Hugh's Views & News How I Finally Switched My Blog to a Block Theme – Challenges, Wins, and Must-Know Tips for WordPress Bloggers
Switching My Blog From a Classic to a Block Theme
Hello. Thank you for joining me on the other side. If you are unsure what I am talking about, check out my last post, ‘Why Now Is The Time To Pull Up My ‘Big Boy’ Trousers’ About My Blog‘ for the answers.
I did it! All those months of worry and “what-ifs” are now a thing of the past. I’ve launched my blog into the 21st century, joining many of you who have already done the same thing.
Ten years ago, when I first changed the theme of my blog, only Classic themes were available. It took me a whole weekend to change themes.
Over the years, and since the introduction of Block themes, WordPress has made it easier to change a blog’s theme. And I have to say that I am thankful to them for making it an easy process. If I can do it, anyone can.
The Challenges I Faced
How long did it take me to change from a Classic to a Block theme?
Two years! But all of that was my fault because I was too scared to face the change! I kept giving myself excuses as to why I shouldn’t do it. Given that there is a lot of information and many tutorials on how to make the switch, all those excuses were just me telling myself I lacked confidence. That’s something I regret.
When I checked out all the Block themes and sat down to make the switch, I had a new theme up and running within an hour. Sure, I had to make some changes along the way, but I was shocked by how easy it was to make the switch. A whole weekend to change the theme of a blog turned into an hour!
Were there any challenges in making the change?
- Yes! But everything we do comes with its challenges, and blogging is no different. The first challenge was the time I wasted checking out all the Block themes. I spent far too long trying lots of them out, when what I should have done was stick with the first one I liked and knew would work for me.
- Another challenge was the persistence with which I told myself this was going to be difficult and turn out badly. It wasn’t! I also stopped listening to people telling me I didn’t need to make the change, and those who were negative about it. I was surprised by how quickly I made the switch, though watching tutorials and reading advice on how to do it certainly helped.
- My biggest challenge was being unpredictable and not following the correct instructions when making some changes. For example, while adding blocks to the sidebar of my new-look blog, WordPress prompted me several times with the message, “Are you sure you do not want to save the changes?” and I still answered “Yes!” What was I thinking? Who knows?
The Positives of Making the Change
What were the positives about making the change?
- The excitement about changing the theme of my blog was the feeling I had when I was a kid in a sweet shop, with so much choice, although that was a time-wasting trap I fell into. But the feeling kept me positive throughout the process.
- Another positive was all the wonderful support and tutorials out there on how to change your blog’s theme from Classic to Block. Sure, you need some time to watch and learn, but we make time for learning something new throughout our whole lives, so why not this?
- But the biggest positive was the feeling I got when I saw my blog and its new theme for the first time. I felt I had taken a massive step forward on my blogging journey. The old theme I’ve been using for the last five years now seems so outdated, even though it’s still one of the few Classic themes WordPress has not retired…yet.
My Recommendations for Changing Blog Themes
What recommendations do I make when changing blog themes?
- Don’t put it off. If it’s something you want (and know) you have to do, stop making excuses for not doing it. Not having enough time to make the change is probably the king of all the excuses, but time should never be a problem or an excuse.
- Consider taking your blog offline while you make the change. Although I did not do this, there is an option to do so. On the dashboard of your blog, go to Settings – Reading, and scroll down to Site Visibility. Click the ‘Coming Soon‘ option before clicking the Save button at the bottom of the page. Doing this will remove any ‘panic’ about visitors to your blog seeing errors while you are working on the switch.
- I opted for informing my readers in a post that I was making changes. I’d recommend you do the same unless you take your blog offline.
- Take some time to watch tutorials and read information on how to make the switch from a Classic to a Block theme. WordPress has a post titled “Switch from a classic theme to a block theme” that explains everything you need to know.
- Do not listen to anyone who dislikes or hates change and who will try to put you off from making the change. Believe in yourself and leave those negative people behind.
- Don’t spend too much time checking out all the different themes. I wasted almost two weeks doing that and should have stuck to the first theme (this one) I liked.
- Take the chance to do some blog housekeeping while switching themes. I updated my social media blocks, book links, audited categories and tags, and updated my ‘About‘ page.
Closing Thoughts and Thank You
Thank you to everyone who has already been in touch, saying how much they like my new-look blog and to everyone who has given me feedback to help make further improvements.
If you have questions about switching from a Classic to a Block theme, don’t be afraid to reach out. I’m always happy to help.
In the meantime, I’d love your feedback on the new theme for my blog. Let me know if there is anything you like or don’t like. I’m happy for any suggestions to make my blog as welcoming and engaging as possible.
Oh! And most importantly, for those wanting to know, the new theme I chose is called “Nook.”
Have you changed the theme of your WordPress blog from Classic to Block? Did you encounter any problems? What were they, and how did you resolve them?
The featured image in this post was created using the WordPress image generator. AI was used to check for grammar and spelling mistakes and to help with the layout of the post.
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