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The Benefits of WordPress’ Gutenberg for Bloggers

Gutenberg has returned! Not in the physical sense, mind you. Rather, in the world of site design for bloggers. Or, in more technical terms, the Content Management System (CMS).

The inventor of the printing press has made his appearance known in a new interface for WordPress, one of the original website and blog development platforms. In doing so, it has become a boon for bloggers who utilize its new block editing system.

With Gutenberg, bloggers no longer need to play the role of User Interface (UI) or User Experience (UX) developer to make their entries look good. Instead, they have the use of blocks to add text, images, video, and enhanced coding. In other words, they now have what other dedicated website platforms have had for a long time.

Since its inception, these plugins have been a major component of WordPress. Many of these have been free for bloggers to download and utilize. However, some more complicated plugins cost extra to use. Overall, this has proved somewhat of a disadvantage to bloggers if they wanted to make their site a showplace but didn’t have the necessary programming skills.

In turn, this caused disappointments. Since bloggers wanted a more versatile platform that didn’t take time away from blog writing, they turned to other companies with one-click or drag-and-drop options. Hence, while still popular, WordPress began to lose new and long-time customers.

 

WordPress.org versus WordPress.com

WordPress.org has a dedicated cousin called WordPress.com. Where the .org version is a self-hosted environment — the user has all the control — the .com version is hosted — there is a dedicated platform and customer assistance team. Both platforms are utilizing Gutenberg.

 

What is WordPress Gutenberg

Gutenberg is the new editor interface for WordPress.org. Previously a plug-in, it was fully integrated into the system’s version 5.0 upgrade at the end of 2018. What it has done is both simplify and enhance an interface that has barely changed since its inception over two decades ago.

 

Design Blocks

Most likely, it’s not a coincidence WordPress named this new interface Gutenberg. Just like the inventor’s printing press, the editor operates on a system of customizable blocks.

There are blocks for text, images, videos, and, for more skilled users, coding. Not only does this make the editor more flexible, but it also allows bloggers to move content around the page to fit their desires. Overall, anything essential to building a quality personal or business blog is available in block mode.

 

Not New to the Blogging World

This concept design is not new to the blogging world. Other dedicated and open-source platforms have utilized the concept. The goal of Gutenberg is to keep pace with these other platforms by minimizing the use of plugins. In turn, they hope to draw additional bloggers to their platform.

 

Benefits to Bloggers

There are numerous benefits to Gutenberg for bloggers. Especially if they are using their platform as an income driver. Here are a few of them.

1. Less of a learning curve. There has always been a learning curve to understand WordPress, particularly for those who aren’t technically inclined. This has prevented some of them from creating a blog site that they see in their minds.With Gutenberg, their visions can become more of a reality. Yes, some time is needed to familiarize themselves with the new block method. However, once they get the hang of the drag and drop process, they’ll have more flexibility in the way they design their sites. In fact, they may be able to create a new image that draws in additional readers.
2. Minimize the use of Plugins. WordPress’ goal with Gutenberg was to minimize plugin use to build rich website content. Instead of continuing on that route, the blocks incorporate the best the plugins offered to bloggers.For instance, writers who required a table in their blogs once needed to search for a plugin. With Gutenberg, a table creation block is now available to modify once added to the site.
3. Easier code application. The implementation of Gutenberg doesn’t mean plugins are totally eliminated. There will still be instances where extra coding is required for a special item within a blog. However, it will be easier to insert.In fact, bloggers may not need to search for that special free or pay plugin. All they need to do is move the Code block to the desired area. Then, if they can find the code on the web or from a friend, it can be easily applied.
4. Make blog creation more enjoyable. Many bloggers will attest to the fact that creating a site on WordPress before Gutenberg was sort of a burden. More time was spent on finding the right plugins then creating content. In the end, while they had some great material on their sites, the way it looked didn’t match their desires.Gutenberg’s goal is to make site creation more enjoyable. They want bloggers to see their ideas form on the digital page with the least amount of work. And, they want these people to turn to other bloggers and bring them onto the WordPress platform. In other words, they want to stay even or ahead of the dedicated and open-source competition.
5. It paves the way for the next step in site customization. The implementation of Gutenberg is not the end of WordPress development. Their goal is to allow bloggers not only to edit their text but to provide full site customization without the need for advanced UI/UX skills. This means users can eventually enhance their sites with podcasting, eCommerce, and booking appointments without a plugin or a coder.

 

Will Gutenberg be a Success for Bloggers

Because the editor interface is so new as of this writing, it’s hard to tell the degree of Gutenberg’s success. WordPress is performing maintenance upgrades for version 5.0 on a regular basis. These are to address bugs and customer complaints or suggestions. Each one of these should continue to incrementally improve the interface.

Time and reviews will tell if Gutenberg becomes the standard for WordPress that is adored by bloggers.

Are you using the Gutenberg block editor to create your blogging sites? Let us know how it’s working out for you.