Your site’s future is utterly dependent on the theme you choose today and there are countless benefits of using professionally designed WordPress themes which not only enhance your website’s first impression but it also boosts your Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as well. How?
Of course, the design structure of your website plays a crucial role in SEO. That’s to say that a good theme is designed with clean codes and ofcourse provides a good user experience, which is actually one of the things search engines nowadays consider for higher ranking. That being said, how can you find the best wordpress blog themes for your blog?
How to Find the Best WordPress Blog Themes
1. Pick a WordPress theme that’s in sync with your niche, industry or business
Needless to say, the theme you pick should be functional and must to a very large extent relate with what you’re planning to blog about. Let’s take for example, that you’re planning to start a political blog, don’t pick a theme that was initially designed for an entertainment (movies/misic) website. Instead, select a theme that’s very generic to your niche or business, and then customize it a little bit by adding a logo and other small features to suit preference.
2. Choose simplicity
This contradicts the general thinking; most people would think that the more complex and sophisticated a website is, the better but unless you are building a blog or website for competition purposes, chose a simple but functional theme. You can easily find a number of websites online, but most of them have lots of complex features which are actually not recommended for a good user experience. Usually, such websites look good in display, but in reality they have the worst functionality and user experience.
For functionality assurance, it’s advisable to pick a simple, customizable theme that’s easier to modify and, at the same time, it’s very compatible across all or at least most browsers which brings us to the next point to consider while looking for the best WordPress themes for blogs:
3. WordPress blog themes and browser compatibility
The theme you choose must be compatible with almost all browsers. In other words, the theme you choose must be cross-browser compatible and W3 valid, as well. Further, it should be compatible with older browsers like internet explorer 6–since there’s a huge audience out there that still uses older browsers. It is best practice that you look out for WordPress blog themes that work well with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Opera as these constitute over 90% of browsers in use by the public.
4. Be sure to check on the terms of service
Whether you’re choosing a commercial or a free theme, be sure to check on the designer’s terms of service and since there are over a thousand free themes online, don’t pick a theme that comes with lots of backlinks. With a little patience and more research, you can easily find a good WordPress theme with favourable terms of service. However, unless you are strapped for cash, don't use a free wordpress theme. Find out why in this article: Before You Buy WordPress Themes; Here Is Everything You Need To Know
5. WordPress free themes directories
Free WordPress themes directory is the official place to look for free WordPress themes online. It’s in fact the only free directory that we recommend in this review. As a matter of fact, every theme in this directory has been reviewed by the WordPress themes review team before being certified for meeting specific qualities and the crucial security standards, as well.
Alternatively, you can easily find a great WordPress theme through your WordPress Dashboard. In fact, all you have to do is to sign into your WordPress account before clicking on your dashboard. You can now navigate to appearance, and then click on themes. After that, click on the “add new” link and search without filling anything.
You’ll be taken through a search page that has thousands of WordPress themes. Just take your time to go through the list before choosing one. Now, if you’re looking for a way of cutting down the list to remain with only the best, just type “responsive layout” in the search drop and you’ll be presented with some of the best choices of WordPress responsive themes
6. Check for freshness of the WordPress blog theme
After finding a theme you like, your next step should be to check the last time the theme was updated. If it has recently been updated, then it can be considered fresh since there’s someone who’s routinely improving the theme and fixing bugs. Next, copy the name of your selected theme and paste it on Google. Look for a search result that has a rating star attached to it and click it for more details concerning the theme: this should take you to a published review of the theme you can also try finding out what other users say about the theme by visiting various forums before installing it.
7. Commercial/ Premium WordPress blog themes
There’re thousands of commercial themes out there—literally. But the best way of finding the best theme for your WordPress blog is to go through some recommended premium WordPress theme marketplaces or resellers. You can also install a free WordPress theme and set a goal of upgrading in the future. By that I mean, if you happen to hit your targeted number of views, you can go ahead and buy a commercial theme for your blog.
Now the prices for commercial themes vary—from as little as $30 to about $1, 500, with most falling between $30 and $150 depending on how well-developed and advanced the underlying theme is.
8. Theme designer’s comments and profile
Each WordPress theme in a market place has a section for comments and designer’s profile. Here, you can check to see how responsive the designer is to support tickets and questions being asked to him. If he happens to be more responsive to users’ comments, then that’s a clear indication of a good theme and a designer who is willing to support his customers.
Where to get the Best WordPress Blog Themes
1. ThemeForest
