Best WordPress Themes

Creating a website is one of the most convenient ways to put up your content on the internet. WordPress has made this possible for everyone, and that’s why it’s the most popular open-source content management system (CMS) to date. If you’re planning to have one, take note that having a visually pleasing design is one of the keys to inviting more traffic to your website, and your chosen WordPress theme will do this for you. These themes will indicate the overall look of your website to make it as aesthetic and welcoming as possible.

The design of your WordPress website plays a significant role in making your visitors stay and look through your pages. Just like an office, your website should be welcoming and pleasing, which is why you should choose the best WordPress theme. Besides providing your website its overall look, here are also the other reasons why you shouldn’t take your WordPress themes for granted.

Improves Your Website’s Design

The number one reason you need the best theme for your website is that you need to make it look attractive. Your WordPress website's design should make it look clean and professional, so your visitors can look through your pages comfortably. These themes can also provide different looks that can match a company or organization's identity.

Provides Functionality to Your Website

Your theme is also responsible for giving your website the functions it needs through the different plugins and widgets it provides. The best WordPress theme can give you all the features that are necessary to maintain your site and give your visitors all the things they need to enjoy their stay.

Easy to Install

It's effortless to install WordPress themes, which is why this platform became popular among content creators. All you have to do is download the files from your provider, then upload and install them on your site. You don't need to write your code to get what you want since various WordPress themes are available all over the internet.

Makes Your Website Stand Out

Competition is inevitable, especially on the internet. You're not the only one who's planning to put up a website on WordPress. Fortunately, the best WordPress themes can make you stand out in a crowd. These themes come with features that can help you drive traffic into your website without having you put too much effort into promoting it.

When deciding on a WordPress theme, it is not true that the only factor you need to consider is its design. Several factors matter when choosing one, and we’ve gathered here the core features that you need to look for in a WordPress Theme to make things easier for you.

Pleasing Design

You're installing a theme to make your website beautiful and pleasant, so it is a must that you look for the one that has a captivating design. Although you may want something with many elements, you may want to go for a simple yet pleasing theme look, especially when you have texts all over your pages.

Responsive Web Design (RWD)

Having a responsive web design (RWD) means that your web pages can adapt well on any device, and your WordPress theme should be able to do so. It should be flexible so you can view it on any screen size. Having the best responsive WordPress theme is essential since people nowadays use mobile phones and tablets more frequently than desktop computers and laptops.

Social Media Features

Most of your visitors probably spend their time on social media, and you can use this as an opportunity to have your WordPress website known. Your theme should include built-in social media sharing options since these can help drive traffic into your pages. It should share your site on the most popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

Customizable Layout

Your WordPress theme, although premade, should allow you to customize its design according to your preferences. Having a customizable theme will enable you to have a web design that is unique and incomparable to your competitors. However, keep in mind that your WordPress theme should still be simple, uncluttered, and appealing.

Widget Inclusions

WordPress widgets are elements that allow you to add specific functions to your website without the need for technical knowledge. You should get a WordPress theme with built-in widgets since they are more convenient to use and match your website's design.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Friendly

Your WordPress theme should be SEO-friendly to help you top the search engine rankings. Since search engine optimization (SEO) plays a role in your website’s promotion, your chosen WordPress theme should make it easy for you to implement SEO rules to make your website stand out.

Continuous Updates

WordPress updates its features regularly to keep up with your needs. Therefore, your theme should also be up-to-date so it can be compatible with WordPress’ changes.

Dependable Support Services

The best WordPress themes today will provide you with excellent customer support services. You should also consider this when looking for a WordPress theme since there are occasional bugs or glitches on your website. In times like this, your theme provider should be able to help you whenever you need their services.

There are WordPress themes for each project, which is why you must be careful in choosing one. You might end up paying for something that’s not useful for you. Thus, having knowledge of the theme types is necessary since it helps in making a smart decision.

Free WordPress Themes

Free WordPress themes are those that you can immediately install on your website since they have zero cost. They often have simple and minimalist designs, making them excellent for small sites, such as personal blogs. Although they have limited features, you can still look for the best free WordPress themes that can meet your needs.

