In this article, we’ll dive into using Crocoblock with Astra WordPress theme.
⌛ Here is a quick overview:
- Astra WordPress Theme: Essentials
- Where to Find Astra Theme in Crocoblock Installation Wizard?
- How to Install Astra Theme?
- Benefits of Using Astra
- Benefits of Using Crocoblock with Astra Theme
- Let’s Sum Up
Astra WordPress Theme: Essentials
Astra Theme got its share of popularity in the WordPress community for a good reason: it is truly multifunctional, loads quickly, and has a wide range of settings and ready-made templates. You can create a first-class online store, corporate site, blog, portfolio, or literally anything with it.
Features
Astra theme main advantages:
- loading speed;
- a large number of settings in Customizer;
- about 200+ ready-made templates;
- many plugins to expand the functionality.
And several default out-of-box properties:
- SEO optimized page layout and integration with Yoast SEO;
- integration with Elementor, Gutenberg, DIVI, Beaver Builder, and others;
- WooCommerce integration.
Astra is one of the fastest WordPress themes: the developers pay much attention to page speed.
They disabled the jQuery library not to interfere with quick page loading. Instead, simple JavaScript is used. On the fresh WordPress installation, pages weigh less than 50 kB and load in a second. Heavy content, of course, will slow down downloads.
In recent versions, starting with 2.0, developers reduce the number of database queries to the minimum.
At the same time, the use of the Astra theme doesn’t guarantee the shortest loading time on the internet because it also depends on the number and size of content, plugins installed, Internet connection speed, and so on.
All appearance settings are made in WordPress Customizer, where all settings are grouped. The changes you make on the site are visible in real-time in the preview window, so you always see the changes before clicking the Publish button. You can change the blog structure, enable or disable sidebar or meta details globally, and adjust the footer.
On the Astra Options page, you will see a section with additional plugins to expand the theme functionality. It is the right approach — you use only the components you need on a particular site. Everything unnecessary is not downloaded and doesn’t slow down the site.
Good examples are Astra Hooks, Custom Fonts and Header, Footer & Blocks for Elementor, and Beaver Builder. These are usually paid plugins or functions in paid themes. Even with a free version of Astra, you get them for free.
Pricing
Astra Pro offers 15+ modules. Most modules improve and increase the functionality of the free version in WordPress Customizer.
Astra Pro is affordable enough, so you get the theme with even wider functionality. If you want to upgrade the theme to a paid version, choose one of three regular options:
- Astra Pro costs $59 per year
- Essential Bundle costs $276 per year
- Growth Bundle costs $523 a year for an unlimited number of sites
The same lifetime license sets cost $249, $499, and $699 for an unlimited number of sites.
All kits provide a 14-day money-back guarantee. If you want to return your money, you only need to contact technical support.
You will have access to all modules, template libraries, and premium technical support on the developer’s website with any license.
If you buy the Essential Bundle, you will receive all Agency templates, the WP Portfolio plugin, and one of two plugins to choose Ultimate Addons for Beaver Builder or Ultimate Addons for Elementor.
If you buy the Growth Bundle, you will receive all previous plugins plus the Convert Pro and Schema Pro plugins. In addition, you will have access to the Academy SkillJet — a section of training materials on the Astra website.
Let’s recap: the main advantages of Astra are the loading speed, the ability to customize any element, an extensive template library, and many plugins to expand the functionality.
But only imagine what you can achieve, using Crocoblock and Astra theme in conjunction. Let’s dive a little deeper into it.
Where to Find Astra Theme in Crocoblock Installation Wizard?
Everything is super simple at this point. When you upload Installation Wizard to your fresh WordPress, you’ll see the following screen:
Click on the Astra theme logo and go for the Child theme for your CSS changes to always be safe.
How to Install Astra Theme?
If you just start using WordPress and Crocoblock, you’ll install the Astra theme right within the Installation Wizard. Yet, if you need to change the theme, follow these steps:
- Step 1. Go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress admin panel.
- Step 2. Find Astra Theme in the opened window.
If you suddenly don’t have Astra in the options, you can go to the official website and download the archive with the theme. Then, you will be able to upload it to WordPress.
Also, you can find Astra Theme using a special search bar.
- Step 3. Click the Install button and wait until the process ends.
- Step 4. Find the Activate link and click on it.
In the Themes tab, you’ll see Astra Theme active:
Benefits of Using Astra WP Theme
You get speed
Astra developers say that their theme loads faster than any of the competing themes. Well, despite all these exaggerations, Astra is a really super-fast theme. Hundreds of bloggers and IT specialists tested its speed, and the results confirmed that Astra works quickly, despite its wide functionality and universal application.
Several factors contribute to impressive loading speeds:
- Developers used Vanilla JavaScript, a lightweight JavaScript library, to create a theme.
- It requires less than 50 KB of resources, while many other themes require at least twice as much.
- The developers optimized each line of code to make Astra one of the most understandable themes.
Some say that speed is a new SEO, and they are right to some extent. Since Google is increasing speed and already includes Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor, it’s reasonable to invest in the lightweight theme.
Astra is also optimized for WooCommerce, so you can quickly download product pages that help you convert better. It also integrates the Schema.org setup to be highlighted in search results.
