How to Choose A WordPress Theme [+12 Website Must-Haves to Look For]
How to Choose the Perfect WordPress Theme for Your Website in 2024
Choosing a WordPress theme is one of the most important decisions you‘ll make for your website. The right theme will make your site look professional, perform well in search engines, and convert more visitors into customers or followers.
But with literally thousands of themes available, how can you find the perfect one for your specific needs? As we head into 2024, here are the 10 most important factors to consider when selecting a WordPress theme:
- Responsive Design is Non-Negotiable
In today‘s mobile-first world, it‘s absolutely essential that your theme looks great and works perfectly on any size device. Over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile, and that number continues to grow. Google also uses mobile-friendliness as a key ranking factor.
When considering any theme, carefully review the demo site on your phone and tablet in addition to your desktop computer. Make sure the navigation works smoothly, the content is readable, and everything resizes properly on smaller screens. If the theme doesn‘t look right on mobile, move on to another option.
- Performance & Loading Speed
After mobile-friendliness, site speed is the next most important technical factor for your WordPress theme. Slow loading times will tank your conversions and search engine rankings. Studies show that 40% of people will abandon a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load!
Some WordPress themes are bloated with excessive features, unoptimized code, or heavy graphics that can really slow things down. When selecting a theme, use a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights to test the demo site‘s performance. Look for a score of at least 80 on desktop and 60 on mobile.
Avoid themes that rely heavily on large full-screen images, video backgrounds, and clunky animation effects. Instead, look for a fast, lightweight theme and use caching and optimization plugins to further improve performance.
- Purpose-Built for Your Needs
WordPress themes come in all shapes and sizes to serve different site types, and it‘s important to choose one built for your specific purpose. Trying to force a generic theme to meet your needs will be frustrating, and the end result won‘t be as professional or effective.
If you‘re starting an ecommerce store, look for themes designed for WooCommerce with product page templates, shopping cart integration, and customer review functionality. For a photography portfolio, you‘ll want a theme with beautiful image galleries and an easy way to showcase your work.
There are purpose-built themes for everything from blogs, business sites, online courses, and membership sites to restaurants, non-profits, and more. Choosing a niche theme specifically created for your industry and type of site will save you a lot of headaches in the long run.
- Simple Customization Options
A great WordPress theme should allow you to easily personalize the design to your unique brand and style – no coding required. When comparing themes, dive into the customization options and page builder tools.
The WordPress Customizer now includes options to change your site title and logo, tweak global colors and fonts, and adjust various layout settings. Some themes go further with additional Customizer settings for the header, navigation, sidebar, footer, and more.
Many of the best WordPress themes now also support drag-and-drop page builder plugins like Elementor or include their own proprietary page builder tool built into the theme. These allow you to create completely custom page layouts without writing a line of code.
Avoid themes that limit your ability to customize the look and layout. The more control the theme gives you through easy-to-use customization settings, the more flexibility you‘ll have to make the site your own.
- Accessibility for All
Web accessibility is about making your website usable for the widest range of people, including those with disabilities. Accessibility is good for everyone, as it also makes your site more mobile-friendly and improves SEO. It‘s also a growing legal concern, with accessibility lawsuits on the rise.
When selecting a theme, look for features that meet current accessibility guidelines (WCAG). These include:
- Color contrast of at least 4.5:1 for normal sized text
- Proper headings structured in a logical hierarchy
- Keyboard navigation with visible focus states
- Images with alt text for screen readers
- Accessible forms with clear labels and error messages
- Text that can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or function
You can test any theme demo for accessibility issues using a tool like WAVE or the aXe browser extension. Choosing an accessible theme from the beginning will save a lot of work trying to retrofit your site later.
- Plugin Compatibility
No matter how full-featured your theme is out of the box, you‘ll invariably want to extend the functionality of your site with various plugins. When selecting a theme, do your research to see how well it integrates with popular plugins in your industry.
Some themes offer special integrations with page builders like Elementor or Beaver Builder, while others are purposefully minimal to allow flexibility with any plugin. If you plan to use the Gutenberg block editor, look for themes built to take full advantage of blocks.
WooCommerce has its own official directory of ecommerce themes that are verified to work seamlessly with the core plugin and add-ons. Similarly, if you know you want to use a particular SEO, membership, LMS, or other plugin, search for themes that mention compatibility.
