How To Choose A Perfect WordPress Theme For Your Business
Most website owner using WordPress face a daunting question: how to choose a WordPress theme that works for my business?’.
There are a ton of factors that go into planning a website. However, what most people tend to overlook is the theme of the website.
The lack of knowledge about WordPress themes is why most people choose the wrong one for their websites. Website themes are one of the most important facets before start creating a WordPress website and cannot be ignored.
They set the tone for your overall online presence, which is an important part of your business. If you cannot figure out how to choose a WordPress theme for your business website, continue reading and gaining more perspective on the topic!
Why is WordPress Theme Selection Important?
You may look at WordPress as a proficient content management system. However, it is one of the most popular website developing platforms you can find online.
Your website is the face of your brand, and everything right from its theme to its interface needs to be well designed. So, choosing a perfect WordPress theme is very important.
WordPress supports a large number of plug-ins and themes, so you have a ton of options and creative freedom while developing your platform. Here are a few important reasons why theme selection for your business website is of the utmost importance.
Increases the website appeal
Choosing the right theme for your business website will make it appear more attractive to your users. Website appeal is a primary reason why picking the right theme is crucial.
If you have little to no experience in website design, you can choose from various online themes that come with drag-and-drop features. This should make it easy for you to create your website according to your preferences.
Enhanced functionality and usability
The theme for your business website determines the type of plug-ins you will be using. Most developers are concerned about using plug-ins, but these actually make websites more efficient. However, if you fail to choose the right theme, the plug-ins used for the website will be rendered useless.
Get faster results
Building a website can be very time-consuming. However, with the help of WordPress themes, you can build one swiftly and with fewer hassles.
These themes are affordable and easy to use. So, with the right theme, you can create a fully functional business website in absolutely no time. All you need to know is how to choose a WordPress theme that aligns with your business needs.
Support multiple browsers
You need to create a website that runs successfully on multiple browsers and devices. Your site visitors could be using different browsers than the one your website supports. Choosing the right theme will enable you to create a website that supports multiple browsers at once so that you can cater to all your customers effectively.
Improved website features
If you want to build a professional-looking website, your best bet is to create one using WordPress themes. Even the free themes on WordPress come with many features that are highly beneficial to websites.
It is especially great for people who are not very proficient in coding languages and find it challenging to edit existing codes for themes. However, for this, you will need to learn how to choose a WordPress theme correctly.
Type of WordPress Themes
One of the best features of WordPress is the wide range of themes available for developers. You can find themes for every style and budget to build a website that caters to the needs of your business.
You can start by drafting a rough sketch of how you want your website to look. That will help you figure out how to choose a WordPress themeeasily and even narrow down your options.
Continue reading to find out more about the different types of themes available on WordPress.
Free Themes
The WordPress platform offers its users a wide range of themes to choose from. Every theme has a different set of features that serve various purposes.
The default theme on WordPress is “Twenty Seventeen,” and it offers basic features that are more than enough to run a blog. However, for a business website, you can browse through the WordPress.org theme directory. It has numerous free themes that you can choose from and install free of cost.
Premium Themes
Premium themes are WordPress themes that you can buy from external platforms. These themes are like the free ones, except they come with additional features or functions. Since you will be paying for these themes, you can expect frequent updates from your provider.
Additionally, premium theme providers often extend added support to their users, which can help you understand how to choose a WordPress theme. That is because such themes possess a large number of multipurpose features perfect for different projects.
If you are not well-acquainted with them, you will not be able to make the most of these features, and they will go to waste.
Premium themes have two major drawbacks that are worth considering:
- They are extremely complicated to use.
- Changing the theme of your website midway is not possible.
Custom Themes
If you are not satisfied with the themes available for WordPress online, you can get yourself a custom-designed theme too. These website themes are built by professionals and uniquely cater to your every need.
The only downside to getting custom themes made for your website is the price tag. Custom themes can be very expensive, and if you are on a budget, they are not the best option for you. You could try exploring the free WordPress themes or even the premium ones instead.
Theme Frameworks
WordPress themes are developed using specific files known as theme frameworks. These frameworks comprise different features that make up a website theme used by developers.
You can use a single framework to develop a large number of WordPress themes. Many online platforms use one framework and build numerous themes around it.
You can use such frameworks to create a theme for your website. It is a very time-efficient way to create WordPress themes because all you will need to do is make a few modifications to generate a new theme for your business website. It is like designing your theme without having to put in too much effort or building it from the ground up!
