WordPress is used by companies in every industry to launch stylish, high-performing websites for a range of purposes. It is open-source, flexible, secure and powerful, making it a popular platform.
It also provides you with a quick and simple way to brand your website through the use of themes. Here is what you need to know about using themes to brand your site.
Free, premium and custom themes
Themes allow you to change the way that your WordPress website looks in an instant. They are essentially pre-designed websites that you can change with a few clicks, and they determine the appearance, colour, columns, font and more.
Your WordPress site will appear with the basic theme when you launch it, but you can quickly find another theme to use, and you have three main options:
- free themes;
- premium themes;
- custom themes.
Free themes are themes that designers have created and published in the theme section of WordPress. There are thousands to choose from, and you can simply find one that looks suitable then download it and apply it to your website.
Premium themes are themes that you must pay to use. Developers design these themes as a way to make money, and they often run their businesses by selling themes.
These often look better than free themes, providing a more professional appearance. They may also be more customisable, and they often come with more advanced features, providing you with a good option for your business website.
Then there are custom WordPress themes. This is where you get your designer to create a theme for you so that you have something completely unique for your company. They may use a theme framework to create your theme.
Which to choose?
It is completely up to you which type of theme you choose for your website. You could start with a free theme while you get your website up and running, and you can then use this to publish content, improve your SEO and marketing to get started. Then when you start to get more serious, you could upgrade to a premium theme.
If you get a premium theme, it is a good idea to opt for one that has a good community behind it. This will mean you can get support from the forums, and you may also be able to find designers who specialise in that theme to make any changes you require.
But if you really want your website to stand out and if you are serious about it, a custom theme is a great option. This will enable you to brand your site exactly as you want to right from the start, so it is often a good option or business websites.
Find a suitable theme for your site
There are many themes available right now on WordPress, so take a look through them and try to find something that looks suitable. You may want to experiment with some free themes first to see how they work. But when you are serious about launching a professional website, consider a premium or custom theme to make the most of your branding.