WordPress Themes-How To Choose Your Theme

Hello WA Family

It is the weekend. Are you working or doing something fun? As for me, working online is fun. Another difficult decision for new members is choosing a WordPress theme, so that is what I am going to attempt to help you with.

Website Goals

Before you even start shopping for a theme, you need to consider what is the purpose of your website. Is it a blog, portfolio, online store, business website, or something else?

• Does your brand have a specific style or color palette?
• What type of content will you be featuring on your website?
• It is important to consider your niche when choosing your theme.

Now, let us think about the functioning of our website. This is another important consideration before installing any WordPress theme.

Website Function

When I started my first website I often would jump from theme to theme until I found the one that worked the best.

This is time-consuming and can be frustrating. Planning what you want to use your WordPress for is important as well.

Let us say you want to create a community for your target audience. you will want to choose a theme that is for a community for the best results.

• Make sure the theme you choose can support the plugins you need. All themes are not created equally. If you want to create a community think about what you want to include for your target audience.
• Choose a lightweight theme that loads quickly and has optimal SEO is a great choice for a blog website.
• Do you want a flexible theme with extensive customization options?
• Ensure the theme is responsive and adapts to desktop, mobile, and tablets for optimal viewing on all devices.
• Look for themes that are WCAG-compliant if you happen to be someone with disabilities.
• Does the theme developer offer ongoing support and updates?
• Look for other users' experiences with the theme, both positive and negative.
• Test possible themes using live demos or preview capabilities before you install them.
• Are you in need of a free theme or a paid theme?

I know this still might be clear as mud to many of you, but carefully planning your website using the information above can save you time and frustration.

Community Themes

I choose a theme for my website primarily for communities. You see my ultimate goal one day is to create a place for my target audience to hang out and engage. Below are some that I considered when I started my website.

Buddy Boss

• Best for all-around community features, and online learning platforms.
• BuddyBoss is a powerhouse when it comes to community building.
• It seamlessly integrates with BuddyPress and bbPress plugins, offering features like member profiles, groups, forums, activity feeds, and even online courses.
• Its flexibility allows you to create anything from social networks and dating sites to niche communities and learning platforms.

Buddy Boss is the theme that I am using because it was created to build a community website. Even if I never add everything mentioned above. It is the best choice for me.

Woffice

• Best for organization communities, and project management.
• Woffice is perfect for building communities within organizations
• It features project and task management tools
• A CRM system, a job dashboard, and more.
• This makes it ideal for companies, teams, or non-profit organizations

Vikinger

• Best for diverse community types, eCommerce integration.
• Vikinger offers a vast library of pre-designed templates for various community types
• Versatile and adaptable.
• It's fully compatible with BuddyPress and WooCommerce
• Easily integrate forums, user profiles, and even an online store

Most of you new members more likely don't need one of these themes, but if you think you might like to create a community these are good ones to install.

Blogging

The majority of you might be interested in a simple theme for blogging instead. There are many more than I am mentioning here to choose from.

Generate Press

• Best for minimalism, performance, and mobile-friendliness.
• GeneratePress prioritizes clean lines and elegant simplicity.
• This theme is ideal for bloggers who value content over bells and whistles.
• Its lightning-fast speed and mobile-responsive design ensure your readers have a smooth experience, no matter their device.
• GeneratePress is like a well-tailored suit, sharp and professional, letting your writing take center stage.

GeneratePress is recommended for beginners interested in simplicity, yet speed and lightweight.

Astra

• Best for versatility, customization, and speed.
• Astra is a lightweight champion, boasting blazing-fast loading times and SEO-friendliness.
• Its modular approach allows you to build your blog exactly how you envision it
• Tons of pre-built layouts, starter sites, and header options.
• Whether you're a travel blogger showcasing stunning landscapes or a tech guru, Astra is recommended as one of your better choices.

Another good theme for beginners to consider. This is a little more complex than GeneratePress, if you prefer more design options this might be the theme of your choice.

