Once logged into WP Admin, you can focus on the website theme. In WordPress, a theme is a collection of templates and stylesheets used to define the appearance and display of a WordPress powered website. A user needs to choose the one that suits their taste and requirements for their website. However, a user can modify a theme by adding plugins or by adding code to the functions.php file.

Themes generally consist of three parts in addition to images and JavaScript files. The three parts are the style.css file, the WordPress template files, and an optional functions.php file that will allow changes to be made to the theme. Every theme must have a unique style.css file. This doesn’t mean that the styles can’t be the same but rather that the identifying information in the header needs to be different otherwise you will have problems during installation. If it is not a child theme, then it also needs to have at least an index.php template file to control the display of content.

We have seen so far that is a theme, but the real question remain is this:

Which WordPress theme should I choose?

When it comes to choosing a theme, from the multitude of themes on the market, it can be overwhelming, so keep in mind the following before you choose one:

  • Brand identity– Through layout and design, you communicate your brand. Pick designs that are closer to what you want. Don’t forget to use DEMO to test how features work;
  • Features– Make a list of critical features, choose only those you need;
  • Responsive- Most WordPress themes are already responsive by default, but there is a seller who is selling fixed-width layouts that are not mobile-friendly at all;
  • Cost– Free WordPress themes do not come with guaranteed support and updates, so do consider to buy a premium version in the future;
  • Browser compatibility– Most WordPress theme developers test their themes rigorously by using sophisticated browser compatibility testing tools, in case they don’t, make sure you always run some basic tests to check the theme on different browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc;
  • Supported plugins– Make sure that your WordPress theme supports all popular plugins. If you are unsure, ask the theme developer about it;
  • Multilingual ready– You may be creating a website in a language other than English, but make sure that your WordPress theme is translation ready and supports multilingual WordPress plugins;
  • Support options– Make sure that you select a WordPress theme that has good documentation and support option. Most premium WordPress themes offer detailed documentation with 1 year of email-based support.

And so, and so, the list can continue.

As I said, there are out there free and paid WordPress themes, one of the safest places to download WordPress themes is WordPress.org Theme Directory.

And keep in mind that preparation is half of the battle, however here’s a comparison to show you the difference between the free and paid themes:

Free WordPress Themes

  • Free to install;
  • Available on WordPress.org and individual sites;
  • Support available from WordPress forum community;
  • Updates dependent on the “artist”;
  • Code quality varies widely depending on the skill of the “artist”;
  • Sometimes contains malicious code when downloaded outside of WordPress.

Paid WordPress Themes

  • As a starting point from $10 and it can go up to $100+;
  • Available from theme maker sites like ThemeForest, etc.
  • Support available from theme makers for a period of time;
  • Code quality usually more professional;
  • Usually able to customize design more, if you need to;
  • Less likely to contain malicious code as regularly updated by developers 24/7.

Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas to help narrow down your selection process.

I’d really like (love) to know how you choose your current WordPress theme. Did you find it on WordPress repository, Themeforest or did it come from a recommendation? Do you have any tips for people who might be looking for their first WordPress theme?

Let’s help up a buddy, share this piece of content so everybody learns how to properly choose their theme. Leave a comment and let us know.