Are you having a tough time choosing a theme for your WordPress website?
Of all the questions, comments and requests for advice I see, the majority focus on choosing the perfect WordPress theme. In fact, some of you get really freaked out about it!
You worry about a lot of things:
- Color scheme
- Layout
- How easy or hard is it to change some element
- How easy or hard is it to update
- Will it convey the image you’re trying to create
- Will it be hard to work with
I hear statements like:
“I’m overwhelmed by the prospect of choosing a WordPress theme.”
“I think one of the hardest things as a WordPress newbie is the selection of an appropriate theme.”
“How do you select the right theme for a particular application?”
Well, I certainly don’t want you to feel overwhelmed or fearful about choosing a theme or any other aspect of building your WordPress website.
For the how-to’s of choosing a WordPress theme, check out this article.
In this article, I won’t talk about the how-to-do-it component. Instead I’ll address what’s holding you back and how you can move forward, choose your theme, and get your site up.
Fear #1: the Wrong Color Scheme
Color can be changed on any theme. If you can find a theme that meets your needs and is already set up with the color scheme you want, that’s ideal.
Do your research. Determine what color palettes will resonate with your target audience. If you’re selling high-end home furnishings, you won’t use the same colors that attract visitors to Ron Jon’s Surf Shop.
Then look for a theme that offers the layout and basic elements you want. If it comes with pre-made color palettes, make sure one of them is close to what you want. Some themes offer “unlimited” colors. They’ll let you select exactly what you want.
Fear #2: the Wrong Fonts
A good theme will offer several choices of fonts, or typefaces. Surprisingly, they don’t often let you know this up front. Even if the theme doesn’t come with the font(s) you want, it’s usually an easy change.
Fear #3: The Wrong Layout
Your homepage layout is critical.
The homepage is many readers’ first introduction to your site. Finding an out-of-the-box layout that matches your vision will save you enormous amounts of time.
That said, it’s possible to create the home page you want with almost any theme, but it’s a whole lot easier and faster to select a theme that provides it for you from the get-go.
If your heart is set on a three-column homepage and your theme doesn’t provide it, be prepared for a task akin to pulling up carpet and putting down tile. . . still doable, though.
Fear #4: The Theme I Choose Won’t Be Perfect
Of course it won’t! Nothing in this world is ever perfect, so don’t expect it. But you can get pretty close, and that’s what you should strive for.
Here’s the good news — changing a theme is easier than you think.
In fact, changing your theme is often simpler than trying to rework a theme that’s just not designed to do what you want it to do.
Throughout our “build your online house with WordPress” analogy, we equate the theme with the house’s framing. While that’s a good comparison, it’s a little misleading in one way.
Once your house is framed and built, changing the framing is a huge, expensive, messy business. Not something to undertake lightly.
Changing your WordPress theme, on the other hand, isn’t even as messy as, say, changing a tile floor. It’s more like rearranging the furniture. Sure, it might be a nuisance and take a little time, but it’s not a big deal.
So relax. If you choose a theme and then decide it’s not right, it’s easy to change. If you’ve bought a subscription from Elegant Themes [aff], for example, it won’t cost you another penny. If you went with StudioPress [aff], you don’t have to replace the framework — just grab a new child theme for under $30.
Want Some Hand-Holding and Expert Advice?
I’ll help you choose your theme!
Sometimes you just need someone to point you in the right direction or help you eliminate the less-than-ideal candidates. For a modest fee, I’ll whittle down your choices to the best three options for you from my recommended theme design companies.
