Which WordPress Theme Should I Choose?

Posted November 4, 2019 by Lee

Choosing a WordPress theme is not a simple decision, as there are so many options out there that it’s tough to pick. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of free themes – and then there are all of the premium and paid options as well. You can even get a custom theme built for you!

With this in mind, it’s not going to be easy to come to a straightforward number one choice which will work for everyone. So, read our guide here, and you will understand how to choose the theme that is right for you – and get it right the first time!

Requirements

The first thing to think about is what your website needs. Does it need just a simple splash page? A responsive single-page site which your visitors can scroll through for all the information that they need? Or something more complex, with multiple pages or posts, like a blog? Once you define what your needs are, you can narrow down your search.

For example:

Search for ‘simple’ and ‘responsive’ designs if you don’t need anything complicated
Look for themes which include galleries and focus on large images if you’re a photographer or an artist
Narrow your search down to blog or news designs if you want to make many posts, some of which will appear on the first page when visitors arrive on your site
Use search terms which are specific to what you need, such as ‘magazine’, ‘portfolio’, or ‘online store’
You can also use your industry name as a search term to get sites designed with your audience in mind, e.g. food blog or clothing store.

Adaptability

How much flexibility do you want to have when creating your site? If you’re going to change all of the colours and backgrounds, the fonts, have the front page showing differently, create a header image, and so on, then you will want to find a theme which has many customisation options.

If you aren’t a technology whizz and you want a site which focuses on the content, not the bells and whistles, then this might not be too much of a big deal.

Premium themes often have a lot more customizability, but there are some free themes out there which have many options as well. A good bet is to try the live preview of the theme, where you can play around and make changes to see how your site would look.

Uniqueness

A unique theme is something that you should think about. For some sites or businesses it’s critical that your website looks unique and flashy. You might need to make a big splash. In this case, your best bet is to get a custom theme made. If that’s not in your budget, then finding a premium theme which is not over-used will also do the job.

If uniqueness is not of concern to you, and you want a page that does the job you need – such as referring new customers – then you don’t have to look so hard. You could even get away with using the staple WordPress theme (usually named after the year it was created: twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, and so on).

There are a lot of variables that go into making you choose your website theme. What’s important is that it looks good, fits your brand style, and is something that you can change up later on if you need to. So long as you satisfy those requirements, you shouldn’t stress about it too much. Your content is going to be far more important, so long as the theme works!

Categories: WordPress