How to choose a WordPress template : 9 things you should know before choosing a WordPress template
Choosing the best WordPress theme isn’t a piece of cake.
One of the best features about WordPress is how flexible it is. You can easily change the look of your site with easy-to-install templates. But let's be real – choosing the best WordPress theme isn't easy.
There are a whole host of options available, and if you're not familiar with them, it can be very confusing. So, in this article, I will try to share some useful tips to guide you on how to choose the right WordPress theme, whether it is for a blog, business website, or personal project.
Free or paid template?
Before you choose the best WordPress theme, consider your budget. You'll weigh the options between free and paid templates. The price of the latter is usually close to a few tens of dollars, and it is uncommon to find options priced above $100. You can also get powerful, well-designed premium themes from your hosting provider by purchasing WordPress hosting.
But here's the thing – is it worth paying for a template? What makes premium themes a better choice than hundreds of free WordPress themes?
Let me explain it to you:
There are features paid WordPress themes provides that free WordPress themes may not provide for example:
- Quality – The paid themes are top notch. There is fierce competition in the market, and content creators cannot afford any disadvantages. So, when you purchase a WordPress theme, you are getting a more precise and professional solution.
- Support – You will get one year of technical support included in the price. This means that you will have someone to turn to if you encounter any problems or have basic questions.
- Security – Paid WordPress theme publishers update their products regularly, eliminating any bugs and enhancing the security of your site.
- Documentation – Most paid WordPress themes come with well-crafted documentation, user guides, and detailed feature descriptions. If you choose a free WordPress theme, you'll have to install and set it up yourself.
- Uniqueness – Free WordPress themes are more popular in use, which makes it particularly difficult for them to stand out. With paid themes, there is still a chance that multiple users will purchase the same template, but these templates are not widely accessible.
- Affordability – Let’s be honest, paid WordPress themes are affordable and, in many cases, offer the best value for your money. Spending a few dozen dollars to create a website that works to its full potential is a smart investment that won't break the bank.
Where to find WordPress templates?
The market is vast and intensely competitive, and there is an abundance of leading options. When you search for “WordPress template” on Google, it suggests more than 50 million pages! But don't worry, there are some places you should check first when looking for the best WordPress theme.
The most popular websites with WordPress themes include Theme Forest, TemplateMonster, Elmastudio, Elegant Themes, My Theme Shop, and The Theme Foundry. You can also explore theme aggregators like Best of Themes or custom aggregators of free WordPress themes, like Theme Cards.
And if you want to pick a specific WordPress theme you've seen on a website, you can check the information using the WordPress Theme Detector tool. It will tell you which template the website owner is using and where to buy or download it.
things you should keep in mind before choosing a WordPress template
1- The appearance
There's no denying it – appearance is the first and most important criterion for evaluating a template. Users notice the layout, colors, images, and other elements. Especially when the technical details seem like black magic to them.
2- Ease of use
Often times, the template selection process focuses only on aesthetics. Although a template is responsible for the look of a site, it is also the backbone that determines navigation, layout, structure, and content direction.
A good template should not only be visually appealing but also very functional. Both aspects should be evaluated together. So, don't be swayed by flashy graphics or pretty colours. Even the most beautiful artistic elements won't help you if your site is difficult for users to navigate.
Be sure to evaluate the artistic impression of your WordPress theme and see if it matches your expectations for the new site:
Is it easy to use?
Does the menu layout make sense?
Do your page templates accommodate the content you plan to publish?
3- Relevant to the content
You can choose a great WordPress theme, but not all themes are versatile enough to suit every type of website. Even if you like a design, it may not mesh well with your content.
When evaluating a template, it is essential to do so without allowing emotions to cloud your judgement. Demos offered by publishers are often polished and presented in the best light possible. However, once you upload actual content and add images for your site, the template may lose its initial charm.
This issue is particularly relevant for image-based layouts. Demo versions usually include great images that create a positive impression. However, your content may not be perfect or relevant. It's important to evaluate a WordPress theme based on the resources you have and those you intend to use rather than relying solely on what the publisher shows in the demo.
4- The art of lettering
When choosing a WordPress theme, remember to check the fonts. Font styles should be varied and the text should be easy to read.
Your website may offer different types of content, but text will likely remain a priority.
First and foremost, avoid projects with small font sizes and very long lines of text. Such formatting strains the reader's eyes. Aim for a font size of at least 16 pixels and make sure lines don't exceed 80 characters. In addition, proper line spacing is important, giving paragraphs enough room to breathe.
Find different vertical styles, bullet points, and highlighting options. These elements have proven to be very useful when formatting posts. On the other hand, it is better to avoid using strange and unconventional fonts. Although they may look attractive or interesting, they can strain the eyes and affect the overall readability of your content.
5- Jobs
Aside from appearance, ease of use is an important aspect when choosing a WordPress theme. Creators often add new features, but more is not always better for the user. So, what should you care about?
6- Language versions
If you plan to use the template on a multilingual website, it's worth checking the available translations and font compatibility. While English does not use any diacritics, other languages do. Many creators offer versions in different languages or design the editor to support standalone translations.
