This past week, I found myself having to change the themes for both my websites and it was a time-consuming process.
When choosing a theme, which are the most important feature filters you select and why?
I also don't really know what some of the available feature selections mean, so that makes it a trial an error process for me.
Thank you for your advice!
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amathews
Premium
Hello Sue,
There are several things I look for when choosing a theme. I like themes that are well supported by the author, responsive, built with site performance in mind, include many layout and customization options, and are built with stable, secure code.
Because this is my criteria. I prefer premium themes. I'm a big fan of StudioPress themes. They're themes are built on the Genesis Framework. But I don't suggest purchasing a premium theme until you've become comfortable in your niche and you're sure about the design of your site. So don't spend any unnecessary money.
There are some good free themes out there. The first thing to look for is responsiveness. Next search for customization options; make sure you can add a site logo, add widgets in multiple locations, verify that multiple site layouts are supported, etc. Just be sure that the theme allows for customization at a level that you are comfortable with. Many themes require you to know code (HTML and CSS) to change things like fonts and colors; I have seen some themes with built-in selectors for font family, font size, and font colors though. And choose a theme that complements your niche well.
Also be sure to checkout out the main author's site for the theme; most authors create a live demo for you to play around with some of the features. There also may be video that gives you a walk-through of the admin side, I do this for premium themes before spending any cash. Check YouTube for videos as well.
Finally do a Google search on the theme to make sure people aren't experiencing a lot of bugs or compatibility issues. I've seen several themes that looked pretty, but were poorly coded and caused users lots of problems. And some themes and certain plugins just don't play well together. You can also do a Google search for top free WordPress themes; there are many helpful theme reviews out there.
There are several things I look for when choosing a theme. I like themes that are well supported by the author, responsive, built with site performance in mind, include many layout and customization options, and are built with stable, secure code.
Because this is my criteria. I prefer premium themes. I'm a big fan of StudioPress themes. They're themes are built on the Genesis Framework. But I don't suggest purchasing a premium theme until you've become comfortable in your niche and you're sure about the design of your site. So don't spend any unnecessary money.
There are some good free themes out there. The first thing to look for is responsiveness. Next search for customization options; make sure you can add a site logo, add widgets in multiple locations, verify that multiple site layouts are supported, etc. Just be sure that the theme allows for customization at a level that you are comfortable with. Many themes require you to know code (HTML and CSS) to change things like fonts and colors; I have seen some themes with built-in selectors for font family, font size, and font colors though. And choose a theme that complements your niche well.
Also be sure to checkout out the main author's site for the theme; most authors create a live demo for you to play around with some of the features. There also may be video that gives you a walk-through of the admin side, I do this for premium themes before spending any cash. Check YouTube for videos as well.
Finally do a Google search on the theme to make sure people aren't experiencing a lot of bugs or compatibility issues. I've seen several themes that looked pretty, but were poorly coded and caused users lots of problems. And some themes and certain plugins just don't play well together. You can also do a Google search for top free WordPress themes; there are many helpful theme reviews out there.
JAHBOBCLATO
Premium
Choose a theme that will display what you want others to see.
Look through them to see which design fits your visual needs
Look through them to see which design fits your visual needs
