{"id":2144,"date":"2014-10-29T21:57:47","date_gmt":"2014-10-29T21:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/blog\/?p=2144"},"modified":"2024-01-23T15:22:39","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T20:22:39","slug":"choosing-a-template-what-to-look-for-and-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/blog\/choosing-a-template-what-to-look-for-and-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing a Template: What to Look for and Why"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Choosing<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It\u2019s not exactly news, but choice of template for your WordPress site is extremely important WordPress has an expansive collection of free and premium templates to choose from. But how can you decide which is the right one for you? Some websites, like TemplateMonster.com for example, have helpful filters that separate themes into categories and sort them by functions or features. But even if you do have specialized search capabilities to aid you in your endeavor, it still helps to have a comprehensive idea of your criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Said criteria will be determined by the type of website you\u2019re looking to launch. Will it be a business? A news blog? A station for content curation? Or are you just looking for a space to share your thoughts? Whichever happens to be your M.O. it will have a determining effect on the type of functionality your website will require. Today we\u2019ll go over the basics of picking and choosing among the many potential templates subject to your scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal Concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"020614-N-0552D-001\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While template choice is often a very subjective experience, in this day and age there are certain interdisciplinary \u201cmust haves\u201d that every website owner needs to take under consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much do you want to Spend?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Budgetary concerns are invariably near the top of the list in regards to priorities. You can always go the basic route and download a free template, but don\u2019t expect any bells and\/or whistles. You get what you pay for, and if you\u2019re getting a free downloadexpect the bare minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore it might be wise to loosen your purse strings a bit. Fortunately, most premium WP themes don\u2019t hit the wallet too hard. You can usually procure just about any theme you like for between $50 and $80.  The only time you\u2019ll really have to stretch your dollar is while shopping for a custom theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Custom themes are built from scratch by a developer, and since you\u2019re paying for labor, it won\u2019t be so easy on the bank account. Depending on what you want in terms of looks, function, and complexity a custom theme can be quite costly. You can save a little bit of dough by starting out with a premium theme and then having your hired help tweak it to a minor degree, rather than building from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all need a little help here and there, and purchasing a premium theme usually goes hand in hand with excellent support. Though you shouldn\u2019t just assume that this is the case. Do your research: read reviews and see what the brand perception of a theme provider looks like before committing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Search Engine Optimization is always an important consideration when establishing any sort of web presence. The way your website is organized, the keywords you use to attract attention, and a myriad set of other factors all combine to make your website scannable and easily indexible to search spiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The obvious goal is to make the front page, and that\u2019s completely impossible if your template doesn\u2019t have a framework that\u2019s compliant with the latest Google SEO standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress usually comes SEO friendly out of the box, but you need to be careful if you\u2019re paying to build a custom theme. This is another reason why support is so important. With an active support community, you can be sure that your template will be updated to match the latest web standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responsive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Responsively designed websites are those that display attractively across multiple devices, regardless of screen size, and without any mobile redirects. Web templates need to be built responsive these days because mobile use is so extremely prevalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you\u2019re positive that your visitors won\u2019t be browsing your site on a smartphone or tablet, it\u2019s best to take care of this concern from the get go by purchasing a responsive template<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifics<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"DESIGN<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now that we\u2019ve covered some of the universal concerns, it\u2019s time to speak with specificity. This choices described in this section will largely be determined by your personal preferences, as well as your unique needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aesthetics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You know what\u2019s useless? A WordPress template that you don\u2019t find attractive. If it doesn\u2019t look good, then what good is it? Your web presence needs to say something about your company, and your company should be a reflection of your personality. So make sure you actually like the look of your template.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s not to say that as long as you like it, it\u2019ll be perfect. Certain things are expected from different types of websites. Corporate sites are generally reserved, minimalist, clean, and adhere to a color scheme that promotes trust, calm, and tranquility. Whereas templates dedicated to design are far more artistic, colorful, and fancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read up on design basics<\/a> if you\u2019re not already familiar and make some informed decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needed functionality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here we arrive at the really important stuff. What do you absolutelyneed<\/em> your website to do? If you\u2019re opening an online store, then you\u2019ll need a usable system for product imports and exports, featured products on a slider, an opt-in form to gain new leads, and so much more. If you\u2019re web presence is all about event promotion, then you\u2019ll need a calendar function. Do you need to interact with your visitors? Then you\u2019ll have to have sections for them to comment on your content, live chat boxes, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of your WP template\u2019s needed functionality is completely determined by your personal needs, so carefully consider what you want and need from your theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, you want your WP theme to be flexible. The World Wide Web is constantly in flux, and so are expectations regarding webpages. It shouldn\u2019t have to be a problem to alter or edit according to your shifting priorities. For example, you should be able to change the color of a banner or background without much trouble. You don\u2019t want to be buried underneath lines of complex code for the simplest of aesthetic choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nor should it be an issue to add widgets\/plugins as you see fit. Sometimes the addition of certain plugins can slow a website down or seriously hinder some vital parts of its functionality. If this is going to be the case for your chosen template, then you\u2019ll want to know up front. The idea is to look for seamless backend editing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are just a few of the concerns you\u2019ll want to look out for when choosing the perfect theme. If you\u2019re ready to begin browsing, then take a look at some of the powerfully functional premium templates here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not exactly news, but choice of template for your WordPress site is extremely important WordPress has an expansive collection of free and premium templates to choose from. But how can you decide which is the right one for you? Some websites, like TemplateMonster.com for example, have helpful filters that separate themes into categories and sort them Read More ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[357],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-web-design"],"yoast_head":"\nChoosing a Template: What to Look for and Why | InMotion Hosting<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WordPress has an expansive collection of free and premium templates to choose from. 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