The appearance of a website is fundamental to its design. The layout, color combination, and graphics all influence visitors' perceptions. WordPress understands this, and that is why it has thousands of themes from which website owners can choose. Whether it's a simple website with quotes or a corporate platform, there are WordPress themes for every requirement.
You may be looking to spruce up an existing site or build a new one. Whatever the case, the selection needs a bit of caution. Although some of the WordPress themes are free, users have to pay for others, which makes your choice that much more crucial. What should guide your decision when picking a WordPress theme?
Premium or Not
The first step is deciding if your website can get away with a free WordPress theme or will you have to pay for it. Free themes are appropriate for uncomplicated websites. If you just want a platform to post daily recipes or a few quotes, a free template may do just fine. Premium themes have their plus sides like the availability of numerous features.
You can get extra skins to suit your platform needs. There is also the uniqueness of the themes because not everyone pays for premium. Premium themes come with regular updates, which can help maintain the freshness of your site's appearance.
Responsiveness
The access to sites on mobile devices is increasing by the day. It is why most platforms are built to fit on mobile screens. Your website designs should factor in need of mobile users. A responsive design is one that adapts to all type of devices.
Mobile devices have small screens, so the viewing is not the same as when using desktops. Responsive themes account for the decreased size and speed of mobile devices. When your visitors are on smartphones or tablets, you have assurances that they won't have trouble navigating through the platform.
Browser Support
Before settling on one WordPress theme, check its ability to work on different browsers. Today's internet users have a multitude of browsers at their disposal; some popular and others not so much. Some themes may be accessible only on common browsers and refuse to open on others. You can't tell which of your visitors are on what browser, hence the need to ensure wide compatibility.
It is wasteful to spend money on a theme then find out a fraction of your customers don't have some functions when they enter the platform. Website owners don't have to test themes themselves, check the information from the developer to learn about compatibility.
E-Commerce Functions
If your platform doubles as an e-commerce store, then it should have the right theme to match. E-commerce templates are structured to work with specific plugins that are necessary on such platforms. It's a mistake to fit e-commerce functions on a theme that is not built to support them. Also, consider the content that will go on an e-commerce website. Usually, it involves product images and descriptions, which the theme should be able to accommodate.
User Friendliness
User Friendliness
If your site is to attract the right visitors, it should not make it hard for them to get around. The layout, navigation, and content should be tailored to improve user experience. Try a demo theme first so that you can understand what your visitors will be going through.
Does it take too long to find the menu? Is there enough white space? Where is the search tool located? Such elementals will allow you to find a theme that won't keep you awake worrying.
Ease of Customization
A theme that comes with personalization settings is great but how easily can you change certain features? WordPress themes, both premium and free come with some level of customization. However, some of them can be too complicated for someone without the technical skills in web development. Again, the demo content can offer a glimpse into the customization functions available on a theme's dashboard.
Speed
The page loading momentum of your website affects traffic, and your WordPress theme interferes with those speeds. Fast speeds are critical in shaping user experience. A theme that is laden with features and heavy graphics will have slow loading speeds. If a template has to run various large files and plugins, it will take more than a few seconds to load. Poor coding on a theme can also reduce its speeds, so be careful when choosing.
