WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Themes» Selecting the Perfect WordPress Theme – 9 Things You Should Consider

Selecting the Perfect WordPress Theme – 9 Things You Should Consider

Last updated on April 17th, 2019 by Editorial Staff
1.2k Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
Selecting the Perfect WordPress Theme – 9 Things You Should Consider

Most beginners feel overwhelmed when it comes to selecting a theme for their WordPress site. There are thousands of free and paid options. Each theme looks better than the other. How do you choose the best theme for WordPress? In this article, we will share the 9 things you should consider, so you can choose the best WordPress theme for your site.

Selecting the perfect theme for Your WordPress site

Why You Should be Careful When Choosing a WordPress Theme?

WordPress is used to create all kind of websites. That’s why each theme caters to a different market.

Your WordPress theme should complement the content of your website. For example, if you are starting a blog on politics or social issues, then you would want a theme that improves readability.

Readability

Many WordPress themes come with tons of customization options. If not coded properly, these options can make it difficult for you to change themes or use other WordPress plugins. You will be locked into that theme or will have to pay a developer to help you switch.

On the other hand, some WordPress themes that look really great can actually make your website incredibly slow. No one likes slow websites, particularly Google, which prefers to rank faster websites higher.

Your theme is the face of your WordPress site and plays an important role in how users as well as search engines perceive it.

You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘All that glitters is not gold’.

Having said that, let’s take a look at the steps you can take to make sure that you select the best theme for your WordPress site.

1. Strive for Simplicity

Simplicity is the best rule in design

Many WordPress themes come with lots of colors, complex layouts, flashy animations, etc. Sometimes you may need those things, but in most cases you don’t really need all that.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
~ Leonardo da Vinci

Look for a theme that has a design layout that helps you support your goal. It needs to look good but without compromising on usability and simplicity.

Make sure that the theme’s presentation style is not overly complicated. The purpose of web design is to help users find information they need and to help site owners achieve their goals at the same time.

If a theme looks great but does not help you get new business or subscribers, then it is not a good theme. It is also not a good theme when your users can’t really find their way around your website.

Take a look at these 37 simple WordPress themes for some inspiration.

2. Responsive is Not Optional Anymore

Choose a Responsive WordPress Theme

Responsive themes adjust their layout across different screen sizes and devices.

A significant number of web traffic is generated from mobile and other handheld devices. Depending on your website’s topics, this number could go even higher than 50% of your traffic.

Google shows mobile friendly websites on top in their mobile search results. Regardless of your site’s topics and demographics, all websites need to be responsive and fully mobile ready.

Most WordPress themes are already responsive by default. But there are still sellers who are selling fixed width layouts that are not mobile friendly at all. Make sure that the theme you are choosing for your website is mobile friendly.

Testing a Theme for Mobile Readiness

The easiest way to test whether a theme is responsive or not is by resizing your browser screen. As you resize your browser screen, you will notice that the theme’s layout will adjust itself to the screen width.

For more thorough testing you can copy the URL of theme’s demo page and paste it in Google’s Mobile Friendly Test page.

Testing a responsive theme against Google Mobile Friendly Test

Please note that this test will show some warnings, regardless of how good a theme is. Lookout for any red flags like text too small, content wider than screen, etc.

3. Browser Compatibility

Browser compatability testing

Your users will be using different browsers. Your theme may look perfect on the browser you use, but there might be something broken in other browsers.

This is where browser compatibility comes in. Most WordPress theme developers test their themes rigorously by using sophisticated browser compatibility testing tools.

They may clearly mention this on their website. But if they don’t, then you can always run some basic tests to check the theme on different browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.

Don’t forget to test on different browsers on mobile as well.

4. Supported Plugins

Supported plugins

The real power of WordPress comes with WordPress plugins. These plugins make it possible for you to do anything with your WordPress site.

While there are plenty of WordPress plugins, some are must-have WordPress plugins for every websites. Like Gravity Forms, Yoast SEO, W3 Total Cache, etc.

