Selecting and installing a WordPress theme is one of the important steps in creating and managing a WordPress website. In this process, users need to choose a theme suitable for their website and proceed with installation and setup. The WordPress ecosystem is well-developed, offering many free and paid themes for everyone to choose and use. However, finding the right theme for yourself is not easy, especially for beginners. Choosing the wrong theme can make website building very troublesome later on.
Understanding Theme Types and Characteristics
Before choosing a theme, users need to understand the different types of themes and their characteristics. WordPress themes are generally divided into two types: free themes and paid themes. Free themes typically have basic features and functionalities, while paid themes usually offer more features and functionalities, along with better technical support and update services.
Users can browse and select themes through the official WordPress theme repository or third-party theme marketplaces. When choosing a theme, users need to consider their website's type, style, and functional requirements, and select a theme that suits their website.
Chinese Themes and Foreign Themes
The domestic WordPress community is no longer as active as it once was. Currently, there are relatively few companies or individuals in China developing WordPress themes. Naibabiji knows that the only one still operating and developing as a company isLightning Blog, while almost all others are small teams or individual authors (Naibabiji has also developed a theme suitable for beginnersNaibabiji Theme).
Domestic themes are usually faster because domestic servers cannot use some foreign resources. When creating domestic themes, optimizations and speed enhancements are considered based on national conditions.
Compared to domestic themes, there are more foreign themes, and they are more design-oriented. If you plan to build a foreign trade website, naturally choosing a foreign theme better aligns with the aesthetics and habits of foreigners.
Foreign themes usually support page builders for DIY page design. However, without a certain level of aesthetic sense and proficiency with the builder, the results may not be ideal, and the learning curve is higher compared to domestic themes.
Where to Find Themes?
Free Themes
Users can download and install themes through the Appearance function in the WordPress admin dashboard. In the Appearance function, users can select the „Add New Theme“ option, then search for or upload their own theme files for installation.
These themes in the WordPress backend can be installed for free. However, some themes also have premium versions that require additional payment to use.
At the same time, some themes require additional setup after installation to achieve the same interface as shown in the screenshots.
Besides finding free themes in the WordPress backend theme section, you can also use search engines to find them online. However, themes provided by unknown websites may pose risks, so it is advised to proceed with caution.
Paid Themes
Paid themes fall into two categories: one is being listed on a paid theme marketplace, and the other is selling on one's own website. This is similar to the difference between being listed on Alibaba and having an independent website in the foreign trade industry.
Themeforest is currently the largest WordPress paid theme marketplace, offering many excellent themes for sale. The price is typically around $59. Once purchased, the theme is usable for life, though most themes provide only 6 months of after-sales support. If continued after-sales service is needed, a renewal fee is required.
Related articles:Graphic Tutorial on Purchasing Premium WordPress Themes from Themeforest、Tutorial for Activating Themeforest Premium Theme License Key
Additionally, there are themes sold on their own official websites, such as:Astra、Divi、Oceanwp、Blocksy、Kadencewpetc.
Naibabiji has purchased Astra and Blocksy. If needed, you canpurchase at a low price. As for Divi, it might look good, but beginners may not find it easy to handle, so it is advised to consider carefully.
Choosing a Theme That Supports Which Page Builder
Which builder a theme supports is a very important matter for beginner friends. Naibabiji recommends choosing themes that support Elementor, as the learning curve for beginners is relatively lower compared to other builders. Refer toElementor tutorial。
Of course, if you are proficient with Elementor, you don't need to purchase a paid theme. A free theme combined with Elementor or Elementor Pro can also build an excellent website.
If beginners are reluctant to spend money on a paid theme, they can try starting with the combination of a free theme and the free version of Elementor for practice. If they find designing too difficult, it is more convenient to choose a good paid theme and modify it after importing the demo.
How to Install a WordPress Theme
The method to install a WordPress theme is very simple: directly log in to the WordPress backend, switch to the theme menu, and select Add Theme.
If it's a free theme, simply use the search theme function to find the free theme you wish to install, then click the install button. After installation is complete, activate it.
If it's a paid theme, first purchase the paid theme to obtain a compressed package. Locate the theme's compressed file within the package, then go to the WordPress admin dashboard: Themes > Install Themes > Upload Theme. Upload the theme's compressed file to install and activate it.
Besides this method, you can also upload theme files directly to the corresponding folder on the server via file manager or FTP. However, this method is too cumbersome and is rarely used nowadays.
It's important to note that after installing the theme, its appearance may not match the demo you saw. This is because you haven't imported the theme's Demo files. You need to import the Demo data according to the theme's tutorial to achieve the same effect as the demo. Import methods vary by theme, so refer to the theme's documentation. If you really can't figure out how to import, you cancontact Naiba for paid assistance。
Customizing Themes
Customizing a theme, which can also be referred to as designing a theme, allows users to further adjust and optimize the theme through custom settings. For example, the Astra theme lets you easily modify the entire website's background, fonts, colors, spacing, and other elements.
You can also design themes yourself. Most of these paid themes are designed to be used with page builder plugins, so to design pages, you also need to master a page builder plugin proficiently.
For beginners, it's much easier to find a suitable demo from the theme's library, import it into your website, and then replace and modify the text and image content of the demo, rather than designing pages from scratch.
For instance, the entire Naibabiji website uses the Astra theme, but you won't find an identical appearance in Astra's demo library. This is because it was DIY-designed by Naiba. Once you become familiar, you can also design your own.
In summary, selecting and installing a theme is one of the crucial steps in creating and managing a WordPress website. Users need to choose a theme suitable for their website, then install, activate, and configure it to meet their design and functional requirements.
