Picking a theme framework can be hard. It’s a big investment if you’re just starting out, and even then, you still have to invest the time to learn them (or hire a professional). Headway has gotten to be a big competitor in this market, but how does it compare to Genesis byStudioPress?
This review is going to answer just one question: which theme is better for the “average Joe” DIY user?
Now obviously, this being a website called “Headway Expert” and not “Corey writes totally unbiased reviews about every single WordPress product,” there might be some suspicions as to whether or not I’m being objective. So I want to show you that I totally purchased, installed, and used Genesis before writing this review. Check the proof!
(In case you’re wondering, yes. The website I built looked awful. Not because of Genesis, but because it’s difficult to build websites and talk to my Mom about stir fry recipes at the same time.)
Which Theme is Better for the Beginner/Average WordPress User?
The first thing I noticed when I installed Genesis was that pretty much everything required a hook. There are some built-in layouts to get you started, but it’s more like a stick figure than a full-blown coloring book. Now, I’m no stranger to hooks, but I am quite lazy. When it comes to building a website’s initial layout, I don’t necessarily want to jump through hoops.
And the funny thing is, Genesis is the framework I would code if I were a premium theme producer. Because I don’t know fancy-schmancy ways to make drag n’ drop happen. It’s a framework for developers who just don’t want to start from scratch, but not quite for people who just don’t want to touch the code at all.
Genesis curbs this with lots of child themes and an awesome support forum, but I believe that unless you buy the framework with the intention of using one of the pre-built themes, the typical user could just get lost.
Headway Makes WordPress Development Easy for Newbies
Both themes have a learning curve, but Headway’s visual editor just makes layout management and design easier for the new WordPress user. There’s not a need to ever touch a hook unless you really want to. Heck, You can even choose whether or not to use a child theme (they’re awesome, btw).
In the end, I think Headway gives new users tools to build a website today. And if you’re impatient and kinda lazy like me, that’s a great thing.
Need Headway? Grab the Base for $68
I swear on my brother’s ridiculous love of spicy foods that Headway Themes will make your WordPress development easier. If you don’t have Headway yet, I highly recommend picking up the Base for $68.
I think Headway is a great bit of software.. however, do you have any tips on using Headway to create an eCommerce site, as so far I haven’t found any plugins that will work with Headway 3. Regards..RB
I don’t what kind of site you’re building or what plugins you’ve tried, but a lot of users are recommending Cart66.
I’ve purchased Headway theme but not played too much with it. I’m also a good user of Genesis and I can tell that I like Genesis from a average user point of view. Whereas Headway is a great tool in the hands of an average developer Genesis can do things out of the box. And I think for an experienced developer won’t make much difference if they work with Genesis or with Headway.
The advantage of using Headway is that with a bit of patience and work you can build a site to look pretty much the same as any other site on the Internet. The flexibility of Headway theme is great. However, for the average user I think Genesis is first option.
Headway also does things out of the box, so I’m confused about your statement.
I’ve found that if you don’t want to get into hooks but want a unique design, you’d have to use a genesis child theme. That’s not an issue if you’re looking for a framework with a ton of pre-made themes, but I think some people are also looking for a way to build completely custom designs. In this case I’d choose Headway based on the lack of needing hooks to do layouts.
I also don’t think you need to be a developer to get Headway up and running, with the proper resources in place for learning how to get started. (hence this website, haha).