Make sure that your WordPress theme supports all popular plugins. If you are unsure, ask theme developer about it.

5. Translation + Multilingual Ready

Multilingual and translation ready WordPress themes

A large number of WordPress sites are not in the English language. You may be creating a website in a language other than English. Maybe you have plans to create a multilingual WordPress site in the future.

Make sure that your WordPress theme is translation ready and supports multilingual WordPress plugins.

6. Page Builders

Drag and drop page builders for WordPress themes

Page builders are WordPress plugins that allow you to create page layouts using drag and drop user interface.

Many premium WordPress themes come with page builders pre-installed. Some of these page builders are used by that theme developer only.

Using such a page builder to create landing pages can produce a lot of unwanted code. If you ever switch the theme, then those pages will require a lot of cleaning up.

You should choose themes that are shipping with one of the most used page builder plugins. You can also purchase these page-builders separately to use with other themes as well.

7. Support Options for When You Need Help

Support for your WordPress theme

One downside of using a free WordPress theme is that there is no guaranteed support. While some developers provide excellent support for their free themes, many free themes have no support option.

If you mess up your WordPress theme, then you will have to figure it out on your own. You can also end up paying a third-party developer to solve the tiniest problems.

Make sure that you select a WordPress theme that has good documentation and support option. Most premium WordPress themes offer detailed documentation with 1 year of email based support.

8. SEO Friendliness

Check your theme for SEO friendliness

Your WordPress theme plays a crucial role in your site’s SEO friendliness. A good looking theme can still generate poorly coded HTML, this could affect your site’s performance on search engines.

It could be difficult for beginners to analyze a theme’s source code on their own. This is why many premium WordPress theme developers will let you know that their pages are optimized for SEO.

You can also take a look to see if the page generates proper HTML5 by checking it with W3C Markup Validation service. However, please note that the W3C tool will generate many warnings which are nothing to be worried about.

9. Ratings and Reviews

Check ratings and reviews for a WordPress theme

Another solid indicator of a WordPress theme’s quality is ratings and reviews provided by their users. If the theme is sold on a third-party marketplace, then you will see customer reviews.

For free WordPress themes, you will find the ratings section just below the download button. It will show the number of reviews and stars given by users. If you click on 5 stars, then it will show you all the reviews that gave the theme 5 stars.

Read theme reviews and ratings by other users

Almost all WordPress themes can get a few bad reviews. but if the number of bad reviews is unusually high, then you should read them carefully.

Our Recommendations

There are plenty of free WordPress themes available with new ones being released on a daily basis. That’s why we regularly publish the list of our favorite free themes in our showcase section.

Some of the popular items in our theme showcase are:

  • 41 Best Free WordPress Photography Themes (Expert Pick)
  • 21 Best Free WordPress Business Themes
  • 37 Simple WordPress Themes You Should Try
  • 43 Beautiful Free WordPress Blog Themes

However, as we have mentioned above that support is one of the most important factor to consider when selecting a theme. Free WordPress themes do not come with guaranteed support and updates.

Most premium WordPress themes offer 1 year of support and updates. Here are some of the theme shops that we highly recommend.

  • Astra Theme
  • Divi Theme by Elegant Themes
  • Themify
  • StudioPress
  • Artisan Themes

How to Install a Theme in WordPress

Installing a WordPress theme is really simple. First you need to download the theme’s zip file to your computer.

After that login to your WordPress admin area and go to Appearance » Themes page.

Themes page in WordPress admin area

On top of the themes page, you need to click on the Add New link.

This will take you to the add new theme page. You can use this page to look for free themes to install. But since we have already downloaded the theme, you need to just click on Upload theme link at the top.

Upload a theme

You will now see the theme upload box. Click on choose file button to select the theme zip file you downloaded to your computer earlier and then click on the Install now button.

Upload and install theme zip file

WordPress will now upload the theme from your computer to your website and install it for you. Once it is done, you will see a success message with links to preview or activate the theme.

