme , you can go to “Appearance” → “Themes” in -WordPress. The big difference between both themes , the main and the secondary one, is that a child theme completely depends on its parent to function. Without its main theme present, it won’t do anything and won’t even be able to be activated.

However, there are predesigned templates that are not well suited to being modified by child themes . In fact, a predesigned main WordPress theme is intended to be used more or less as is, without additional customization, for that it contains so many functions and design options (remember that its recipients are usually people who do not know how to program). If a complete main theme with a finished development is substantially modified by creating a child theme , in the best of cases it can lead to a drastic slowdown in the loading time of the web (by containing still more code). And this, as we have said, affects purchase intention and positioning.

A WordPress framework , however, allows creating child themes easily, since they are specifically made to be personalized (to be compatible with a wider range of design possibilities and functionalities), not to be used as is. This means that we can save the final design, specifically developed for its recipient, as a parent theme and thus, in the rare case that an update went wrong, the loss of information would never be total, it could be started over from the custom version.

In the case of a predesigned template, the main theme is a finished development that does not serve us (for that we have created the child theme ), and in the event of any incompatibility we will have to redo modifications to the parent theme .

WordPress framework: the best choice for a corporate website or store

As we have seen, the classic statement that WordPress is the best way to build a website, since it is accessible to people who do not know programming, ends up not being entirely true.

WordPress is accessible to anyone who wants to develop a website on which their billing does not depend, whose content can adhere to a template with a completed development, which does not require modifications. It is the same that happens when we develop a website with other tools, such as Wix, 1 and 1, etc. Otherwise, programming skills will be required to expand or add features, layouts, and more. that are useful to us to encourage purchases or requests for information about products or services, to update the subject, etc. And in any case, permanent technical maintenance will be necessary.

A online business that subject a part of your business billing to factors beyond your control, such as unexpected web updates that can cause security and adaptation problems, is a vulnerable online business, which can face unforeseen expenses more easily .

The WordPress framework by Sitelabs

There are many frameworks for sale on specialized pages that developers use to build websites. However, as a result of years of experience in the sector, working on the development of websites in parallel to their content, their positioning and their visibility through advertising campaigns, at Sitelabs we have developed our own WordPress framework from scratch, exclusively to build corporate websites and online stores that meet the needs of small and medium-sized companies.

When working for small and medium-sized companies that need to increase their billing through a corporate website or online store of any degree of complexity, the Sitelabs framework is designed to meet this objective. It is optimized to make database calls lighter (derived from sending and receiving contact forms, newsletter synchronization, uploading versions in different languages, image galleries, orders, shipping methods, etc.) and to generate designs that prioritize a good user experience and search engine optimization.

To achieve this, we use the world’s most widely used fast-loading CSS and JavaScript code library, Bootstrap , with the fonts, colors, designs, etc., which They are used on that website, and the Advanced Custom Fields plugin to generate content that has already been laid out, inspired by the design of the websites with the highest turnover in the market in different sectors and then to be able to self-manage them independently.

In this way, our websites do not have a single line of code that is not used or are full of plugins to complement functions that the main theme lacks, thus facilitating indexing by Google and browsers, something that It favors positioning and fast loading to encourage smooth browsing and therefore the purchase or request for information on products and services.

The Sitelabs WordPress framework is designed for websites of any complexity for small and medium-sized companies, whether corporate or with an online store. It contains the Bootstrap code library and the Advanced Custom Fields content editor, to be able to fully customize the design of a website without giving up fast loading and therefore a better user experience to encourage the purchase or request of information and a better positioning in Google. In addition, it has in mind the mobile version as a priority, since it is the device from which a web will be visited mostly.

The Sitelabs WordPress framework is designed for impeccable viewing from mobile and allows you to fully customize a web page, both in terms of programming and design (which can be inspired by any other website or template already predesigned), in a child theme that can be updated without causing data loss or security holes.

In addition, to optimize the web as much as possible, we usually recommend that our clients opt for a single font, few well-chosen images and clean designs , without effects such as moving image galleries (sliders ), effects of appearance and disappearance of elements, shading, etc. Any superfluous functionality or design must be added to the code, making indexing difficult and therefore loading and positioning difficult. The more minimalist is the design of a web, we will offer a better user experience and a lighter code for easier indexing by Google and browsers.

WordPress framework: what is it and why is it better than working with templates

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