This post contains affiliate links, and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Astra is the exact setup I use for my own site and most client builds.
After 15+ years designing and optimizing websites for small businesses here on Long Island, I’ve tested just about every top WordPress theme you can imagine — from Divi and Kadence to Avada to GeneratePress and OceanWP.
They all have their strengths.
But one theme has consistently delivered the best balance of speed, flexibility, and client-friendliness: Astra.
It’s lightweight, powerful, and built for creators who want professional results without technical headaches.
After hundreds of client projects, Astra has become our go-to toolkit for building small business websites on Long Island that actually get results.
Why Small Businesses Need a Reliable Theme
For most local businesses, your website isn’t just digital real estate — it’s your first impression, your sales team, and your 24/7 storefront.
That means your theme needs to do more than look good. It has to:
- Load lightning fast on desktop and mobile
- Play nice with SEO and Google Core Web Vitals
- Be easy for you or your team to update
- Scale smoothly as your business grows
- Integrate with contact forms, booking tools, and ecommerce
In all of those areas, Astra stands out.
Lightweight Performance That Actually Delivers
When we say Astra is fast, we’re not talking about marketing fluff.
The base theme is under 50KB, and it’s built without jQuery — meaning fewer render-blocking issues and faster load times.
In real-world builds:
- Astra sites routinely score 95+ on Google PageSpeed Insights
- Load times often come in under one second on optimized hosting
- Core Web Vitals pass rates are achieved right out of the box
Speed isn’t a bragging point — it’s a conversion tool. Every fraction of a second you save can increase leads and SEO rankings, and Astra gives you that edge without complex optimization.
Built for Real Businesses, Not Just Developers
Astra hits that sweet spot between power and simplicity.
It’s developer-friendly yet approachable enough for non-technical users — ideal for small business owners who want some control without risk of breaking their site.
You’ll find:
- A visual Header & Footer Builder for drag-and-drop layouts
- Global design controls for brand-consistent colors, fonts, and spacing
- Seamless compatibility with Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Spectra
- Over 300 Starter Templates that can be imported and customized in minutes
For our clients, that means less dependency on developers for small updates.
For us, it means faster delivery without compromising design quality.
The Astra Ecosystem: A Complete Web Design Toolkit
What really separates Astra from other themes is its ecosystem.
It’s not just a theme — it’s a complete toolkit that covers every step of the web design process.
Here’s what’s included:
- Astra Theme: The lightweight, flexible foundation.
- Astra Pro Add-on: Unlocks advanced features like sticky headers, custom layouts, and white labeling.
- Spectra (formerly Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg): A modern block builder with hundreds of design blocks.
- Ultimate Addons for Elementor: Adds high-performance widgets and templates to Elementor.
- Starter Templates: Professionally designed sites for dozens of industries, importable in one click.
Together, these tools give you the same power agencies use to deliver high-performing websites quickly and affordably.
It’s why Astra is more than a theme — it’s a full web design system.
Optimized for SEO and Google Rankings
Search visibility starts at the code level. Astra’s clean, semantic structure and native schema markup make it SEO-ready from day one.
It’s built to perform with:
- Clean HTML5 and schema integration
- Mobile-first responsiveness
- Compatibility with top SEO plugins like Yoast, Rank Math, and AIOSEO
- Fast load speeds that boost Core Web Vitals
In plain English: Google loves Astra.
It sets up a strong technical foundation so your content and backlinks can do their job.
WooCommerce-Ready for Future Growth
If you’re managing or building an ecommerce site, Astra integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce.
But even if you’re not selling products right now, many businesses eventually add e-commerce or online booking features. Astra is already prepared.
It includes:
- Off-canvas product filters
- Infinite scroll and quick-view options
- Gallery layouts and dropdown carts
- Two-step, distraction-free checkout pages
- Mobile-optimized shopping experiences
You can start with a simple lead-generation site and expand into a full ecommerce store later — no theme change required.
How Astra Compares to Other Top Themes
| Theme | Speed | Ease of Use | Design Flexibility | Template Library | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astra | Best all-around for SMB sites | ||||
| GeneratePress | Developers focused purely on speed | ||||
| Kadence | Users wanting strong free options | ||||
| Divi | Agencies with design teams and time |
Astra isn’t always the fastest in raw benchmarks, but it delivers the best overall balance of performance, design freedom, and ecosystem support — the combination that matters most for small business success.
Prefer not to deal with the setup?
We can build your Astra-powered website for you — fast, SEO-optimized, and fully customized. We’ll show you exactly how Astra could transform your site.
When Astra Might Not Be Right
No theme is perfect.
If you’re developing a highly custom-coded app or a hyper-minimal landing page, a barebones theme like GeneratePress might make sense.
But for 95% of small business websites — where design, speed, and scalability matter most — Astra hits the ideal middle ground.
Real-World Results Using Astra
A quick example from our own work:
- We built a landscaping website for a Bay Shore company using Astra and one of its Starter Templates.
- After customizing the design and optimizing on-page content, the site launched in under five days.
- Within two weeks, the business saw a 40% increase in local leads — largely due to faster load times and cleaner mobile UX.
That’s what happens when solid design meets performance-first technology.
Pricing and Value
Astra’s free version is generous, but its paid upgrades unlock serious power.
| Plan | What You Get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Astra Free | Core theme + basic templates | $0 |
| Astra Pro | Advanced design controls, sticky headers, custom layouts | $59 / year |
| Essential Toolkit | Astra Pro + Spectra Pro or Ultimate Addons + Premium Templates | $169 / year |
| Business Toolkit | Everything above + future products + premium support | $249 / year |
Try Astra for Free
Start with Astra’s free theme or upgrade to the full toolkit for pro-level performance.
Final Thoughts: Why Astra Remains #1 for Small Business Websites
If you want a WordPress theme that helps you:
- Build fast, high-performing websites
- Create professional designs easily
- Future-proof your online presence
- Grow without switching platforms
Astra delivers.
It’s lightweight, reliable, and trusted by over 1 million websites worldwide — including many of the Long Island businesses we serve every year.
If you’d like to explore Astra for yourself, you can grab it through my affiliate link below.
Or, if you’d rather have a local pro set it up and customize it for your brand, I’d be happy to help.
Ready to Try Astra for Yourself?
After testing hundreds of themes for Long Island businesses, Astra remains our top pick — fast, flexible, and easy to manage.
You can start free or unlock the full toolkit for advanced features.