Theme installation successful

If you do not want to use a theme right away, then you can click on the live preview button to test out the theme without activating it.

Please note that you will have to activate a theme in order to use it on your website.

For more detailed instructions, see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress theme.

How to Safely Change WordPress Themes

For new WordPress sites, you can just select the perfect theme and install it on your site. However, if you have a established WordPress site, then you need to properly switch your theme to avoid any effect on your site’s performance and SEO.

First you need to understand what happens to a WordPress site when you switch themes. Here is our guide on what happens when you switch your WordPress theme.

Some settings on your WordPress site will disappear and will not automatically apply to your new theme. You need to understand these things, and how you can put them back on your new theme.

We have compiled a handy checklist of things you must do before changing WordPress themes.

After that you need to follow the instructions in our tutorial on how to properly switch WordPress themes on your site.

We hope this article helped you select the perfect theme for your WordPress site. You may also want to see our list of must have WordPress plugins for business websites.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

1.2k Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

  • How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

    How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

  • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

    How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

  • Checklist

    Checklist: 15 Things You MUST DO Before Changing WordPress Themes

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

87 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Anjali Pillai says:
    Dec 17, 2020 at 8:50 am

    So what about themes that may not have any reviews or ratings but significant number of downloads?

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Dec 17, 2020 at 9:46 am

      That would be something to consider if you should install the theme or not. It is hard to say if that would be a bad sign or the author has not asked users to review the theme.

      Reply
  2. Syed Azhar says:
    Jul 5, 2020 at 11:28 pm

    Thanx for such useful info…

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jul 7, 2020 at 12:48 pm

      You’re welcome :)

      Reply
  3. iuiyu says:
    Sep 20, 2019 at 10:35 am

    Very good article.. Nicely described…

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Sep 23, 2019 at 9:15 am

      Thank you :)

      Reply
  4. Martin says:
    Jul 29, 2019 at 4:20 am

    Thanks for the guide.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jul 29, 2019 at 11:52 am

      You’re welcome :)

      Reply
  5. PPatil says:
    May 4, 2019 at 11:59 pm

    Can somebody suggestsme suitable theme for using LMS. It looks like current theme ‘Agama’ does not support it as course preview looks distorted.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      May 6, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      For some multipurpose theme options, you could take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/best-wordpress-multi-purpose-themes/

      Reply
  6. Nixupken says:
    Feb 7, 2019 at 3:35 am

    Thank you very much for this super helpful blog post, I am definitely going to link this out from one of my blog posts as it would be helpful for my audience.

    But one thing I think should be there on the above list which is ECOMMERCE READY THEME because at some point of the website owner’s business journey they might need an option on their website to sell some digital or physical products or even services.

    In this case, changing the entire theme would be a real pain for them, but if the theme of their website is already e-commerce ready from day one although they might don’t need that functionality right at the moment still they should consider that while choosing a theme for their website.

    Please let me know if you think that I am right with my thoughts.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Feb 7, 2019 at 11:44 am

      Most ecommerce plugins have improved where they do not need a theme to be specifically designed for ecommerce to add those features to a site. It is normally best to have a theme with the design you prefer rather than an ecommerce theme should you decide to add ecommerce to the site later.

      Reply
      • Nixupken says:
        Feb 8, 2019 at 3:34 am

        Hey, thank you for your kind response. You are absolutely right with your point that most of the e-commerce plugins have improved hence they don’t rely on themes anymore to create eCommerce functionalities.

        However, with great love and respect, I would say that I still believe that not each and every theme even that has all the above-mentioned qualities will guaranteed support ecommerce plugins.

        By the way thanks again for the awesome contents that you create to help people in need.

        Cheers!