List the Features You Need
Every WordPress theme has its own unique set of features. When it comes down to understanding the concept of how to choose a WordPress theme, you will need to first think about all the features you need in your business website.
Once you decide on the type of features you are looking for, it will become significantly easier to pick your desired theme. However, there are a few crucial ones that you should not compromise on. Here’s what they are.
Simplicity
Your business website needs to look comprehensible and easy to use. While you may feel attracted to complex themes that look highly professional, you need to think from the user’s perspective at the end of the day.
A primary feature you should be looking for in your WordPress theme is simplicity. These themes need to have features that are intuitive and make the website interface more user-friendly.
Lightweight and Fast
A theme with a ton of features that you are highly unlikely to use will only slow your website down. Ensure the theme you pick for your website has all the essential features needed to run a successful business website.
However, do not opt for one loaded with extra features that only seem attractive from an aesthetic standpoint. Such complexities in your theme could slow down the website and negatively affect your website’s response time.
Fully Responsive
You need your theme to be fully responsive before you decide to use it for your business website. This feature is one of the basics of WordPress theme because your users are going to use different devices to access your website.
It would be best to make sure that the theme you pick is responsive on desktops, laptops, mobile phones, and even tablets. This way, your website will get more hits, and it will be easier for you to reach a wider audience across different devices.
Compatible Browsers
When you build a website, you must build it keeping your users in mind. There is no way all your users are going to use a standard browser to access your website. So, if you want your website to reach all your users, you must use a WordPress theme that works well across multiple browsers.
Compatible Plug-ins
- WooCommerce
- Gravity Forms
- Event Calendar
Plug-ins are very important when you are designing your website on WordPress. That is because these plug-ins allow you to customize your website theme the way you like. They also help you increase the functionality of the website and make it more efficient.
Knowing how to choose a WordPress themealso involves understanding how these plug-ins work. Before selecting a theme, make sure you figure out if you can add all the necessary plug-ins you like and if they are compatible with it.
Page Builders
- Elementor
- Divi
- SeedProd
- Themify
- Thrive Architect etc.
Page builders are plug-ins that enable you to create landing pages for your website. You can add these landing pages to any website provided that the theme used supports the page builder plug-in.
These plug-ins are very useful to developers because they allow them to create layouts that cater to a business’s specific needs and requirements.
SEO Friendliness
SEO is vital for every website on the internet. The success and popularity of the website depend on how SEO-friendly it is. So, before deciding on a theme, you must make sure it supports SEO plug-ins.
It is also advisable that you look for SEO compatibility when you run the demo for the theme. Things like HTML tags and fast-loading themes are also signs that signify the theme is SEO-friendly.
How to Choose a WordPress Theme
‘How to choose a WordPress theme?’ can scare many ambitious developers away. However, there are many ways to choose the right theme for your business website.
Here’s what they are:
Theme Support Options
The theme you pick should support the features and the plug-ins you require from your website. That is important because if you do end up shelling out a lot of money on one theme, changing it might not be an option for you. Before you pick one theme, make sure you know everything about it.
Reviews and Ratings
Going through reviews by people who have already used a theme is one of the best ways to gauge the efficiency of a WordPress theme. It is an easy way to choose a WordPress theme. You can acquaint yourself with the flaws and the perks of any theme by understanding someone else’s experience with it.
Update Information
You can estimate the proficiency of a theme by looking at how many updates it receives. Frequent updates are very important for WordPress themes and plug-ins.
Updates allow you to keep your website running efficiently. They are important for security reasons and also to remove any bugs that persist on your website.
Our Recommendations
Here are a few top WordPress theme recommendations that will help you understand to choose a WordPress theme correctly.
Divi Theme
If you do not have a lot of experience in coding, this is the perfect theme for you. Divi theme allows users to customize the theme the way they like. It enables front-end customization to make the process easier and allows users to design layouts.
Themify
Themify is one of the most trusted WordPress theme shops online. You can find a large number of themes and plug-ins to create your website on this platform. They have themes for every website and budget!
Astra
The free version of Astra is used by over 1 million websites worldwide. This WordPress theme is one of the best beginner themes you can try for your business website.
It supports numerous page builders and other WordPress plug-ins required to build a sustainable website. The theme also allows developers to import web designs from the internet easily.
To Conclude
Choosing the right WordPress theme can make or break your website. Make sure you do your due diligence on all the options available and only decide once you are sure of it.
You will know exactly how to choose a WordPress theme if you follow all the tips mentioned above!
