Shivaa Theme Build Notes for a Modern Agency Site

My Shivaa Agency Theme Build Log (Technical, First-Person)

Introduction: the “agency site fatigue” moment that pushed me to switch

I keep a small rotation of WordPress setups for client work. Most of my clients are agencies or small businesses that behave like agencies: they need sharp portfolios, service pages that sell fast, and landing pages that don’t look like generic templates. Recently I hit that familiar wall—my old base theme was still “okay,” but every new project required the same slow refactor: fix spacing, rebuild service blocks, patch header behavior, and babysit mobile layout quirks. I was basically doing theme-author work on every project.

That’s when I decided to rebuild my baseline stack using Shivaa - Multipurpose Agency Business WordPress Theme. I’m writing this as a technical admin log for 优快云-style readers who care about the “why and how” at a code/structure level. No poetic marketing stuff—just what I observed, how I implemented, what I customized, and what I’d recommend if you’re running multiple agency sites.

If you manage client builds or maintain your own studio site, this theme sits in that sweet spot: niche-ready for agencies, but flexible enough to avoid lock-in.

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What I wanted before installing anything (my practical spec list)

Whenever I evaluate a “multipurpose agency” theme, I don’t start from the demos. I start from constraints. The scope I wrote down looked like this:

1. Agency-native page anatomy
   I want service sections, portfolio grids, team pages, testimonials, and case study layouts to be default, not optional add-ons.

2. Predictable layout system
   Reusable blocks. Clean section rhythm. No random “demo-only magic.”

3. Child theme safety
   If I can’t override templates cleanly, I won’t deploy it on client projects.

4. Hook-friendly behavior
   Theme must respect WordPress body classes, normal Woo/portfolio patterns, and not hard-code logic into one monolithic file.

5. Page builder compatibility without chaos
   I use Elementor a lot, but I don’t like themes that force builder widgets for everything. I want a stable base even without extra widgets.

6. Mobile-first legibility
   Most agency traffic is mobile scrolling. If typography and spacing don’t survive small screens, the theme fails.

7. Performance headroom
   I refuse to spend the first day removing three sliders and five animation libraries.

8. Capability to shift tone
   Some agencies want corporate minimalism, others want creative boldness. The theme should pivot through palette/typography, not complete redesign.

Shivaa looked promising for those conditions, so I installed it and treated the demo as a starting reference—not a final destination.

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Installation & demo import: why I still use demos in technical builds

Some admins skip demos because they want a “clean” site. I go the opposite direction: I import a demo because it reveals the theme’s intended component grammar. You learn more from a demo than from a blank canvas:

• Which templates exist and how they’re structured

• How the theme author expects sections to stack

• What the typography scale looks like across page types

• Whether spacing is consistent or chaotic

• How headers, footers, and menus behave under real content

Shivaa’s demo import gave me a coherent agency site skeleton. Important details I checked right away:

• Permalink stability (no weird post-type prefix surprises)

• Section alignment across templates

• No console errors from theme scripts

• Menus/footers registering normally

• Portfolio page types actually loading, not fake placeholders

Everything felt stable out of the box. That matters because it means your future edits won’t be compensating for structural bugs.

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File structure sanity check (themes either pass or fail here)

Before I edit anything, I inspect a theme’s organization. I’m looking for signals of maintainability:

• Separate template parts vs. one giant template

• Clear folder naming

• Reasonable enqueue patterns

• No heavy inline JS that’s hard to override

Shivaa’s structure felt like it was built by someone who expects admins to extend it. I didn’t see “everything lives in functions.php” anti-patterns. That makes child theming safe.

My child theme setup

If you’re deploying an agency theme for real work, create a child theme even if you don’t plan major overrides. I set mine up with the standard approach:

• style.css with theme header

• functions.php enqueuing child styles after parent

• A /templates/ folder ready for safe overrides later

My functions.php in the child theme is intentionally small:

<?php
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', function() {
    wp_enqueue_style(
        'shivaa-child',
        get_stylesheet_uri(),
        ['shivaa-style'],
        wp_get_theme()->get('Version')
    );
}, 20);

Why this way?

• It guarantees parent loads first.

• It lets me version-bump child CSS safely.

• It stays compatible if the parent shifts handles.

Shivaa’s stylesheet handles were predictable enough that this worked without hunting.

