Building your own WordPress website comes with a plethora of decisions, so you’ll have to ask yourself questions, such as “Which WordPress theme is best for me?”, and pick the theme that works best for the type of business you have.
In this guide, we’ll unravel the intricacies of WordPress themes, exploring why WordPress stands out and providing a roadmap for selecting the right theme for your website. Here’s what to consider when choosing a website theme.
What Is a WordPress Theme?
A WordPress theme is the visual and functional backbone of your website. It determines how your site looks, how content is displayed, and how users interact with it. It’s a collection of templates and stylesheets that work together to create the design and layout of your site. Each theme offers a unique aesthetic, allowing users to tailor the appearance of their websites to suit their brand or personal preferences.
Why WordPress is the Best
WordPress is driven by its expansive community, which sets it apart as a leading solution. WordPress’ vast developer community is highly beneficial as it allows for flexibility. It allows you to dismantle WordPress and reconstruct its core functions to customise it according to your preferences.
How Do WordPress Themes Work?
WordPress themes are the design templates that dictate how a website looks and functions on the WordPress platform. They work by controlling the layout, style, and overall appearance of a site, encompassing elements like fonts, colours, page structures, and widget placements.
The themes have various template files that determine how content is displayed, allowing users to easily customise the design without altering the site’s underlying code.
By simply activating a theme, users can instantly change the visual presentation of their website while maintaining the content and keeping the functionality intact.
How Do I Choose the Right Theme in WordPress?
Need help choosing the right WordPress themes, here are the dos and don’ts of choosing a WordPress theme.
Do Make a List of Essential Features
Before selecting a theme, you’ll need to outline all the important features of your website. The WordPress Feature Filter in the Themes Repository simplifies the process by allowing you to make customisations based on specific requirements, such as the capacity for flexible headers and being translation-ready.
Do Choose a Responsive Theme
Ensure your theme is responsive, which means it should adapt seamlessly to various devices. Responsive design is vital because it gives your user experience a boost, making your site easy to navigate on laptops and mobile devices alike.
Do Consider
Colours play a significant role in brand recognition and online marketing as a whole. It’s important to align your theme’s colour scheme with your logo or introduce hints of colour for better visual appeal. With WordPress, you can easily change the appearance of a theme, for example, you can adjust colours through direct file editing or choose custom CSS settings.
Do Consider Purchasing a Premium Theme
The great thing about premium themes is that they offer dynamic features, which help your site stand out. While free themes are budget-friendly, they may lack regular updates and support. Platforms like WP Engine provide access to premium themes, ensuring quality and ongoing support.
Do Thoroughly Test Your Theme
Use tools like the Theme Check plugin to ensure that your theme meets current WordPress standards. You’ll need to test your site extensively before launch, this includes reviewing content, mobile compatibility, and image loading. Consider using a child theme plugin and a hosting solution with staging environments so testing runs smoothly.
Don’t Choose a Bloated Theme
It’s best to choose simplicity over complexity and opt for a theme that’s aligned with your site’s goals. It’s a good idea to avoid themes that are overloaded with unnecessary features, as they can impact your site’s performance and pose security risks.
Don’t Choose a Theme with Hard-to-Read Fonts
Visitors need to be able to read the text on your site fairly easily, which is why it’s important to choose simple, sophisticated fonts. Using complex fonts on your website can leave your visitors feeling confused and unwilling to continue their journey.
Common Questions Answered
Take a look at this list of common queries that we’ve answered below, you may just find the answer you’re looking for here:
Are WordPress themes free?
Yes, WordPress offers a plethora of free themes. It also offers premium themes with advanced features, these are available at a cost.
Can I use two different themes in WordPress?
By default, WordPress allows only one active theme at a time. However, plugins or custom coding can assist you with enabling different themes on specific pages or sections.
Can you add WooCommerce to any WordPress theme?
WooCommerce is a popular e-commerce plugin that can be integrated into most WordPress themes. It’s important to remember that compatibility is crucial, and themes explicitly designed for WooCommerce will often provide a smoother experience.
Can you change your WordPress theme and keep the content?
Yes, changing your WordPress theme does not affect your content. However, some themes may structure content differently, necessitating adjustments after a theme switch.
Does changing your WordPress theme affect SEO?
Generally, changing a theme should not have a direct impact on SEO if the new theme is well-coded and optimised. However, it’s advisable to check and adjust settings after a theme change to ensure SEO continuity.
Choosing a WordPress theme wisely
Making sure that you choose the right WordPress theme is a pivotal step in crafting an engaging and functional website. From understanding the fundamentals of WordPress themes to exploring the dos and don’ts of selection, we hope this guide has equipped you with the knowledge to make informed decisions.
At Yellowball, we understand that choosing the right WordPress theme not only adds to the visual appeal of your site but also contributes to a seamless user experience, setting the stage for online success. Yellowball is a web design and development agency based in London, UK, contact us today and discover how we can assist you in obtaining online success.
