Genesis Framework is a WordPress theme framework that is designed to build faster, flexible, better and more secure WordPress sites.
WordPress vs. Genesis Framework
Take a look at the picture below.
Think of your website as a CAR.
- WordPress is the ENGINE of your CAR.
- Genesis Framework is is the FRAME and BODY of your CAR.
- Genesis Themes are the PAINT JOB.
So, basically, when you build a website with Genesis Framework, you drive a better car.
So, what really makes Genesis-driven websites better than ordinary WordPress-driven sites?
Benefits of Genesis Framework
There are plenty of benefits of Genesis Framework, but I’d like to split them into two categories based on the user types:
For Normal Site Owners: You’re a normal website owner who doesn’t have any idea about coding, html, css, php, javascript?
Genesis Themes are Good-looking
Genesis themes are built with minimalist philosophy, with clean and sleek look, elegant layout, excellent typography and color combination to name a few. They have a wide range of premium themes to choose from, and each one looks unique and different from others. Apart from Studiopress themes, there are many third-party Genesis themes to choose from too.
Check out other designs by Brian Gardner on Dribbble.
Genesis Themes Load Faster
Many WordPress site owners tend to get carried away with the superficial layout of a theme without really knowing how it may affect the site loading speed.
That’s right – there are many WordPress themes out there that carry bloated code and require badly coded plugins for your site to look like it’s shown in the demo version. The problem is in the backend, it becomes resource-intensive affecting the site loading speed, which results in poor performance on search engines.
Luckily though, that’s not the case with Genesis framework. It’s so well-built, most Genesis themes have a clean code and are lighter. In short, the Genesis themes are planned and designed to load faster and perform better.
Recently, Calvin Koepke released a free Genesis starter theme which loads in less than two seconds. I actually tested his theme on one my sites and it was loading surprisingly quickly.
Just took @cjkoepke's new theme on a test drive. And…..the site is wicked fast! Whoa! #genesiswp #speed #WordPress pic.twitter.com/N1lGo4zNX6
— Susanta Sahoo (@susant_org) May 18, 2017
He’s currently using the same theme on his own blog here. To see how fast it’s loading, I tested his site on Pingdom and here’s what I see:
Yes, that’s right – his site is loading in about a second. That’s an incredibly well-coded starter theme.
Genesis Themes are Secure
As a site owner, you need to consider the “security” angle of a theme before installing it. But, unless you’re a seasoned coder, there’s no way you can find out how secure the code underneath the theme is. With Genesis framework, no matter which theme you choose, you can be 100% sure your site is secure. Apart from the robust framework, Genesis themes are constantly updated, keeping theme safe and secure for ever.
Genesis Themes are SEO-friendly
If you’re a blogger or small business owner who just wants to focus on creating content rather than worry about the technical stuff, you can rest assured with Genesis framework.
Chris Lema has rightly said:
I can have a Genesis site live in 15 minutes and then I can focus on the content. I don’t mean installed – that takes less than 1 minutes. I mean adjusted enough that it works well for my purposes. And yet, with that out of the way, I can get back to my core objective which often requires me to create content.
Genesis framework is SEO-compliant. The framework includes a few elements that make your site extremely SEO-friendly. From clean code to site architecture to support for Schema.org, Genesis framework gives you natural SEO advantage.
For WordPress Developers: You’re a WordPress developer who’s concerned about the development process, theme flexibility, site security, plugin compatibility, and support?
Genesis Themes are Light & Uncomplicated
I have seen many people installing the parent theme which is often heavy and comes with many features they don’t really use. As a result, your site become a bloat on your host. Moreover, many people (WordPress learners) start making changes inside the parent theme itself. The problem is all the tweaking will be gone once the parent theme is gets an update in future. Therefore, it’s a best practice to create a child theme as soon as you install a parent theme and then start customizing the theme.
Sounds like a lot of work though?
Exactly, why many people are now embracing Genesis Framework. Genesis was built to make WordPress easier and not complicated.
Brian Gardner created Genesis Framework to make WordPress better.
The philosophy is pretty simple: Create a framework (FRAME and BODY) and then create a child theme (PAINT JOB). So, if a site owner or developer wants to tweak the theme, only the child theme is affected. With this philosophy, your child theme doesn’t really have to carry a lot files.
Moreover, StudioPress has ample support documents and code snippets to help you add or remove any functionality of a theme, which makes it unique and different.
I know a lot of folks who use WordPress themes and then install scores of plugins (many are bloated) to add functionalities to their theme. Thankfully, with Genesis Framework, you needn’t really worry about plugins as much. Add a code snippet to your functions file and you’re done. That’s why it’s lightweight and uncomplicated.
Rafal Tomal, lead designer at StudioPress, built a child theme named “Journal” and it was incredibly lightweight. The functions.php file has only 137 lines of code and cleverly designed.
The point is I’ve never seen a WordPress framework or theme focussed on minimalism so much. Chances are you haven’t either.
Genesis Themes are built with HTML5
This probably doesn’t need much explanation but still. Genesis Themes are built with HTML5 which means advanced coding practices/standards, compatible with modern web browsers (meaning better site performance), cross-browser compatibility, and faster loading time. Genesis is about clean, concise code, and better browser rendering.
Genesis Themes are EASY to Customize
As a WordPress developer, the most important concern about a theme is customization. Customization of conventional WordPress themes are time-consuming. However, the Genesis customization is built around pretty solid mechanism. The Genesis framework can be compared with Lego blocks, meaning you can add, remove, replace practically any part of your theme to make it your own. All this can be done by simply adding a code snippet to your functions file. Thanks to Genesis hooks and filters, customization is a cakewalk and super fun.
Look at the following image:
If you’re familiar with WordPress development, it shouldn’t take you more than a week to master the art.
Watch these 51 slides to learn more about Genesis Customization
Genesis has Incredible Support System
The most heartening aspect of Genesis Framework is its incredible support system. While StudioPress has support staff, and a comprehensive forum, you rarely need to go their for support. My favorite place is Genesis Facebook Group and Genesis Slack Channel where you get your questions answered by several developers almost instantly.
Over to You: Are you a Genesis Framework user? Please, let me know what made you switch to Genesis.