Your theme sets the tone for not only your website but your business as well. Zeroing in on one theme from so many out there isn’t an easy task, trust me. There are thousands of free themes out there with more being added every day, and that can be overwhelming.
These tips will help make the theme repository more accessible and will lead to a beautiful theme.
Premium Themes Are Worth It
The first thing you need to consider is whether you’re going to go with a free or premium theme. According to LinkedIn, the total number of themes downloaded from WordPress in 2014 were 123,498,018. A lot of those are free themes, which can lead to a lot of sameness throughout websites.
Premium themes have more flexibility, can be used across different platforms, and are often more unique. You also get customer support with a premium theme, which doesn’t come from a free option.
It comes down to what you can afford at the time, but a premium theme is easier to customize and manage.
Select a Theme With Your Business in Mind
The most important thing is to choose a theme that works with your business or brand. For instance, if you are creating a news website, you need to have enough area for content and a sidebar, something that makes it as easy as possible to read.
A business might consider a theme that has an easily accessible about page and a place to put customer testimonials. Whatever you choose, make sure it correctly displays your content.
Only By Themes From Trusted Marketplaces
The only way you can get a high-quality WordPress theme is by doing a thorough research and finding reputed marketplaces such as Envato Market, ThemeForest, Mojo Themes, Woo Themes, and of course the repository.
These sites not only have the most popular WordPress themes but assure safety and quality. Make sure whatever you choose is regularly updated.
Check The Loading Time of Your Theme
Page loading time is crucial to any site user’s experience. According to an article posted in Kissmetrics, as many as 40% of people abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. Therefore, you need to have a theme that loads within 3 seconds.
With tools such as Pingdom Speed Test tool, you can check the loading time of your page. All you need to do is to simply copy the URL of the live preview page of your theme and paste it to the test tool. You’ll know immediately whether it is the right theme for you.
The Theme Should Be Customizable
Whether you go with a free or premium theme, make sure it is customizable. Check to see if the theme has a built-in theme editor so you can change it as your needs change. You can select the fonts you want, change the pictures, and make sure every element is how you want it.
Look through and make sure the theme will grow with you.
Keep a Tab on WordPress Theme Trends
Like with anything, WordPress themes go through various trends. One page websites were all the rage last year, and it looks like the parallax effect is sticking around.
Check out some of the trends floating around the Internet and if they are right for you, use them.
Test the Theme With Different Browsers And Devices
It is essential that your WordPress theme is compatible on all browsers such as Google Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. If someone can’t access your site with their browser, they won’t keep trying.
Use free tools such as Browser Shots to check the compatibility of your theme on various browsers before downloading.
Make Sure it is Mobile Friendly
More and more people are using their phones to surf the web. If your site can’t be easily accessed on a mobile device, you’re alienating a huge portion of your audience.
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to make sure anything you download reaches as many people as possible. It’s free and important.
Be Translation Ready
WordPress is becoming more and more accessible. The platform allows people all over the world to build and access sites.
That’s why it’s important to ensure that your WordPress theme supports multilingual plugins as not all WordPress websites are in one language. Make sure you are entirely plugin ready.
Moving Forward
Finding a good theme for your website doesn’t necessarily have to be a Herculean task. All you need to know is how to find the right marketplace, and make smart choices about what you choose. Make note of these 7 ips while you start your WordPress theme hunt and your website will definitely make a great first impression. We wish and hope you chose one of the best WordPress themes. Good luck!
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