I’m writing this candid blog post after many months of intense, focused framework development, and I must say that I couldn’t be more excited! This particular project is quite near and dear to my passionate pursuit for that perfect dev tool to present to WP freelancers everywhere. Everything about it, from the code that forms its foundation to the system that distributes it all, has been purposefully presented to ideally meet the needs of its intended audience. You could say for sure that Freelancer is not meant for everyone, but that’s absolutely a good thing! There are plenty of theme solutions out there that are a good fit for the masses, but Freelancer strives to live up to its name and suit itself solely for those making a living (or looking to start doing so) through WordPress freelance development.
How Is Freelancer Setup To Meet These Specific Needs?
To start out, I wanted to develop a framework that really stuck to that 80/20 rule that keeps our software slim, fast, and flexible. I made sure that the critical aspects of a framework theme were present, while leaving everything else out. This means, for example, that there is only one menu and one sidebar built into the theme. It also means that the options are kept simple and the default design minimal. Every aspect of Freelancer is built on the idea that less is more.
The theme is meticulously coded for speed, efficiency, and reliability. As proper for any pure WP framework, Freelancer is packed with filter and action hooks and has core Schema.org markup built-in. It’s mobile-first by design and provides both the up-and-coming coder, as well as the seasoned “code monkey”, with a rock solid platform to get the job done right. Even the theme options and visible naming conventions are purposefully kept generic to keep from distracting the client after their site has been delivered.
Geared toward custom coding, Freelancer faithfully bends to the will of the editor. Yet with full Beaver Themer integration built-in, plus a Page Builder Template included with the Child Theme, this Framework works just as well with drag-n-drop Page Builder Plugins as it does your favorite coding tools.
And of course there is the fact that Freelancer is made available to the Developer for free, with an included Lifetime, Unlimited Site license, never requiring renewal. This was done to provide the freelance WordPress developer with a framework theme that has no financial strings attached. This means that delivering your Freelancer-powered design to your client involves zero future commitment with regards to the theme itself.
Then there is the Themer Pro Plugin, a premium development add-on tool specifically tailored to the unique needs of the developer. Some of the useful features found in Themer Pro include:
- Easy Child Theme creation.
- A powerful code editing environment built right into your WordPress Dashboard.
- Front-end dev tools that make fine-tuning your custom designs much more intuitive and efficient.
- Direct Child Theme file interaction. This means that you can activate Themer Pro, use it to create & customize a Freelancer Child Theme, and then deactivate the Plugin whenever you like, with your customizations remaining in tact. It also means that you can go back and forth between Themer Pro’s “Child Editor” and any other code editing tool without any conflicts to be concerned with.
Themer Pro truly turns Freelancer into the ideal website building machine (Note that Themer Pro is also compatible with several other popular themes for even great flexibility!).
What About The Gazillion Other Themes Out There?
There’s no doubt that many excellent WordPress themes already exist, several even for free. I even develop a number of framework enhancing tools for some of these other themes here at CobaltApps.com. But that doesn’t mean there’s no place for a framework like Freelancer. And frankly, if you include only the free, currently supported, quality coded, pure framework themes, you’re going to find that the numbers are really not that impressive. And then when you consider all the other aspects that make Freelancer ideally suited for the freelance developer, you might decide that this theme actually is worth some serious consideration.
My goal is not to get everyone over to my framework, but instead to build a community with a solid, core group of freelance WP devs, all around a tool that will increasingly meet their specific online needs. For those who come on board I’m hoping to help increase the revenue of their business and quality of work they offer, providing not only an ideal learning environment, but the community to help make it all possible.
So That’s What I’ve Got For You…
It’s not rocket science. Success online as a freelance WordPress developer takes hard work and dedication to your craft. I’m just hoping to be a positive part of that process through my efforts on this domain. I’ve been at this WP dev thing for almost a decade now and I’ve enjoyed watching thousands of freelancers benefit from my other products over the years, but it’s time that I contribute to the framework needs of our trade, and Freelancer is that contribution.
I look forward to continuing my efforts as I provide users of other frameworks with powerful dev tools to enhance their favorite theme, but now I just have my own framework to offer, especially for those who are looking for an ideal match to their freelance development needs.
If you’ve got 10 minutes you can check out my brief walkthrough below:
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