Choosing a WordPress theme can be a lot like shopping for a car. There are a lot of options out there and it is hard to tell which ones are going to deliver on what they say and some look flashy but do not hold up over time or have problems under the hood you cannot see at first. Thinking about the needs for your site influences what type of theme you should choose. Whether you are using the site for e-commerce, blogging, or making a portfolio, there are many theme options to choose from that could fit your needs.

As more and more people are accessing the web through smaller devices, it is important to consider a theme that is responsive and will perform well when being viewed on mobile devices. There are many themes that include responsive in the name which makes finding one that much easier.

Most themes offer some level of customization and even the ones that do not are able to be altered if you are comfortable accessing and changing files. You can also add your own CSS in the customizer if you know how to access the elements you wish to change.

Picking a theme that suits the purpose of your website can make a big difference. Someone wishing to use their WordPress site as a portfolio might want to choose a theme that displays elements in more of a gallery style presentation to show off their work, while a blogger may want to use a standard list format that lists relevant posts in order. There are even themes that make building an e-commerce site easier and more effective.

Take My Word For It, But Also Someone Else’s!

There are a lot of helpful resources on the internet that can help you even further! Here are a couple that could help get you started:

Below is a video from Tech Talk America that discusses tips for choosing a WordPress theme. In the video, Mark Collier addresses the problems of themes that do not deliver on their promises and how to avoid them.

SlideShare can be helpful for sharing information visually using slides with infographics and chunks of information that are easy to digest. Here is a presentation about WordPress optimization that includes a slide about choosing a WordPress theme that will get you headed in the right direction after you make a choice on your theme.