WordPress has been moving towards a more flexible, user-friendly approach with features like Full Site Editing and page builders such as Elementor.
While these tools offer unprecedented control over website elements, they can pose challenges for managers of large corporate sites who need to maintain brand consistency and focus on content creation.
This is where Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) blocks come into play, offering a perfect balance between flexibility and control.
Contents
- The Challenge of Too Much Control
- Enter ACF Blocks: The Perfect Solution
- Maintaining Brand Consistency
- Streamlining Content Creation
- Flexibility Within Structure
- Improved Development Workflow
- Scalability for Large Websites
- Enhanced Content Management
- Improved SEO Capabilities
- Implementing ACF Blocks: Best Practices
- Conclusion
The Challenge of Too Much Control
The evolution of WordPress has brought about a paradigm shift in website management, empowering users with unprecedented control over their digital presence.
This transformation, while revolutionary, has introduced a new set of challenges, particularly for large corporate websites where consistency and efficiency are paramount.
WordPress’s evolution has allowed users to modify almost every aspect of their websites, from fonts and colours to padding and margins.
While this level of control can be beneficial for small business owners or hobbyists, it presents significant challenges for corporate websites:
- Brand Inconsistency: With multiple team members having access to modify design elements, the site risks drifting away from established brand guidelines.
- Time Inefficiency: Content creators may spend too much time tweaking design elements instead of focusing on producing high-quality content.
- Inconsistent User Experience: Variations in styling across different pages can lead to a disjointed and unprofessional user experience.
Enter ACF Blocks: The Perfect Solution
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) blocks emerge as a game-changing solution, offering a harmonious blend of flexibility and control that addresses the unique needs of large custom websites.
By providing a structured yet adaptable framework, ACF blocks revolutionize the way content is created and managed in WordPress.
ACF blocks offer a powerful solution to these challenges. By leveraging ACF blocks, developers can create custom Gutenberg blocks that are both flexible and controlled. Here’s how ACF blocks address the needs of large corporate websites:
1. Maintaining Brand Consistency
Brand consistency is the cornerstone of a strong corporate identity. ACF blocks serve as guardians of this consistency, providing a robust framework that ensures every piece of content aligns perfectly with established brand guidelines.
This level of control is crucial for large organizations where multiple team members contribute to the website.
ACF blocks allow developers to create pre-designed, brand-compliant components. These blocks can be locked down to ensure the fundamental design elements remain consistent across the site. This means:
- Content creators can focus on writing without worrying about design choices.
- Brand guidelines are automatically enforced through the block designs.
- The overall look and feel of the website remain professional and coherent.
Client Benefits:
- Reduced risk of off-brand content being published
- Stronger brand identity across all web pages
- Decreased need for constant design oversight and corrections
2. Streamlining Content Creation
Producing and publishing high-quality content quickly is a significant competitive advantage. ACF blocks transform the content creation process, turning it from a potentially time-consuming and error-prone task into a streamlined, efficient operation that empowers content creators.
With ACF blocks, content creation becomes significantly more efficient:
- Content teams can quickly assemble pages using pre-approved blocks.
- The learning curve for new team members is reduced, as they only need to understand how to use the blocks, not how to design them.
- Time spent on getting design approval for new content is minimized or eliminated.
Client Benefits:
- Faster content production and publication cycles
- Reduced training time for new content team members
- Lower costs associated with design reviews and approvals
Jake Haines
Developer
ACF custom blocks are a game-changer.
When it comes to effectively managing your content, the sites we build give you both flexibility and control over your content like never before.
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While consistency is crucial, the ability to adapt and customize is equally important for a dynamic corporate website. ACF blocks strike an optimal balance between structure and flexibility, providing a framework that maintains order while allowing for creativity and customization when needed.
While ACF blocks provide structure, they’re not rigid. Developers can build in controlled flexibility:
- Use of a “shirt-sizing” method (XS, S, M, L, XL) for spacing options gives content creators some layout control without risking design inconsistency.
- Blocks can be designed with specific content types in mind, ensuring that all necessary elements are included without overwhelming the user with options.
