Hi everyone,
I’ve got an old WordPress site that’s pretty basic (no online store or anything). I want to give it a makeover and make sure it scores well on those Core Web Vitals tests. I’m thinking about using a super light theme that works with the block editor, but I’m not sure which one to pick.
Anyone have a favorite theme they’d recommend? Or should I skip the fancy page builders and just use the block editor? I’m aiming for something quick, up-to-date, and friendly to those Core Web Vitals.
What tools or setup would you suggest for this project? I’d love to hear your ideas!
Thanks a bunch for any advice you can share!
I’ve been in a similar situation, and I found that going with a minimal approach really pays off for performance. Instead of using a pre-built theme, I’d recommend starting with a blank canvas like Underscores (_s) and building up from there. It gives you full control over the markup and lets you optimize every aspect of the site.
For the block editor, I’ve had great results using GenerateBlocks. It’s lightweight but powerful, and doesn’t bloat your site like some page builders do. Combine that with a good caching plugin like WP Rocket, and you’ll see those Core Web Vitals scores soar.
One thing that made a huge difference for me was optimizing images. I use ShortPixel to compress them automatically on upload, and then serve them through a CDN. It’s amazing how much that alone can improve load times.
Remember, simpler is often better when it comes to performance. Focus on clean code, minimal dependencies, and efficient asset loading. With this approach, you should be able to create a blazing fast site that aces those Core Web Vitals tests.
For recreating a basic WordPress site with top performance, I’d suggest going with a headless approach using Next.js or Gatsby. These frameworks offer excellent performance out of the box and work well with WordPress as a headless CMS.
I’ve used Next.js for a couple of projects, and the results were impressive. It’s relatively easy to set up, especially if you’re familiar with React. You can use the WordPress REST API to fetch your content, then build static pages that load incredibly fast.
One key advantage is that you’re not tied to WordPress’s front-end limitations. You have full control over the markup and can optimize every aspect of the site’s performance. This approach also tends to score very well on Core Web Vitals tests.
Remember to implement good caching strategies and optimize your images. With this setup, you should see significant improvements in your site’s speed and overall performance.
hey there! i’ve had great luck with generatepress theme + kadence blocks. super lightweight combo that flies thru core web vitals. skip the fancy builders, stick w/ gutenberg. optimize images + use good caching plugin (wp rocket rocks). keep it simple, you’ll crush those scores! good luck w/ ur project!