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9 Best Astra Theme Alternatives for Faster Loading (2024)

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Astra Theme Alternatives

Finding the perfect theme for your WordPress website is crucial.

While Astra has long been a favorite among users, it has some limitations. Hence, you must explore alternatives that best fit your needs.

Tip

Based on my extensive experience over the past years, Kadence WP is the best WordPress theme. I’ve been with Kadence for the past three years, and it is for all my sites due to its smooth WP blocks, superior performance, ease of use, and advanced customization features.

Its lightweight structure ensures fast load times, while its robust design tools offer unparalleled flexibility, making it an ideal choice for many website projects.

I discuss the top Astra theme alternatives in this article, each offering unique strengths and capabilities.

Join me as I explore Kadence WP and other notable themes, such as GeneratePress, OceanWP, and Elementor Hello, to help you make an informed decision about your next website build.

9 Best Astra Theme Alternatives

Best Astra Theme Alternatives

1. Kadence WP Theme (Overall Best Alternative)

If you are looking for an Astra Theme alternative that offers a great user experience, Kadence WP Theme is an excellent choice. It is a multipurpose WordPress theme that is perfect for creating any website.

Kadence WP Theme is known for its flexibility, customization options, and user-friendly interface.

Kadence WP Theme Key Features

  • Lightweight and Fast: The Kadence WP Theme is lightweight and loads quickly, making it perfect for creating fast-loading websites.
  • Page Builder Compatibility: Kadence WP Theme is compatible with popular page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Gutenberg.
  • Customizable Header and Footer: Kadence WP Theme allows you to easily customize your website’s header and footer.
  • Advanced Typography: Kadence WP Theme offers advanced typography options, allowing you to choose from over 800 Google fonts.
  • WooCommerce Integration: Kadence WP Theme integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, making it perfect for creating online stores.
  • Starter Templates: Kadence WP Theme comes with various starter templates that you can use to create your website quickly.

Kadence WP Theme Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of using the Kadence WP Theme:

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fast-loading.
  • Easy to use and customize.
  • Compatible with popular page builders.
  • Offers advanced typography options.
  • Comes with a variety of starter templates.
  • Integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce.

Cons:

  • The free version of the Kadence WP Theme has limited features.
  • The pricing plans are a bit expensive compared to other themes.

Kadence WP Theme Pricing

  • Free Plan: This plan is free and excellent for website creators wanting to start.
  • Essentials Plan: This plan costs $149/year and gives you all the essentials, like the pro versions of the Kadence theme and starter templates.
  • Full Plan: This plan costs $219/year and gives you full access to all the tools to help you sell.
  • Lifetime Plan: With this plan, you get every product in its complete bundle, lifetime support, updates, and all future products for a one-time payment of $799/lifetime.

2. GeneratePress

GeneratePress

If you’re looking for a lightweight and flexible WordPress theme that can be easily customized, GeneratePress is an excellent alternative to Astra. It is a popular theme among developers and users known for its speed, security, and ease of use.

GeneratePress Theme Key Features

  • Lightweight and Fast: GeneratePress is one of the most lightweight themes available, which means it loads faster than most other themes. This is great for improving your website’s speed and overall user experience.
  • Customizable: GeneratePress offers many customization options, including typography, colors, layouts, and more. You can easily customize your website’s appearance without any coding skills.
  • Accessibility Ready: GeneratePress is designed to be accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. It meets the WCAG 2.0 standards, so your website will be accessible to a broader audience.
  • SEO Friendly: GeneratePress is built with clean and optimized code, which makes it SEO-friendly. Your website will rank higher in search engines and get more organic traffic.
  • Developer Friendly: GeneratePress is designed to be developer-friendly, making it easy to customize and extend. It’s built with clean code and follows WordPress coding standards.
  • Great Support: GeneratePress has an excellent support team that is always ready to help you with any issues or questions.

GeneratePress Pros and Cons

Here are some pros and cons of GeneratePress to help you decide if it’s the right choice for you:

Pros:

  • GeneratePress is one of the fastest-loading WordPress themes available.
  • GeneratePress offers various customization options, including color schemes, typography, layout, and more.
  • GeneratePress is optimized for search engines, which can help improve your website’s visibility and rankings.
  • GeneratePress is designed with accessibility in mind, which means it meets the highest standards for web accessibility.
  • GeneratePress is fully compatible with WooCommerce, making creating an online store and selling products easy.

Cons:

  • Limited free version
  • Not as many pre-built templates

GeneratePress Pricing

  • Free Plan: This plan is forever free to use.
  • Yearly Plan: This plan costs $59/year and grants one year of access to the site library, all features, and one year of updates.
  • Lifetime Plan: This plan costs a one-time fee of $249. It grants lifetime access to the site library, updates, and all features.

3. OceanWP Theme

OceanWP Theme

If you are looking for a powerful and flexible alternative to the Astra Theme, the OceanWP Theme is the perfect solution. It is a lightweight and highly customizable WordPress theme that offers a wide range of features and functionalities to help you easily create stunning websites.

