Here’s What to Look Out for When Buying a New WordPress Theme

WordPress Theme

Since the inception of WordPress, web design has been revolutionised entirely. Owning a website nowadays does not require you to secure the services of a coding expert to set up the site for you. With a little knowledge, you can design your website based on a WordPress theme.

While this sounds easy, the success of your website relies heavily on the theme you choose. It makes it paramount for you to take time to carefully pick the kind of theme that will best work for your site before you go about getting it designed.

Free or Premium theme

Of all the factors that you will have to consider, this will be the easiest. If you are serious about your site, then investing in a premium theme is a must. There are a lot of benefits that come with spending a little money to get something that will serve your needs better.

Unlike free themes, premium themes usually have better support, are better managed, and the coding is more reliable and safe. They also happen to have better security features which makes user information safer.

When it comes to WordPress themes, you have plenty of colors and layouts to choose. Sometimes, what you need is simplicity. Something that will not make your visitors feel overcrowded and find it hard to find information.

If it is utterly necessary to have all the sophisticated features and layout, make sure that the most useful information is readily available to the user. The design should be easy to maneuver and find vital information.

Responsiveness

The internet craze has not saved Singapore. It is quickly spreading, and people are accessing the web using all types of devices. Currently, over 82.5% of the population in Singapore uses the internet. Out of these, over 50% own at least three devices. Which makes having a responsive website a top priority.

A responsive theme can adapt to the device being used which gives the user a better experience that is optimized for their tool of choice. This is especially essential for users that prefer to use smartphones to access the internet.

Browser compatibility

Even though the theme may look perfect on the browser you are using while setting it up, the same might not be the case with a user who is using a different browser. Something could be broken or not functioning correctly.

While shopping around for a WordPress theme, it is imperative that you opt for those that mention that the developers have rigorously tested the website on different browsers. This could save you from losses emanating from lost traffic.

It would also be a good idea to test the theme yourself on different browsers to see how it fairs and also see how it looks.

Translation and Multi-lingual ready

Launching your business online will expand your horizons. Even though you might still be targeting Singaporeans, you can also take advantage of the global village to reach out to other potential customers. A translation ready WordPress theme will let you build one site that can be translated into many languages.

The multilingual feature is also essential in case a user is unable to read the language which the website is published in, including locals.

SEO friendliness and support

The design of the theme will be critical in the search for higher rankings. An SEO friendly theme will be easier to work with and will provide better results. Before you settle on any one choice, make sure that the theme is optimised for SEO.

In case of any difficulties, you need to get help fast. Whether it is the theme that has stopped working or you need help with certain functionalities, being able to get through to support and solving the issue swiftly is essential. For this, you will need to opt for a theme with different avenues of reaching customer support.

While choosing your preferred theme, do not forget that the requirements could change based on the niche of the website. Nevertheless, these tips will help you get closer to achieving an online presence successfully.

About the Author

Tom Koh

Tom is the CEO and Principal Consultant of MediaOne, a leading digital marketing agency. He has consulted for MNCs like Canon, Maybank, Capitaland, SingTel, ST Engineering, WWF, Cambridge University, as well as Government organisations like Enterprise Singapore, Ministry of Law, National Galleries, NTUC, e2i, SingHealth. His articles are published and referenced in CNA, Straits Times, MoneyFM, Financial Times, Yahoo! Finance, Hubspot, Zendesk, CIO Advisor.

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