There is no doubt that there are hundreds and even thousands of WordPress theme available out there. The collection just grows every day with all sorts of themes you can imagine. This is why it is important that you learn how to choose the perfect and most suitable theme for your WordPress site. Check out the tips below to help you make the right choice:
Determine Your Budget and Requirements
Of course, this will always be the first and most important step. You have to know your needs and requirements. Start first by understanding the nature of the site you plan to build or run. Will it be a simple and plain blog? Is this is a video website? Will you include lots of images?
After this, you can start shortlisting the kind of theme most suitable for your needs. You also need to think of concerns related to the design. For instance, websites that focus on content might look better with a minimalist theme while some websites might need animations and other tweaks that have something to do with appearance.
You also need to know your budget. You should determine if you are willing to spend money or not. Some might tell you that free themes are not a good choice. However, this isn’t always true. Make sure you research first to know what suits you best.
Pay Attention to Code Standards and Quality
Poorly coded WordPress themes could adversely affect the performance of your site. This can slow down things, create a pile of junk on your database and make it vulnerable to hackers. Thus, it will be better if you choose a theme that follows safer practices and all the newest coding standards.
Check for Updates and Support
If will go for a premium or paid theme, it is a given that there is a premium quality support to back it up. This support could be in the form of email, online tickets, or forums. If your paid theme suffers from some issues, there are developers to help you out.
However, the story is different with free themes. It is just expected that developers won’t spend hours giving support for a product they offer for free. But, you might still want to check how quickly the developer responds to support requests and questions.
WordPress themes must be updated on a regular basis. In time, new security patches must be applied and bugs should be fixed. A theme that doesn’t get regular updates is not a good theme.
To check how frequent the updates are, you can look at the theme’s change log to get an idea of how lively the process of development for the WordPress theme is.
Knowing how to choose the perfect theme for your WordPress website doesn’t take rocket science. By following the tips mentioned above, you can be sure that you will be able to find the right theme that can add more pizzazz to your website and take everything to the next level.