OceanWP Theme Key Features

Here are some of the features of OceanWP Theme that make it stand out from other WordPress themes:

  • Multiple Demos: OceanWP Theme has over 130 pre-built demos you can import with just one click. These demos cover many niches, including business, portfolio, eCommerce, and more.
  • Fast Loading: OceanWP Theme is optimized for speed and performance, ensuring your website loads quickly and smoothly.
  • WooCommerce Ready: It is fully compatible with WooCommerce and has many eCommerce-specific features.
  • SEO Friendly: OceanWP Theme is designed with SEO in mind, ensuring your website ranks well in search engine results pages.
  • Translation Ready: If you want to create a multilingual website, OceanWP Theme is your solution. It is fully compatible with translation plugins like WPML and Polylang.
  • Elementor Integration: OceanWP Theme is fully compatible with the Elementor page builder, allowing you to quickly create custom layouts and designs.

OceanWP Theme Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of using OceanWP Theme:

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fast-loading
  • Highly customizable with a wide range of options
  • It comes with over 130 pre-built demos.
  • Fully compatible with WooCommerce and other popular plugins
  • SEO-friendly design
  • Translation ready

Cons:

  • Some features are only available in the paid version
  • Some users may find the interface a bit overwhelming

OceanWP Pricing

OceanWP offers both a free and a paid version of the theme. The free version has basic features and limited support, while the paid version unlocks additional features and premium support.

Here’s a breakdown of the pricing for OceanWP:

  • Free version: This is free to use
  • Starter Plan: This plan costs $35 per year and has a lifetime subscription of $141. It can be used for one website.
  • Personal plan: It costs $43 per year to use for three websites. A lifetime subscription is available for a one-time payment of $178.
  • Business plan costs $71 per year for up to ten websites. A lifetime subscription is available for a one-time payment of $285.
  • Agency plan: This plan costs $127 per year and can be used on up to 300 websites. A lifetime subscription is also available for a one-time payment of $509.

4. Divi Theme

Divi Theme

Divi Theme is a popular option if you’re looking for an Astra Theme competitor. It is a multipurpose WordPress theme with a powerful page builder that makes it easy to create custom designs without any coding knowledge.

Divi Theme Key Features

  • Visual Page Builder: Divi’s drag-and-drop page builder is one of its most popular features. It allows users to create custom layouts and design elements without coding knowledge.
  • Responsive Design: Divi works on all devices, so your website will look great on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
  • Customization Options: With Divi, you can customize your website’s colors, fonts, and layout. You can also use pre-made templates to get started.
  • Marketing Integrations: Divi integrates with popular marketing tools like Mailchimp, Aweber, and Google Analytics.
  • WooCommerce Support: Divi has built-in support for WooCommerce if you’re selling products online.
  • Support and Updates: Divi comes with a lifetime license, which means you’ll get access to updates and support if you use the theme.

Divi Theme Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of Divi Theme:

Pros:

  • Divi’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create custom designs without coding knowledge.
  • Divi offers a wide range of customization options to create a unique website.
  • Divi integrates with popular marketing tools to quickly add email opt-ins and track your website’s performance.
  • Divi has built-in support for WooCommerce, making it easy to sell products online.

Cons:

  • While Divi is easy to use, learning its features takes time.
  • Some users have reported that Divi’s code can be bloated, slowing website performance.
  • While Divi offers a wide range of customization options, some users may find the design options limited compared to other themes.

Divi Pricing

Divi is a premium WordPress theme, so you must pay for it. Here are the pricing options for Divi:

  • Divi: This costs $89 per year and has a lifetime subscription of $249. It includes access to all of Elegant Themes’ themes and plugins, updates, and support.
  • Divi Pro: This plan costs $277 yearly and has a lifetime subscription of $297. It includes access to everything in the Divi plan plus Divi AI, Divi Cloud, and Divi Teams.

5. Blocksy

Blocksy

If you are looking for a substitute for the Astra Theme, Blocksy is an excellent option. It is a lightweight and fast WordPress theme that offers a range of customization options, making it a popular choice for beginners and advanced users.

Blocksy Key Features

  • Fast Loading: Blocksy is optimized for speed, so your website will load quickly and provide a better user experience.
  • Customizable Header and Footer: Blocksy offers a range of customization options for your header and footer, allowing you to create a unique look for your website.
  • WooCommerce Integration: Blocksy seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce, making it an excellent choice for creating an online store.
  • Gutenberg Compatible: Blocksy is fully compatible with the Gutenberg editor, making creating custom layouts and designs accessible.
  • Responsive Design: Blocksy is designed to be fully responsive, ensuring your website looks great on all devices.
  • SEO Friendly: Blocksy is optimized for search engines, helping your website rank higher in search results.

