How to Choose the Best WordPress Theme?
In the dark about how to choose the best WordPress theme and which one is perfect for your website?
Finding a suitable theme for your website may be rather tedious, as there is a vast selection of them. The website’s theme is what the user notices before anything else; therefore, if you make your website look appealing, the user experience will be better.
But aesthetics aren’t everything; many themes might have a nice appearance while negatively affecting their site’s performance.
Additionally, your theme should be responsive and incorporate other important factors that we will cover in more detail.
Let’s begin by exploring the importance of an appealing and feature-rich WordPress theme.
Table of contents
Why Is It Important to Choose the Best Theme for WordPress?
Themes for WordPress have improved significantly over the past few years, and now there are specialized themes for just about any niche imaginable, as well as multipurpose themes that can be used for anything from blogging to online storefronts to real estate listings.
However, not all WordPress themes are properly coded or have helpful features. If your theme is problematic, for instance, you might not be able to activate a basic plugin or add new features, necessitating the assistance of a WordPress developer. You should pick a solid theme for your website to avoid these issues.
You don’t have to be a code whiz to create a beautiful, fully functional website using WordPress; all you need is a solid theme.
Furthermore, the WordPress theme you choose can significantly impact whether a visitor enjoys their time on your website. Therefore, spending a lot of time looking for an ideal theme will pay off in the end, guaranteeing a positive experience for both you and your visitors.
What Features Should You Look For in a WordPress Theme?
Now that you learned the importance of selecting a good WordPress theme, it is time to learn what characteristics a theme must have to be regarded as an ideal WordPress theme. So, let’s get started.
Customer Support
A WordPress theme developer should be able to fully support customers in case there is any issue or question. This feature makes the theme reliable for the customers to buy and use.
Even if you never contact their customer service department, knowing that they have your back in case you get stuck trying to turn a function on or off is comforting.
Also, find out what kind of customer service the theme’s developer offers and how long it takes for them to respond to questions.
Regular Updates
The update feature is among the most crucial components a theme has. Themes with this feature frequently receive more evaluations and are kept updated. Given that WordPress frequently updates, having this capability ensures that your website will always be compatible with it.
Moreover, updates are essential for security and performance. An outdated theme can be incompatible with your website plugins. You should always look for new updates for your WordPress theme, as it’s a way to grow and improve the website’s features. The WordPress theme should regularly release new updates.
SEO-Friendly
A theme that is not SEO optimized could damage your website since there is a competitive battle for the top of the search engine result page.
An SEO-friendly theme and responsiveness will reach the search engine result page’s top positions. As mobile devices generate 58.99% of website traffic (excluding tablets), losing them will significantly damage your business.
Social Media Friendly
In today’s high-tech world, social media is a powerful tool for building customer relationships and bringing in new ones. Thus, picking a theme that makes it easy to share content on various social media networks is highly recommended.
Popular social media platforms that have to be mentioned include:
By making it simpler for users to share material on social media, sharing icons on your website will expand its audience. The necessary plugins may always be installed if the selected theme does not feature social networking functionality.
Responsive Design
Responsive themes are compatible across platforms regarding adjusted screen size and device types, including smartphones and tablets.
The ability to adjust the display depending on the device is critical. Since there is a large number of users who are using smartphones and tablets, it’s wise to have a responsive website to give them a more satisfying experience.
Optimized Coding
A theme with clean coding makes your website faster and smoother to run. The coding has to be standard and secure so that people cannot have more access to your website than a normal user.
To check the coding, you can use the w3c markup validator to find errors regarding well-founded code markup.
Uncluttered Page Layout
The organization or layout of your website is referred to as page style or page layout. Your website must be simple to use and packed with relevant content to keep users engaged. The positioning of sidebars and other page customizations are important aspects of the page layout.
Giving your audience a “treat to their eyes” might help them become more interested, which is one reason. Your website might seem different by styling each page differently based on its content. But for the transition to seem seamless, care should be made that the page styles match.
Highly Customizable
WordPress themes usually allow theme customization. You can also select a pre-made theme and avoid customization. However, the main objective of theme customization is to make sure that your website stands out from all other websites that have utilized the same theme template while still being classy and distinctive.
