What Are WordPress Themes?
A WordPress theme is a collection of files that work together to create the design and functionality of a WordPress website. A theme includes templates, CSS, JavaScript, and images.
There are two types of WordPress themes: free and premium.
Free WordPress themes are available to anyone and can be downloaded from the WordPress.org theme directory. Premium WordPress themes are paid themes that are available for purchase from third-party websites.
How Do WordPress Themes Work?
WordPress themes are responsible for the overall look and feel of your website. They control your site’s layout, colours, font, and style. You can think of themes as templates that you can use to create a custom website.
There are thousands of WordPress themes available, so choosing the right one for your site can be tough.
What Are The Different Types Of WordPress Themes?
There are three main types of WordPress themes: free, premium, and custom.
Free themes are typically best suited for personal or hobby websites, while premium themes are more suited for businesses or eCommerce sites.
Custom themes are made specifically for a certain website or brand and are often more expensive than free or premium themes.
Choosing the best WordPress theme for your website is an important decision that can make or break your site. By taking the time to consider your options and understand your needs, you can ensure that you select a theme that will help your site succeed.
WordPress Themes Explained
If you’re new to WordPress, you might wonder what a WordPress theme is. A theme is basically a collection of files that control the look and feel of your WordPress site. Themes include template files, image files, style sheets, and JavaScript files.
You can think of a theme as the “skin” of your WordPress site. Just like you can change the skin on your phone or the cover of your notebook, you can change your WordPress theme. And, just like there are millions of different phone skins and notebook covers to choose from, there are also millions of different WordPress themes.
Choosing a WordPress theme is a bit like choosing an outfit to wear. You want something that looks good and fits well, but you also want something that expresses your personality. And, just like with clothes, you can always change your WordPress theme if you want to try something new.
Why Your Website Theme Matters
Your website theme is important because it sets the tone and style for your site. It should be chosen carefully to reflect the type of site you want to create.
A professional design will give you a professional look. Designing and developing a website is not just about aesthetics. There are many other factors that should be considered when selecting a theme. A professional, user-friendly design will increase the chances of visitors staying on your site.
Users will also appreciate a clean, easy-to-navigate design. An attractive, well-designed website will increase the chances of search engine rankings. This means your site will be visible to more potential customers. Professional and polished web designs will make finding you easier for potential clients.
Why Is It Important To Choose The Right WordPress Theme?
WordPress can be used to create a wide variety of websites.
Many themes cater to specific markets, such as WooCommerce, membership sites, and multipurpose themes that can be customised to fit nearly any type of site.
Many WordPress themes include numerous customisation options. These options can make changing themes or using other WordPress plugins difficult if not properly coded. You will be forced to use that theme or hire a WordPress developer to help you switch.
On the other hand, some visually appealing WordPress themes can cause your website to load extremely slowly. A slow website can harm your search engine rankings, user experience, and other factors.
Your theme is the public face of your WordPress site, influencing how users and search engines perceive it.
Your goal should be to find a WordPress theme that has a design you like, loads quickly, and is simple to customise.
Things To Consider In Choosing the Best WordPress Themes
1. Easy To Customise And Make Changes
When selecting a WordPress theme, make sure it’s simple to customise so you can make it your own.
Even if the demo theme is exactly what you’re looking for, you’ll probably want to make some changes to make the theme fit your specific brand. The WordPress theme customiser or theme options panel will be used to make the majority of changes.
Some themes also allow you to make more customisations than others, so choose a theme that allows you to customise the aspects of your site that you want to change.
You’ll generally have control over the theme’s colour scheme, font selection, layout, custom logo, widgets, and other features.
You can also use a WordPress drag and drop page builder plugin like Elementor to create entirely new pages or WordPress themes.
2. Responsive And Looks Good On All Devices And Screen Sizes
Mobile devices now account for more than 60% of all website traffic. This number will vary depending on your blogging niche, but you must ensure that your WordPress website is mobile-friendly.
The majority of WordPress themes will be responsive. The theme will change the layout to accommodate different screen sizes and devices.
However, just because a WordPress theme is responsive does not imply that it is good at responsive design.
You should test your theme on all screen sizes. You can easily adjust your browser window and watch how the theme changes.
You can also test your new WordPress theme in various browsers to ensure that it works properly in all browsers. See our guide on how to test a WordPress site in different browsers for more information.
3. Updated Frequently And Has A High-Quality Codebase
Your WordPress theme will serve as the framework for your website. Aside from the overall design, you should ensure that it loads quickly and is regularly updated.
The size of your WordPress theme significantly impacts its speed and performance. Because loading speeds affect everything from user experience to WordPress SEO, you’ll want to make sure your theme is lightweight and fast.
You can always run a website speed test to see how quickly a theme loads. See our guide on how to run a website speed test for more information properly.
4. Compatible With The Plugins You Need
Ideally, when you choose a WordPress theme, it will handle the design, and WordPress plugins will handle all additional functionality.
WordPress plugins enable you to add a contact form to your website, generate leads, run contests, and much more.
Most WordPress themes will work with all plugins. However, if your theme is poorly coded or adds too many plugin-like features, you may encounter a conflict and experience WordPress errors. You’d also lose those features if you wanted to change your site’s design or switch themes.
As a result, we recommend using a simple WordPress theme and adding functionality via plugins. If you want to add a feature to your website, chances are there’s a WordPress plugin that can help.
If you’re looking for some great WordPress plugins to improve your site, check out our list of must-have WordPress plugins.
5. Has Solid Ratings And Reviews
User ratings and reviews are other reliable indicators of a WordPress theme’s quality. If you’re looking for free themes, go to the theme page on WordPress and look for customer reviews.
It will display the number of user reviews and stars. A detailed breakdown of the reviews given at each star level is available.
The theme sales page will include user reviews or testimonials if the theme is sold on a third-party marketplace.
6. Responsive And Helpful Customer Service Team
Even if you’ve spent time learning WordPress and have some solid skills, you may need to rely on support at times.
A responsive customer service team is important because it allows the team to interact with their customers, regardless of their device. This allows customers to have a good experience, regardless of their device or browser.
7. Optimised For The Search Engines
Your WordPress theme is critical to the SEO friendliness of your site. A visually appealing theme can still generate poorly coded HTML, which can harm your site’s search engine rankings.
Beginners may find it difficult to analyse a theme’s source code on their own. This is why many WordPress theme developers will tell you that their themes are SEO-friendly.
If you have a lightweight and quick-loading theme, you’ll be on the right track in terms of search engine rankings.
Research Now, Save Time Later
Choosing a theme for your WordPress site can be daunting and time-consuming. Given the importance of your theme, it’s always a good idea to do some research before installing one. Follow these guidelines to narrow your search to the best options. Doing so will save you time dealing with any complications that may arise later on.
If you are looking for the best team and partner to work with you in building and creating the best Website design for your company, we recommend reaching out to Ubique Digital Solutions. If you want to know more about how to level up your website, Contact UDS now.
