How to make a template for WordPress + Elementor?

Envato Authors ThemeForest
#1

Hello everyone!
I am a newbie, I have an HTML template and I want to make it under WordPress. The more I search for information, the more incomprehensible everything becomes :face_with_head_bandage:
I want to consult with you how to do everything right!

In general, a portfolio template is a couple of pages, a portfolio (several versions), about us, contacts and full page.

How i think to do:
1. Make widgets on the elementor for each slider, block, etc. This allows the buyer to customize everything for themselves!
2. From these widgets, I myself create all the pages and save them as templates in the elementor menu. This allows the buyer to quickly build their template and do not bother!

All this seems good to me, but I don’t know how to make a full page.

There may be different blocks on a full page, for example:

  • gallery (different image sizes)
  • info block (different text)
  • gallery (different image sizes)
  • something else

Optional!

All this can be easily implemented in the elementer, using the two options that I indicated above!

But how much will it be right?
I want to say that this is convenient. Page templates in WordPress have limited functionality! If the buyer then wants to change the topic, then it seems like will have to re-configure each page.

What do you think will be right?
In general, tell your opinions and tell me how to do it better!
Thanks!

#2

Yes, you should convert all your elements into Elementor widgets. I would also make them as a standard WP shortcodes for people who do not want to use Elementor. Actually, that should be your starting point IMHO, you can simply call the shortcode from the Elementor widget or convert them to any other page builder. 3rd party stuff like Elementor should be just an option, not requirement.
If you could also convert them into Gutenberg blocks, then that would be even better. But pulling it off efficiently, without having a lot of duplicate code for each version of the element is definitely not easy, but possible. However, if you are not afraid of the challenge and want to make your theme super future-proof then that’s the way to do it.
Generally, it is not a good idea to overly rely on a 3rd party stuff. They can anytime drastically change their business model, like for example heavily restrict the free version and what then? That would definitely affect your sales. Again, treat any 3rd party plugins as an option, do not rely on them.

As for the different layouts for let’s say gallery widget, either add an option to the widget to change the layout or create two separate widgets if it would require a very different code.

Doing it via page templates is IMHO nonsense, that would be VERY limiting. That was a thing maybe ten years ago, you should always try to make your themes as modern as possible (code / feature wise), you don’t want your themes to become obsolete few months after you release them.

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