After running through my fair share of templates, layouts and frameworks, I have finally found one that I love- the Genesis Framework from Studiopress.

Here is a round-up of the reasons why I think Genesis is the best WordPress framework to build your next site with.

Huge Community

One of the reasons I have embraced WordPress as my development platform of choice is because of its huge community of developers, designers and bloggers. The Genesis WordPress framework is a thriving niche within the larger WordPress community.

A passionate and growing number of Genesis users and developers are just a tweet or forum post away. The ability to tap this network is like having my own extended support team. Some of the more notable resources in the community are:

• Genesis Dev - The official Genesis WordPress resource site has a growing library of tutorials, reference documents and showcase of sites developed using the framework.
• Genesis Tutorials – A site operated by Christopher Cochran gives great genesis tutorials for developers.
• Support Forums – If I can’t find my answer on the developer site, I can either find it or have it answered in the support forums. The Studiopress support team is among the best in the business!
• #genesiswp on twitter – The official hash tag of the framework. The growing community of Genesis developers and designers can be found tweeting new tutorials and announcing their latest designs.

Less Development Time = Lower Costs

Building with the Genesis Framework gives me an incredible head-start on deploying websites. Built in layout options, powerful custom widgets and beautifully marked-up code means that I can deploy a website in nearly half the time it would take me to create it from scratch. In turn, this also reduces the cost of projects using the framework.

Future Upgrades

The Genesis Framework has already undergone several upgrades since it was introduced. As WordPress continues to add new features, Genesis has grown and evolved with it. Because of the child/parent theme structure that the framework is built on, upgrades to the Genesis will never break your site.

In addition to code improvements, Studiopress has merged with Brian Clark of Coppyblogger to form Coppyblogger Media. The partnership will produce future benefits for Genesis websites such as tight integration with SEO software like ScribeSEO.

Common Language

Unlike custom coded websites, other developers can easily pick up where I left off with Genesis. This means that if you were ever to switch web development companies, a new developer that is familiar with Genesis could jump right into the code and easily make updates without a long (and costly) learning-curve.

Built-in Features

Out-of-the-box Genesis comes with powerful SEO options, advanced custom widgets, state-of-the-art security and a a lot of other features. This means that Genesis will be able to make almost any website function you want happen.

Joy to Use

Above all else, Brian Gardner, Nathan Rice and the rest of the Studiopress team have made developing and deploying websites fun again. I remember the thrill I got when I coded my first HTML webpage over 10 years ago. I get the same feeling when I build sites with Genesis. Now more of my time and energy can goes into design, marketing strategy and the other factors that will help build your business.

Sites I Have Built Using the Genesis Framework

Elect Bob Singer – Built using a customized Enterprise Child Theme.

Elisa and Chris Are Getting Married! (my wedding site) – Built using a custom child theme.

Discover JCC Magazine – Built using a custom child theme.

JCC Association – Built using a customized version of the Metric Child Theme.

JCCs of North America Professional Conference 2011 – Built using a custom child theme.

JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest in Israel – Built using a customized version of the Metric Child Theme.

Moulinos and Associates LLC – Built using a custom child theme.

NYC Big Deal Book – Built using a custom child theme.

NYC Pizza Run – Built using a customized version of the Freelance Child Theme.

Interested in a Genesis WordPress design for your website or blog? Contact me today!

For a complete list of features, check out the official Genesis Framework page over at Studiopress.

1. Flash

It’s hard for me to be unbiased when it comes to Flash web designs. One could argue that using Flash sparingly can enhance a website’s design, but I argue that the same functionality can be achieved with HTML, CSS and a little Javascript (why you shouldn’t use flash to build your website is an entirely other topic). My beef with Flash is that the point of your website is not to be “flashy.” Elaborate button hover effects and animations are great for video games, not for content-based websites. Instead of thinking “How can I impress people with my website design?” ask yourself how you can empower people with your website.

2. Music and/or video on page load

Any Way You Want It - except for automatically playing music!

The ability to embed audio and video on a website is one of the greatest advantages of a website over traditional marketing collateral. I wholeheartedly encourage you to produce multi-media content and make it available on your site. Just please don’t have it play as soon as I visit the web page. Give users the choice to watch or listen to your content. Your website visitors may be at work, in a library or somewhere else where loud audio will result in navigating away from your website as quickly as possible!

3. Badges

If a badge doesn't add value to your users or your brand, don't clutter your site up with it!

Just as with anything, badges that show off your affiliations to social networking sites, industry organizations and other websites are good in moderation. Website badges tend to be difficult to style and rarely jive with your site’s design. Also, a lot of widgets tend to use flash (see #1).

4. Clutter

Figuring out the goal(s) of your website isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially if you have many products, services or events that you are trying to promote. When figuring out how to get the word out about a new initiative, a common mistake is to “put it on the homepage”. Your homepage should be a well thought-out piece of your communications and internet marketing strategy – not a bulletin board. It seems as if Google announces a new product every week, but their homepage is relentlessly focused on their goal – helping you search the web. If your company does have a lot of products, services and events that need to be communicated, make sure your website’s design is built with this in mind.

5. Advertising

Unless your business’ only revenue stream is advertising, you should never put a banner ad or Google AdWords on your site. The purpose of your website and its content is to create business for you, not other companies! Ad networks like Google AdWords will often put competitors’ ads next to your content. Sure, you could make an extra few bucks a month putting ads on your site, but my guess is that one extra customer / client a year will bring your more revenue than your advertising endeavors will. Putting ads next to your content decreases its perceived value. You owe your content (and your business) more than that.