        Mohammed Wasim Akram
        Love from India

        Reply
  7. Shalini Panchal says:
    Jan 8, 2019 at 5:56 am

    Hello Sir ,

    Thank for sharing Very Useful Information.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 8, 2019 at 10:54 am

      Glad our content could help you :)

      Reply
  8. Lance Watkins says:
    Oct 17, 2018 at 3:14 pm

    It seems that drag/drop site-builders for WP and themes for WP … both can vary in their respective levels of customization available.
    (1) Is a non-designer/non-coder ever better off using an “easy” theme without a site-builder plug-in?
    (2) In other words, are there some themes that have more customization or easier customization than the site-builders?

    I’m asking because I want to position headline text inside the top/right corner of a full-width hero photo on my home-page. Many site-builders tell me that this requires custom CSS coding which I am not trained in.
    (3) Do you know of any themes or site-builders that can allow me to do this without coding?

    Reply
  9. Stefano Dissanayake says:
    Oct 12, 2018 at 11:49 am

    What is the theme used on wpbeginner?

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Oct 12, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      Hi Stefano,

      It is a custom theme designed specifically for WPBeginner.

      Reply
  10. Barakha Rao says:
    Aug 13, 2018 at 10:49 am

    There are so numerous themes available that almost everybody can get the best one to meet their requirements with a slight customization. I usually like to choose the simple and clean themes but with a sophisticated and smooth navigation. I’m one of those readers who loves when a website content is pretty clear to read. I am always looking for those themes where I can apply large headers on the first page, so I then prefer go to chose the design I use for my site.

    The primary thing I check for is the color structure. I favor a crafty color, white or somewhat ivory colored texture for me. I’m still squeezing things, but I prefer the Magazine theme most. I like the appearance of Magazine themes; the fonts are impressive, and the entire arrangement seems very fine with basics – lists, widgets, and the combination of black+gray+white. Then after implementing the theme, I examine its simplicity.

    No matters, currently I am looking for an excellent theme, so this article is helpful and suitable for me now. Habitually, I like to design my own themes and want to tweak and customize it in the way I wish to have a custom look. I’m a newbie in the blogging industry, but I’m getting lots of new info more & more every day.

    Reply
  11. andrew says:
    Jun 4, 2018 at 3:32 pm

    I was just confused what to do with the theme problem on my site

    after reading all your steps given in article

    I have followed all your steps
    and now I have a good and attractive site

    thnx a lot

    Reply
  12. Antonio says:
    Jan 24, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    I, like others, am having a difficult time deciding which theme to use as far as simplicity, reliability and support. I need a basic Staffing Agency (or Multiuse) platform. Just when I think I have found one I come across reviews of it being too complex or bad support or needing tons of additional plugins. How can I truly find a trusting theme that is simple to use, without additional plugins and good support if needed. I don’t mind paying for a premium theme if that is what is necessary.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 24, 2018 at 11:10 pm

      Hi Antonio,

      Many WordPress themes rely on plugins. Installing plugins is not bad. Please see our guide on how many plugins you should install.

      You should look for a theme that has good support, reasonable features, higher active installs or downloads, and balanced reviews.

      Reply
  13. Luke Becker says:
    Jan 18, 2018 at 1:13 pm

    Hello WPbegginer,
    I am diving into my first website/blog and my last experience with web design was changing colors on myspace 12 years ago. I have already decided to go with a self hosted Word Press site but got caught up when I arrived at picking a theme. I quickly found Genesis and all its glory and understand the benefits. My question stems from the fact that a portion of my motivation behind starting a website/blog, is learning the new skill (web design, basic coding, marketing, etc). So my question is, am I hindering myself, and my educational process long term by not starting with simply WordPress, a free theme, and adding plugins to learn that side of it? I am afraid that by jumping straight to Genesis I am skipping some steps? Let me know your thoughts

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 18, 2018 at 8:27 pm

      Hi Luke,

      When you are self-learning online you have the freedom to set your own pace, choose your own goals, and learn based on your own preferences. If you feel comfortable that you will be able to learn more by starting with a framework, then feel free to give it a try. You can always study other themes by installing them locally on your computer. Hope this helps :)

      Reply
  14. Pujianto says:
    Jan 15, 2018 at 6:10 am

    Hi guys,

    I am intending to use wordpress for an e-learning portal I am going to build. Can anybody suggest which free wordpress theme with learning management system that includes membership plug-in?

