There is no shortage of WordPress themes, that’s for sure. With every passing day, we get new free and premium WordPress themes that cater to various websites. Blogs, magazines, portfolios, video themes, and much more! In short, WordPress themes are plentiful and the number keeps increasing. Now the question arises: how do you choose a WordPress theme, in fact?
Are there any special factors or considerations you should keep in mind? Something you ought to consistently know about?
Obviously, it relies a great deal upon your requirements. If you need a video theme, you will not choose a fashion theme, etc. However, there are some key things that remain the same when wondering step by step instructions to pick a WordPress subject.
How to select a good WordPress theme
Now we are discussing this topic. How to choose a WordPress theme
Pay attention to the quality of the code and standards
A poorly coded WordPress theme can take a toll on your website performance. This can slow things down, clog your database with junk files, and even expose it to hackers. As such, go for a theme that follows the latest coding standards and safer practices.
It’s easy to do? You cannot open all the files provided in the theme package and proofread the code!
There are two easy routes for this. First, remember to only select themes from reputable vendors. Look for themed stores that have been around for a few years that have an established arsenal of premium themes. Likewise, only select the free themes that have had a few thousand downloads. In this way, you can avoid unwanted code and bad code.
Second, rely on the Theme Check plugin. It scans your WordPress theme and offers comments on the quality of the code.
Know your needs and your budget
This is, of course, the first concern. You should know about your prerequisites and necessities. Start by determining the nature of the website you are creating or managing. Is it a video site? Is this a simple blog Will there be a lot of images?
Once done, you can select the type of WordPress theme that best suits your needs. There are also design issues. For example, content-focused websites can be great with very few WordPress themes, while some sites require animation and other look-related tweaks.
In addition, your budget is also important. Before knowing how to choose a WordPress theme, you need to know whether or not you want to spend the money. You may be meeting a lot of people who are telling you that all free themes are bad, but don’t take these suggestions for granted.
A good free theme adheres to coding standards and is regularly updated, although it might not be backed by top quality support.
List the features you need
The rundown of highlights and usefulness that a WordPress topic can or should offer is consistently faulty. Yes, it depends on your needs. If you don’t run a news site, you probably don’t need this news ticker on the homepage.
However, some features are still essential! For instance, your WordPress topic should clearly be responsive and portable amicable. If your theme is unresponsive, your website will suffer.
Another thing: basic customization capabilities (preferably via the WordPress customizer). You want to be able to adjust your homepage and color scheme, right?
Finally, ask yourself if you need a very small niche theme or if you are going to be better off with a larger multipurpose theme. The former is a better solution for small business sites (lawyers, coffee shops, etc.), and the latter tends to work well for online businesses. Here is a nitty-gritty guide about it.
Get support and updates
If the theme in question is a paid product or of a premium nature, it should always be backed by top quality support. Such support can be through forums, emails, or online tickets. If you’re having trouble with a theme you’ve paid money for, the developers should be able to guide you. Clear and simple.
The free theme, however, is a different story. It’s just that the developers don’t spend hours offering support for a free product. However, consider checking out the WordPress.org forums for the given theme and see if the developer responds promptly to questions and support requests.
Likewise, WordPress themes should be regularly updated. After a while, new safety patches are applied, bugs are fixed, and so on. A topic that isn’t refreshed consistently is an awful topic.
To check the update frequency, consider checking a theme’s changelog. This usually gives you a good idea of how lively the theme development process is.
Summary
Finally, if you are still wondering how to choose a WordPress theme, a list of things to DO NOT for your reading:
- Don’t ask Google for “great WordPress themes” Or at the very least, be careful when doing so. The point is, you never know which theme sources are trustworthy, and there is always a risk that you can get malicious code with the theme.
- It’s always safer to go to reputable theme stores or check out what’s available in the official WordPress directory.
- If your theme doesn’t allow you to customize or adjust code files, then don’t use it. No matter if you need to customize or change any code, you should have the freedom to do so.
- If the theme offers things like SEO or security features, then don’t bother using them. Go for plugins.
- These themes do not use who not suitable for mobile.
- Do not select a premium theme that is not backed by good quality support.
