Top 20 Tips to Choose Best WordPress Themes

When we are offered with too many options to choose from, we feel overwhelmed. And most often it results in poor judgment and a faulty decision. The same goes with selecting a WordPress theme.

1. Select your theme with suitable category like real estate, small business, ecommerce, job portal

The first step of choosing a good WordPress theme begins identifying one that relates to your business or requirement. There are plenty of exclusive themes available for various industries like real estate, online business, employment portals, entrepreneurship, etc. to select from.

2. Check reviews

Once the theme is selected, check for its reviews to know how well and effective it is for your needs. It is better to avoid a theme which does not boast of much user downloads or customer reviews.

3. Check all plugin’s reviews

Customer reviews help you understand of the various preinstalled plugins available with the theme. Check whether the theme is provided with sufficient plugins for SEO, page editor, security and additional functionality that will make your WordPress page as user friendly as it can be.

4. Check Theme and Plugins are updated or not

The theme selection process does not end with making a choice. You need to ensure whether the selected theme and its plugins are updated. Check the last update date and activity to ensure that you don’t have to spend precious time updating plugins and theme layout.

Read here about Top 5 WordPress Ecommerce Plugins in 2015

5. Check Theme Loading Time & file size

Usually the loading time of a web page is dependent on the number of HTTP requests and plugins that it has to run. Keeping the loading time to a bare minimum is very essential to provide the best user experience. Hence, ensure that you pick a light weight theme free of unnecessary plugins that will load quickly.

6. Check features

The ultimate purpose of a WordPress theme is to portray your web page appear splendid and appealing. Before making the final choice test check its features like browser compatibility, ease of navigation, user friendliness, etc. Take a demo of the theme and find out how you’re the theme appeals to your from the point of view of a customer.

7. Check call to action

A check to call action is an essential ingredient for any website that wishes to serve its visitors in all ways. Ensure your WordPress theme offers a call to action button to serve purposes like signing up, volunteering, etc.

 8. Check user experience & user interaction

To get noticed only in the internet world it is essential for your WordPress theme to have a good platform for interaction between the users and website administrators.

9. Check theme is working properly in all devices (mobile, tablet, MAC) or not using Google Mobile Friendly Tool  (responsive is best)

Recent studies have confirmed that at least 30% of the website traffic is routed from mobile devices. Even if you’re your industry does not have a mobile dependent customer group; it is essential to build the web page with a responsive web design.

10.   Check Security Plugins & enhancement

Just like your home, your WordPress theme also requires a great deal of security. Customer reviews are the best way source of information about the various security plugins and enhancements that a theme could be providing to its users. Ensure that you buy a theme only after cross checking customer reviews about its security plugins and updates.

WordPress Design

11.   Check Social Media integration

When set up with its plethora of plugins, WordPress is one of the best Content Management Software available today. Your choice of a WordPress theme should inevitably include one that offers plugins for SMO integration.

12.   Choose SEO Friendly theme or best SEO Plugin’s based theme

Your selected theme should be search engine optimized or should have a SEO plugin in order to have I ranked among the top search engine results. SEO websites also have the advantage of drawing online traffic.

13.   Optimize image and footer links

Unaligned and jumbled images completely spoil the appearance of a webpage.  Hence, ensure that your images and footer links and optimized to proper dimensions to enhance the look of your theme.

14.   Optimize css, js, html

Optimize css, js and html to have external components in order to give your users the benefit of fast cached pages.

15.   Optimize database

Optimize your website with a reliable DB plugin to keep your databases updated, free of redundant data, unused tags, expired transients and lot more.

16.   Select best hosting

From the plenty of hosting services available in the internet, choose a hosting service that serves your requirements aptly.

17.    Check website structure

Ideally the website structure should be one that is definite, user friendly and gives quick access to all essential features easily and quickly. It should give the user a good feel and ease of navigation.

18.   Check theme Support the Latest WordPress Features

WordPress themes undergo constant changes in order to stay abreast with global tech updates. Ensure your theme is one that is updated with the latest features in order to stay ahead of competition.

19.   Check all browser compatibility

Your WordPress theme should be capable on running on all different browsers like Mozilla, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. in order to serve the maximum audience possible.

20.   Check public forum for support or not

Public forum is the best source of support for online themes. Ensure the publisher of your theme provides a public forum support from where you can gain quick fixes for any glitches.

CgColors is a web design firm and specialize in WordPress web design located in New York and also deals with ecommerce, mobile app and seo marketing. Please post your comment or share our post, if you like it.

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