WordPress has grown in popularity and powers nearly one-third of all sites across the web. Right from startups to large enterprises, websites from all sectors and of all industries are being developed on WordPress. One factor that makes it such a powerful Content Management System (CMS) is the availability of themes. These are pre-designed templates which can be used to create your website rather than designing it from scratch. Having said that, choosing a theme is usually an overwhelming experience due to the availability of thousands of themes. While you might be attracted to a great looking theme, it is important to understand that unlike humans – not all themes are equal. They differ in quality to the extent that some might actually be dangerous to your customers/data. In this article, we offer some tips and tricks to help you choose the right theme for your WordPress website.

Tip #1 – All That Glitters Is Not Gold

We have found that many site owners have only one criterion for selecting a theme – its design. While the design is certainly important, you must also consider the type of content that you wish to publish, the audience that you want to target, banners, and other such elements which need to be supported by the theme. A good looking theme may not necessarily be the best theme for your website. For example, you might want to look for an SEO-friendly theme or a theme suitable for blogging, depending on your requirement.

Tip #2 – Credibility Of The Developers

Since WordPress is an open-source platform, there are thousands of developers trying to create themes and plugins. Before you choose one, ensure that the theme is designed and supported by a credible developer (or team of developers). By doing so you can be assured that the theme does not have any viruses, spam links, or coding errors. We always recommend users to download themes only from the WordPress directory.

Tip #3 – Test Drive The Theme

While some themes have a free version, others allow users to download a demo before they make a purchase. Ensure that you test the theme before installing it. Look for the following aspects:

• Are the fonts readable?
• Are there any unusual grits?
• How is the visual content used?
• Does it meet your site’s requirements?

Install the theme only when you have tested it well.

Tip #4 – Is The Theme Responsive?

There was a time when people accessed websites only from their desktops and the layout and resolution of the website could remain fixed. However, today, people access a site from a desktop, laptop, mobile phones of varying screen sizes, tabs, etc. Therefore, it is important that the website is made using a responsive theme which can move with the website.

Tip #5 – Support Is Crucial

Before installing a theme, it is important to ensure that the developers still offer support and provide updates. Remember, the WordPress theme directory has thousands of themes, some of which are abandoned by their developers. If you download such a theme, then managing any technical glitches will completely be up to you. Also, with WordPress updating itself regularly, the theme might not load properly with the newer versions of the platform. Hence, look for themes with active technical support.

Summing Up

These are some basic tips to help you find reliable themes for your WordPress website. Remember, it is important to understand your site’s requirements before looking for a theme. Also, a good WP website needs a hosting partner who understands the requirements of a WP site and offers adequate features and benefits. There are many providers offering WordPress Hosting in India with features like automatic updates and daily backups, automatic database optimization, maximum uptimes, and high page load speeds. While you are selecting a good theme, ensure that you pay enough attention to the web host as well. Together, they can ensure that your users have a great site experience. Good Luck!