    Reply
  15. francisca says:
    Dec 13, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    hi,

    thanks for a great website… I’m a bit overwhelmed here, theme-wise…
    I have been a web developer for many years.. have always hand-coded…
    learning WP is hard when you’ve been hand-coding for about 20 years!!! :-o

    it’s hard to decide on a theme if you can’t test it beforehand… (& make sure it’s responsive… & find out what important plugins it supports (I will need cc processing for my site…))

    the site I have to build is for a wholesale jewelry seller… a one-person business….
    as mentioned, it will need credit card processing, which scares me….. I have never implemented this functionality all on my own..

    if you could in any way recommend some themes (free) I would appreciate it very much….

    thank you…..

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Dec 13, 2017 at 6:15 pm

      Hi Francisca,

      All standard compliant WordPress themes use best practices that allow them to work with any WordPress plugin. You can preview a WordPress theme with your site’s content by simply installing it and then clicking on the preview button without activating the theme.

      As for payments, there are a number of solutions that you can use. You can use PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, 2Checkout, and countless others.

      Reply
  16. julie says:
    Nov 30, 2017 at 6:06 pm

    I have checked the demo page of the theme I am looking at with the W3C Validation page. It gives a handful of errors. I know I don’t need to worry about warnings, but what about errors?

    Reply
  17. Shrujan says:
    Nov 19, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    I am trying to find theme or plugin for the following need. So please help in directing me towards right them. I will really appreciate that.

    I am developing my own website. I am trying to develop collaborative website for my community of potters. And In that, I want to add following functionality.
    I want to be able to create unique link which I can send to a member of my group for participation. S/he can open the link and write his/her view on that particular topic with pictures and videos and audios. Once she complete, she can hit the Submit or Complete option below. Then, as admin I will get notification for approval and once approved, it will be seen on website.

    Reply
  18. Santa says:
    Oct 11, 2017 at 7:35 am

    Dears,
    what is the best premium theme for news + affiliate + Coupon ?

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Oct 11, 2017 at 5:49 pm

      Hi Santa

      Please take a look at our list of best WordPress themes for affiliate marketing.

      Reply
  19. Hashim Nisar says:
    Oct 4, 2017 at 5:38 am

    Actually you’re pro that’s why i love to follow your all articles, I love to read selecting the perfect theme for WordPress

    Cheers,
    Hashim Nisar

    Reply
  20. Harvey says:
    Sep 3, 2017 at 3:42 pm

    To whom it may concern,
    I am building my first website.
    I am searching for the best free theme for wordpress.
    My goals are as follows;
    1. call to action.
    2. fill out form.
    3. ask for a quote.
    4. ask for advice.
    5. ask for explanation of the process

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Sep 3, 2017 at 11:55 pm

      Hi Harvey,

      Please see our list of best free WordPress themes.

      Reply
  21. John Jackson says:
    Aug 21, 2017 at 7:11 pm

    I would like to thank you for the article, it is a bit helpful. But at the same time, its hard not to get frustrated. I have no background in HTML or the like and its been hard trying to get my site to look the way it looks the past few days. I am new to WordPress.org and I have heard every speech about how it is the way to go. But I am frustrated because I feel like I can’t make my blog look the way I desire it to. I am doing a sports blog and it seems like nothing will come together. And I am trying to find what theme suites my content best. It is a bit intimidating but I am going to try to hang in there. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Aug 22, 2017 at 2:23 pm

      Hey John,

      We can totally understand. Many of our users start out as absolute beginners. It can be a bit overwhelming for beginners at first, but you will soon get past this phase with a sense of accomplishment :)

      Reply
  22. David G says:
    Aug 10, 2017 at 12:26 pm

    Hello. Thanks for the wonderful post. I have bought several themes thru Theme Forest. But I am getting frustrated. Prices have gone up significantly. Tech support is an additional fee. And worse of all, in order to sell units, the authors have added so many bells and whistles, and continue to do so, WordPress now has a new learning curve, even for experienced users. I wish you would list a few of the most user friendly and secure themes. Thanks again! Dave

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Aug 11, 2017 at 7:16 am

      Hi David,

      Please check out our Theme showcases where we regularly publish our pick of the best WordPress themes.