7- lessonswordpress
WordPress themes equipped with page builders are gaining popularity. This allows you to create pages using pre-designed blocks without requiring design or programming skills. However, you may encounter stability issues or be difficult to use. It's wise to consider projects that work seamlessly with well-known tools like Gutenberg or Elementor.
It can be difficult to choose a good WordPress theme, as you have to rely on the theme of the demo. The most important aspect is the ability to easily enable page editing and make future changes without having to rebuild the entire site.
Keep in mind that achieving a demo-like look may take a long time. Additionally, it's best to avoid WordPress themes that have too many features, as more code increases the risk of bugs and vulnerabilities. Each add-on means losing it after switching to another theme.
8- Setting options
Creators try different tactics to convince you to make a purchase. Some features may seem attractive, but you may not need them. More options require more attention and can lead to different problems.
You can easily fall into the classic trap – paying for something you won't end up using. I recommend following the “less is more” principle. Overloaded templates often require frequent updates, may encounter unexpected issues due to insufficient testing, degrade performance, and lead to usability issues.
So, it's best to focus on solutions that match your current needs – you won't choose a WordPress theme for a decade. With the current pace of trend changes, you should continue using it for 2-3 years. Investing so much time and money into it for such a relatively short period would be a waste.
9- Technical aspects
Aside from what you can see on the surface, what happens behind the scenes is just as important. The technical aspects are more difficult to evaluate, leading to many questions and problems. Here are some techniques and tools to help you:
Responsiveness
Your site should display well on all devices. Hence, it is necessary to test the beta version in different forms. You can do this simply by running it on many available devices, but there are also useful tools to check:
Google's mobile-friendly test evaluates how well a website performs on mobile devices, which affects its rankings.
Responsinator provides previews of the most popular devices and checks compatibility with them.
When choosing the best WordPress theme don't forget if the website displays well on all devices.
Performance and search engine optimization
The template must be optimized for search engines effectively. Test the demo version by checking the site for search engine optimization. With this you will analyze the code and determine whether the publisher has taken into account the essential aspects.
Page loading speed is becoming increasingly important as well. Users are more patient and don't like slow loading times. Moreover, a heavy page consumes a lot of data on mobile devices, which slows down the loading process. It also negatively affects search engine rankings. How do you evaluate this criterion?
PageSpeed Insights – Google comes to the rescue again. Using their tool, you can check performance before choosing a specific WordPress theme.
Pingdom Test – An alternative to Google's tool. It analyzes speed and suggests areas that need improvement.
The security of your WordPress site depends not only on the theme you choose, but also on your hosting. Don't compromise on your site's performance, speed, and security, choose hosting services from Ultahost.
Protection
Vulnerabilities in your code can expose your site to serious attacks. Even if the theme seems to work well at first glance, there may be bugs in the background that compromise security. Assess the template's vulnerability to known vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to compromise your server, as well as overall security.
Tools like Sucuri or Perfect Dashboard can help identify suspicious areas in a website's code.
Remember, WordPress security requires regular updates. When you choose a WordPress theme, pay attention to the number of plugins needed to run it properly. Each add-on requires regular updates. Furthermore, the more comprehensive the template code base, the greater the risk of vulnerabilities.
Code quality
Code quality also affects the overall rating of a WordPress theme. Different methods can achieve the same effects, but only certain solutions are correct and safe. You can run a simple CSS test:
How many CSS files does the template include?
Check its organization and structure.
How many lines of code are there in all CSS files? Several hundred lines are still acceptable, but when the number reaches four or five digits, it's time to look for an alternative. The theme is likely to have poor performance, complex code, and difficulty making changes.
How often does “!important” appear? In most cases where this tag is used, you can replace it with more concise code. Overuse of “!important” may indicate that the template programmer was not a front-end expert.
To choose a fast and secure WordPress theme, run a simple CSS test.
Opinions and popularity
Some theme stores, such as ThemeForest, provide user reviews. It is worth checking them to identify possible problems. Publishers' responses also indicate their approach to support and assistance.
The most valuable information comes from reviews with an average rating. Very negative reviews are often the result of user ignorance or malice, while very positive reviews are usually brief and not very informative, such as “Great template.” The number of reviews is also important. A rating of 4.5/5 based on 500 votes carries more weight than a rating of 5/5 based on three votes.
Templates, by definition, are universal and available to everyone. It's a big advantage, but it also impacts exclusivity. On the one hand, very popular themes are widely tested, but on the other hand, there is a greater chance that your site will look identical to other sites.
last word
Choosing the right WordPress theme is not an easy task, but it is essential to make your website stand out and work well. Although a wide range of options can be very important, considering your budget, evaluating appearance, ease of use, and paying attention to technical aspects can guide you toward the right choice.
Remember, choosing the right WordPress theme requires careful consideration, but with the right approach, you can create a visually attractive, easy-to-use, high-performance website that effectively meets your needs. We hope you find the perfect template!
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