The RENXW WordPress theme is a classic theme with a bundled core plugin that I built as technical lead of RENXW. It ships 33 custom Elementor widgets, 20 one-click demo sites and an HTML-to-Elementor converter, and it serves all three of our website tiers from one codebase.
The problem
An agency that builds many websites ends up rebuilding the same things: hero sections, service grids, pricing tables, contact forms, animations. Buying a different commercial theme for each job brings licence costs, bloat and inconsistent code. Building every site from scratch is slow.
We wanted one codebase that could produce a simple site, a mid-range site and a full custom build, with our own widgets, our own animation engine and a fast way to start from a ready-made demo.
Constraints
- Three tiers, one codebase. The same theme had to work for budget sites and larger builds without forking.
- Clients edit their own sites. Content had to stay editable in Elementor, not locked in code.
- No paid animation licence. Animations had to come from our own engine.
- Leads must not get lost. Contact forms had to store submissions and pass them on.
What I built
Classic theme plus core plugin
The theme handles layout and styling. The bundled core plugin holds the functionality: widgets, the converter, the leads inbox and the builders. One-click install sets up both.
33 custom Elementor widgets
Each widget is written for our sites rather than adapted from a generic pack, so markup and controls stay consistent from one build to the next.
Home-built animation engine
Animations run on our own engine, so no paid animation licence is needed and we control exactly what ships to the browser.
20 one-click demo sites
Demos cover dental, law, stores, real estate and more. A new project can start from the closest demo and be adapted.
HTML-to-Elementor converter
The converter has Native, Exact and AI modes for turning existing HTML designs into Elementor content.
Site tools
A header and footer builder, custom code slots, and a leads inbox with CSV export and a webhook so submissions can go to a CRM or other system.
How it works
- Install the theme, and the core plugin installs with it.
- Import one of the 20 demo sites in one click, or start blank.
- Build or edit pages in Elementor with the 33 custom widgets.
- Bring in an existing HTML design with the converter, choosing Native, Exact or AI mode.
- Set up the header, footer and any custom code slots.
- Form submissions land in the leads inbox, export to CSV, and fire the webhook.
Decisions and trade-offs
Classic theme instead of a block theme. Our sites are built in Elementor, and a classic theme gives Elementor a clean, predictable canvas. A block theme would add a second editing model that clients do not need.
Functionality in a plugin, not the theme. This is standard WordPress good practice that many commercial themes ignore. If a client changes theme later, their widget content and leads remain. It costs a little more structure up front.
Our own widgets instead of an add-on pack. Third-party widget packs load code for dozens of widgets you never use and change on their schedule, not yours. Writing 33 widgets ourselves is more work, but each one does what we need and nothing else.
Three converter modes instead of one. There is no single right way to convert HTML. Native output is easiest for clients to edit but may not match the design exactly. Exact output matches the design but is less editable. AI mode handles messier source. Offering all three lets us pick per job rather than compromise every time. I discuss the broader choice in Elementor versus a custom theme.
One codebase for three tiers. Forking per tier would be simpler at first and painful forever after, because every fix would need applying three times.
Outcome
Version 1.0 of the theme was released in 2026. It installs in one click and includes 33 custom Elementor widgets, a home-built animation engine, 20 one-click demos, the HTML-to-Elementor converter, a header and footer builder, custom code slots and a leads inbox with CSV export and webhook. It serves RENXW's three website tiers from one codebase.
What I would do next
- Connect the leads webhook directly to the RENXW CRM as a ready-made integration.
- Add more demos for industries we are asked about often.
- Keep measuring page weight per widget so the theme stays light as it grows.
If you need custom widgets or a theme built this way, see my Elementor developer service, my WordPress developer service, or get in touch.