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How I rebuilt the homepage like a real agency funnel

Agency homepages are not galleries; they’re funnels. Shivaa’s demo already follows a good funnel order:

1. Value proposition hero

2. Services snapshot

3. Credibility / proof

4. Portfolio / case highlights

5. Process overview

6. Testimonials

7. CTA block

8. Blog/insights

I kept the funnel order and swapped the content logic.

What I changed in practice

• Hero: reduced to one statement, one CTA, and a calm background.
  Agencies lose clients by overexplaining at the top.

• Services: I used the theme’s service cards, but rewrote them to be outcome-based, not feature-based.

• Proof: moved client logos above portfolio. Trust should come before showcase.

• Portfolio: kept grid style but adjusted categories to reflect actual client niches.

• Process: I replaced generic “step icons” with my real workflow.

• Testimonials: shortened to 2 strong reviews instead of 6 weak ones.

• CTA: swapped “contact us” to a more specific action: “Start a project call.”

Shivaa made these edits easy because its blocks are modular and spacing remains predictable after edits.

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Portfolio system: the part agencies care about most

A multipurpose agency theme lives or dies on its portfolio experience. Shivaa gave me:

• A clean portfolio archive

• Multiple project layouts

• Filters that don’t feel dated

• Room for short project summaries without layout collapse

My portfolio taxonomy approach

I avoid portfolio fatigue by keeping taxonomy simple:

• Category = industry (SaaS, eCommerce, Branding, etc.)

• Tag = method/tool (UI/UX, Elementor, Performance Fix, etc.)

Then I configure portfolio archives to filter by category only. This keeps browsing clean.

Template tuning

I didn’t override portfolio templates right away. Instead I injected small improvements via hooks.

Example: I wanted project cards to show one key metric under the title, so I added a custom field and then used a hook to render it.

Pseudo-approach:

add_action('shivaa_portfolio_card_meta', function() {
    $metric = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), '_project_metric', true);
    if ($metric) {
        echo '<div class="project-metric">'.esc_html($metric).'</div>';
    }
});

This is safer than overriding full templates, and Shivaa’s hook placement made it straightforward.

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Services pages: why I didn’t redesign them

Most themes give you a “services” page that’s basically a blog archive. Shivaa’s services layout is actually agency-native:

• Clear service summary blocks

• Deep section templates per service

• CTA blocks in the right places

• Room for process and deliverables

What I did

1. Duplicated the demo services template

2. Replaced each service with a real outcome-based explanation

3. Added “deliverables list” sections using the theme’s standard list blocks

4. Inserted a light “FAQ per service” at the bottom using simple toggles

No need to redesign. Service pages are about clarity, not novelty.

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Typography and spacing: the invisible quality marker

Admins underestimate this. If spacing and typography are coherent, the site feels premium even with average images.

Shivaa’s defaults are calm and agency-friendly:

• Headings have breathing room

• Body width is readable

• Section paddings are consistent

• Buttons don’t yell

I only needed small adjustments:

• Slightly tighter body line height for long case studies

• Larger H2 weight for process pages

• Fewer all-caps labels

I made these in child CSS, no template edits:

body { line-height: 1.7; }
h2 { font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: .2px; }
.section-label { text-transform: none; }

Because the theme’s design system is coherent, micro-tuning doesn’t break rhythm.

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Header + navigation: simple, strong, and not bloated

Agencies want different header styles depending on brand tone:

• Classic corporate header

• Creative side logo header

• Minimal sticky header

Shivaa supports those without forcing a plugin pile.

My header strategy

• Keep the main header thin

• Put value pages in primary nav (Services, Work, About)

• Put low-priority pages in footer (Policies, Careers, etc.)

• Use one CTA button max in header

I avoided a mega menu. For agency sites, mega menus often slow clarity unless you have huge content.

Sticky header behavior stayed clean and didn’t jump on scroll—small detail, big UX win.

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Blog and insights pages: designed for expertise, not noise

I treat agency blogs as authority pages. Shivaa’s blog layouts have:

• Reasonable content width

• Good headline sizing

• Clean post meta

• Comfortable long-read spacing

I publish longer technical posts, so I tested:

• long code blocks

• multiple H2 sequences

• nested lists

• tables

No layout collapse. That’s a good sign, especially for platforms like 优快云 where technical narrative is common.

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Performance pass: what I checked and what I disabled

Even good themes can become heavy if defaults are too “demo flashy.” I ran a practical admin performance pass.

