Selecting the perfect WordPress theme is one of my favorite parts of the design process. Similar to picking out floor plans for a new home, it’s a time to really envision what your new space will look like and how it will flow.
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What are WordPress themes and why do I need one?
In most basic terms, WordPress themes can be compared to the floor plans of a house. Themes are the layout of a WordPress site and determine its function. All of the design work and customizations go on top of your theme, which will be customized by me to meet your unique needs.
What is a Child theme?
A child theme holds all of the customization for your unique WordPress site. Selecting a theme is often the most difficult part of a site design, so it’s important to take your time on this step. Fortunately, I’m here to help with that decision after you’ve purchased a WordPress design from me. After we work together to determine the features you need in your site, I’ll send you a few theme options that I think are a great fit for your vision.
Will my site look exactly like the demo theme you send me?
This can be a confusing concept because the demo themes I send for your consideration are built using example pictures, colors, and fonts. When you’re looking at a demo you should consider the layout and function of the site and not the customization. Just like the theme is the blueprint for a house, my job is to take your chosen theme and work my interior decorator magic on it. If you fall mostly in love with a theme but there are things you want to change about the layout of that theme, it’s important to discuss this up front. Some themes allow for more customizations than others.
Here are a few considerations for picking out your theme:
-With WordPress, you can opt to have a “Website” look or a “blog” look. Do you want visitors to land on a static home page when they visit your blog, or do you want them to land on your most recent blog posts in more of a journal style?
-Do you want blog posts to display in a grid or list format?
-Do you want to have a slideshow featured at the top of your blog?
-Do you need one or two navigation bars with your most important links at the top of your blog?
-Do you have social media sites that you want to feature prominently? Examples: a Facebook feed; most recent Instagram pictures; most recent Pinterest pins.
-Will you be selling products directly through your blog and need checkout options?
Are you ready to bring your WordPress vision to life? Browse WordPress options in my shop.
A few before/after examples:
On the left is the “Darling” theme from the demo site with a sherbet color scheme, stripes, and florals. It has four promo boxes beneath the slideshow. On the right is the same “Darling” theme customized for my own website with brighter shades, no stripes, and three promo boxes. All of the fonts have been changed as well.
The demo here shows soft colors, most recent blog posts, and a shop. My version is created in bold colors and features a landing image, popular categories, and an ebook opt-in.
On the left is the demo, my customizations are on the right. In this design, we changed the slideshow from one large slider to three smaller ones. We also opted to display recent posts on the home page instead of a landing page like in the demo. For customizations like this, always check with me before we select a final theme to make sure the changes are possible.
On the left is the demo site, my customizations are on the right.
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