Your WordPress website will just look like a bunch of strings of coding if you don’t have a theme, so one of the first steps of designing your site is picking the right theme.
But there are so many options. How are you supposed to narrow them down to one choice? Well, you need to think about more than just the appearance.
We’ve put together this guide to help you learn how to choose a WordPress theme that’s a good fit for your business website to ensure you aren’t missing any important features, so make sure you keep reading below to learn more.
Why It Matters
Your WordPress theme will either keep users on your website or send them running to your competitors. Most internet users leave a website within the first 10 to 20 seconds of getting there, so if you don’t capture their attention in that short amount of time, you’ll lose them.
That’s where your theme comes in to play.
If your website design is simple and easy to navigate, you have a better chance of turning those visitors into customers. But that only works if you choose the right theme.
How to Choose a WordPress Theme
When you’re choosing a theme for your WordPress website design, you have to rely on more than just your personal preference (although that’s part of the decision). Make sure you think about the following things before you pick a final design.
Stick to Something Simple
When it comes to websites, simple is always better. Fancy animations certainly have a place for some businesses, but odds are, a simple design with a clear navigation bar will be a better choice for your company.
Trying to fit too much information on one page can be overwhelming. Your visitors are more likely to leave than try to sift through it all.
It MUST Be Mobile Friendly
This isn’t an option anymore.
Did you know there are about 250 Million or more app downloads per day! That means nearly three-quarters of all your traffic will come from people on mobile devices.
And that number is always on the rise. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, they won’t stick around, meaning you’ll lose business.
Check Browser Compatibility
Just because a WordPress theme looks good on Google Chrome doesn’t mean it will have the same appearance on Firefox or Internet Explorer. Before you choose a theme, you should always test how it will look on different web browsers.
After all, you don’t know what browser your customers are using. Choosing a theme that’s compatible with all the different browsers will ensure your website stays accessible to everyone, no matter what they’re using.
Find One That Supports Plugins
Your WordPress theme takes care of your website’s design. That’s it. When it comes to functionality, you need Plugins.
Because of this, you need to make sure whatever theme you choose supports all the necessary Plugins. Otherwise, you may end up with a website that looks pretty but isn’t practical.
Make Sure You Can Customize It
The last thing you want is for your website to look just like dozens, or even hundreds, of other websites out there. More importantly, it can be difficult to find a theme that matches your business needs 100%.
You’ll want to choose something that you can customize yourself (WordPress Customizer is a helpful tool). This will allow you to build a website that reflects the personality and message of your business.
Take a Look at the Last Update Date
You should be able to find the latest update date for all the themes available on WordPress. Make sure you don’t choose something that hasn’t been updated in the last six months to a year. If it hasn’t been updated since then, it might not be updated again in the near future, meaning it will go out of date quickly.
Figure Out If It’s SEO-Friendly
Most WordPress themes are coded for SEO purposes, but this isn’t always true. Since your business can’t survive online without SEO, this is a must-have. Never choose a theme unless you are positive it’s SEO-friendly.
Double Check the Reviews
As you’re looking for themes, you should be able to see reviews and ratings for each one. People who have used these themes before can tell you the pros and cons of choosing them for your website, which ones you should avoid, and the best ones for your industry.
Stay away from themes that have a lot of negative reviews and low ratings. If so many other people had trouble with the theme, it probably won’t be a good choice for your website, too.
Consider Getting One With Support
Will you be able to get your website back up and running if something goes wrong? If you don’t have a lot of experience with coding and website maintenance, you should choose a theme that has online support. This will allow a professional to fix any problems if you need help, which will keep your website up and running at all times.
How to Setup Your WordPress Website Today
Picking the right theme for our website is often one of the most complicated steps of building your website. With these tips, you can figure out how to choose a WordPress theme that suits your needs and make your website live in record time.
Still need some help deciding?
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team today! We can help you design your WordPress website so you can start converting online customers right away.