Blocksy Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of using Blocksy:

Pros:

  • Easy to use and customize
  • Fast loading speed
  • WooCommerce integration
  • Responsive design
  • SEO friendly

Cons:

  • Limited free version features
  • No pre-built templates
  • No drag-and-drop page builder
  • Limited third-party plugin integration

Blocksy Pricing

Blocksy offers both a free version and a premium version of the theme. Here’s a breakdown of the pricing:

  • Blocksy Free: The free version of Blocksy includes basic features and customization options. It’s a good choice for users who are just starting and don’t need advanced functionality.
  • Blocksy Premium: Blocksy Premium is available in three pricing tiers:
    • Personal: This plan is priced at $69 per year and includes a lifetime subscription of $199. It provides access to all premium features on one website.
    • Professional: Priced at $99/year and a lifetime subscription of $299. This plan is ideal for online businesses and can be used on ten websites.
    • Agency: Priced at $149 per year and a lifetime subscription of $499. The Agency plan includes access to all premium features for unlimited websites, making it a cost-effective choice for developers and agencies.

6. Neve Theme

Neve Themes

If you are looking for a lightweight, fast, and easily customizable theme, Neve Theme is a great option. It was developed by Themeisle, a popular WordPress theme and plugin development company. Neve Theme is known for its simplicity, speed, and flexibility.

Neve Theme Key Features

  • Lightweight and Fast-Loading Design: Neve is designed to be lightweight, ensuring quick load times and efficient performance, which improves user experience and can boost SEO.
  • Fully Customizable with a Drag-and-Drop Page Builder: Neve is compatible with popular page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Gutenberg, allowing you to easily customize your site’s layout and design using drag-and-drop functionality.
  • Optimized for SEO and Mobile Devices: The theme follows best SEO practices, helping your site rank better in search engine results. Neve is fully responsive, ensuring your site looks great and functions well on all devices.
  • Compatible with Popular WordPress Plugins: Neve works seamlessly with a wide range of popular WordPress plugins, such as WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, and Contact Form 7, allowing you to extend your site’s functionality easily.
  • Ready-to-Import Starter Sites for Various Niches: This lets you quickly set up a professional-looking website by importing a pre-built template and customizing it to fit your needs.
  • Built-in WooCommerce Integration: Neve includes built-in support for WooCommerce, making it easy to create and customize an online store with features like product pages, shopping carts, and checkout pages seamlessly integrated into your site’s design.

Neve Theme Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fast
  • Easy to customize
  • Compatible with popular page builders
  • SEO optimized
  • WooCommerce ready

Cons:

  • Limited free version features
  • Some features require paid add-ons
  • Limited design options

Neve Theme Pricing

  • Free: This is free to use.
  • Personal: This costs $69/year. This plan is great for users just getting started with their websites.
  • Business: This plan costs $149/year and is best for online shops.
  • Agency: This plan is excellent for freelancers and agencies, costing $259/per year.

7. Elementor Hello Theme

Elementor

The Elementor Hello Theme is a great substitute for the Astra Theme. It is an excellent choice if you are looking for a lightweight, fast, and highly customizable theme that works seamlessly with the Elementor page builder.

Elementor Hello Theme Key Features

  • Drag and Drop Page Builder: This allows you to create and customize website pages by simply dragging and dropping elements into place, providing a highly intuitive design experience without needing coding knowledge.
  • Customizable Templates and Widgets: These pre-designed elements can be easily tailored to fit your website’s specific needs, making it quick and easy to build professional-looking pages.
  • Mobile Responsive Design: This means your site will look great and function well on desktops, tablets, and smartphones, providing an optimal user experience across all platforms.
  • WooCommerce Compatibility: The Hello Theme is fully compatible with WooCommerce. You can use Elementor’s design capabilities to build product pages, shopping carts, and checkout pages, ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing e-commerce site.
  • SEO Optimization: The Hello Theme is lightweight and optimized for speed, which is crucial for SEO. Faster load times improve user experience and can lead to better search engine rankings. Additionally, the theme works well with popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, enabling further optimization of your site’s content and structure.
  • Multi-language Support: It is compatible with translation plugins like WPML and Polylang, allowing you to offer your content in multiple languages and reach a wider audience.

Elementor Hello Theme Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of using the Elementor Hello Theme:

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Flexible and customizable
  • Mobile responsive design
  • WooCommerce compatibility
  • Free to use

Cons:

  • Some features require additional plugins
  • It can be slow on some hosting providers

Elementor Hello Theme Pricing

Elementor Hello Theme is forever free to use.

8. Avada Theme

Avada Theme

If you’re looking for a versatile and feature-rich WordPress theme, Avada Theme is a great option. It has been around since 2012 and is continuously updated to keep up with the latest design trends and technology.

Avada Theme Key Features

  • Easy-to-use: A drag-and-drop page builder that makes it easy to create custom layouts
  • Pre-built Templates: There are over 70 pre-built website designs to choose from
  • Compatibility: Compatibility with popular WordPress plugins like WooCommerce and Gravity Forms
  • Responsive Design: A responsive design that looks great on all devices
  • Highly Customizable: Customizable headers and footers
  • SEO Options: Avada has built-in SEO optimization tools to ensure your pages are search engine optimized.

