WordPress block themes: The top 10 must-have features

Gutenberg Compatibility: This is a no-brainer, as block themes are built specifically for the Gutenberg block editor. A good block theme will take full advantage of Gutenberg's features, allowing you to easily create and customize your website using blocks. 

Unlike traditional themes that rely on shortcodes or page builders, block themes are built from the ground up to leverage the power and flexibility of the Gutenberg block editor. This means a well-crafted block theme goes beyond just being compatible; it actively embraces Gutenberg's features to create a seamless and intuitive website creation experience.

Here's how a good block theme maximizes Gutenberg compatibility:

• Native Block Support: The theme should utilize the core WordPress blocks that come with Gutenberg, ensuring a familiar and consistent editing experience. This allows you to add elements like headings, paragraphs, images, and galleries without needing any additional plugins.

• Custom Block Integration: On top of core blocks, a good theme will likely offer its own custom blocks specifically designed to work flawlessly within the Gutenberg interface. These custom blocks might include things like product carousels, pricing tables, or team member sections, all tailored to your website's unique needs.

• Seamless Block Customization: Editing and styling blocks should be a breeze. Look for themes that allow you to easily adjust font sizes, colors, layouts, and other design aspects directly within the Gutenberg interface. This eliminates the need for complex code editing and empowers users of all technical backgrounds to personalize their website.

• Advanced Block Layouts: Gutenberg's block system allows for sophisticated layouts beyond simple paragraphs and images. A good block theme will provide pre-built block layouts or templates that leverage nesting and advanced block configurations. This empowers you to create complex landing pages, product showcases, or hero sections with just a few clicks.

• Gutenberg-Specific Features: Some block themes might even integrate with Gutenberg's advanced features like Global Styles or Block Patterns. Global Styles allow you to define website-wide typography, colours, and spacing for a cohesive look. Block Patterns, on the other hand, offer pre-designed block layouts that can be easily inserted and customized for a quick start on specific page elements.

Flexibility and Customization: Block themes should give you a high degree of flexibility and customization options. You should be able to easily change things like fonts, colours, layouts, and more without having to touch code.

Pre-designed Blocks and Templates: A good block theme will come with a variety of pre-designed blocks and templates that you can use to get started quickly and easily. These blocks can include things like buttons, calls to action, content sections, and more. These elements act as the essential building blocks, allowing you to construct your website efficiently and without needing to start from scratch.

Here's a closer look at the power of pre-designed blocks and templates in block themes:

• Kickstart Your Website Creation: Gone are the days of staring at a blank canvas. Pre-designed blocks offer a plethora of ready-made content elements like buttons, calls to action, content sections, image galleries, and more. Simply drag and drop these blocks onto your page to build your website's foundation quickly and effortlessly.

• Focus on Content, Not Code: Block themes empower even non-technical users to create professional-looking websites. Pre-designed blocks often come with pre-defined styles and layouts, eliminating the need to fiddle with intricate code. This allows you to focus on crafting compelling content and structuring your website for optimal user experience, rather than getting bogged down in technical details.

• Variety and Customization: A good block theme won't just offer a handful of generic blocks. Look for themes that provide a diverse range of pre-designed blocks catering to specific functionalities. This might include team member sections for showcasing your staff, pricing tables for displaying product plans, or progress bars to visualize accomplishments. The beauty lies in the ability to customize these blocks further. Many themes allow you to adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to seamlessly integrate with your website's overall design aesthetic.

• Theme-Specific Templates for Cohesive Design: Beyond individual blocks, some block themes offer pre-designed templates for entire pages or sections. These templates act as pre-built layouts featuring a specific arrangement of blocks, often catering to common website functionalities like contact forms, portfolio pages, or blog layouts. This ensures a cohesive design language across your entire website while saving you significant time and effort.

• A Springboard for Creativity: While pre-designed blocks and templates are a fantastic starting point, they shouldn't be viewed as a limitation. They serve as a springboard for your creativity. You can mix and match different blocks, rearrange layouts within templates, and even combine these elements with your own custom blocks for a truly unique website that reflects your brand and vision.

Responsiveness: Your website should look great on all devices, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. A good block theme will be responsive and will automatically adjust its layout to fit the screen size of the device being used.

Lightweight and Fast Loading: Speed is essential for any website, and your block theme should be lightweight and fast-loading. This will help to ensure that your website visitors have a positive experience.

SEO Optimization: Search engine optimization (SEO) is important for getting your website found in search results. A good block theme will be SEO-friendly and will help you to improve your website's ranking.

WooCommerce Integration: If you plan on selling products on your website, you'll need a theme that integrates with WooCommerce, the popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress. A good block theme will make it easy to set up your online store.

Regular Updates: It's important to choose a block theme that is regularly updated. This will help to ensure that your website is compatible with the latest version of WordPress and that you have access to the latest features and security fixes.

Child Theme Support: A child theme allows you to customize your block theme without modifying the theme's core files. This is important if you want to make changes to your theme that you don't want to lose when the theme is updated.

Great Support: When choosing a block theme, it's important to consider the quality of support that is offered. If you run into any problems, you'll want to know that you can get help from the theme developer.