Ocean WP

• Best for feature-rich and endlessly customizable.
• OceanWP is a feature powerhouse
• Offering free extensions for eCommerce, social media integration, and Elementor page building.
• This theme is a blank canvas ready to be splashed with your creative colors.
• It's perfect for bloggers who want to experiment, build complex layouts, and add unique functionalities to their sites.

Powerful theme for bloggers no matter what your niche might be. Many more options than the others. This one might be a little complex for beginners.

Professional Business Themes

These are for anyone who wants to impress their visitors with a professional business website.

Sydney Pro

• Best for modern businesses, clean layouts, and ease of use.
• Sydney Pro is a modern marvel, boasting a clean aesthetic and intuitive interface.
• This theme is perfect for showcasing your work portfolio, highlighting testimonials, and establishing trust with potential clients.
• Its pre-built demos cater to various industries and its drag-and-drop page builder

For a modern business that will impress this is highly recommended. The drag-and-drop feature is beginner-friendly. With the ability to add a professional portfolio, this can be a great theme for the professional.

Divi

Another theme for the professional business is Divi. Let us see what this one offers you compared to Sydney Pro.

• Best for creative businesses, visual impact, and branding control.
• If you want your website to be a visual masterpiece, Divi is your answer.
• Its drag-and-drop builder empowers you to design stunning layouts
• integrate captivating visuals, and craft a website that truly reflects your brand identity.
• Divi is ideal for creative agencies, design studios, or any business that wants to make a memorable first impression.

Sounds like Divi is another good theme choice for a professional business website. Considering what you want to add to your website can help you make the best choice. Also, the drag-and-drop feature makes designing quicker and easier.

Bridge

• Best for: Multi-purpose businesses, diverse projects, and feature-richness.
• The bridge is a jack-of-all-trades, offering over 600 demos catered to various industries and business types
• Whether you're a consulting firm, a restaurant, or a freelancer, Bridge has a pre-built layout to get you started quickly.
• It also comes packed with premium plugins, like sliders and page builders Think of Bridge as your one-stop shop for a feature-rich business website.

Think of Bridge as your one-stop shop for a feature-rich business website. The more bells and whistles often means more time in designing. For beginners, I suggest you go with a simple theme for your first website.

Online Store Themes

The last group of themes will be for those of you interested in an online store. You will be doing yourself a favor by choosing a theme made especially for adding an online store to your website.

WooCommerce Storefront

I have used this theme for my online stores. Very easy to set up with the wizard. You can sell just about anything you desire with this theme. Affiliate products, digital products, and even dropshipping if you desire to.

• Best for simplicity, speed, and seamless WooCommerce integration.
• A clean, no-frills theme that puts the focus on your products,
• Developed by the WooCommerce team itself, this theme prioritizes performance and seamless integration with the plugin
• Ensuring a smooth shopping experience for your customers.
• Think of Storefront as a blank canvas optimized for showcasing your products in a straightforward and user-friendly manner.

Beginner-friendly is why I love this theme. Easy to add your products no matter if they are affiliate products, digital, or physical dropshipping products. Adding images is super easy as well.

Shopkeeper

• Best for minimalism, elegance, and curated collections.
• This theme prioritizes clean lines, spacious layouts, and high-quality visuals
• Ideal for brands with curated collections
• Shopkeeper lets your products do the talking

Porto

• Best for versatility, extensive features, and diverse product ranges.
• Porto is a powerhouse, offering over 500 pre-built demos for a variety of industries
• Its extensive list of features includes product quick views, wishlist and cart functionalities, and even an integrated blog section.
• Porto is like a well-stocked department store, catering to a wide range of products

You have some things to consider before choosing your theme. I also took the time to include some themes for a variety of purposes.

Themes You Like

Members with some themes that they like can share them in the comments. By you doing this you are helping new members. Recommended themes are not always the best choice for everyone. Nothing is better than hearing from someone who has used a theme and how it worked for them.

Jeff