Avada Theme Pros and Cons

Like any WordPress theme, Avada Theme has its pros and cons. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using Avada Theme:

Pros:

  • A wide range of features and customization options
  • A powerful page builder that makes it easy to create custom layouts
  • Built-in support for WooCommerce and other popular plugins
  • Regularly updated to keep up with the latest WordPress trends and technology
  • Excellent documentation and support

Cons:

  • It can be overwhelming for beginners due to the wide range of options and features.
  • The page builder can be slow to load on some sites
  • Some users have reported issues with compatibility with specific plugins.

Avada Pricing

Avada is a premium WordPress theme, which means it has a price tag. A regular license costs $69, which includes lifetime updates and six months of support. You can purchase an extended support package for an additional fee if you need more support.

9. Genesis Framework

Genesis Framework

Genesis Framework is a popular WordPress theme framework that offers a wide range of features and customization options. It is a great alternative to the Astra theme.

Genesis Framework Key Features

  • SEO optimized: Genesis Framework is designed with SEO in mind, making optimizing your website for search engines easy.
  • Mobile responsive: The theme is mobile responsive, ensuring your website looks great on all devices.
  • Customizable: Genesis Framework offers customization options, including custom widgets, page templates, and theme options.
  • Fast loading: The theme is optimized for speed, ensuring your website loads quickly.
  • Secure: Genesis Framework is built with security in mind, making it a safe and secure option for your website.
  • Developer-friendly: The theme is designed to be developer-friendly, with a wide range of hooks and filters for customization.

Genesis Framework Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Wide range of customization options
  • SEO optimized
  • Mobile responsive
  • Fast loading
  • Secure
  • Developer-friendly

Cons:

  • Limited free child themes
  • The steep learning curve for beginners

Genesis Framework Pricing

Genesis Framework is free when you host on WP Engine or Flywheel. You can subscribe to Genesis Pro for more advanced features, which costs $360 yearly.

Why Should You Consider an Alternative to Astra Theme?

Astra is a popular theme that offers various customization options and is known for its speed and performance.

While the Astra theme is highly regarded for its flexibility, speed, and extensive customization options, it does have some limitations.

Firstly, Astra’s advanced features and customization options are only available through the Astra Pro plugin or additional add-ons. While Astra is compatible with many popular plugins, achieving certain functionalities may require third-party plugins.

Although Astra offers customization options for headers and footers, it lacks the advanced drag-and-drop builder in themes like Kadence WP. Users looking for highly intricate header and footer designs might find Astra’s capabilities somewhat restrictive.

While extensive, Astra’s pre-built templates and design options can sometimes feel limiting if you want to create a unique or unconventional website design.

Although Astra is user-friendly, beginners might find the extensive customization options overwhelming.

Some users might find that feature updates and new additions are slower than those of other rapidly evolving themes. While Astra is regularly updated for compatibility and security, significant new features might not be introduced as frequently.

Another limitation of Astra is that it might not suit everyone’s needs. Astra is a lightweight theme designed to work well with page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder. If you are not using a page builder, you might not be able to take advantage of Astra’s features.

Choosing the Right Platform

Several factors must be considered when choosing the right platform for your website.

Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:

1. Your Website Goals

Before you choose a platform, it’s crucial to determine your website goals. Are you looking to create a blog, an online store, a portfolio, or a corporate website?

Different platforms offer different features and functionality, so choosing a platform that aligns with your goals is essential.

2. Ease of Use

Another essential factor to consider is ease of use. If you’re new to website building, you’ll want a platform that is easy to navigate and use. Look for platforms with intuitive interfaces and drag-and-drop functionality.

3. Customization Options

Customization options are also important. You’ll want a platform to customize your website to suit your brand and aesthetic. Look for platforms with various themes and templates and customization options for fonts, colors, and layouts.

4. SEO Friendliness

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for driving traffic to your website. Look for SEO-friendly platforms with features such as customizable meta tags, clean code, and fast load times.

5. Support and Community

Finally, consider the support and community offered by the platform. Look for platforms with active communities, support forums, and responsive customer support. This can be especially important if you run into technical issues or have questions about using the platform.

Final Thoughts on Astra Theme Alternatives

While the Astra theme remains popular for many WordPress users, exploring its alternatives can provide unique advantages depending on your specific requirements.

Kadence WP is the best alternative due to its advanced header and footer builder, dynamic content options, and built-in performance enhancements. It is an excellent choice for those seeking flexibility and speed.

Developed by Elegant Themes, Divi Theme is a highly versatile and popular WordPress theme that caters to a wide range of website needs. Known for its powerful drag-and-drop page builder and extensive customization options, Divi makes it easy for users of all skill levels to create stunning and functional websites without needing any coding knowledge.

Finally, the Elementor Hello Theme offers a minimalist, blank canvas that pairs perfectly with the Elementor page builder, giving users unparalleled design freedom and performance optimization.

By considering these alternatives, you can find a theme that aligns with your vision and enhances your WordPress experience, ensuring you build a website that meets your goals efficiently and effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions on Astra Theme Alternatives

What are some free alternatives to the Astra WordPress theme?

Some popular free themes are Kadence WP, Elementor Hello Theme, GeneratePress, and OceanWP. These themes offer a range of features and customization options that can help you create a professional-looking website without spending a dime.

Which WordPress themes are considered the best competitors to Astra?

