HOW TO CHOOSE A WORDPRESS THEME

HELLO!

What is a theme?A collection of structure and design files needed, in

addition to the core WordPress files, to make a WordPress website work.

Why use a theme?A theme contains files that style the display of:

⊡ Headers / Navigation Menus⊡ Page Templates⊡ Blog Templates ⊡ Sidebars⊡ Footers⊡ And others. . .

STRUCTURE

Out of the box, your site will look like this.

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You’ll need to install a theme

to style the site.

UNSTYLEDTHEME

With a theme installed and customized,

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your site will display in a much more

user-friendly way.

INSTALLEDTHEME

“~ Number One ~

What kind of website are you building?

Your theme should complement the content of your site.

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“~ Number Two ~

Premium vs. Free Themes

There are a number of considerations to take when choosing between a paid .

WordPress is Open SourceWordPress, approved WordPress themes and WordPress

plugins all have a General Public License.

No one can actually own them. Anything made from the code inherits the license.

FREE

Pros:

1. Many to choose from.2. Often easy to customize.3. They’re free.

Cons:

1. Often not updated.2. Poor code.3. Generic in style.

FREE VS. PREMIUM THEMES

PREMIUM

Pros:

1. Supported and updated.2. Flexibility in customization.3. Better code.

Cons:

1. Additional cost for support.2. Annual fee.3. They’re not free.

“~ Number Three ~

Your theme MUST be responsive.

Google will penalize sites that are not optimized for viewing on mobile devices.

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MOBILE RESPONSIVE

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screenshot here

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“~ Number Four ~

Check Theme Ratings

Some of the best indicators about the strength of a theme will come from others’ experiences.

SHOPPING FOR A FREE THEME

To find the WordPress theme directory, go to

Appearances > Themes > Add New

ALWAYS CHECK THE STATS

The ColorMag theme has 40,000+ active installs

and 139 five-star ratings.

This premium theme offers styled page layouts, unlimited use and one year of support and updates.

PREMIUM THEME SHOPPING

“~ Number Five ~

Page Builders

There are arguments to be made for and against page builders.

PAGE BUILDER PROS

1. Drop and drag page elements.

2. WYSIWYG editors.3. Custom layouts.4. No coding required.

PAGE BUILDER CONS

1. If packed with theme, changing theme will lose page info.

2. Plugin may not be compatible with new theme.

3. Slow site load times.

“~ Number Six ~

Child Themes

Child themes are essential for the long term use of a theme.

Genesis is the parent theme or framework and a child theme is installed for custom styling.

CHILD THEMES

“~ Number Seven ~

Plugin Compatibility

Be sure your new theme has the necessary files to work with your required plugins.

CHECK FOR PLUGIN COMPATIBILITY

Additional functionality often comes from plugins. These plugins will require specific page templates to work properly. Be sure your theme is compatible with the desired plugin.

“~ Number Eight ~

More Things To Consider

You’ll want to check out these other features as well.

ADDITIONALCONSIDERATIONS

SEO OPTIMIZED

Use an SEO checker to be sure that the source code is optimized for Search Engine Optimization.

NAVIGATION OPTIONS

Your theme should have one or more clear and easy-to-navigate menu options.

SOCIAL MEDIA INTEGRATED

Does the theme have a built-in area to display your social media links?

SHORTCODES

Does your new theme use custom shortcodes? Be mindful of them in case you ever need to change your theme.

WIDGETS

Much the same as shortcodes, look to see if custom widgets are part of your chosen theme.

RESOURCESLinks to help you select the right theme.

RESOURCES

THEMES

wordpress.org/themes/

wordpress.org/themes/commercial/

PAGE SPEED

tools.pingdom.com/

developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/

SEO CHECKER

seositecheckup.com/

seowebpageanalyzer.com

MOBILE RESPONSIVEgoogle.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

http://responsivedesignchecker.com/

CHILD THEME INFO

codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes

themify.me/docs/child-themes

CODE CHECKER

themecheck.org/

jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/

THANKS!

Any questions?You can find me on social media

@nickypinkandco

hello@nicky.pink

WCATL Slack Channel #sun-09a-nicky-pink

Hey, there.Starting her career as a Print Graphic Designer over 15 years ago, Nicky Pink is a Master Brand Specialist and Website Designer and Developer who has worked exclusively with WordPress since 2009. Along with being certified in life coaching and event planning, Nicky’s skills in design and development provide the perfect outlet for her left brain / right brain balance.

Raised a Yooper in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Nicky lived in New York for 20 years before landing in the Atlanta area in 2015. The WordPress community was the first group of people she met upon arriving, and have continued to be a constant source of inspiration and support with some becoming very good friends.

Along with various upcoming speaking engagements, Nicky is launching a branding masterclass and writing a book. When she’s not in the digital world, she enjoys movies, road trips with her teenage daughter, Eva, and hiking with her Goldendoodle, Kevin. You can find her on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and on her website, Nicky Pink & Co.

WCATL Slack Channel #sun-09a-nicky-pink

Tel. (770) 765-7614