      Reply
  23. Sridhar says:
    Jul 2, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    I am looking for a suitable theme with simple features, tried many but could not find suitable one, please suggest me right theme for me.

    1. It should be free theme (if it is successful, I can look at buy option also)
    2. I will use PAGES only, (Posts – will not be used)
    3. Want to disable side bar, if any (left / right)
    4. Comments at the bottom of each PAGE (I enabled comments from Settings / Discussion, but most of the themes not showing any box to post comments). Login not required for comments.
    5. Search bar required.

    Reply
  24. James says:
    May 28, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    What is the reason for the obvious blaring omission that the Automattic backed WooThemes is not listed among your recommended premium theme development shops?

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      May 29, 2017 at 2:34 pm

      Hi James,

      There are hundreds of theme shops, we recommend the providers that we use and work with on a regular basis.

      Reply
  25. Lauren says:
    May 24, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    Hello,

    You mention in the beginning of this article that some WP themes are fast, some are slow :
    “On the other hand, some WordPress themes that look really great can actually make your website incredibly slow.”

    How can one test – before choosing a theme – whether it will be slow or fast ?

    Thanks for all the great information. L.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      May 29, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      Hey Lauren,

      The only way to do this is to install the theme on a staging environment and run the tests. This way you will get to see exactly how slow or fast the theme will work on your website.

      Another thing you can try is to test the theme demo with page speed tools like Pingdom or Google Page Insights. Results will not be able to accurately predict the performance impact of the theme on your website but you will be able to see some useful information.

      Reply
  26. Thiru says:
    May 18, 2017 at 8:04 am

    how to copy or import mobile nav menu style from one wordpress theme to another wordpress theme

    Reply
  27. Jennifer C. Boettcher says:
    Apr 20, 2017 at 8:42 pm

    Librarian looking to curate,
    I know is it’s dangerous to choose the wrong theme. I know what I want the page to do: using it for an online history exhibit so I will need a timeline that will take pictures, a way to have other contribute to the timeline, search, etc. I have searched across the web for similar sites I want to do (can’t find one). Search terms: site:. edu and anniversary, memory book, etc. Can you request something? Or I am hoping you know of a databases where I can filter by features so I can hone in on possible themes…
    Thank you

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Apr 23, 2017 at 5:11 pm

      Hey Jennifer,

      You may not find an exact match to your requirements. However, most WordPress themes are quite flexible and with little effort you can customize them enough to serve the purpose. Checkout these photography themes or see our guide on how to add an event timeline in WordPress.

      Reply
  28. Jan says:
    Apr 18, 2017 at 10:16 am

    Hi,
    Thanks for the articles on pagebuilders and how to choosea WP theme.
    Thing that I wonder is this: My experience until sofar is that once you have a WP Theme you are stuck to use the typefonts that the theme delivers. Would a pagebuilder solve that problem (that I can use more fonts/does it come with additional fonts?)thanks for the answer,
    Jan

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Apr 19, 2017 at 8:38 am

      Hey Jan,

      Yes you can use Google Fonts with some page builders. You can also load additional fonts if you need. Please see your preferred page builder plugin’s documentation on how to change fonts.

      Reply
  29. Ritul says:
    Mar 22, 2017 at 5:19 am

    Can you tell me What kind of theme WP Beginner is using??

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Mar 22, 2017 at 11:12 pm

      Hi Ritul,

      We are using a custom theme.

