Go for a dynamic WordPress website with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)

WordPress websites are versatile and user-friendly. Thanks to extensions and customizations, it is possible to fully customize a WordPress website. This is useful for organizations that have loading speed, privacy, security and digital accessibility challenges.

With a customized WordPress website, you are no longer dependent on standard templates. We use Advanced Custom Fields, also called ACF, which can be used to create any possible design and solution. As a result, you are assured of a unique website that meets all your requirements and wishes. Customization may seem complicated, but it actually brings structure and unity. In this article, we discuss what ACF is, how we build our own flexible sections and what the benefits are.

Flexible sections with ACF

In a WordPress website, you can create elements through Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), which are the building blocks of your page. We store these building blocks and call them sections. ACF is a WordPress plugin that allows you to add and manage custom fields. They are flexible sections because we can make anything you want. By creating several flexible sections, you create a container of content elements that you can use to build each page yourself, to your liking.

Unique at 2manydots

We build the flexible sections ourselves, giving us control over the presentation and design of each section. As a result, as an experienced Internet marketing agency, we guarantee high quality. For example, our sections are always being optimized, to remove bugs. This significantly reduces the chance of errors in your website. Also, this way there is no need for a plug-in developer. That’s a big difference from standard templates. There are often errors in a template that you cannot simply address. Such a bug is then “fixed” with a plug-in, making the website slower or containing even more errors.

Because we build the sections ourselves, we can handle certain challenges directly. At 2manydots, we prefer not to install an additional plug-in, but build the appropriate section as an alternative. This is clearer, safer, faster and completely to your liking.

Advantages of ACF

1. You’re not stuck with a standard template that you have to work from.
2. Anything is possible and can be built. This ensures both diversity in the sections and unity on the complete website.
3. You, in consultation with one of our developers, are in control of how functions work and what that should look like. As a result, you as a client are very flexible and can continue to expand with us.
4. No additional plug-ins are required, which reduces the chances of a slow website and bugs.
5. Working with flexible sections is user-friendly. Once you understand the setup of one flexible section, you understand them all.
6. A tidy backend: because everything is customized, we can take into account the structure and layout of the backend. This keeps it clear to work in.

Pitfall of ACF

The biggest pitfall in using ACF, is having too many different sections. There are also numerous options for each section, which can make it difficult to choose the best options for your website and content elements. As a result, a Web site can look cluttered and the corporate identity can get lost in the mix. So it is very important that the website remains a unit, despite the different components in a website. We help you find the right balance between unity and dynamic elements. In the end, it’s all about the best representation for a particular type of content.

The recommendation is to use a maximum of 10 to 15 different flexible sections. Some sections you use often, others only appear in one or two places in the site.

Examples of flexible sections

There are five flexible sections that recur on every website to build a good page. These five sections are the foundation and we build on them. Then we look at specific solutions to best present your content on a page. The solution must be in line with the corporate identity and user-friendly in the backend. We often see the following five basic sections:

• A text box combined with an image;
• A text box with one, two or three columns;
• One section for multiple logos;
• Call To Action (CTA) buttons;
• Sliders with images.

Really anything is possible

You can make a custom WordPress website as complex as you like, but of course you don’t have to. By using ACF, you have the room to keep expanding, but still keep the backend uncluttered and secure. For example, you can link “custom post types” to a section: information in different places in the website is easily customizable in one place through this feature. For example, you don’t have to manually update contact information for changing recruiters throughout the website.

Extended content plug-in

If you use flexible sections in WordPress, the extended content plug-in is a good addition. This homemade plug-in gives you the option to deal with available flexible sections easier and faster. In fact, this plug-in provides a visual translation for selecting the appropriate section. That way you don’t have to remember what each flexible section looks like. In summary, this plug-in provides an uncluttered backend and time savings.

The plug-in provides the following functionalities:

• Visual: All the different sections are visualized by thumbnails in your backend. In this overview, you can immediately see what options are available.
• Categories: It is possible to divide the different flexible sections into categories. For example, you can distinguish between text sections, media sections, CTA sections and other sections.
• Copy: This function makes it possible to copy a previously used section into a new page. The content in the copied section is preserved, reducing the time it takes to build pages.
• Duplicate: When you want to use a section more than once on the same page, you do so by duplicating a section. This preserves all content and allows you to directly reuse and/or modify the section.

Get more out of your WordPress website and choose customization. Want to learn more about using our flexible sections with ACF or the premium extended content plug-in? If so, please contact us.