Imagine you get invited to a retro party where everyone needs to wear the best 70s fashion they can find.

You then surf on the internet what people in the 70s dressed. You would even go far by getting your hair done, just like how people do it 50 years ago.

Now, during the party, people dressed up as expected- flared jeans, colorful polo, and shiny, sleek hair. At the party, lots of vintage stuff are around paired with the 70s hits. You forgot you’re in the present time!

Once you entered, you feel you warped back from 50 years ago. Once you stepped in to the hall, the environment suddenly shifts from the present times to the 70s.

That’s how themes work. Theme sets the tone and ambiance of the place at a certain time. A children’s party would have a Disney theme while a people in red with a Christmas tree means it’s a Christmas party.

WordPress themes are no different. WP Themes sets the look and feel of your website. When someone visits your site, the user “feels“ your website. The user processes the web layout, the colors, and even the functions it sees. That’s the key role of WordPress theme.

Read on and find out how WordPress themes fit in the overall eco-system of your WordPress website.

What is WordPress Theme?

The simplest answer is from WordPress itself: “WordPress theme represents the design of your website. It can control everything from colors to fonts to the entire layout.“

The moment a user’s eye catches your website in front of their computer screen, the layout, colors and how the contents behaved and placed, WordPress theme is involved. The elements that make up your theme can influence user’s behavior and how they perceive your website.

Often, WP Themes correlates to web design. However, look WordPress theme as the skin of your website. The usual scenario that you’ll come across would be pre-made templates or layouts that you can implement on your website with as simple as drag and click.

Why WordPress Websites Need Themes?

WordPress themes are one of the two important puzzles in building a successful WordPress website – apart from plugins.

During the early development of your website, choosing the theme of your website is a top priority task. From there, themes dictate the appearance of your web pages, maintain brand consistency and offer better user experience.

Also, getting a pre-made theme is more practical than creating your own theme from scratch. Creating your own themes means hard-coding it from scratch. Pre-made themes not only save you time, it also saves you money. In addition, many theme providers offer highly customizable themes.

Free vs. Premium Themes

Like plugins, themes can be free or premium. Most theme developers offer free themes, so you, as a website owner, try what it feels like using their themes.

However, to use the theme to its full potential, their paid version is the better option. It unlocks a lot of options, features and functionalities than its free theme, saving you a lot if time in developing your website. By getting premium themes, you get a priority support and the functions will not be limited.

Now, depending on your project. Sometimes free themes suffice while getting a premium theme is a must. To decide what to get, the key is to expect and plan. A thorough assessment of the design and functionalities you want on your website will help you get the right theme.

Remember, it’s impractical switching themes. Once you get to decide what theme is appropriate for your website, you’re going to carry that decision for a long time. Switching themes greatly affects your website. It changes content placement, functionalities and a lot of redesign.

Conclusion

WordPress themes dictate the look and feel of your website. It represents the colors, fonts, layouts and the overall design.

When done right, WordPress themes helps maintains brand consistency and better user experience. In addition, this will make your WordPress website professional.

You can get your WordPress themes either free or paid. Paid themes offer more customizability while free themes help you get on track. Choosing a free or premium is a thing that you need to decide on the early stages of the development of your website.

WordPress themes are a vital part when developing a WordPress website. It’s a puzzle piece you need to fit.