You don‘t necessarily need a theme with a massive library of included plugins and add-ons, but you do want one that will play nicely with the tools you plan to use. Reading reviews from real users can surface any potential compatibility issues to be aware of.
- Reliable Support & Updates
The WordPress ecosystem is constantly evolving, with new features, security patches, and changes happening all the time. Themes must be regularly updated to fix bugs, close security holes, and maintain compatibility with the latest WordPress core updates.
Before selecting a theme, check the listing to see how recently it was updated. As a general rule of thumb, avoid themes that haven‘t been updated in the last 6 months. Review the theme‘s change log to see how often the developer has historically pushed out new versions.
Also look into what kind of support is offered by the theme developer. Is there a public support forum where you can see how responsive they are to user issues? What about documentation and setup guides? For premium themes, is email support available to paying customers?
Choosing a theme with reliable support and frequent updates will ensure you have somewhere to turn if something breaks after a WordPress update. An abandoned theme can leave your site at risk, so it‘s worth seeking out developers with a consistent track record.
- Actual Cost of Ownership
While WordPress itself is free, many of the best themes and plugins come with some costs, either upfront or ongoing. When comparing themes, factor in the total cost of ownership beyond the initial purchase price.
Some themes offer a lifetime license for a one-time fee, while others operate on an annual renewal model to continue receiving updates and support. Be clear about what happens after that first year – how much will it cost to re-up your license?
Also consider any additional plugins that are required or recommended to make the theme work as advertised. Some themes bundle in premium plugins like a page builder or form maker, while others keep costs down by integrating with free plugins. Just be aware of any extra purchases you‘ll need to make.
Finally, think about the value of your time in setting up and customizing the theme. While it‘s possible to set up most themes yourself following the documentation, some are much more user-friendly than others. A little extra money spent on a theme that‘s easier to use can save hours of frustration down the road.
- Footer Functionality
One commonly overlooked element when selecting a theme is the footer area. Located at the very bottom of your site, the footer plays several important roles:
- Aids navigation with secondary menus or links to key pages
- Supports SEO by including relevant keyword-rich content
- Reinforces your brand with a custom logo, colors, and fonts
- Builds trust with contact info, privacy policy, and social links
- Drives action with email signup forms or other lead magnets
When evaluating a theme, scroll down and see what options are available for customizing the footer. Can you set a full-width background image or change the colors? Are there widget areas to add menus, text, forms, or other content blocks?
Some themes allow you to control each footer element individually, while others rely on a predetermined template. The more control you have over the footer content, the better you can optimize it to support your goals. The footer is valuable real estate, so make sure your theme gives you the flexibility to make the most of it.
- Social Proof
Finally, when narrowing down your theme search, look for signs of social proof to validate your choice. The wisdom of the crowds can give you confidence that you‘re selecting a quality theme with a proven track record.
Start by looking at the total number of downloads or sales, which is often listed on the theme description page. Themes with 1,000 sales are good, but 10,000+ is even better. For free themes, look for at least 10,000 active installations.
Next, read through user reviews to see what others are saying about the theme. Not only will this surface potential red flags to watch out for, but it also gives you real-world perspective on how easy the theme is to use. Look for themes with at least a 4.5 star rating.
You can also search for the theme name on social media or in WordPress Facebook groups to see what conversations come up. Are people raving about the theme or tearing it apart? Lastly, check the theme developer‘s own social profiles and website for credibility and to see how engaged they are with the WordPress community.
Choosing a WordPress theme with great reviews, lots of happy customers, and a trustworthy developer will give you peace of mind that you‘re making a smart investment in your website.
Pick the Perfect Theme for 2024 and Beyond
With so many themes to choose from, it‘s easy to feel overwhelmed. But by keeping these 10 key factors in mind, you can narrow down your options to find the perfect WordPress theme for your needs and goals:
- Responsive design for mobile visitors
- Fast loading speed for better performance
- Purpose-built features for your site type
- Simple customization to match your brand
- Accessibility for WCAG compliance
- Plugin compatibility to play well with others
- Ongoing support & updates for peace of mind
- Transparent pricing with no surprises
- Footer options to maximize conversions
- Social proof to validate your choice
Investing the time up front to carefully evaluate and select your theme will pay dividends over the life of your website. You‘ll have a site that looks great, functions perfectly, and drives results for your business in 2024 and beyond.
