Picking a WordPress Theme
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It’s crazy to think that I’ve been on WordPress for almost two years now. In that time, I’ve gone through many transitions, including designs. With so many WordPress Themes out there, it’s hard to know what will be the best fit for you, but today I’m sharing a few tips on what to consider when buying a WordPress Theme, and a few of my favorite themes.
When it comes to picking a theme, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself.
HOW MUCH CONTROL DO I WANT?
Most Genesis Child Themes (anything from Pretty Darn Cute or Restored 316 are child themes) usually allow for little changes. You can add a bunch of plugins to add more customization, but those can slow your website downnnnnn. You can typically change your colors off, and a few other minor details. If you want something easy, stick with a Genesis child theme.
If you’re more comfortable with design and want to have a lot more control over your WordPress theme, I’d suggest Blog Lady and Boss Lady.
DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC STYLE?
Want something that is very sleek and clean? Or do you want something that….isn’t sleek? Sometimes the style you see in the demo is pretty much what you get.
PRICE POINT
Some themes cost more. On the ones I listed earlier in the post range from $50-75.
WHAT DO OTHER WEBSITES WITH THIS THEME LOOK LIKE?
I love to look at the other websites using the theme to get an idea of what I could possibly get my site to look like.
I think you’ll know when you look at the demo whether or not you want to buy that theme. When it comes down to it, don’t over think this, and have some fun!
Pretty | Pretty Darn Cute Designs So, I haven’t used this one on a site, but I’ve played around with it, and I really like it. It runs on the genesis theme, like most of these, but it’s very sleek. I don’t like that the Customizer only allows you one color, but I love the details in this theme.
Pretty Creative | Pretty Darn Cute Designs I used this one for a few months, and I really like it. The home page is nicely designed, and the directions on setting it up are pretty well explained. To really get the full effect of the demo, you’ll want to incorporate lot son pictures.
Need some ideas for a WordPress Theme? here are 5 great ones (+ tips for picking one) Share on X
Market | Restored 316 Designs This is a new one, but I love how clean and crisp it is. I love the size of the slider on the home page, and I love all the bright pictures.
Those three themes all run on the Genesis platform, which is a great starter platform. However, in the last few months, I’ve moved away because I found my new favorite WordPress theme designer. If you’ve ever met Mel from A Prettier Web, you’ll know she’s a super sweet lady.
Recently, she came out with Blog Lady, which is a theme designed to let you set up a blog any way you like. Almost everything is customizable, and it has this awesome little slider at the top. If you don’t really plan to use e-commerce, this is a great theme to use.
Her other theme (which is my favorite theme everrrrr) is Boss Lady. Boss Lady came out before Blog Lady, and I’m currently running on Boss Lady. For these, I really encourage you to check out the Boss Lady videos, because Mel describes everything I can’t think of. It’s pretty awesome.
I use Boss Lady not only on Ginger & Co. and Ginger & Books but for Laura Teagan’s website, too.
Updated Themes List:
Divi | I use Divi on Laura Teagan now, and I love it. You can drop and drag and use pre-made templates to create gorgeous pages. I love this theme, a lot.
Mary Ellen | Ginger & Co. is currently using a theme from Coded Creative called “Mary Ellen”. I love how clean and stream-lined it is. When I switched to this theme, I knew I wanted something that didn’t have as many bells and whisltes that I could tinker with, and this definitely fit the bill.
Do you have a favorite WordPress theme?