Themes may be modified in two different ways: by coding and by non-coding. As the administrator, it is up to you to decide what to pick. Go for it if you are proficient in coding. However, a word of caution would be to pay close attention to the modification changes you are making, as failure to do so will result in a website that looks unkempt.
The second approach allows you to alter the website without using code by looking for themes with built-in support for plugins. If you’re an experienced designer, you may make your own themes in Adobe Photoshop and export them in PSD files, allowing you to change the color, style, and layout.
But always consider the user’s viewpoint before you make any modifications. What would they like to see on the website? Is your website tidy, professional, and easy to use, or is it disorganized? Or is it friendly to users or not? These seemingly insignificant details go a long way in promoting your company and drawing in new customers.
Featuring Useful Plugins
Plugins are other factors to consider. By adding plugins to your website, you are unlocking additional features for the user and yourself. More features make your website fun to surf and give you more options to add to your WordPress website.
However, remember that excessive use of plugins can make the website bloated. It can also make it look messy and slow it down. Here are some popular plugins in 2023 that you can use on your WordPress website:
- Yoast SEO – Most popular SEO plugin for WordPress with over 5 million users.
- Jetpack – Multipurpose WordPress plugin created and maintained by Automattic (the same team behind WordPress.com). This plugin has 5 million active users.
- Akismet – Most popular comment and form submission spam protection plugin with over 5 million users.
- Wordfence Security – WordPress security plugin to protect your site from hacks, attacks, and malware.
- Elementor – Most popular WordPress page builder plugin with over 6 million active users.
Fair Pricing
Knowing the fair price of the themes offering different features is important. There are premium WordPress themes with many features and plugins, but they cost a lot of money. On the other hand, you may find that you only require a few of those features. In this instance, it’s best to get a theme that looks closer to what you want and then buy needed plugins separately.
What WordPress Themes Should You Avoid?
While many themes can improve your experience in various ways, some have features that aren’t necessary and aren’t worth the price, so it’s best to avoid them.
- Some WordPress themes come included with plugins or widgets that you may not need for your website’s specific purpose or are no longer supported.
- You should stay far away from themes that are packed with extra plugins and features. For the simple reason that they will cause your site’s load time to increase and cause you a lot of headaches while you’re trying to manage it.
- It’s best to stay away from WordPress themes that provide a plethora of sophisticated template options.
Things To Consider Before Choosing Your Perfect WordPress Theme
With so many WordPress themes out there, it might be difficult to narrow down your options and settle on a single design for your website. But if you keep in mind the points we’ll go over now, you can choose a tailor-made WordPress theme for your site.
Know Your Requirements
This is the most pressing issue, and you must consider it before choosing a WordPress theme for your website. You must be mindful of your needs and requirements. Determine the type of website you are creating or running before you do anything else. Does it have videos? Is it only a blog? Will there be a ton of pictures?
After answering these questions, you may narrow down your selection to the WordPress theme that best meets your requirements. There are other issues concerning design. For instance, content-focused websites may benefit from using a very simple WordPress theme, while other websites may need additional animations and changes to their visual appeal.
Decide Based on Your Budget
You must decide whether or not you want to invest money before learning how to pick a WordPress theme. Don’t follow the advice of numerous people who will tell you that all free themes are awful. A solid free theme follows coding guidelines and is frequently updated, albeit it might not come with premium support.
Consider the Features You Need
Exactly what features and capabilities a WordPress theme should or should not have is unclear. You need to choose the theme which suits your needs. You probably don’t need the breaking news ticker on the homepage if you don’t operate a news website.
But some characteristics are always required! For instance, your WordPress theme must unquestionably be mobile- and responsive-friendly. Mobile usage exceeds desktop computer usage. Your website will suffer if your theme is not responsive.
Additionally, simple customization options are also a must-have. You do want to have the option to change the color scheme and homepage.
A Theme Should Fit Your Business Type
Depending on what you plan to achieve with your website, different features may be required from a theme. So even if a theme is well-optimized and has useful features, it may not be suited for your website or line of work.
