Track: Auditorium

The debut of the “full site editor” in WordPress 5.8 has led to rapid iteration on theme development options and best practices over the last four years. The best practices of building custom themes were subverted with the release of Gutenberg at the end of 2017 and were further upended as the fundamental underlying structure of WordPress shifted dramatically again when the full site editor was released in 2021. As such, WordPress theming continues to undergo a period of rapid innovation and reinvention.

I started building themes with Gutenberg immediately upon its release into WordPress core and also started building Full Site Editing (FSE) themes upon their release. There were a handful of resources available early on to help guide me in terms of standards for developing with these new tools, but a significant amount of experimentation, refining my process with each new website build, and intensive study of other people’s themes helped me come to a new process for theme building that has become nearly as comfortable as the pre-2018 .

In this talk we’ll review my current FSE process for building a custom theme. We’ll cover base themes; shifts in tooling, process, and workflow; how to decide when to use the editor versus code a component; using blocks for page structure instead of traditional templating, how to set a website editor up for success when managing a site built with an FSE theme, and more.

Looking to build a high-impact, content-driven WordPress website and it’s all on you? Using Montclair’s Studio Players block built website as a real-life example, we’ll explore four must-have plugins that streamline content creation, enhance design, and boost audience engagement: Yoast, Stackable, Gravity Forms, Newsletter. Join Laura for a deep dive into how these plugins can transform your blog into a dynamic, SEO-friendly, and beautifully designed content hub!

Success is built on more than just deliverables—it thrives on trust, collaboration, and shared vision. This session explores the key ingredients of a thriving partnership, offering actionable insights on communicating effectively, setting clear expectations, and fostering mutual growth. From generating a pipeline to account mapping to marketing proposals, we will explore the fundamentals of maximizing your partnerships. Whether you’re an agency or offer a service, discover how to create a purposeful working relationship and turn it into a flourishing partnership that drives exceptional results.

Remember when building a five-page WordPress site was the bread and butter of web agencies? Those days are fading as AI tools increasingly automate the creation of simple websites. But does this spell doom for agencies, or is it simply the next phase in our evolution?

This talk charts the journey of web agencies from 2014 to today, and looks ahead to a future where AI tools like Vercel’s v0 can generate entire landing pages with a prompt. Rather than fearing this shift, we’ll explore three strategic paths for agencies to not just survive but thrive:

– Embracing complexity by focusing on custom integrations and advanced functionality beyond AI’s current capabilities
– Mastering simplicity and speed with consistent, fixed-rate services enhanced by AI tools
– Pivoting to become AI implementation specialists for your existing client base

Along with practical examples and a live demo of current AI web builders, you’ll leave with actionable strategies to position your agency for success in an increasingly AI-powered industry. The future of agencies isn’t extinction—it’s evolution.

Is your current approach old and outdated? Haven’t let go of the Classic Editor or traditional theme design and editing techniques? In this interactive presentation, we’ll ‘hike’ through a case study for a site rebuild:
– Highlight some considerations that occur when transitioning from classic editor/themes or page builders to Full Site Editing (FSE) with Blocks;
– How do you choose the right ‘equipment’ to design your WordPress sites?
– Review a comparison matrix for choosing a website tool approach for this project;
– Determine when it is time to make the switch; and
– Review a timeline of Gutenberg phases focusing on feature additions through core updates.
This presentation is perfect for those new to WordPress or those STILL hesitant to switch more than six years into Gutenberg and FSE.

Uncover how artificial intelligence is reshaping WordPress site management across every stage—from user-friendly onboarding and swift setup to innovative content creation, continuous maintenance, insightful market research, top-notch customer support, and streamlined code builds.

The discussion explains how AI automates daily tasks, fine-tunes content strategies, and speeds up custom code generation. Attendees also learn about sandbox tools such as WP Playground, which enables safe testing and rapid prototyping, and a balanced look at the benefits and challenges of employing AI for custom plugin and extension development. With numerous hosting providers initiating agency partner programs, this talk provides practical insights for creating faster, more intelligent, and secure WordPress sites.