How to Use WP Astra’s Starter Templates to Quickly Build Websites

Preface

Are you looking for a fast and efficient way to build stunning websites with WordPress? Look no further! WP Astra, a popular and highly customizable WordPress theme, offers a game-changing feature called Starter Templates. These pre-designed website templates can be imported and customized in just a few clicks, saving you countless hours of development time. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about using WP Astra’s Starter Templates to quickly build websites, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer. By using these templates you can create great websites and you wont need to bother about complicated themes. So it is also possible as someone who never used wordpress to get started with creating websites.

What are WP Astra Starter Templates?

WP Astra Starter Templates are collections of professionally designed website templates that are built to work seamlessly with the WP Astra theme. These templates cover a wide range of industries and niches, including business, e-commerce, portfolio, and blog sites. They are built using popular page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, Brizy, and the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg), giving you the flexibility to choose your preferred design tool. Check out the WP Astra website to learn more about their features.

Info: Starter Templates are not exclusive to Astra but rather integrate nicely into Astra! Other Themes provide these functionalities as well. But compared to the competitors these are easier to use and more customizable.

Why Use Starter Templates?

There are several compelling reasons to use WP Astra Starter Templates for your website projects:

• Save Time: Avoid the time-consuming process of designing a website from scratch. Starter Templates provide ready-to-use layouts and designs that you can quickly customize.
• Professional Design: Access professionally designed templates created by experienced web designers. Each template is visually appealing and optimized for user experience.
• Easy Customization: Customize every aspect of the templates to match your brand and content. Change colors, fonts, images, and layouts with ease using your preferred page builder like Elementor.
• Responsiveness: Ensure your website looks great on all devices (desktops, tablets, and smartphones) with fully responsive templates.
• Variety: Choose from a wide selection of templates to find the perfect design for your specific needs.
• SEO-Friendly: Benefit from clean code and optimized designs that help improve your website’s search engine ranking. Remember to optimize your website with SEO best practices.

Getting Started with WP Astra and Starter Templates

1. Install the WP Astra Theme

If you haven’t already, the first step is to install the WP Astra theme on your WordPress website. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Appearance > Themes.
3. Click Add New.
4. Search for “Astra”.
5. Click Install and then Activate.

2. Install the Starter Templates Plugin

Next, you need to install the Starter Templates plugin, which provides access to the library of pre-designed templates.

1. Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Search for “Starter Templates”.
3. Find the plugin by Brainstorm Force (the developers of Astra).
4. Click Install Now and then Activate.

Hint: Brainstorm Force is the company behind Astra. Therefore make sure its by them!

3. Accessing the Starter Templates Library

Once the Starter Templates plugin is activated, you can access the template library through the WordPress dashboard.

1. Go to Appearance > Starter Templates.

4. Choosing a Page Builder

The Starter Templates plugin will prompt you to choose your preferred page builder. You can select from:

• Elementor
• Beaver Builder
• Brizy
• Gutenberg (WordPress Block Editor)

Select the page builder you are most comfortable with, or the one that best suits your project’s needs. If you’re new to page builders, Elementor is a great choice due to its user-friendly interface and extensive features. If you want to learn some useful Elementor Tricks, check out this Blogpost!

5. Selecting a Template

After choosing your page builder, you’ll be presented with a library of Starter Templates. You can browse through the templates, filtering them by category or searching for specific keywords.

1. Browse the available templates.
2. Use the search bar to find specific templates.
3. Click on a template to preview it.

Importing and Customizing a Starter Template

1. Previewing the Template

Before importing a template, you can preview it to see how it looks and functions.

• Click on the template in the library.
• Review the demo content and pages.
• Check the responsiveness on different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile).

2. Importing the Template

Once you’ve found a template you like, you can import it into your WordPress website.

1. Click the Import Complete Site button.
2. You’ll be prompted to install required plugins (if any).
3. Choose whether to import the entire site or just specific pages.
4. Click Import.