If, for instance, you plan to sell items on your website, you’ll need a WordPress theme that supports online transactions, and the other factors come next.
A Good Color Choice Is the Key
The visual appeal should not be undervalued in comparison to other factors. It’s the first thing people see, and it represents the brand you want to establish for your site. A well-thought-out color can do wonders for both user experience and brand recognition.
Like when you think of Facebook, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Blue it is! So, apart from appealing to the eye, colors can be a brand perception and what the user believes your service or product represents.
Learning the basics of color psychology will help you make better decisions.
- Red: passionate and energetic; utilize it to encourage users to take immediate action. Many restaurants and food delivery services use it, and it’s very popular there.
- Blue: it proposes confidence-trust. A popular choice as it’s very calming and peaceful.
- Yellow: This color evokes happiness, fun, and joy. Yellow is the best choice if you want your business to look more welcoming.
We have already covered in-depth website color statistics and what science has to say about color choice.
If you know anything about design at all—be it websites, apps, clothes, or anything else—you know that the color scheme you choose is just as crucial as the primary color you use.
So, after choosing the main color, select the best color scheme. However, try keeping it simple, as simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
The Code Quality Needs to Be Excellent
A carelessly coded WordPress theme might harm the performance of your website. Slowing down your site, clogging up your database with useless information, and leaving your site vulnerable to hackers are all potential outcomes. As a result, choose a theme corresponding to the most recent coding standards and safer practices.
You can avoid this with one of two methods. First, think about just using themes from reputable sources. Look for theme vendors that have been in business for a few years and have a solid collection of premium themes. Similarly, choose only free themes with a few thousand downloads. You can prevent bad coding this way.
Second, use the Theme Check plugin. It examines your WordPress theme and provides feedback on the code quality.
Test It Before You Buy It!
When browsing between themes, it isn’t easy to know how they function. Testing the theme to check its efficiency is one of the things that could help you greatly in finding the best WordPress theme. Since some of them are very expensive, it’s better to be able to test and preview them before actually buying.
You can’t determine how a theme works by looking at its listings and images. That’s where a visit to the demo page comes in handy.
This function built into WordPress theme marketplaces and WordPress theme seller’s websites makes it much simpler to compare themes and find the one that best suits your needs. So, don’t forget to try out the demo version; it’s one of the many ways that can help in your search for the ideal WordPress theme.
Check for Support and Updates
The theme should always be supported by premium grade support if it is a paid product. Such help may be provided through online forums, emails, or tickets. The creators need to be able to help you if you experience issues with a theme that you paid for.
But the case with free themes is very different. It is only right that developers refrain from devoting hours to providing support for a free item. However, have a look at the WordPress.org forums for the specific theme to check if the developer is prompt in answering queries and providing help.
Themes for WordPress should also be updated often. Bugs need to be patched, new security patches need to be installed, etc. A terrible theme is not frequently updated.
Consider checking a theme’s changelog to determine how frequently updates are made. It often offers you a decent idea of how active the theme’s development process is.
Read the Reviews
Last but not least, we suggest reading the theme’s comment section in the WordPress marketplace if you don’t know anyone who has already purchased the theme you’re considering.
The comments and reviews are provided by users who have actually installed the theme and are, therefore, honest. Insights gained from reading these evaluations can be valuable when making a final purchase decision.
Where to Find the Best WordPress Themes in 2023?
The most popular marketplace to find WordPress themes is ThemeForest with thousands and thousands of WordPress themes and other WordPress-related products like plugins. Outside Themeforest, there aren’t any marketplaces that come close, but there are many independent WordPress theme shops, and here are their most popular themes.
Now that you know everything you need to choose a WordPress theme, it’s time to become familiar with the platforms offering the best WordPress themes in 2023.
Furthermore, we recommend checking out the best places to buy WordPress themes to ensure you get the most bang for your back.
Wrap Up
Try listing everything you want your WordPress theme to have. Do not forget to include all the key points mentioned in this article. It’s best to avoid free WordPress themes to ensure the safety of your website. And also, do not forget to test the theme and read the reviews before making your final choice.
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