WordPress Themes – Picking the Right One for Your Business – WPCP: 038

I kind of surprised myself when I realized that I hadn't done a podcast episode about WordPress themes. Seems like a little bit of a 'duh' moment, right? I'm going to approach this from a little bit of a different angle than simply discussing different theme companies and the pro's and con's of each (and not just because we know all I use are Genesis themes). When I first started working with WordPress and doing client sites I just went with what the client wanted to use. As soon as I found StudioPress and purchased the Pro Plus All theme package I stopped looking around at other themes and stuck with what I knew and what I loved. Once Genesis was released I knew that was all I was ever going to use. And not because there aren't other WordPress themes and frameworks available that are good, I didn't have the time to dive into other themes or frameworks (of course that doesn't stop me from looking at other themes for inspiration, design, styles, features, etc.). Why I use the Genesis Framework It's no secret that my favorite themes for WordPress are by StudioPress and are built on the Genesis framework.  I started using StudioPress themes pre-Genesis so needless to say when they launched Genesis I was in for the ride. There are a few reasons I use Genesis. Good themes, great code Constantly improving and stay up to date with WordPress Flexibility for content (I'm all about content formatting) Updates don't effect the way the theme look The selection. There are a ton of great third party companies developing Genesis child themes Fast forward to today and there's an additional reason I use Genesis. A much less sexy reason I guess but it's the truth. I simply don't have the time to try another framework or theme... and the few times I've done this I instantly wonder what the bucket I'm doing. But this episode isn't just about Genesis, so let's move on. Picking the right WordPress theme for your Business This is something that took me a while to grasp because as someone who tends to get overly geeked about the visual side of things I had a tendency to approach theme selection based on what I liked and what I wanted. What's missing here? How about the user /reader / visitor? Duh. :-) Before you begin doing ANYTHING about the design and what theme you're going to use, take the time to outline a few things: - WHO is your audience? - What do you want to happen when people come to your site? (opt-in, watch a video, etc.) - What do you want them to do after landing on the homepage? (start here, watch this, etc.) - How do you want your visitor to feel? - Are you an agency, individual or brand? Does this personality come through? These probably seem like sort of obvious questions, but you'd be surprised how many people don't think about this or don't address these questions when choosing a WordPress theme. Once you've answered all these questions I would recommend visiting as many sites as you can and take some notes. Pay attention to why you like the site outside of the visual appeal. Is it easy to navigate? Is it clear what the site is about? Do you want to spend time digging around on the site and exploring? *SIDE NOTE* Always try to think from your visitors perspective but don't get caught in the trap of asking everyone and their mother for an opinion... nothing will make you crazier than the opinions of the peanut gallery. And if you're a web developer or are planning on having yout site re-done, there is a HYSTERICAL comic over at "The Oatmeal" about how a web design goes straight to hell. Don't work with those customers or don't be that customer. Links from this episode Genesis Framework Divi theme - Elegant themes Divi tutorial by Keith Davis How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell - The Oatmeal