Premium WordPress Themes

Premium WordPress themes are professionally made themes. These themes are for sale, and they provide advanced features than free WordPress themes, which is why larger websites, such as eCommerce sites, often use these.

Custom WordPress Themes

If none of the available themes matches your website, you can hire a developer to create a custom theme for you. Custom WordPress themes can give you a unique design that's specially dedicated to your website. This type of theme is advisable for you if you want to establish your identity on the internet.

Bloggers

WordPress was originally a blogging platform, which is why it is number one users are bloggers. Blogs are informational websites, and bloggers write their content in an informal or conversational style. These people need the best WordPress theme for blogs so that their visitors can read comfortably through their posts.

Businesses and Organizations

A website is a must for businesses and organizations, and if you own one, WordPress is the most accessible way for you to build your website. A website will serve as your company's address on the internet, so the best WordPress theme for business should look professional to increase your company's credibility and build trust among your customers.

eCommerce Website Owners

eCommerce or e-Business websites sell products and services on the internet. WordPress offers eCommerce functions that will help these website owners to manage their trades easily. If you're planning to set up your online retail store, you need the best eCommerce WordPress theme to have all of the features that you will need to maintain your website.

Freelancers

If you're a freelancer, you can put up your portfolio website with WordPress so you can showcase your work and show it to your future clients. Your website's theme should match your exhibited works since it can affect the overall look of your compilation. For instance, if you're an artist, your WordPress theme should aesthetically arrange your pieces so you can attract your clients to work with you.

Online Communities

You can also use WordPress to build online communities. Online communities, also known as internet or web communities, are virtual communities where members can interact and communicate through the internet. These websites need a WordPress theme that is uncluttered and clean so that their members can smoothly go through the posts on these sites.

Podcasters

Podcasts are becoming popular lately, especially in the marketing industry. If you're a podcaster yourself, you can use WordPress to build a website where you can upload your episodes. Having an appealing WordPress theme can help you encourage your listeners to return to your site.

Niche Affiliates

WordPress is one of the leading platforms for affiliate marketing since it can provide the necessary plugins that affiliates will need for this purpose. When you work as an affiliate, you have a specific niche to promote, a category or line of products and services, in exchange for commissions. You should choose a suitable WordPress theme for your niche's website so that you can entice your consumers to buy from you.

Step 1: Choose your theme.

Browse through the website where you want to get your theme. Once you’re ready, download the theme’s .zip file.

Step 2: Log into your WordPress website.

Enter your account details and go to your administration area.

Step 3: Navigate through the sidebar.

Go to “Appearance,” then look for “Themes,” and select “Add New.”

Step 4: Upload your theme.

Choose your theme’s .zip file and click “Install Now.”

Step 5: Activate your theme.

Navigate through the sidebar again. Go to “Appearance,” then select “Themes.” Look for your new theme and click the activate link.

WordPress themes and templates both indicate how your website should look. However, most people have a misconception that these two are the same, but they are not, and each has a different function. A WordPress theme is a collection of templates and stylesheets that indicate the design of your website. These include the website's background, color scheme, header and footer look, sidebar layout, typography, etc. People often think that they are choosing a template when they are referring to their website's design, but this is a misnomer since it is the website's "theme" that states how the site should look. A WordPress template, on the other hand, indicates how to display the website's contents. They refer to the page layouts provided by the themes, and they do not affect the structure of the whole site. A WordPress theme may contain both specifically designed and standard templates.

No, you don't need to know anything about codes to use WordPress themes. WordPress themes are readily available, and you can install these quickly with just a few clicks. Although, you'll be able to do more to your website if you have sufficient coding knowledge.

If you want to modify your theme's codes, you need to learn HTML, CSS, PHP, and JS to manipulate a WordPress theme. HTML or hypertext markup language provides the backbone of your theme. CSS or cascading style sheets indicate the design of your WordPress theme. JS or JavaScript and PHP or hypertext preprocessor are responsible for the advanced features of your WordPress website.

The support services of your theme provider depend on the service plan inclusions of your WordPress themes. Some will only provide limited support services, while others give lifetime support services.