6. Low or high contrast

Have you ever been to a website that has white text on a black background? It may look nice from a design perspective, but boy does it hurt my eyes. I stare, like many other people nowadays, at the computer screen for hours a day. Don’t make reading your content more difficult than it has to be. Do your readers a favor and make the text on your site easily readable. Your best bet is to stick with black (or grey) on a white background. Here are some other good suggestions of what text color & background combinations work and don’t work.

7. Complex navigation

One of the cardinal sins of web design is to change the navigation from one page to another. The object of your site should be to enable visitors to find what they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible. Changing the main navigation from page to page will frustrate visitors and cause them to leave. Trying to cram all of the pages on your site into the navigation will have the same effect. Beyond a consistent main navigation menu, you can assist visitors using breadcrumbs and paging.

8. Splash page

Don’t confuse a splash page with a landing page. Splash pages were (and unfortunately still are) used to advertise what the site they are visiting is about. Marketers employ splash pages because they don’t trust the layout of their homepage to communicate effectively. Smashing Magazine has a great run down of why we don’t need splash pages. Landing pages, on the other hand, are used as part of a campaign to convert web visitors into leads or customers. Effective landing pages strip out all other information that distracts visitors from completing a desired action.

9. Non-relevant content

Everybody likes silly cat photos, but what does it have to do with your business?

Just because you have content doesn’t mean you should put it on your site. In fact, non-relevant content can hurt your site. Visitors who find your site will see this other “off-topic” content and be confused what your business’ focus is. There is nothing wrong with adding antidotes and a personal touch to your content, but make sure you stay on topic.

10. Pop-up windows

The pop-up window in the original “pain the butt” of websites. There is nothing more distracting or infuriating than a pop-up window, especially if it is an advertisement. Pop-up windows not only distract visitors from your website’s content, but also create a spammy, low-value vibe on your website. If you want to duplicate a pop-up effect, there are modern methods available, but again, they should be used in moderation. Are there any other website distractions that get under your skin (or maybe just annoy you)? Please share them in the comments!

Price of devices/content

Despite the falling prices of ebook readers such as the Amazon Kindle, ebook readers and digital content is still relatively pricey. When you consider the average American reads only four books a year, the break-even point for a $150 ebook reader would be roughly 30 books or 7 and a half years (figured at an average $5 savings per ebook compared to a hardcover.)

The iPad is making quite a splash in the ebook industry, but there is little evidence that it will be the “iPod” of books quite yet. A few publishers have submitted digital versions of their magazine in Apple’s App Store. Wired recently reported that sales of their first iPad edition were on pace to outsell its print version. This should have been a loud and clear call to action for the rest of the magazine industry to start developing digital editions of their magazines, but Apple is throwing a wrench in the traditional magazine revenue model. By demanding 30% of revenues, Apple is making it difficult for publishers to offer digital subscriptions that are competitive to their print counterparts.

As illustrated earlier this year by Ken Auletta in The New Yorker, publishers are finding it difficult to remain relevant in today’s quickly-evolving economy. Self publishing options have never been more plentiful or as easy as they are today. Other than hooking an author up with an editor and spending some cash on marketing and distribution, publishing houses are challenged to provide value to authors. Auletta reports that publishers still give authors creative guidance and support. Is this guidance worth signing over the rights to your book? I’ll let you be the judge.

Many publishers are still struggling with how to monetize their content in the digital world. Disruptive apps such as Flipboard for the iPad are making it even tougher for content owners to turn a profit.

People embracing technology

I need not share any data on how people hate change. It’s been true for as long as humans have been innovating. Some technologies have been easier for the public to adopt than others, such as the evolution of the tape to the compact disc. There were clear benefits of making the switch – increased quality, durability and convenience. It seems people have been particularly resistant against moving from print to digital. Despite the clear benefits (especially the environmental ones), people aren’t letting print go. Print has definitely had a much longer life than other recorded media type. This life-long exposure to printed media may have people feeling nostalgic. Whatever the reason, the public has made it clear – they are not done with print.

Difficult to match the ubiquity of print

While digital signage and billboards have started to dot our urban landscapes, a printed postcard is the cheapest and most ubiquitous piece of collateral in a marketer’s arsenal. What other type of message can be distributed physically over an entire city, in thousands of instances for a penny or two per impression? Of course, there are other costs associated with postcards besides printing, such as design and distribution. The low cost coupled with little need for remarkable messaging has kept the postcard relevant.

Print still has a decent return

Despite impressive returns from PPC advertising and SEO campaigns, a well-crafted direct mail piece can produce a very healthy return on investment. Marketers would be foolish to eliminate all print expenses from their budget. Even internet giants like Google and Yahoo integrate print advertising into their marketing mix. U.S. postage costs continue to rise, but so does the level of innovations to direct mail pieces. Variable digital printing and custom shaped mail pieces continue to produce healthy returns.

Trust

Messages seem to have a lot more worth when they are in print. Messages can be published, edited, erased and syndicated all in the span of a few minutes on the web. In conjunction with the modern day web’s ease of publishing, people are becoming increasingly skeptical of what they read online. Web publishers and platforms have taken steps to boost the credibility of content published on the web. Twitter has verified accounts. Sites like AllTop and Techmeme curate the best of the braking news online. Wikipedia has a strong community of editors who vet newly updated entries. Although print has anything but a flawless reputation for printing the truth, people still seem to put more faith in messages they see in print than online.

Printed communications kill millions of trees ever year, are inherently difficult to share and customize, and produce returns that are notoriously hard to quantify. Albeit, marketers and publishers continue to employ print and won’t stop anytime soon.