These themes include the Kadence WP Theme, Elementor Hello Theme, GeneratePress, and OceanWP. These themes offer similar features and customization options and are known for their high performance and ease of use.

How does the Kadence WP theme compare to Astra in terms of features and performance?

Both Kadence WP and Astra excel in features and performance, making them top choices for WordPress users. But Kadence WP stands out with its advanced header and footer builder, dynamic content options, and built-in performance enhancements.

Can GeneratePress be a suitable replacement for the Astra theme for professional websites?

GeneratePress is a lightweight WordPress theme often considered a suitable replacement for the Astra theme. It offers a range of customization options and is known for its fast loading times and optimized code. It also has a built-in page builder and supports WooCommerce integration, making it an excellent choice for professional websites.

In terms of customization and ease of use, how does the Neve theme stand up against Astra?

Neve is a lightweight WordPress theme known for its ease of use. It has a built-in page builder and supports WooCommerce integration. It also has a range of pre-built demos and templates to help you get started quickly. Regarding customization, Neve offers a range of easy-to-use options, making it an excellent option for beginners.



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Internal blog post reveals Automattic’s plan to enforce the WordPress trademark using ‘nice and not nice lawyers’

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stylized WordPress logo

Matt Mullenweg, the WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO, has been embroiled in a very public and legal fight with WP Engine these last few weeks over the use of WordPress as a trademark and fees Automattic believes WP Engine owes to the WordPress project — sparring that has resulted in WP Engine issuing legal demands of its own.

But Automattic’s position on the matter did not materialize overnight. 

According to an internal blog post a source shared with TechCrunch, Automattic was crafting a plan to get significantly stricter about trademark enforcement across WordPress and its e-commerce platform WooCommerce since at least the beginning of the year. Separate sources have confirmed the authenticity of the post.

The message — penned by Automattic’s then-chief legal officer Paul Sieminski in January 2024 on the company’s “P2” (a version of WordPress aimed at internal communications) — outlined a plan for how Automattic would approach this strategy, through direct negotiations with companies and via legal action from “nice and not nice lawyers and trademark enforcers.” And Automattic potentially would register further trademarks going forward.

“We will be using a multi-pronged strategy that will involve some additional trademark registrations … legal cease-and-desist letters, and a formal paid licensing program for the partners,” Sieminski noted. (He left the company in April 2024.)

This is effectively what has played out. 

In July, the WordPress Foundation filed trademark applications for both “Managed WordPress” and “Hosted WordPress,” which are pending in status. And Automattic issued a cease-and-desist letter to WP Engine at the end of last month. Neither Automattic nor the WordPress Foundation has yet to publish any further guidance, however, on fair use. 

The WordPress Foundation, a nonprofit, has owned the trademark for WordPress since 2010, when Mullenweg founded Automattic as a commercial entity to sit on top of the open source framework. 

Mullenweg’s reasoning for transferring that trademark to the foundation was that, even if there were a changing of the guard at Automattic, the trademark would remain safe with the foundation and the open source project could live on. 

Automattic holds the exclusive commercial license for WordPress, and its recent actions signal a major shift in how it’s positioning itself as a guardian. 

In addition to giving some context to Automattic’s recent legal actions, the internal blog post also underscores how tension has escalated in the WordPress ecosystem, where the collaborative aspects of open source projects have had to be balanced against business interests. 

Many contributors and developers have pointed out how this fight could negatively impact the WordPress community. That would be a change from past form since Automattic previously appeared to have a less adversarial relationship with prominent players in the ecosystem. It had even been an investor in WP Engine to spur more ecosystem activity. It was bought out, we have learned and confirmed, when Silverlake took a controlling stake in WP Engine in 2018.

The internal post — which only refers to Automattic, no mention of WP Engine or other companies building on the WordPress framework — is primarily focused on the “WordPress” trademark, including its circular logo. Sieminski emphasized Automattic is the only company allowed to use these in its name and branding.

He also clarified Automattic’s role around WordPress.org. The initiative “doesn’t involve creating or explaining any new rules” beyond its trademark policy, he writes.

Google also makes an appearance in the post — primarily as a vehicle for enabling abuse of the trademark.

“A brief perusal of Google Ads and hosting company landing pages will turn up a lot of ‘Managed WordPress,’ or companies that offer ‘WordPress Hosting.’” he wrote. “Is this OK? Can we clamp down on these things? The answers are … no, and yes.”

Automattic, he wrote, would seek to work with Google to keep it from amplifying companies and links that misused the branding. “Overall, they can help but we cannot rely on them 100%,” he added.

The post covers trademarks related to WooCommerce, Automattic’s Shopify competitor that it acquired in 2015. WooCommerce is 100% owned by Automattic, and Automattic is following the same enforcement strategy for it and its “Woo” branding. Enforcement, the counsel wrote in the internal blog post, “will probably be easier and cleaner because it’s less of a community asset.” (WooCommerce itself is also open source.)

