How can you use WordPress for web design? (2024)

Actually, the first step may not be to pick out a theme…. if you are using Oxygen Builder, it entirely disables themes from running, which improves load time in the websites we design from this approach to WordPress web design. The second approach that won’t need a theme is a headless implementation, which de-couples theme files and scripts, and only uses WordPress for the actual content. That said, these are the two best ways to build a fast, and good WordPress website experience. The third and more known way is via a custom theme or a proprietary or free one, which is able to load pretty quickly, but generally not as fast as the first two approaches mentioned.

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My firm often starts with one of the default WordPress themes because they are lightweight and beautiful. Then we modify them, add our preferred plugins, and create custom post types. We have found some third party themes to be hard to customized, especially when we need to create custom post types. So we've basically created our own themes and then modified them to suit specific clients' needs.

Two plugins that are worth every penny for beginners looking to launch a successful site are Elementor and Yoast SEO. Both have free versions as well!Elementor is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get page builder, meaning you design your site (and even entire themes) visually instead of coding. I’ve used many WordPress page builders in my years of WordPress experience, and Elementor is by far the strongest in terms of functionality and usability. Yoast SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) tool that runs a comprehensive checklist of SEO best practices on every page and post of your website. If you want your new blog or online store ranking highly in Google search results, this is the perfect plugin to get on the right track.

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Not just this, but be sure to test and verify each plug-in is compatible with the latest version of WordPress and that it doesn’t conflict with other plugins you have installed to extend functionality.

As someone who has tried multiple themes... I am going to recommend the Elementor Plugin (with Hello theme). The drag-and-drop interface makes customizing layouts a breeze - no more tinkering around in code for hours. You grab an element, like a button or image, and place it where you want on your page.Also, Elementor's editor panel offers a lot of options, from adjusting typography and colors to margins and padding. I especially love the responsive design mode, which lets me ensure my designs look great on all devices. For more advanced functionalities or custom work, there are some plugins like Crocoblock that enhance your design further and allow you to deliver truly custom websites that are easy to update for you or your clients.

I've found helpful when it comes to adding functionality is to use plugins. There are thousands of plugins available in the WordPress repository that can help you extend the functionality of your site without having to write any code. For example, if you want to add a contact form to your site, you can use a plugin like Contact Form 7 or Gravity Forms. However, it's important to be selective with the plugins you choose to use. Too many plugins can slow down your site and even cause conflicts between each other. So be sure to only use plugins that you really need and keep them updated.I've seen of a site that uses plugins to add functionality is a food blog that I follow.

When following this optimization guide, make sure you are checking page load speeds on various pages of the site. PageSpeed Insights is a free tool from Google that tells you where specifically to improve your site. It is worth the time to explore what optimizations you can do yourself (for example, using .webp images instead of .jpeg or .png, where applicable) rather than installing a whole bunch of plugins to do the job for you. WordPress beginners should know each plugin can be an eventual security risk or even break your site if it conflicts with another plugin or your theme. If you decide to use optimization and security plugins, make sure they are from reputable developers and actively supported.

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