The Gutenberg Block Editor, and why you want it
So what is it?
Gutenberg is the ‘new’ native editor that ships with current versions of WordPress. It really helps define what a Content Management System should be – one that puts you in control of your content.
It’s been around since December 2018 (so not all that new) but it has now matured into an easy to use and lightweight page builder which is constantly growing.
The block editor was developed to provide a user-friendly way to lay out pages creatively. If you’ve had a WordPress website from before 2018 (pre-version 5), you’ll know how hard it used to be to get pages with columns or achieve anything beyond a basic formatting without a coder on your team!
Blocks for everything
Gutenberg divides your content into blocks. Each block has its own set of options which appear when you have the block selected. You can perform some basic formatting like changing sizes, spacing, backgroun colours and text styles.
The blocks resemble the front end so it’s more WYSIWYG than ever before. Blocks can be moved by dragging and dropping within the page, and can be copied to other pages or posts too. There is the option to make a block re-usable which adds even more convenience.
What it offers
- Editing speed – pages can be quickly set up and formatted
- Flexibility – page items can be moved, coloured, adapted
- Optimised – the editor does not slow down the page. It allows for a faster overall loading time which is great for SEO and your rankings.
- Easier training – the intuitive interface means that training time is reduced – get your team onboard more quickly
What we do with our blocks
At Ibex, we follow the development of Gutenberg very closely, and our websites offer a much more flexible and integrated experience compared to standard WordPress functionality which is as far as most of our competitors tend to go.
We build custom branded blocks, which enable you to create new pages with design freedom, but also ensures that your new content follows your branding and colour scheme, and looks like a professionally designed page. Above shows some of the options available on some of the block customisations we did for a client. The options allow you to easily enlist the help of your team to edit pages and add content – applying approved colours and retaining a consistent style while not being limited to preset page templates. You can sort out the content while not having to worry about the look and feel as that is taken care of.
We give full training on using the block editor – changing images, adding or amending text and inserting links to neighbouring pages or outside websites.
Some of our sites that use customise Gutenberg Branded Blocks:
Upcoming in Gutenburg 15
The new upcoming release include a sticky header options along with copying and pasting blocks styles, much like you can do in Divi. A new WooCommerce block is also coming so be on the look out for those!
Want to switch to Gutenberg?
Depending your current WordPress theme, switching over to Gutenberg can be straightforward or a lot of work. It is possible to switch to Gutenberg and still retain the original content in a Classic Block. Once converted, the content adopts the new block format and tag wrappers.
We can offer our services to:
- Convert your website to Gutenberg
- Redesign your website using extended Gutenberg blocks
If you’d like to know more about this great editor please get in touch.