When Choosing a WordPress Theme, Do These Things First

My coaching clients and viewers of my YouTube videos frequently inquire about the best approach, structure, and content to create a functional website. The majority of these people want a website created so that they may advertise and sell goods and services online.

Because WordPress has so many available plugins (including video players, social media feeds, mobile compatibility, forums, and membership sites), it’s the platform I use to create websites for my clients. Due to its adaptability and ease of use, WordPress has become the most popular platform for developing new websites.

Using WordPress to create a website, I can quickly train clients to take over site maintenance and expansion. That way, clients may make minor changes to their site whenever they choose, rather than waiting for my team to do it for them.

Since I never found a premade WordPress theme that “fit” a client ultimately, I designed practically every site from scratch. Developing a website utilizing a pre-existing theme is far more time-efficient due to the abundance of gorgeous, adaptable, and customizable WordPress themes currently accessible.

This means the site theme is updated every few months to coincide with WordPress. This helps prevent hackers from gaining access and makes the site compatible with the latest browsers, mobile devices, etc.

If you have a custom design built from scratch, you’ll have to start over every time WordPress releases an update. A more significant number of issues and the increased possibility of the site “breaking” and not showing correctly would result from doing so.

If you’re in the market for a new theme for your site or an update to the one you already have, it’s a good idea to research what’s out there.

Searching for Potential Plans and Concepts

The WordPress directory is a great place to look for free themes. They may not provide as many choices for personalization as the “premium” themes, but they’re great if you need something easy to get started online.

If you’re looking for free WordPress themes, the best and most reliable resource is the WordPress.org theme directory. In recent years, the WordPress.org directory has grown in prominence. The tireless work of their editorial staff is mainly responsible for this. The criteria for quality and safety have been applied to every topic in the catalog.

A premium theme (about $25-$99) is your best bet if you want a customizable, mobile-friendly option with more features than the bare minimum. I frequently use the following themes available in the WordPress theme marketplace:

Visualize Walmart with ThemeForest. The variety and low cost of the listings in this directory are unparalleled.
Imagine a Target with Mojo Themes. Still concentrating on output.
You can compare it to Etsy if you like. Made by skilled artisans at a premium.

Independent neighborhood stores are another option. While many sell their themes through the markets above, some operate independently. If you decide to go this route, you should investigate the availability of customer service, the responsiveness of the forum, the frequency of these updates, and the length of time the company has been in operation. Some of my personal favorites that fit the bill are as follows:

The Press for Elegant Themes Graph Paper
Themes for Obox
Fine, Thematic
WooThemes StudioPress

As you begin your search for WordPress themes, here are a few things to keep in mind and consider about:

Make a list of the qualities you’re looking for.

You should always choose a WordPress theme that contains the primary features you want unless you want to make a lot of design adjustments to your theme after you install it (not ideal for most people).

What about the number of columns; do you want one, two, three, or more? Do you wish to alter the hues at your disposal? Do you like a prominent photo or sign-up form to appear on the homepage, where visitors can submit their name and email address? Is universal mobile device compatibility required?

To find a theme that fits your needs in many ways, you should first list the essential qualities. That way, you can save yourself the trouble of tweaking the code and layout.

Using one of WordPress’s free themes is a great way to get started. They may not have as many possibilities for personalization as the “premium” themes (about $25-$99), making them slightly more challenging to personalize.

2. Figure out why your site exists.

Use StudioPress’s Generate theme, for instance, if gathering email addresses for future marketing campaigns is your site’s top priority.

You can use OptimizePress to create a membership site and sell an information product or multiple landing pages for various items or offers. It can connect to e-commerce platforms and email autoresponder providers and offers membership features.

If you’re looking to start a blog, there are plenty of free themes out there that are both professional-looking and feature-rich without being overbearing.

Think about how you’ll get about it.

Many newbies make the common mistake of neglecting the importance of the site’s navigation.

Your site’s navigation should be straightforward and easy to use. Don’t focus on what you want to teach them; consider what they want to know. How can you structure your material so readers can quickly locate the information they seek? A plethora of choices may prove overwhelming. Content navigation that focuses solely on your background, education, credentials, workplace, hours of operation, etc., may not be attractive to your target audience.

Ask yourself if they had heard of you before visiting your site. If they do, what kinds of inquiries might they have after they track you down? If they don’t, it’s unclear what problem your product claims to solve.

If you keep these things in mind when you shop, you’ll have a better chance of finding a solution that works for you now and can grow with you.

Web design and WordPress site security are Chelsea O’Brien’s specialties as president of Tech Diva Media. She and her crew have been in the online design, development, and security business for over a decade. Chelsea is a dual contributor to Hot Topic Media LLC’s team as a marketing consultant. She assists in the areas of site development and online advertising. Visit if you want to learn more about web development or have a website created for you.

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