6 Reasons I Use the Genesis Framework

While a lot of web designers promote custom websites “built from scratch,” I take a different approach. Hundreds of web developers have spent thousands of hours building, refining and supporting website frameworks. Why not take advantage of all this hard work? While there are plenty of websites that require more development than a framework can provide, I would venture to say that 90% of websites being built today could cut development time and dollars by using a framework.

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.