      Reply
  30. charles gimenez says:
    Mar 8, 2017 at 8:03 pm

    Hi … thanks a lot for the tutorial and links, really excellent. I’m totally new with WP, we’ve bougth the service from GoDaddy to build a website for our small company (automation and industrial robotics programming) . We have only industrial clients, our website only shows information about our services, no sales, no blog, chat or lot of pictures… we only need good SEO.
    Any suggestion about a institutional, clean and a little techno theme for us (free or not).
    Thanks one more time!

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Mar 12, 2017 at 4:32 pm

      Hi Charles,

      Please see our list of best WordPress business themes.

      Reply
  31. Muur Roberts says:
    Feb 26, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    Great page! I’m a newby and a bit of an IT phobe, but want to ttry WordPress. I need a themw which is easy to set up and change. I am a 1 person business, but I offer different courses and services. I need to change course dates regularly. I need an easy to read theme- which is a good one? Woud Iidly do?
    Thanks :)

    Reply
  32. Dan Creinin says:
    Feb 5, 2017 at 10:43 am

    We need a theme that accomplishes the following goals:

    1. Is W3C compliant
    2. Enables us to export our website to another hosting service
    3. Enables semantic language markup
    4. May support multiple language (bonus feature)
    5. Can accommodate a chat feature for support or pre-sales
    6. Supports google analytics and other SEO plug ins

    Any thoughts on how to find that?

    Reply
  33. H.G.T says:
    Jan 29, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    A simple question:

    May one use, for example, BeaverBuilder, to do your OWN theme from scratch, assuming that you just don’t like anything “pre-baked?” Or does one need to start with an existing “canned” theme as a starting point and THEN use a page builder to make any wanted adjustments? Just not clear on that.

    Love the site, by the way. GREAT resource for newbies or the veteran.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 30, 2017 at 8:19 am

      Hi H.G.T,

      BeaverBuilder is a page builder plugin, which means you will still need a WordPress theme to build your layouts. BeaverBuilder is compatible with most popular WordPress themes and even has their own basic theme that you can use as an starting point.

      Reply
  34. antoinekoud says:
    Dec 29, 2016 at 9:11 am

    Great article
    Please how to “Make sure that your WordPress theme is translation ready and supports multilingual WordPress plugins.”?
    Thanks in advance for replying.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Dec 30, 2016 at 1:27 am

      You can check the theme’s website to see if they have mentioned its translation readiness status. If not, then you can ask the theme developer.

      Reply
  35. christopher says:
    Dec 26, 2016 at 11:10 am

    please, i can i edit the footer of my wordpress theme. i am using woocommerce storefront theme and i want to change the phrase “storefront theme designed by woocommerce” to my own specification. my site is

    Reply
  36. Carla Radke says:
    Dec 21, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    I am a total beginner and everything I read makes me more confused. I bought BlueHost and I also bought a theme called Lotus and even had it “made to look like demo” but now I have absolutely no idea what to do. I can’t figure out how to customize it and since I bought it I’ve been told I should have bought something on the Genesis framework. I don’t even know what that means. I could really use some help.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Dec 22, 2016 at 11:45 am

      Hi Carla,

      Your theme developer should have documentation on how to customize your theme. Remember customizing a theme is different than adding content to your theme. The theme only controls appearance of your website.

      Reply
  37. Ismail Kassim says:
    Dec 17, 2016 at 8:42 am

    What Is The Best Theme For A Blog Website.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Dec 18, 2016 at 11:32 am

      Take a look at our list of these beautiful free WordPress blog themes.

      Reply
  38. Anthony says:
    Nov 28, 2016 at 6:01 am

    Could you please give your opinion of which wordpress theme you recommend for my site which is half done and my url is. Im using theme but it seem complicated and Im just a beginner, thanks.

    regards

    Anthony hearing impaired

    Reply
  39. Joana says:
    Sep 16, 2016 at 10:29 am

    Nice article specially for newbies! I’m looking for a template that has a video instead of a header banner (or a way to this!) and I cannot find it. If you guys know something like this please get in contact :)

    Reply
    • Nilkamal Gotarne says:
      Nov 18, 2016 at 1:38 am

      u should check the first mag. maybe it will help.