There are some murky areas in the dispute that Automattic has with WP Engine and WordPress trademark enforcement. One of these concerns the trademarks that were filed in July 2024. In a conversation with TechCrunch last month, Mullenweg claimed he didn’t know who filed these on behalf of the Foundation, or why. He said that he doesn’t know about day-to-day operations of the Foundation and volunteers are the ones who handle it. 

The Foundation has three directors, including Mullenweg. The others are Mark Ghosh, who sold his website, a popular WordPress blog, to Mullenweg in 2014, and Chele Farley, a former Republican politician whose campaign Mullenweg lent money to. Both of them have been almost invisible from Foundation activities or speaking about the WordPress ecosystem.

For now, the focus of the dispute has been between Mullenweg and WP Engine. “If there are violations of the trademark, of course, we need to enforce our trademark. I’m not aware of any others that are as egregious or as harmful as WP Engine,” Mullenweg told TechCrunch in late September.

We reached out to Automattic for comment for this story and Mullenweg replied directly. He did not give a direct answer to the question of whether the dispute with WP Engine was a one-off or setting a precedent for further action. 

“We do trademark enforcement all the time! It’s part of protecting the trademark,” he wrote. “Usually it’s pretty minor, and a UDRP or email takes care of it. However, WP Engine’s misuse of the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks was so intrinsic to their business it required a more substantive deal, which I honestly thought was going to happen (it makes sense, from a business point of view) prior to [the September WordPress conference] WordCamp, which is why we allowed them to sponsor [the U.S. event].”

He added that the company was “upgrading a lot of our legal team right now.”

You can contact this reporter at [email protected] or on Signal: @ivan.42

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Mastering WordPress for E-commerce: Proven Strategies to Boost Your Online Store

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Mastering WordPress for E-commerce: Proven Strategies to Boost Your Online Store

With over 5 billion internet users worldwide, businesses are now tapping into E-commerce to expand market reach, which was inaccessible through traditional brick-and-mortar stores. However, success doesn’t end with merely establishing an E-commerce website. 

Tools are needed to do well in this competitive market. One tool is the Content Management System (CMS), which provides the framework and functionality needed for businesses to create, optimize and manage their online stores. 

WordPress dominates the CMS market, and surely using it will help in your business success. However, it takes the right and proven strategies to boost your online store, and this article is here for that. 

Why Choose WordPress for an E-commerce Website?

In the early days of WordPress, they were used primarily for blogging, but they have been adding more features and plugin libraries. Now, 43.5% of all websites are using WordPress, which shows its influence in content creation and digital management worldwide. 

Source

Among other CMS platforms, WordPress dominates the market – holding 62.6% shares. This highlights the benefits WordPress offers to its users.

  • Flexibility and Customization

WordPress offers customization options through its library of themes and plugins. The open-source nature of WordPress allows deep customization, where businesses can create features and functionalities tailored to their branding.

WordPress, being an open-source software, is free to use. Though there are premium themes and plugins that can be bought, they are more affordable than other e-commerce platforms when it comes to subscription fees. 

Google now uses mobile versions of a site’s content, which makes mobile-friendly websites important. WordPress themes are mobile-responsive, making online stores seamless across all devices. Also, this design will allow businesses to cater for users who prefer smartphones and tablets when shopping.  

WordPress comes with search engine optimization (SEO), where businesses can improve the visibility of their stores in search engine results. You can customize links, meta tags, and mobile responsiveness to enhance the website’s SEO performance.

As the leading CMS platform, you’ll have access to an active and vast community of developers, designers and users who can provide resources, including tutorials, documentation, forums, and professional support.

Setting up Your WordPress E-commerce Store

Businesses should establish a WordPress-based E-commerce store — from choosing a hosting provider to selecting themes and plugins — to set up their online business for success.

1. Choose the Right Hosting Provider

Cyberattacks are increasing due to reliance on IT systems, and e-commerce is their prime target because they handle and store sensitive information – from customers’ names, payment card data, and addresses to birthdates. This is why choosing the right hosting provider is important for security and speed. 

A good host helps make sure that your website has fast loading times to retain customers and improve conversion rates, as a slow website negatively impacts sales because of high bounce rates. Choose a hosting provider that provides security features, such as SSL certificates, firewalls, and regular backups that protect your data.

2. Install and Configure E-commerce Plugins

After choosing the hosting provider, install the e-commerce plugins needed for the functionality of your website. Select a responsive, fast-loading customizable theme that is mobile-friendly, such as Storefront, Shopkeeper and Astra, as they are known for ease of customization and speed – a significant portion of online shopping on mobile devices.

3. Select a Suitable E-commerce Theme

A theme will make a store appealing to the users, reflecting its brand. You can use WooCommerce, a leading WordPress plugin. With it, you can set up product pages, manage inventory, handle payments, and customize aspects of your stores.

Other plugins are also plugins available for your needs, such as:

  • Easy Digital Downloads – selling digital products
  • WP eCommerce – more traditional e-commerce experience
  • Ecwid – integrating store with social media platforms

Optimizing Your WordPress Store for Conversions

After setting up your WordPress E-commerce store, you need to optimize it for conversions, as one of any other business’s goals is to enhance UX and increase sales conversions. Strategies for optimization include:

Craft a Seamless User Experience (UX)

Site structure and navigation play a role in creating a seamless user experience (UX), affecting how customers interact with your website. Key points in improving these are having simple navigation, effective product pages and a streamlined checkout process.

