KadenceWP: The Ultimate Gutenberg Theme & Block Builder for Your WordPress Site (Part 1)

KadenceWP feels like a gift from the gods.

I’ve wanted to redo my website for a while but didn’t really want to use any of the page builders I’ve used. As grateful as I am that they exist, I really love writing in Gutenberg and knew that if I redid my site using Gutenberg only, it would probably be faster.

If you’re not familiar with KadenceWP, it’s one product of many owned by StellarWP.

They reached out to me a couple of months ago about being an affiliate for them, and I responded with a little different twist. At this stage in my business, I’m looking more for collaborations than simply more products to promote.

I suggested they sponsor my newsletter & podcast, and in exchange, I would create content for them.

We met in the middle, and here I am.

That being said, I feel like “the lucky one” when it comes to this partnership.

Much like I did way back when StudioPress launched the Genesis Framework (really dating myself here, aren’t I?). I fell in love with Genesis and the community and found a sweet spot for helping the everyday user understand how to use it.

This was back in my “WPChick” days (I transitioned in 2018 to my personal brand with a focus on content marketing).

Fast forward to today, and I’m hoping I show all the coaches, course creators, and solopreneurs how easy it is to get an amazing-looking site that performs well, up in no time.

Before we get into the basics of KadenceWP, there are a couple of things I want to talk about first.

Contrary to what some people might think (call me judgmental, but I’m always a little surprised when I see people who focus solely on social media or writing platforms without making sure their content lives on their own site first), having your own site is incredibly important.

But more on that in a minute.

In today’s digital age, your website is your online storefront, the heart of your digital presence. Whether you’re a coach, a creator, or a solo entrepreneur, it’s the place where potential clients or customers get their first impression of you and your business. It’s your opportunity to showcase who you are, what you do, and how you can help them.

A good WordPress theme is critical in this process. It not only influences the visual aesthetics of your website but also plays a significant role in its functionality and performance. With the right theme, you can create a website that is both visually appealing and easy to navigate, encouraging visitors to stay longer and engage more with your content.

Moreover, a well-coded, optimized WordPress theme can significantly improve your website’s loading speed. In our fast-paced world, speed is of the essence. Slow loading times can frustrate visitors and lead to higher bounce rates. Google also considers site speed as a ranking factor, so a fast-loading website can improve your search engine rankings, leading to more organic traffic.

While social media platforms offer a way to connect with an audience, relying solely on these third-party platforms for your online presence is risky (and a risk I’m not willing to take).

You’re essentially building your online ‘house’ on rented land. You have little control over the platform’s rules, algorithms, and decisions, which can change at any moment and directly impact your ability to reach your audience (umm…Elon Musk, anyone?).

In contrast, owning your website is like owning your house. You have full control over the design, the content you publish, and how you choose to engage with your visitors. It’s a platform that you can customize to reflect your brand personality and values.

There are also huge benefits to driving traffic to your own website.

First and foremost is the ability to capture a visitor’s name & email address, allowing you to create a relationship with them and guide them on a customer journey.

Provided you have Google Analytics installed, you can also collect data that gives you invaluable information regarding content, traffic, and visitor behavior (even if you’re not the one looking at this, it’s important to have someone looking at it).

You have complete control over the look, feel, and performance of your website.

Months ago, I had considered moving off of WordPress and onto an all-in-one platform.

Yea, that didn’t work (ClickFunnels 2.0, need I say more?).

I will ALWAYS keep my content on WordPress – and not just because I have a lot of content here.

I have yet to find anything that allows me the same flexibility.

Plus, it’s like an old friend, and I’m quite comfortable with it. 😉

Before I get into the features and overview of both the theme & block builder, at the time of this writing, I’m still building my new site on a staging site, which is what I’m using in the videos. So depending on when you’re reading this, my site may or may not be live with KadenceWP, but it’s coming (as soon as possible!).

Right out of the box, Kadence makes it super easy to get started.

They have a great selection of Starter templates. Pick the one you want to start with and jump into customizing.

You can then set the global colors for your site in the customizer, which is fantastic, so you don’t have to do it on a page-by-page basis.

In the videos below, I’m going to show you the following:

• Where to find everything once Kadence is installed
• My new homepage and the elements I’ve used

I’ve been wanting to rebuild my site with Gutenberg for a while now, but I knew I needed a little of a headstart, so to speak.

In other words, a base starter theme with supported sections and elements.

Kadence has that (and then some).

You can test Kadence with the free version, but the paid version is worth every penny. In the video, I suggest getting started with the free version to see how easy it is to get started (and there are free starter templates as well, so with a click of a button, you can install a Kadence template to customize).

You can watch their ‘Getting Started with Kadence’ video here.

Here’s the first video, which is my overview of Kadence:

Here’s the second video, where I’m walking you through my new homepage:

Having spent some time with Kadence, my plan is to wrap up my site (I know, duh) and then change over the Create It – The Content Planner website to Kadence as well.

That site is built on Elementor and I’d much rather stick with Gutenberg and Kadence moving forward.

The next two posts in this series will be:

• Showing my finished website
• A deep look into Kadence Conversions