Back in the day when WordPress was brand new, there are a lot of problems with the theme development and maintenance. WordPress theme frameworks change that forever.
WordPress theme frameworks provide website admins with the essential functionality of a theme and give them the flexibility to design the theme’s appearance anyway they see fit.
The best part is that since the hidden functionality is a framework, website admins never again need to update the themes core file manually records and keep track of the customizations they make.
Here we will discuss the basics of the theme framework and will also explore the benefits and disadvantages of using them from developing WordPress sites.
What is a WordPress Theme Framework?
A WordPress theme framework is simply an advanced theme with extra highlights that empower web designers to upgrade its functionality and customize it. Also, there are free WordPress themes available too.
When you utilize a theme framework to create a WordPress site, you will need to make a child theme to use with it. In this way, the theme framework works like the parent theme. It’s completely up to you whether you choose to purchase the child topic or construct it yourself.
A parent theme is the default theme that is fully functional and also allows the user to set customization options. A child theme declares a certain theme as its parent and then the child theme inherits the functionality and styling of the parent theme.
Essentially, theme frameworks store the functionality and base code of a WordPress template and permit web developers to add custom styling to it utilizing a child template.
For most cases, a single WordPress theme framework can control a large number of WordPress sites. The frameworks hold the essential functionality of the theme and you’re allowed to design, the presence of the theme any way you would like.
Customizing sites with the theme framework
Customizing a WordPress website running a theme framework is much easier than a site without one. The different customization options that the theme framework offers for the developers and webmasters include are:
i. Widgets: Here the developers can customize the widget area on different template files and pages.
ii. Dashboard: the developers can customize everything from the layout of the page to the design elements and the content that displays on it. As the theme options given allow developers to customize the appearance of the site without having the code.
iii. Extensions: Some theme frameworks come with a wide range of plugins and integrate seamlessly with the framework itself. Developers have access to the plugin files to customize them for their free WordPress themes.
You will better understand the potential of a framework once you test a few of them. But before installing a framework, let’s look at its advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of using the WordPress theme framework:
- Community support:
Most popular theme frameworks have a huge community behind it, one gets support. The best thing about utilizing a well-known theme framework is that numerous others like you have likewise utilized it or are right now utilizing it.
The WordPress people group is incredibly friendly and when you have a huge number of individuals utilizing a similar theme design, it’s easy to request to developers on forums and receive support for your issues.
- Ease of development:
One can easily develop a website or a blog by avoiding the coding required to create the framework. It saves your time by avoiding repetitive tasks. If one is developing an eCommerce platform or a portfolio theme, the framework has the needed items to develop that theme.
- Framework Functionality:
Frameworks are provided with a large number of functionalities that you don’t need to include yourself. Models are widgets, standard themes, certain SEO elements and methods for creating and editing pages and posts.
- Flexibility:
WordPress theme frameworks are all flexible like theme options, customizations, function extensibility, and design alterations. If you think that you are not going to use certain features at this point, it is always to go with a flexible theme framework.
Disadvantages of using the WordPress Frameworks:
- Learning the language:
It is generally important to become familiar and learn the language utilized in the frameworks. Hooks and filters, for instance, vary between Frameworks. Learning of this is essential when coding child themes.
- Heavy cost:
There is a couple of top-notch free WordPress themes. In any case, in the event that you need an incredible and dependable structure, you will have to pay. Most frameworks utilize the membership model, however, there are a few that just require a one-time fee.
Regardless of the pricing model, you will have to pay to get a quality framework.
You will also need to pay for the updates and support. Updates are important because you want to make sure that your site is free of bugs at all the time.
- Limited Customization:
There is a limit that framework allows for the customization. If one wants more extensive customization then do not use frameworks, but code from scratch.
Best WordPress theme frameworks
Here we will review some of the most popular theme framework and features that they offer developers and web experts.
FilmMaker
One of the most popular WordPress theme Filmmaker t build with most popular framework Elementor. This WordPress theme will help one to reach out to their targeted audiences easily. With the WooCommerce compatibility, making client invoices online and getting them paid also becomes very easy.
This is designed to be translation ready thus it can be easily translated into any other language website with the help of POT file given inside.
Maintenance Services
One of the most popular WordPress themes, maintenance services, is built with the most popular framework Pro page builder.
The WordPress theme has been developed for construction and renovation and interior designing type of websites. SEO friendly coding has been done and SEO plugins can be added to get proper meta tags on each page and to get proper SEO results as well.
Adding extra layouts also becomes very easy because with the use of SKT Page builder a different landing page can be created without any hiccups by non-coders as well.
Wrapping it up:
A WordPress Theme Framework is an efficient tool that helps developers. Yes, it might cost you, you can also get free WordPress themes. Drag and drop functionality can save your hours of coding and you can get access to all the modern SEO tools and widgets.