The importance of WordPress themes in the web design world cannot be overemphasized. All-in-all, WordPress theme is responsible for aesthetics and user experience, functionality, etc. It is all about the choice of the right theme of WordPress for the new users or the right enhancement of their knowledge for the old ones, in this guide, you will get the information about all the important things of WordPress themes-from the interpretation of the term to the installation, the changing, and the updating of the themes. Apart from that we will also consider responsive WordPress themes and free WordPress themes to help you make a choice.
What is a WordPress Theme?
A WordPress theme is a set of files that can comprise CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and images. These files work in sync to determine the structure and design of a WordPress site. We can choose from a huge number of WordPress themes, from free to paid. They are suitable for many industries and make it easier to find a theme that will be in alignment with the purpose of your website. If you want to start a blog, an online shop or showcase a portfolio, you will likely find the WordPress theme you’re looking for.
Key Features of WordPress Themes
Customization Options wordPress themes of a kind have been built-in customizing tools like for your website cPanel managing, which include the color picker, font selectors and layout settings.
Responsive Design responsive WordPress themes are built responsive, thus changing their size based on the given screen size and so making them to fit the phone, desktops, and ipads.
SEO-Friendly a lot of certain themes are optimized for search engines, they can let your website their top at Google search results.
The theme’s great compatibility with the plugins makes your website an extra copy.
Regular Updates and Support premium themes are often not only about customer support but also through these updates, they constantly ensure the theme’s compatibility with new versions of WordPress.
Premium themes always have the option for customer support and they also periodically update their software to keep it compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
How to Install a WordPress Theme?
One thing that you will never find a reason not to install a WordPress theme is the fact that it is a quick job even if your preference is the free theme from the WordPress repository or the paid exclusive theme that you uploaded. Here’s the way to go about it:
Installing a Theme from the WordPress Repository.
Log in to Your WordPress DashboardNavigate to your WordPress admin panel by visiting yourwebsite.com/wp-admin.
Navigate to your WordPress admin panel by visiting yourwebsite.com/wp-admin.
Go to Appearance > ThemesIn the sidebar, click on “Appearance” and then select “Themes”.
In the sidebar, click on “Appearance” and then select “Themes”.
Click on Add NewAt the top of the Themes page, click the “Add New” button.
At the top of the Themes page, click the “Add New” button.
Search for a Theme Use the search bar on the website to locate themes that have been built to scale and are free, or themes that have been built using WordPress and are free.
Use the search bar on the website to locate themes that are responsive and are available in different versions. You can try the free ones to see if they are suitable for your needs.
Preview and Install The color you see now is chosen to entice you to click on it, it is the color default when the mouse starts hovering above the theme thumbnail, click “Preview” to see how it looks, and click “Install” to get it to your website.
Hover over a theme thumbnail, click “Preview” to see how it looks, and click “Install” to get it to your website.
Activate the Theme Click on the theme that shows up when you move the mouse to it, and on the left, there will be a button saying “Activate”, click on that.
Click on the link that appears after the click, type in the new password that you want to be the password to use for entering this page. The password should be a combination of numbers and letters without spaces.
Uploading a Premium Theme
Get the Theme Files download and purchase the theme files from a third-party marketplace, or developer.
Upload the Theme
Navigate to Appearance > Themes > Add New, and then click “Upload Theme.”Select the .zip file of the theme and click “Install Now.”
Navigate to Appearance > Themes > Add New, and then click “Upload Theme.”
Choose the .zip file of the theme and click “Install Now.”
Activate the Theme
Go to “Appearance” and click “Activate” to get started with the theme.
After installation, click “Activate” to start using the theme.
How to Change a WordPress Theme?
The act of switching themes in the WordPress is an excellent way to really make your website visually stunning and having better functionality as well. Below, we will discuss several tips on how to do that:
Back Up Your Website
Prior to the getting down to business, don’t miss installing a full backup of your site using plugins like UpdraftPlus or Jetpack. That is a way to enable the restoration of your site if something is going wrong.
Test the New Theme
To see how the new theme will look with the content you have, use the “Live Preview” feature. It is helpful to avoid possible issues with the layout or incompatibility.
Activate the New Theme
Under Appearance > Themes, Next, hover over the preferred idea and click “Activate.”
Customize Your Site. Then go to Quick Mode to make sure that you are in the Customizer. Here you can change settings, widgets, and menus to the new theme.
Activation and thereafter, attend the WordPress Customizer to tweak settings, widgets, and menus along with the new theme are the expected steps.
Check Your Site
Thoroughly review your website ensuring that everything is working as it should include pages, posts, plugins, and media.
How to Update a WordPress Theme?
It is essential to ensure the security, performance, and compatibility of your WordPress theme through its regular updating. This is how you will update the theme:
Automatic Updates for Repository Themes
Visit your WordPress dashboard and go to Dashboard > Updates from there to be able to check for updates.
Update the Theme In case a theme update is presented click the “Update Now” button right of the theme.
Manual Updates for Premium Themes
Download the Latest Version: Get the updated theme files from the developer or marketplace.
Deactivate the Current Theme: Use a default theme such as “Twenty-Twenty-Three” to not get distracted during the update process.
Upload the New Version: To achieve this, delete the old theme version and upload the updated files in Appearance > Themes > Add New.
Reactivate the Theme: After you complete the activation of the theme reload the site to see if the changes have appeared.
Why Update Themes?
Each release adds features, fixes bugs, and keeps it on per with the latest version of WordPress.
Responsive and Free WordPress Themes: An In-Depth Overview
Responsive WordPress Themes
Responsive design is a non-negotiable in today’s mobile-based world. A responsive WordPress theme is a design that looks perfect in each and every screen regardless of the size.
Examples: Astra, OceanWP, and GeneratePress are examples of quite popular themes which are responsive.
Benefits: Increased mobile user interactivity, improved SEO rankings, and of course, the engagement factor drive the high level of user interaction on mobile themes.
Free WordPress Themes
Free WordPress themes are the best option for the starting or small websites. In addition to the power premium themes provide they are also competitive in terms of quality of design and utility.
Examples: Neve, Hestia, and Zakra are dynamic free themes that can be downloaded from the WordPress themes repository.
Tips: Besides top-rated themes, some of the additional criteria you would like to consider when selecting a theme are active support, and regular updates for a consistent quality.