Client Benefits:
- Content creators retain some creative freedom within safe boundaries
- Ability to adapt layouts for different content needs without compromising overall design
- Reduced risk of accidental design breakages
4. Improved Development Workflow
The development process for large corporate websites can often be complex and time-consuming.
ACF blocks introduce a paradigm shift in this area, offering a modular approach that significantly enhances efficiency, reduces redundancy, and accelerates the development cycle.
ACF blocks significantly enhance the development process:
- Once a library of blocks is established, creating new page templates becomes much faster.
- Blocks can be easily cloned and modified, allowing for quick iterations and new feature development.
- The modular nature of blocks makes it easier to maintain and update the website over time.
Client Benefits:
- Faster turnaround times for new features and page templates
- Lower development costs for future website expansions
- Easier and less risky website maintenance and updates
5. Scalability for Large Websites
As businesses grow and evolve, their websites must be able to grow and adapt alongside them.
Scalability is a critical factor for large corporate websites, and it’s an area where ACF blocks truly shine.
By providing a flexible, modular structure, ACF blocks ensure that a website can expand and evolve without the need for major overhauls or redesigns.
For large corporate websites, scalability is crucial. ACF blocks excel in this area:
- Creating new blocks without affecting existing content can easily accommodate new content types.
- The block library can grow organically as the website’s needs evolve.
- Performance optimization is easier when working with standardized blocks.
Client Benefits:
- Future-proofing of the website structure
- Ability to easily expand the website as the business grows
- Maintained website performance even as content volume increases
6. Enhanced Content Management
Effective content management is the backbone of any successful corporate website. ACF blocks revolutionize content management by providing a structured, intuitive system that simplifies organization, streamlines workflows, and enhances content reusability.
This structured approach is particularly beneficial for large websites with diverse content types and multiple contributors.
ACF blocks provide a structured approach to content management:
- Content can be organized more effectively within the CMS.
- It’s easier to implement and manage content approval workflows.
- Content reusability is improved, as blocks can be designed for multiple contexts.
Client Benefits:
- Improved content organization and findability
- Streamlined content approval processes
- Increased efficiency through content reuse across the site
7. Improved SEO Capabilities
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an integral part of website strategy. ACF blocks take SEO to the next level by baking best practices directly into the content structure.
This approach ensures that every piece of content is optimized for search engines from the moment it’s created, providing a significant advantage in the competitive online landscape.
With ACF blocks, SEO considerations can be built directly into the content structure:
- Ensure that all necessary SEO elements (headings, meta descriptions, alt text) are included in each block.
- Maintain consistent internal linking structures across the site.
- Easily implement schema markup for enhanced search engine visibility.
Client Benefits:
- Better search engine rankings due to consistent SEO best practices
- Reduced risk of missing crucial SEO elements
- Improved visibility in rich search results
Implementing ACF Blocks: Best Practices
Implementing ACF blocks effectively requires a strategic approach that takes into account the unique needs of your organization and website.
By following these best practices, you can ensure a smooth transition to an ACF block-based system and maximize the benefits for your corporate website.
To get the most out of ACF blocks for your large corporate website:
- Start with a thorough content audit and design system creation.
- Involve both design and content teams in the block planning process.
- Create a diverse library of blocks to cover various content needs.
- Implement a governance system for block creation and modification.
- Provide comprehensive training for content creators on using the new block system.
- Regularly review and update your block library based on user feedback and changing needs.
Client Benefits:
- A tailored website structure that meets specific business needs
- Improved collaboration between design and content teams
- A flexible system that can evolve with the company’s needs
- Empowered content creators who can work efficiently within the system
Conclusion
For large corporate websites, the benefits of using ACF blocks are clear. They offer a perfect balance between design control and content flexibility, ensuring brand consistency while empowering content creators.
By focusing on creating a robust library of ACF blocks, you can streamline your WordPress development process, improve content management, and maintain a professional, cohesive web presence. ACF blocks stand out as a powerful tool for creating efficient, scalable, and user-friendly corporate websites.
David Foreman
Dave is the MD at Toast and has been building bespoke WordPress sites for over 15 years. He currently gets involved in the scoping and planning of new sites together with content and SEO strategy to get sites ranking.