      Reply
  40. Megha says:
    Aug 16, 2016 at 2:11 am

    Undoubtedly it is very difficult to find a theme that suits your niche. This article is very helpful to select the best theme.

    Reply
  41. Jamie Hill says:
    Aug 12, 2016 at 8:25 am

    Great article and very help, I have just started a new website and this has helped me in picking my intended theme.

    Reply
  42. Lucy Barret says:
    Aug 10, 2016 at 4:18 am

    I do take care such things while choosing a premium theme. I enjoyed reading the post.

    Reply
  43. Marila says:
    Aug 1, 2016 at 5:52 am

    Awesome !! Thank you for your tips. With it, I found for myself a beautiful theme:

    Thank you again and could I share your post on my social?. I thnk it will be helpful for more people

    Reply
  44. babar says:
    Jul 25, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    Nice information

    Reply
  45. Jenn says:
    Jul 19, 2016 at 12:01 am

    I’m totally new to wp. I’m using siteground as my host. In wordpress, I selected a theme (iThemes Paige) and have begun using it for my site. If I go to the iThemes website the theme I chose has a price to download it.

    Is this a free theme or not? WP let me apply it without notifying me it had a cost.

    Under wp settings menu, I see that it says that “Builder Paige” is not licensed.

    How does this all work? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Melanie says:
      Sep 8, 2016 at 9:13 pm

      I have been finding the same thing. Even when purchasing from the host site, a price of say $49 shows up, then I get a message that I will have pay… I am also wondering how all of this works!

      Reply
  46. Peter says:
    Jun 15, 2016 at 1:02 pm

    It would help your credibility if your own site passed Google’s mobile friendly test. It doesn’t.

    Reply
  47. Greg Smith says:
    Jun 8, 2016 at 9:11 am

    Very good tips for a theme shopper. Installed a free theme on my site and have developed it as far as I care to having seen the limitations. Now that I have a good “basic” understanding of word press I am ready to find and pay for a theme.

    This article has very good points to consider and I new feel I can go shopping with a much better understanding of what to look for.

    Thank you.

    Reply
  48. anne parker says:
    May 27, 2016 at 1:40 pm

    best ever tutorial !
    I am an absolute beginner ,saw all other sites about word press and they do not compare ! many thanks.

    Reply
  49. Rizwan says:
    May 7, 2016 at 4:45 pm

    Hi. I am using customizr at my site from last 5 years, I’m not web developer by profession but i keep updating site after reading tutorials. I have installed many plugins like Yoast SEO, wemaster tools, I also added meta tags, i have social share options and many other works. Presently, i am having an issue that my custom made menu is not up to my satisfaction. Menu Item 1 is ok and if there is 1.1 – 1.5 the next 1.1 doesn’t go exactly at right side. Someone suggested that it is builtin in theme. I thought of changing theme. If i change theme, will all my existing work stay with site? like current menu, added social links, removed breadcrumbs etc.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      May 8, 2016 at 4:12 pm

      You can use a custom CSS plugin to add your CSS.

      Reply
  50. Md. Saiful Islam says:
    Apr 20, 2016 at 6:22 am

    I learned many things from the above. Thanks a lot.

    Reply
« 1 2

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights
Google Analytics made easy for WordPress. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2021 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2021)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2021)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4464 Users & Our Experts (2021)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2021)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2021 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
ProfilePress
ProfilePress Coupon
Get 20% OFF on ProfilePress WordPress ultimate user and profile plugin.
SendinBlue Coupon Code
Sendinblue Coupon
Get Sendinblue, a powerful marketing automation toolkit for small businesses, for FREE.
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).

Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
  • Growth Fund
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon
  • AIOSEO

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress Security by Sucuri.