Theme development takes up time and effort. It has to fit the coding standards of the WordPress system and has to be regularly updated so they can always be compatible with it. Developing and maintaining a theme is challenging, so most WordPress themes are expensive, especially custom ones. Take note, however, that you will not be regularly changing your theme, especially when you own a business website and you're establishing a brand on the internet. You will want to stick to a single WordPress theme for a very long time for people to know your website's identity. Therefore, premium and Custom WordPress themes are expensive one-time purchases.

For instances where you want to modify your theme, WordPress can allow you to create a child theme. A child theme is a theme that has been "born" out of an existing parent theme. They inherit the parent's functionality, as well as its structure. The creation of a child theme is one of the main features of WordPress that is liked by many. With child themes, you no longer need to create a theme from scratch. Also, it allows modifications to the parent theme without touching any of its framework, which keeps it intact throughout the process. So if you encounter any errors, you can always go back to the parent theme to restore your code.

Purpose of your website.

You should choose a WordPress theme that matches your website's purpose. Your website's structure, as well as its functions, will mostly depend on its use. For example, a blog would need a theme that sensibly features both photos and text. A photographer's portfolio website, on the other hand, will need a theme that showcases pictures, so they must look for the best photography WordPress theme. If you're creating an organizational website, such as a religious group, consider choosing the best Church WordPress theme, which matches your site's purpose. If you're starting a business, but you can't invest that much on a premium theme yet, you can also consider getting the best free business WordPress theme first.

Only choose the theme with the necessary features.

As much as possible, a theme should include only the necessary features your website will need to keep it running. Adding more features can significantly affect your site's performance, which in turn hampers your viewer's satisfaction. Although adding more features can be tempting to increase interaction opportunities with your viewer, keeping a simple and polished theme for your website is preferred.

Font used in the theme should be readable.

Choose a theme with font styles that are very easy to read. Fancy fonts may look beautiful and creative, but you should only use these for the headings and not body texts. If your website's visitors find it difficult to read the contents, then the likelihood of them leaving and abandoning the site is higher than staying.

Feedback and reviews.

Before choosing, you should also check for the reviews of the theme and its developer, so you can get some insights and detailed descriptions that you can't see in the theme's previews. Also, this will enlighten you regarding the support performance of the developer, whether they are responsive to support needs or not.

You can always go back to see the popular WordPress themes every year. Some designs are timeless, so you don’t always have to stick to the current trends in WordPress themes. Some of the best WordPress themes in 2016 are still appealing, so you can install these for your websites. You can also go for the best WordPress themes in 2017 or even last 2018. No matter what year the WordPress theme was published, you can make use of it for as long it serves its purpose.

If you're only starting a blog, you should stick to free WordPress themes first. Most of the best free WordPress themes for blogs today are enough to keep your website running. But if you wish to get a premium WordPress theme, and you have the means to do so, you may do that as well.

WordPress, itself, is a secure website. But since it powers thousands of websites on the internet, some of these websites do not follow the security protocol of the system, which opens vulnerabilities to the WordPress system. Below are some of the security issues that can happen if your WordPress theme is not secured.

Brute Force Attacks

Brute force attacks refer to the act of multiple login attempts through trial and error methods until they can log in to an account successfully.

File Inclusion Exploits

File inclusion happens when an attacker gains remote access to the website. This exploit is one of the most common forms of vulnerability on WordPress. File inclusions can let attackers access wp-config.php, one of the core files of a WordPress website.

SQL Injections

SQL injections occur when an attacker gains access to a website’s database. This vulnerability allows the attacker to insert new data on the database, as well as malicious links.

Cross-Site Scripting

Cross-site scripting commonly occurs on WordPress plugins wherein the attacker provides links to the user with insecure javascript pages. Upon loading, these links may provide a form where users can give their data, which in turn will be stolen by the attacker.

Malware

Malicious software, also known as malware, is a code used by an attacker to gain unauthorized access to obtain sensitive data. The typical WordPress malware infections are backdoors, drive-by downloads, pharma hacks, and malicious redirects.