Introducing the best law website templates
StudioPress, one of my favorite WordPress theme developers, just launched its Genesis Theme.
Genesis Theme, in my view, with its multiple layout options, is perfect for lawyer web pages templates – whether a blog, a home page, a profile page, an article or video library – you name, Genesis offers the flexibility to be an outstanding law website template.
Genesis Theme functions on a parent/child theme framework
In a nutshell, this means two things:
- When a theme (aka WordPress template) upgrades, you won’t have to worry about going back and re-coding your php how it was before the upgrade.
- More theme styles will be available because the child theme, which plugs into the parent theme (in a sense) is the style. Since child themes are relatively easy to produce, more designers will create child themes. More importantly, StudioPress plans on setting up a marketplace where it will offer “StudioPress-approved” child themes. The result: more styles to choose from on the StudioPress platform.
Don’t worry, installing and using parent/child themes is still very easy. All you need to do is install the parent and a child theme – then be sure to activate your child theme of choice. StudioPress offers well-written tutorials on getting started.
Here’s a quick video showing the main features of the Genesis Theme
Here are two child themes – the basic theme and the Executive theme (which I think is excellent for lawyer website templates). For all images, click twice to enlarge:
Genesis basic “naked” child theme
Genesis "Naked" Child Theme - CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE
Genesis Executive child theme
Genesis Executive Child Theme - CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE
In my view the Executive Theme is perfect for law website templates and lawyer web pages templates. That said, the “naked” or “minimal” theme is also an excellent canvas for a law firm site.
What about more child themes?
StudioPress intends to set up a marketplace where designers will submit theme or website templates. If approved, those templates will be available (see pricing below). Until now, each theme release presented one style. Now, using child themes, the Genesis Theme can offer 100′s or 1,000′s of website templates and web pages templates. I like this because I’m not big on styling my own sites; I prefer to buy out-of-the-box.
Check out this screen shot of how the marketplace will work in the Genesis install. Basically you can shop within your WordPress install.
Child Theme Marketplace - CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE
In addition to StudioPress’ clean and secure code (a StudioPress trademark), you get the following features with a Genesis Theme:
6 default web pages templates layouts
Select one of 6 layout options for any page or post – enhanced customization. You see the following in every “add post” and “add page” panel.
6 Layout Options For Any Post and Page - CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE
Enhanced WP website templates options panel
Check out the many options for easily customizing your law website and lawyer web pages.
Genesis Theme Options Panel - CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE
SEO options
No more SEO plugins needed. You can fully optimize your law website and law firm web pages in Genesis Theme’s SEO options panel.
SEO Options Panel - CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE
Widget Panel - CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE
Many widget options for improved web pages templates
Widget Panel - CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE
- Set out your featured posts and pages in any sidebar.
- List your latest Tweets in any sidebar.
- Pre-built with a profile widget and gravatar.
- Improved navigation options using widgets.
Criticisms of the Genesis Theme
- Redundant CSS style sheet.
- Building WordPress site is too easy – what will website developers do? (I read this criticism in a forum).
- Need more child themes (yeah, I’m demanding; I’m sure they’re coming).
- Forum answers limited to bugs and only some customization. I’m disappointed that more customization isn’t offered in the forum.
- Theme showcase can be misleading for newbies. It should be made clear that many of the themes in the showcase
- I’m not particularly keen on the mocha child theme. I don’t think it’s StudioPress’ best design. However, this is a personal criticism. I am, however, a huge fan of the Executive child theme.
What else comes with the Genesis Theme?
Since it’s a StudioPress theme, Genesis also comes with the usual StudioPress offerings, which are:
- Very easy-to-install blog e-mail subscription widget.
- Very good forum support moderated by people who know what they’re doing. However, I wish StudioPress would be more willing to give customization support in the forum.
- Genesis Theme is widget-ready
- Comment threading functioning out-of-the-box
- Numerous theme tutorials for installing and customizing Genesis Theme.
- Theme showcase for inspiration and ideas (beware that beginners will not so easily be able to replicate the sites in the showcase).
Click Here for Genesis Theme Pricing
Forum support: if you get one theme, you have lifetime access to that theme’s forum. If you have a Pro Plus membership, you get lifetime access to all forums.
License issued
You can use your theme or themes to build as many websites and/or blogs as you like. If you want 10 law firm sites and blogs (I have 4 so far and they all get traffic – one for each practice area), all you need is one Pro Plus membership. If you end up building sites for other people using StudioPress themes, you can sell them or give them away. You can, of course, customize all of StudioPress themes as much as you like.
Keep in mind some premium theme developers charge a premium for the developer’s license that authorizes multiple uses of one theme. In my view, StudioPress pricing is one of the simplest and most reasonable going for what you get.
Technically, the license you get is a GPL license.
At the end of the day, think about it: you can get great law website templates and an unlimited number of lawyer web pages templates to set up one or numerous websites for your firm for $200.
This blog has an affiliate arrangement with StudioPress.
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