  • Simple Navigation: Ensure that your website is intuitive. Organize your menu and make essential information accessible. Your structure should also let users find what they need easily with just a few clicks.
  • Effective Product Pages: Product pages should be visually appealing and informative by incorporating high-quality images, detailed descriptions, pricing, and customer reviews, helping customers make decisions.
  • Streamlined Checkout Process: Customers won’t complete the checkout process if it takes too long, so simplify it by minimizing the number of steps and using autofill options on forms and multiple payment methods for convenience.

Utilize Effective Call-to-Actions

Call-to-actions are buttons on your site, telling customers the action to take and driving sales to the e-commerce site. Make your CTAs stand out using contrasting colors and clear action-oriented text, which encourages users to take action. For example, “Add to Cart”, “Get Started”, or “Buy Now”.

You may also experiment with different formats and placements using A/B testing to determine which version yields the highest conversion rates based on real user data.

Implement Trust Signals and Security Measures

Building trust with potential customers through trust signals and security measures helps increase conversions to your e-commerce store, as customers will feel confident in their purchasing decisions.

  • Make sure that your website has SSL certification for secure connections of transactions. You may also reassure customers about their safety during shopping by displaying security badges and trust seals.
  • Positive feedback can influence potential buyers’ decisions as it establishes the trust and credibility of your brand, so encourage customers to leave reviews.
  • Consider money-back guarantees, easy return policies, and transparent shipping information to alleviate concerns about purchasing from an online store.

Ensuring Optimal Store Performance

A well-performing website not only enhances customer satisfaction but also encourages repeat visits, increasing conversions and sales. Maintaining high performance for your WordPress e-commerce store provides a positive user experience and favorable search engine rankings.

Regular Site Maintenance and Updates

Regular updates and maintenance help protect your site from vulnerabilities and improve performance. Neglecting these can slow loading times, broken features and security risks.

You can use tools (Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom) to monitor site performance, as they provide insights into loading speeds, help identify any issues affecting user experience, and suggest improvements.

Managing and Securing Customer Data

As customers trust you with sensitive information, you should maintain high standards of data protection that not only comply with regulations but also build customer confidence.

  • Comply with regulations by being transparent about data collection and usage practices.
  • Regularly back up your website to safeguard against data loss that may potentially be due to hacking or technical failures.
  • Schedule backups based on update frequency–daily for active sites or weekly for less frequently updated ones.

Scaling Your WordPress E-commerce Store

As your business grows, scaling your WordPress e-commerce store becomes essential to meet increasing demand and ensure a seamless shopping experience for customers.

Expand Product Lines and Categories

Expanding your offerings is a natural way to scale your e-commerce store. You can identify market trends and opportunities and manage inventory efficiently to meet customer demand.

  • Identify market trends and opportunities: Conduct regular market research, analyze customer feedback and observe competitors to stay attuned to market trends. You can use Google Trends and social media analytics to spot emerging opportunities for your brand.
  • Managing inventory: Tracking your inventory can help you streamline operations and prevent stockouts or overstock situations. Inventory management tools like TradeGecko or Zoho can help you track stock levels, manage orders, and forecast demands.

Enhance Site Performance for High-traffic

As your business grows, your e-commerce store visitors will also increase. Optimizing images, minimizing HTTP requests, and leveraging caching help handle this high traffic and maintain optimal performance. Your site should be able to handle spikes in traffic without compromising user experience.

A Content Delivery Network allows users to access data from the nearest location, which reduces latency. Additionally, a clean database helps improve site speed to cater to higher traffic. Consider removing unnecessary data such as spam comments, post revisions, and unused plugins.

Integrate Third-Party Platforms and Services

Integrating third-party platforms improves your site’s functionality and user experience.

  • Select payment gateways that offer flexibility and security.
  • Make sure that shipping options are easy to configure.
  • Provide real-time tracking information.

CRM can also help track customer interactions, manage leads, and automate marketing efforts. This allows businesses to tailor communications based on customer behavior and maintain customer relationships effectively.

Case Studies: Successful E-commerce Sites Built with WordPress

1729302966 470 Mastering WordPress for E commerce Proven Strategies to Boost Your Online

Lugz is a footwear brand that rebuilds its website using WordPress and WooCommerce to maximize performance, efficiency and conversions. With these, they were able to streamline enterprise resource planning integration and minimize time to create data structure and import product data.

1729302966 164 Mastering WordPress for E commerce Proven Strategies to Boost Your Online

French Today helps you speak French in actual conversions. This successful e-commerce website is powered by WordPress and WooCommerce sold over 20 recorded audiobooks with a vast collection of blog posts on language and culture in France.

Final Thoughts: WordPress Is a Go-to CMS for E-commerce

WordPress offers e-commerce businesses opportunities to build, optimize, and scale online stores successfully. With the right strategies, it can be a go-to CMS for e-commerce ventures looking to thrive in the competitive digital marketplace. 