My checklist

1. Disable unused animation modules
   If a section uses parallax or heavy sliders and I don’t need it, it’s off.

2. Reduce duplicate icon fonts
   Some themes enqueue multiple icon packs. I kept one.

3. Audit scripts loaded site-wide
   I check whether portfolio scripts load only on portfolio pages.

4. Compress demo images and replace early
   Demo images are huge. Replace day one.

5. Keep homepage block count sane
   More blocks ≠ more conversion.

Shivaa’s base was already lean. I didn’t have to fight it.

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Safe customization: hook-first, override only when needed

This is my rule:

• If it can be done via hooks → do it via hooks.

• If it needs structure change → override template in child theme.

Shivaa behaves well for hook-first admin workflows. I used hooks for:

• extra meta rows on portfolio cards

• injecting CTA blocks after service sections

• minor footer insertions

• adding custom body classes for specific landing pages

Example: adding a per-page body class

add_filter('body_class', function($classes){
    if (is_page_template('templates/landing.php')) {
        $classes[] = 'landing-layout';
    }
    return $classes;
});

Then in CSS I can scope changes without touching templates.

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How I used Shivaa for multiple “tones” without redesign

A multipurpose agency theme must shift tone fast. I tested three real brand tones:

1. Corporate minimalism

   • neutral palette

   • restrained hero

   • small accent color
     Works instantly.

2. Creative studio

   • bolder primary

   • larger typography

   • more visual portfolio
     Still works without breaking layout.

3. Tech startup agency

   • clean gradients

   • sharper icons

   • more CTA density
     Layout supports it easily.

That’s exactly what I want in a multipurpose base. The theme is stable enough to change mood without changing structure.

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Edge cases I always test (admin PTSD list)

1) Extra-long page sections

Agencies often write detailed case studies. I tested 2,000-word case pages. Shivaa’s typography stayed readable.

2) Many portfolio categories

I tested 12 categories. Filters remained clean and didn’t overflow awkwardly.

3) Mixed media blocks

Video, image galleries, and quotes on one page often cause layout alignment bugs. Shivaa handled mixed blocks without ugly gaps.

4) Mobile collapse behavior

I tested smallest screens. CTA buttons stayed visible, not swallowed by padding.

These are the spots where “demo nice” themes fail. Shivaa didn’t.

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Where Shivaa sits in my theme toolbox

I don’t use one theme for everything. But in my stack, Shivaa is now my agency baseline.

If I need a quick, niche-ready build:

• agency

• business consulting

• creative studio

• SaaS services

• marketing firms

Shivaa gets pulled first.

If a client is outside that shape, I still pick from a broader catalog like Multipurpose Themes. That’s how I keep my build pipeline consistent without forcing the wrong aesthetic on a niche.

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Practical deployment plan (if you want to replicate my workflow)

Here’s the exact order I used:

1. Install Shivaa, import a demo closest to your niche

2. Create a child theme and enqueue child styles

3. Set brand palette + typography scale globally

4. Rebuild homepage copy first, then adjust sections

5. Implement service pages using demo templates

6. Set up portfolio categories and tags

7. Tune archive filters and project card meta

8. Build About/Team pages

9. Publish 2–3 authority blog posts

10. Do a performance pass (disable extras you don’t need)

11. Final mobile spacing tweaks

This sequence prevents the classic trap: “pretty demo, messy real content.”

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Honest pros & cons after a full agency rebuild

Pros I experienced

• Agency-native page structures out of box

• Portfolio system feels real, not cosmetic

• Consistent spacing and typography

• Hook-friendly, child-theme safe

• Tonal flexibility without redesign

• Lightweight base if you keep modules sane

• Mobile holds up without emergency fixes

Cons (or rather, responsibilities)

• You still need smart portfolio taxonomy

• Demo content must be replaced early to avoid bloat

• Avoid piling on plugins that duplicate theme features

• If your brand needs extreme novelty, you’ll still customize more

These aren’t flaws; they’re normal admin realities. The theme simply doesn’t add extra friction.

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Final takeaway: why I’d deploy Shivaa again

After rebuilding with Shivaa, my agency stack feels repeatable again. That’s the real win. I’m not patching layout bugs or rebuilding service sections from scratch on every client project. I’m starting with a stable agency-aware base, then customizing strategically through hooks and child CSS.

If you’re a WordPress admin who ships multiple business or agency sites, you want two things:

1. A theme that already understands agency website anatomy

2. A theme that doesn’t fight your technical workflow

Shivaa delivers both. It gives you a credible agency structure on day one, and it stays maintainable as you scale content and projects.

That’s my field report, written the way I actually build: structure-first, hook-safe, performance-aware, and focused on real admin time.

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