This is because it significantly simplifies the process of website creation, and can
be used to build blogs,
e-commerce stores, business websites, portfolios, and many more. With strong
community support and regular updates,
businesses can ensure uninterrupted services for their costumes. As mentioned
before, this platform offers thousands
of both free and premium themes and plugins that allow brands to customize their
website, just the way they want.
However, with so many options at your table, it can be overwhelming to select the
best WordPress theme for your
business website. Well, let us help you in making this process simpler and more
easier to navigate. This blog is
your ultimate guide to choosing the best and most reliable WordPress theme for your
website.
What is a WordPress Theme?
A WordPress theme is a pre-built design template with layouts and inbuilt
functionality. These themes are flexible
and easy to edit with basic drag-and-drop features without needing to code from
scratch. While some themes offer a
single column, others might have sidebars, some themes are responsive and others are
not, and some themes have
better SEO capabilities than others. So choosing a theme that just looks
aesthetically pleasing is not a feasible
option. There are various things that a business owner or developer should consider
before finalizing the theme.
Here is a detailed list of all the factors that you should consider when choosing
the theme for your website.
- Security
- Responsiveness
- SEO
- Browser compatibility
- Speed and performance
- Plugin compatibility
- Design aesthetics
- Updates and support
- Linguistic support
- User reviews and ratings
- Scalability
- Clean codebase
- Cost and licensing
- User-friendliness
- Considering their roadmap
Questions to ask yourself before choosing the theme
- Do I want this design for my website?
- Can I make the necessary design tweaks to the theme to make it stand out?
- Are there any support services offered by the theme vendor?
- Will the vendor provide updates regularly to optimize and enhance the theme?
- How fast is the theme when loading the home page?
Note: As an experienced WordPress development company, we recommend you use
plugins for functionality and choose
themes purely based on the design elements. While it can be great to have tons of
built-in functionality in your
themes, if you use plugins for functionality it won't break the website’s
functionality when you change the theme in
future. Also, themes with built-in functionality features are built by hard-coding
plugins into the theme. This
demands the vendor to offer support and keep it updated.
Types of WordPress Themes
- Free Themes: Available in the WordPress repository, suitable for
basic needs.
- Premium Themes: Paid themes with advanced features and dedicated
support.
- Multipurpose Themes: Versatile themes for various website types
(e.g., Divi, Avada).
- Niche-Specific Themes: Designed for specific industries like
restaurants or portfolios.
- E-Commerce Themes: Optimized for online stores using WooCommerce.
- Responsive Themes: Mobile-friendly designs that adapt to all screen
sizes.
- Minimalist Themes: Simple, clean designs for fast-loading and
distraction-free sites.
- Page Builder-Integrated Themes: Built to work seamlessly with
builders like Elementor or WPBakery.
- SEO-Optimized Themes: Developed with search engine best practices in
mind.
- Customizable Frameworks: Themes like Genesis offer robust
customization and performance.
Most Popular WordPress Themes and Page Builders
Popular Themes
- Astra: A lightweight and highly customizable theme, ideal for all
types of websites.
- Divi: Multipurpose theme with a built-in page builder.
- GeneratePress: Known for speed, simplicity, and flexibility.
- OceanWP: Feature-rich and optimized for WooCommerce.
- Avada: One of the top-selling multipurpose themes on ThemeForest.
- Neve: Compatible with almost all page builders and is also
lightweight.
- Hestia: Refined design, best for startups and portfolios.
- Kadence: Easy-to-use theme with a focus on performance and design.
Kadence:
- Elementor: Drag-and-drop builder with powerful design options.
- WPBakery: Flexible builder included with many premium themes.
- Beaver Builder: User-friendly page builder for creating stunning
layouts.
- Divi Builder: Comes with Divi theme and works on other themes as
well.
- Gutenberg: The standard block editor in WordPress is used for
designing content layouts.
How to Browse Themes
- WordPress Theme Directory: Access thousands of free themes from the
dashboard or WordPress.org.
- Premium Marketplaces: Explore ThemeForest, TemplateMonster, or
StudioPress for paid themes.
- Premium Marketplaces: Browse directly from theme developer sites like
Astra or Divi.
- Search Filters: Use filters like niche, features, or ratings in theme
directories.
- Demo Preview: Preview themes to assess design and functionality
before downloading.
- Community Recommendations: Check reviews and blogs for top-rated
themes.
- Theme Search Plugins: Use plugins like Theme Detector to find similar
themes used by other websites.
How to Configure and Install a WordPress Theme
- Access Theme Menu: Go to Appearance > Themes in the WordPress
dashboard.
- Install from Repository: Click Add New, search for a theme, and click
Install for free themes.
- Upload a Theme: For premium themes, click Upload Theme and select the
.zip file.
- Activate the Theme: Once installed, click "Activate" to apply the
theme to your website.
- Import Demo Content: Many themes offer demo import tools to replicate
the demo look.
- Customize Settings: Use Appearance > Customize to tweak colours,
fonts, and layouts.
- Install Recommended Plugins: Some themes suggest plugins for enhanced
functionality.
- Test Responsiveness: Ensure the theme looks good on desktop, tablet,
and mobile.
- Backup Settings: Save customizations with export tools or backups for
future use.
Key components of WordPress theme
WordPress theme is the heart of your website, this theme controls the design,
layout, and visual elements of the
website, all the parts of the website that the user interacts with. Here is a list
of components that run behind the
scenes
- Template files - Establishes the structure and design of all the pages.
- Stylesheets - controls the appearance of the website including colours,
fonts, and layout.
- Functions file - adds inbuilt functionality to the theme.
- Theme templates and hooks - determines the template file used for the page
and points where developers can add code using actions.
- JavaScript and styles - improves the interactivity and user experience with
animations, sliders, etc.
- Theme options panel - a settings panel for customzing logos, colours, and
other layouts.
- Widgets - search, social links, etc.
Advantages of the WordPress Theme System
- Separation of Concerns: Keeps design and functionality distinct for
easier updates and management.
- Modularity: Template files allow fine-grained control over specific
parts of the website.
- Customization: Themes can be easily modified via child themes to
preserve the original codebase.
- Scalability: Themes are designed to work with additional plugins and
WordPress updates.
Best Practices for Choosing and Using Themes
- Choose Lightweight Themes: Avoid bloated themes for better
performance.
- Focus on Responsiveness: Ensure the theme adapts to all screen
sizes.
- Use Child Themes: Customize designs safely without modifying the core
theme.
- Regular Updates: Opt for themes with regular updates to ensure
compatibility and security.
Conclusion
All in all, themes integrate various templates, styles, and other functions that
significantly simplify the process
of website development. It is very important to choose the right theme for you
website, as the theme becomes the
face of the website. However, themes only offer limited customization and functional
capabilities, build powerful
and unique WordPress websites with Webomindapps. We offer custom WordPress
development services to help businesses
build websites that are extremely unique, highly powerful, and offers a range of
functionality and features. Visit
our website for more information on blogs and WordPress development.
