Help to choose a WordPress theme: Important Things to Consider

If you’re getting started building a new WordPress site, one of your first tasks is Choosing a WordPress Theme. But are you aware of what factors to consider when it comes to how to choose a WordPress theme?

There are millions of WordPress themes out there. So how do you filter and find the perfect one for your site? While some folks have a general idea of a WordPress theme, many don’t realize how vital themes are and how they work to create a finished, published WordPress website. Choosing a WordPress Theme is the most crucial aspect in the website building process— the perfect one should give your content a modern and clean look while keeping it responsive across all devices.

The marketplace is filled with so many themes that it can be a daunting task to pick the best one possible. This guide is about the importance of themes in WordPress and guides you through Choosing a WordPress Theme.

Before buying a theme, or investing your time in customizing one, be sure to read through this article. So let us dive in!

What is a WordPress Theme?

In short, a WordPress theme defines the look, feel, and design of a WordPress website. A theme is a file type that consists of a design layout that helps determine the look of a WordPress site. It primarily controls the visual aspects of your website and, in some cases, also defines the interaction and functionality.

More specifically, all of the content you add to your website is displayed within the context of the WordPress theme you choose. By changing your WordPress site’s theme, you can instantly change how your site looks.

For example, take a look at the Webflare website.

 This is a top-rated site that runs on the WordPress platform. When you look at their site, you’ll immediately notice a unique styling of how images and text appear within the layout. All of the visual stylings of the Webflare site are determined by the theme that they are running on their site.

How much do you need a Theme for your WordPress site?

Yes, it is a must. Since it’s impossible to build a website on WordPress without the help of a theme. The theme files are the core building blocks required for WordPress to create the look of your website.

Although if you are proficient in coding and have an eye. WordPress allows you to create your theme from scratch rather than using a pre-built theme. This will require technical detail and probably isn’t how you want to build your WordPress site as a beginner.

But if you’re interested in building your theme for your WordPress site, the simplest way is to download and install a starter theme and begin adding in the design elements you’re looking for.

In this guide, we explain in detail about How to Install a WordPress Theme using Zip.

How to Choose a WordPress Theme

1. Pick a Lightweight WordPress Theme

The theme is a large part of you website foundation, and, as such, it has a significant effect on your site’s performance and page load times.

I once ran a test where I switched from a “regular” WordPress theme to a performance-optimized one, and my page load times dropped by 42%. To be honest, That’s huge!

Your site loads quickly is vital for everything from user experience to SEO to conversion rates, so it’s not something you can ignore.

2. Compatibility with the WordPress Block Editor / Gutenberg

Believe it or not, the future of WordPress is the block editor, known as Gutenberg. WordPress has gone all-in with a block-based approach to page and post-editing in recent updates, so your theme should utilize what’s happening with WordPress core. The article you are currently reading is also built using Gutenberg. In contrast, the last thing you want to happen is to be left behind with a theme that isn’t compatible with the future of WordPress. 

So be sure to look for integrations with WordPress blocks.

The Milton Theme was built with deep and thorough integration with Gutenburg and the WordPress Block Editor. Milton Theme also uses the built-in WordPress customizer to control most. Of your site-wide styles.

3. Check Responsive Design (Saying it again, Check It)

Mobile traffic accounts for about 50% of Internet traffic in today’s world, with that number only growing. Responsive design is the functionality and idea that your website automatically adapts based on the device screen size and aspect ratio. So, whether someone visits on their laptop or their iPhone, they should still have a good experience.

So, here’s the thing — when I emphasize checking a theme’s responsive design, I mean to open the demo site on your smartphone and check how responsive is the navigation? Is it acceptable or can you customize it according to your need? Some themes might have slick navigation menus on mobile, while others are clunky and really difficult to use.

Certainly, you should check How does a blog post look? Some themes might not even consider showing a blog post’s title above the fold (on a mobile device). That’s a peculiar experience for visitors because they have to swipe down to see what a post is about.

4. WooCommerce-Ready

There are themes that allow the integration of WooCommerce, and then there are themes that fully integrate with WooCommerce and make the experience even better.

Milton Theme brings you extra features that are built-in and help make your WooCommerce store better than it’s ever been. If you’re selling products with WooCommerce, Milton Theme is the perfect place to start.

Also, read about how to get WordPress Premium Themes for free in this article.

5. Check the Reviews and Ratings

As with any purchase, reviews and ratings are a great way to bring in the wisdom of the crowds to bring in more confidence in your decision.

Thankfully, it’s relatively easy to find reviews for almost all of the WordPress themes.

If you’re looking at a free theme at WordPress.org, you can find ratings on the theme listing page. You can also click the “See All” link to see the actual text reviews.

Likewise, if you’re planning to purchase a premium theme from ThemeForest or EnvatoElements, you can find the rating in the sidebar. 

Pick a WordPress Theme That Sets You Up for Success

If you follow the tips on this list, Choosing a WordPress theme that will set your site up for success both now and in the future.

But, if you want to skip the search process and jump straight to some great WordPress themes, you might want to check out Envato Elements.

Whether you go with a free theme or a premium theme, spend some time exploring the many options available in the WordPress community. You’re sure to find the ideal one for your project.

Check out Webflare Blog for more valuable content.