Kim Avery Coaching

What Is a WordPress Theme?

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Suppose you are getting ready to build a new house. You face a million decisions before you can move in. How many bedrooms and baths? What is the floor plan? Where will you put the electrical outlets? And don’t even get me started on choosing styles and colors and floor coverings and window treatments and appliances… That all may be your idea of fun, but not mine!

Building a website comes with many of the same decisions. Layout, style, look and feel, graphic elements, colors, functionality, typefaces…  It can all be overwhelming.

And that’s where themes come in.

Themes to the Rescue!

Much like you would go look at model homes, browsing themes will give you an idea of how the components of a website come together. And, just like with homes, you can find themes to fit any budget – and some that will break many budgets!

Free WordPress Themes

WordPress comes with a couple of themes already loaded and ready to use. They allow some customization, but are fairly easy to recognize. There is nothing wrong with using them – they are very solid. However, if you want to branch out, there are lots of options.

There are thousands of free WordPress themes available. Really – no exaggeration. WordPress.org lists over 1,500 of them, and those are only the ones that meet their guidelines. You can search by color, holiday/subject, layout and features. You can find a free theme that will make you a nice website.

But. Remember. You get what you pay for.

Make sure to do your due diligence. Free WordPress themes have greatly varied levels of support. And at some point, with almost all of them, you will bump up against built in constraints that will limit what you can do.

Some free themes are highly customizable, but you must be able to dig into the CSS, HTML, and PHP files to make things happen. If you are okay with that, then go for it!

Additionally, free WordPress themes may not be kept up to date, meaning that they may not function well with the newest version of WordPress, or with that cool plugin that you just found.

But if you are just starting out and want a basic website, be sure to look at the free themes that are available. You might find something that is just perfect to get you up and running.

Premium WordPress Themes

Premium WordPress themes are ones that you pay for. Typically a premium theme offers many more options for customization and design than free themes do, and has strong support. Some have training videos, a forum, and even live chat. Many Premium WordPress themes are around $80. Some, like Weaver II Pro, are less, and some are more. Often the price is based on how many sites you want to install it on, and whether or not your site is personal or commercial. And be aware that this price is for the theme license only, not the cost of having someone build your site.

These are premium WordPress themes that I have worked with and like:

Studio Press – Genesis –Genesis is a theme framework that has many “child” themes that work with it. A child theme is sort of a pre-defined design package that configures many of the elements for you. Genesis comes with unlimited support and is very flexible. Aside from the fact that Genesis is a powerful and widely acclaimed theme, I am also a fan of the founder, Brian Gardner, who is a brilliant designer and strong Christian.

iThemes – Builder – Builder is another theme framework that has many child themes associated with it. Builder is extremely flexible, and as its name suggests, allows you to build your website out in any configuration that you want. One of the features I especially like is the ease with which you can create a new layout for use on just one page. Builder also has excellent support and is always expanding what it offers.

Weaver II Pro – Weaver is a theme I have recently started working with. It allows minute control over every aspect of your site in a dashboard area. I find that it is a little easier to work with and perhaps more intuitive than Builder and Genesis, but then it doesn’t have the array of pre-designed child themes that overlay it. Weaver offers a free theme, and this upgrade will unlock the special features.

There are, of course many others.

Custom WordPress Themes

Just like there are custom home builders who specialize in high-end design, so there are web designers who specialize in custom WordPress theme design. Some custom themes are built from the ground up, and some are extreme modifications of existing themes or frameworks. Either way, this option is for the person who can pay to have someone build exactly what they want, and unless they are very savvy in the ways of WordPress, someone to maintain it and make changes.

Also be aware that many times a custom design will “hard code” features into the design that would normally be available through the WordPress dashboard. For example, on a standard WordPress site, the owner will normally be able to configure and change the navigation and widget content. Sometimes those functions are added to the code on a custom website, and only the designer will be able to make changes.

The Trade-offs

The bottom line is this: you are unique. Your needs are unique. Only you can decide whether the mix of your ability and/or willingness to learn, the time you have, the money you have, and your desire for independence and innovation will be best served by a free, premium, or custom WordPress theme.

I’d love to hear your experience and/or questions, and whether you have a favorite WordPress theme.

2 Comments

  1. Pam Taylor

    Susan Fleming, I love the way you share your wealth of information in such a conversational tone. So easy to read and understand. Thank you for your generosity to teach us from the ground floor up…I’m so glad you are my V.A. You make my life as a business owner so much easier!

    • Susan Fleming

      Hi Pam ~ Thanks for the kind words. You know how I am… if I know it, I have to teach it. It’s just who God made me to be. I’m glad it is helpful! And I’m glad I’m your VA, too 🙂