Highly customizable
Astra provides an impressive list of settings; even its free version is powerful, so you can achieve the same results with some paid themes.
The Customizer section allows you to adjust the logo, site layout, header/footer, navigation chain, sidebar, blog, and other settings. The benefit is that Astra supports AMP initially, so the layout will not break.
Also, you can:
- Select the standard sidebar location and adjust it to your blog pages, messages, and files. For example, blog posts may have a left sidebar, and the page may be disabled.
- Take your footer to a higher level; just check the variety of customization options in WordPress Customizer.
- Get complete control over typography and colors. Astra contains more than 700 Google fonts, and you choose the font and title. Open the WordPress Customizer, select Global primary colors, and select the color scheme for your site.
Astra Theme Pro Addons
As mentioned, you need to purchase the Astra Pro plugin for additional features. After activating the premium plugin, go to Appearance > Astra Options and turn on the module you want to use on your site.
Here are some of the notable features of the Pro version:
- Adjust the content fields/indents to change the site layout as desired.
- Customize colors, typography, and layouts.
- Import free initial templates to start your site with a predefined template.
- Use customizable header and footer design.
- A glued title optimized for WooCommerce and a link to the top of the page.
- Integration with popular page-building plugins.
- Hooks and filters to insert code.
Custom layout
One of the outstanding Astra theme features is the ability to insert code into the page layout. For example, you might need an additional plugin to insert the Google Analytics tracking code for other themes. In Astra Pro, you can go to Appearance > Astra Options > Custom Layouts to create hooks and filters for your site.
- Create hooks and insert them into a predefined position on the layout.
- Use a custom code editor or page editor.
- Insert PHP, JavaScript, and CSS codes.
- Select the display rule and user role for each trap you want to create.
Using this option, you can insert the Analytics code, ads, and banners without an additional plugin.
Starter templates
Another good feature is that you don’t need to start building your site from scratch. With the Starter templates, you get more than 100+ free initial templates. You can install the demo importer plugin and get one of the initial templates. This way, you can quickly get a beautiful layout and focus on your content.
Some of these ready-made sites require purchasing an additional plugin, but they include many free templates. Remember that each of the previously developed websites is optimized for specific website creation programs, such as Elementor, Beaver Builder, Brizy, and, of course, Gutenberg.
Benefits of Using Crocoblock with Astra Theme
Plugins for almost anything
Really, for almost anything. Crocoblock features 20 powerful plugins you can mix and match to add potent functionality to your website.
For example, you can build a hotel website, organize rental and booking services with the JetBooking plugin, and implement advanced filtering and faceted search system using JetSmartFilters. Or you may use JetBlog to organize your articles in an eye-catching way and add smooth visual effects to make the website more engaging and emphasize your content.
Powerful JetEngine plugin
JetEngine is a standalone product to some extent. The essence of the JetEngine plugin is that it can replace a bunch of other plugins and not overload your website with extensions.
Imagine the loading speed your website will demonstrate, having only Astra Theme and JetEngine?
Use one plugin instead of 10+ ones, apply it as your main engine — build a complex website with a well-elaborated structure, using CPTs, taxonomies, custom fields, and relations — and wrap everything in the Astra Theme cover, using templates from its extensive library.
Profit!
Besides, JetEngine provides 30+ features for static and dynamic content, so configuring the website with it is a piece of cake. You should try using the Crocoblock and Astra theme, especially its JetEngine part.
Advanced forms
One more standalone plugin worth mentioning is JetFormBuilder. With it, you can build any form you can imagine and integrate it into your website with Astra Theme.
It offers various field types that are constantly replenished (e.g., Select, Text area, Hidden, DateTime, Media, WYSIWYG, Repeater, Form break, etc.).
Also, you can set 11 post submit actions, configure conditional logic and set visibility rules for any form field, create multi-step forms to improve UX on your website, or even add calculated content.
Besides, you may add a Repeater field to add and remove a repeatable group of entered items, set up custom field styles, and use integrated PayPal for secure transactions, if needed.
JetFormBuilder PRO Addons expands the functionality by adding unique features, like Save Form Progress, Address Autocomplete, and integrations like Moosend, Hubspot, ConvertKit, etc.
WooCommerce integration
Crocoblock and Astra theme are also beneficial in terms of the eCommerce field. In conjunction with JetPlugins, you can transform the website into a marketplace.
Within the JetWooBuilder plugin, Crocoblock offers 60+ WooCommerce widgets and some free widgets to cover basic online store functionality. Take one of the pre-made online store Astra websites, add Crocoblock’s WooCommerce widgets, and get a marketplace to monetize your best practices.
Let’s Sum Up
Would you like to start a personal blog? Astra is a good choice because it has many style options to provide excellent reading experiences, and Crocoblock can add nice eye-catching effects.
Want to launch an online store?
Astra and Crocoblock come to the rescue because they both support WooCommerce, offer many product presentation options, and are incredibly fast to load.
With Astra and Crocoblock, you can create a SaaS company, launch a revolutionary product, and develop branding and personalization.
Add your logo and slogan, and place them in the right place in the header. Both Crocoblock and Astra theme provide hundreds of fonts and unlimited colors to match the brand and style of your business. For portfolios, use the non-traditional structure and design of friendly galleries to present your best works.
Try Crocoblock and Astra together and share your experience with us.