Info: Make sure that you check regularly for plugin updates! By keeping your website up to date and perform regular maintenance you can ensure that everything is running smoothly.

Hint: When importing, you have the option to delete previously imported sites. This is useful if you want to start fresh with a new template.

3. Customizing the Template

After importing the template, you can customize it to match your brand and content using your chosen page builder.

1. Go to the page you want to customize.
2. Click Edit with [Your Page Builder].
3. Customize the content, images, colors, and fonts.
4. Adjust the layout and add or remove sections as needed.
5. Save your changes.

Best Practices for Using Starter Templates

1. Choose the Right Template

Select a template that closely matches your website’s purpose and industry. This will minimize the amount of customization required.

2. Replace Placeholder Content

Replace all placeholder text and images with your own unique content. This will ensure your website is original and relevant to your audience.

3. Optimize Images

Optimize all images for the web to improve page loading speed and SEO. Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to compress images without sacrificing quality. You can even create high-resolution screenshots to showcase your content.

4. Customize Colors and Fonts

Adjust the colors and fonts to match your brand identity. This will create a cohesive and professional look for your website.

5. Ensure Responsiveness

Check the responsiveness of your website on different devices. Make sure your content looks good on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

6. Optimize for SEO

Optimize your website for search engines by using relevant keywords, writing compelling meta descriptions, and building high-quality content. Use plugins like Yoast SEO to help with on-page optimization.

Here is an example for adding a meta description with Yoast SEO:

1. Install and activate the Yoast SEO plugin.
2. Edit the page or post you want to optimize.
3. Scroll down to the Yoast SEO meta box.
4. Enter your focus keyword in the “Focus keyphrase” field.
5. Edit the meta description in the “Meta description” field.
6. Analyze the readability and SEO scores and make improvements as suggested.

<meta name='description' content='Your optimized meta description here.'>

7. Add Custom Functionality

Extend the functionality of your website by adding plugins for features like contact forms, social media integration, and e-commerce. Check out some AI Plugins for wordpress that might help you building your website!

Advanced Tips and Tricks

1. Using Custom CSS

If you need to make more advanced customizations, you can use custom CSS to override the default styles of the Starter Template.

1. Go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Add your custom CSS code.
3. Preview the changes and click Publish.

Here’s an example of custom CSS code:

/* Change the background color of the header */
header {
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
}

2. Creating Child Themes

For more extensive customization, consider creating a child theme. This allows you to modify the theme files without losing your changes when the parent theme is updated.

1. Create a new folder for your child theme in the wp-content/themes/ directory.
2. Create a style.css file in your child theme folder with the following code:

/*
Theme Name:   Astra Child Theme
Template:     astra
*/

@import url('../astra/style.css');

/* Add your custom CSS code here */

3. Activate your child theme in the WordPress dashboard.

3. Integrating with Other Plugins

Starter Templates work well with a variety of WordPress plugins. Some popular integrations include:

• WooCommerce: For building e-commerce websites.
• Contact Form 7: For creating contact forms.
• Yoast SEO: For optimizing your website for search engines.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

1. Template Import Fails

If the template import fails, try the following:

• Check your internet connection.
• Increase the PHP memory limit in your wp-config.php file.
• Disable any conflicting plugins.

2. Website Looks Broken After Import

If your website looks broken after importing a template, try the following:

• Clear your browser cache.
• Regenerate the CSS files in your page builder settings.
• Check for plugin conflicts.

3. Images Not Displaying

If images are not displaying, try the following:

• Check the image URLs in your media library.
• Regenerate thumbnails using a plugin like Regenerate Thumbnails.
• Ensure your media library is properly configured.

Conclusion

WP Astra’s Starter Templates offer a powerful and efficient way to build stunning websites quickly. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, these templates can save you valuable time and effort. By following this comprehensive guide and adhering to best practices, you can create professional, responsive, and SEO-friendly websites with ease. So, dive in and start building your dream website today! You can also improve on your existing skills and learn how to install wordpress plugins or inspect the style.css file to adapt to your style! Happy website building!