Start your journey to e-commerce success and explore the potential of WordPress to power your online store today!

Featured image by Shoper on Unsplash


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Top 4 WordPress Shortcuts to Save You Time and Boost Productivity

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Top 4 WordPress Shortcuts to Save You Time and Boost Productivity

While there are no shortcuts to success, there are shortcuts to a more efficient workflow. We may not think about them much, but these keyboard shortcuts have helped millions of people make their daily—even hourly—workflows faster and more efficient. 

Some of our favorite shortcuts at WordPress.com help us bypass menus, create post drafts with a single click, quickly access bulk management options, and effortlessly find useful blocks in the editor. Let’s take a look and see how you can use these same shortcuts right now.

1. Command Palette with ctrl+K (or cmd+K)

First up is the Command Palette—think of it like a Swiss Army knife for your site. 

What It Does: Instead of clicking around menus and hunting for the right setting or page, you can press ctrl+K on Windows or cmd+K on Mac to instantly open a WordPress-specific search bar. From there, you can access pages, posts, settings, and even plugins. It’s your shortcut to just about anything you need in WordPress. The Command Palette is accessible when you are logged into your site and have a Block theme activated. 

How to Use It: Press ctrl+K on Windows or cmd+K on Mac to open the command palette. Start typing what you’re looking for, like “new post” or “theme settings,” and hit enter when the option pops up. Voilà! You’re instantly taken where you need to go.

Productivity Boost: This shortcut is a lifesaver when you’re deep in your workflow and don’t want to break your concentration by clicking through menus. It’s especially useful for developers or site owners juggling multiple tasks.

2. Quick Post drafts from the toolbar

If you’ve ever been struck by a brilliant idea while browsing your site, you know the frustration of having to navigate to the dashboard to jot it down. Enter the Quick Post Draft shortcut! This lets you start a new post directly from the admin toolbar without breaking your flow.

What It Does: Start drafting a post from anywhere on your WordPress site (while logged in) by clicking the “+ New” icon in the admin toolbar and selecting “New Post.” No more navigating to the dashboard, and no more interruptions.

How to Use It: While logged in, click the “+” icon in the toolbar, select “New Post,” and start typing. That’s it! You’re already in draft mode, ready to get your thoughts down. Simply save the post as a draft for later, or let those creative juices fly right then and there.

Productivity Boost: This is perfect for those moments when inspiration strikes, whether you’re looking at your homepage or checking your latest blog post. Instead of wasting time going to the dashboard and clicking through menus, you’re writing instantly.

Where to find the +New button.

3. Bulk Edit posts, pages, or products

If you’re managing a large WordPress site with a lot of content, you’re probably familiar with the hassle of updating multiple posts or products, one by one. The Bulk Edit feature can save you loads of time by letting you edit several posts, pages, or WooCommerce products all at once.

Note: In order to use the Bulk Edit feature for Posts, ensure you’re using the Classic view. Follow this support guide for more details.

What It Does: You can modify categories, tags, status, author, and more across multiple items in just a few clicks. Whether you’re managing a blog, an eCommerce store, or a portfolio, bulk editing makes site management much faster.

How to Use It: Go to the Posts, Pages, or Products section of your WordPress dashboard. 

Screenshot of the WordPress.com dashboard.

Select the items you want to update using the checkboxes on the left-hand side, choose “Bulk actions,” then select “Edit.” Clickk Apply.

Where to find Bulk Actions.

From there, you can change multiple settings at once, including categories, tags, and visibility.

Screenshot of the Bulk Edit window.

Productivity Boost: This shortcut is a game-changer for anyone managing content-heavy or product-rich sites. You can handle mass updates without touching each individual post or product, making it a must-have for developers, content managers, and site owners.

4. Use / to search for blocks in Gutenberg

If you’re using the Gutenberg block editor, you might have found yourself scrolling endlessly through the block library to find the exact block you need. Well, guess what? You don’t have to! The slash-command (/) lets you search for any block instantly, speeding up your workflow.

What It Does: Typing / followed by the block name (like /image or /heading) pulls up the block you need instantly and without endless scrolling.

How to Use It: While in the Gutenberg editor, type / followed by the name of the block you want to add (e.g., /image or /quote). Select the block from the dropdown, and boom, you’re good to go!

Example of the / search function in use.

Productivity Boost: This shortcut is a massive time-saver for anyone working in the block editor. Whether you’re building complex layouts or writing a blog post, it eliminates the need to manually search for blocks.

Ready to save time with keyboard shortcuts?

There you have it—four simple yet powerful shortcuts that can dramatically improve your WordPress experience. Whether you’re looking to speed up content creation, navigate more efficiently, or manage large batches of posts, these tips will help you work smarter, not harder. 

And remember, WordPress is packed with these kinds of hidden gems, so don’t hesitate to explore and find even more ways to streamline your workflow.

Time is precious—let WordPress help you make the most of it. Looking for a powerful managed WordPress host? Check out WordPress.com’s plans that offer unmatched speed, unstoppable security, and unlimited site visitors.


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