It might seem really easy to choose a WordPress theme for the site that you are about to launch but that is definitely not the case. In reality, this is a process that you should stay focused on and the proper decision is the one that best complements what you intend to do with the new website. Never hurry and take into account the advice offered below. Before you install your new WordPress, think about what theme you want to use.
Features Count
In the past, WordPress was not so complex. Nowadays, the exact opposite is correct. You have to think about the features that you want to have and make your decision based on that. For instance, do you want your site to have 2 columns or 3? Maybe you want the theme colors to be completely customizable.
Keep in mind that when it comes to customization, free themes do not have so many available features. Most people use free themes so it is important that at least the main desired features are included.
The WordPress user that is not a professional should always choose themes that are really similar to what they really want to have the site look like. Keep in mind the fact that the admin panel will allow you to look through different features that themes might have. Just go to Appearance -> Themes -> Install Themes. Choose the features that you want and browse through the results. This is an easy way to find the best free themes that you could locate based on those features. If that does not bring in good results, you can look online through a major search engine like Google or Yahoo.
What Is The Site’s Purpose?
You need to think about the main goal of the WordPress site. It is always important that you do so as the themes count a lot at the end of the day. Think about the directories that showcase various themes based on the purpose that it has. Why not take this into account since the themes that are built around a specific theme will always be better for such a site?
As an example, if you plan to use the site in order to get a nice author base through guest posting opportunities, you may want a theme that allows you to automatically add author bios for registered users.
WordPress Navigation Features
No matter what you may be tempted to think right now, you need to stay focused on the navigation for the WordPress site. In many cases people just want some simple navigation options. In others, people want to put their hands on something that is more complex. It is very important that you stay focused on what you need. For instance, if you have a lot of categories, maybe you have to get a theme with a drop-down menu that features sub-categories. Think about how many menus you need and how they should be showcased. That is what will help you out a lot at the end of the day.
Make Sure That The Theme Is Responsive
This is something that you will most likely not think about but it is very important that you do not make this mistake. At the moment, the number of people that use mobile devices to browse the internet is growing. It would be a shame to end up with traffic that cannot read the content that is written on your website.
If you do have technical knowledge, this will not be a huge problem since you can modify the website so that it is mobile friendly. However, it is a lot easier to use themes that are already responsive. That would bring in much better results and you are 100% sure that you will not make a mistake while coding the existing theme.
Site Layout, Spacing And Width
There are many WordPress themes that let you change width on different sections with the use of your control panel. However, most of them do not offer such a feature. You need to think about eventual modifications that you will make to your site. If you think that you need to adjust the widths in the future, it is something that has to be considered when choosing the theme.
WordPress is definitely great in the sense that you can make really major design customizations through the Editor it includes but that is only possible in the event that you know a lot of PHP and CSS. Most users do not have such knowledge so it is better to go for a theme that allows such modifications without causing many headaches.
Should You Get A Free Or Paid Theme?
This is not actually a very tough choice to make. In most situations everything is based on why you build the site. If you just want something personal that will not bring in money in the future, the free themes are awesome. However, in the event that you plan to make money with your website, it is a lot better to stay focused on getting the necessary money to get a paid theme.
One thing that you may not know is that the free themes rarely offer support. In many situations they are not even updated when new WordPress versions are released. This can cause different incompatibilities. The paid themes do offer great support and if you have a problem, you will see that it is easy to find someone to help you out.
As an extra piece of advice, remember the fact that hackers can access hosting servers through outdated themes. This means that you have to be careful and constantly check the last update date for the theme that you use. When you notice that a lot of time passed and no update appeared, it is better to just switch themes. If you do not have the money to pay for a paid theme now, simply use a free one until you afford to buy a better theme.
Choosing WordPress Themes Is Highly Subjective
We need to really like the theme that we use. If we like the theme, we will find it so much easier to blog because we love the result. When the theme is hard to use or does not look like we imagined it would look, many different problems can appear and our work would be compromized.
