how to pick a wordpress theme - a guide for beginners
TRANSCRIPT
How to Picka WordPress
Theme− a Guide for Beginners −
withChristina Hills
WordCamp Los Angeles 2016
@christinahills | #wclax
Christina Hills Background: Visual Effects Artist for Film & TV
Star Wars E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Jurassic Park Mars Attacks! And more…
@christinahills | #wclax
Christina Hills Now: WordPress Trainer and Coach since 2008
Let’s Talk About WordPress Themes!
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Some Themes Are Simple
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Some Themes Are More Complex
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Simple vs. Complex
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When Picking a Theme You have a Few Decisions to
Make…
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Blog Homepage or Custom Homepage ?
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"Blog Homepage" Design
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“Custom Homepage“ Design
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“Custom Homepage“ Design
“Free” Themes vs.
“Premium“ (Paid) Themes
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Free: WordPress Theme Directory
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Find a Free One on WordPress.org
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Evaluate the Free Theme
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Visit Theme Homepage
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View the Demo
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Browse Their Documentation
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Evaluate How Active their Support Forum is
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Then…Install Theme Inside WordPress
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If You Like the Free Buy Pro!
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Same Theme Different Customizations
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How Many Widgets Does the Theme Have?
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How Many Page Templates Does the Theme Have?
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Are they in business?
Are they selling themes?
Or is this just a “fun project” from a developer who might get bored?
What is the Business Model ?
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Automattic, Inc. (Official WordPress Free Themes)
https://wordpress.org/themes/author/automattic
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Make Sure Your Theme is Mobile Responsive
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www.StudioPress.com/responsive
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Does Your Site/Theme Pass Google’s Mobile-Friendliness Test?
www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly
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WP Touchwordpress.org/plugins/wptouch/
Plugin to Make Your Theme Responsive
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What is a Theme “Framework” ?
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Genesis Framework from StudioPress
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Explanation of a Theme Framework
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Third Party Designers on StudioPress
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Third Party Designers: Restored316
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Genesis Community on Facebook
“Child” Themes
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What is a “Child Theme” ?
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Parent-Child Themes in Admin Dashboard
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Why You Would Want to Use/Create a Child Theme
• With a child theme, you can customize your website beyond the customization options available in the customizer without affecting the original theme
• You will not lose your customizations when the parent theme updates
• Creating a child theme is much easier than you think!
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If Your Theme Company Does not Come with a Child Theme, You can make one with a
Plugin!
@christinahills | #wclaxhttps://wordpress.org/plugins/one-click-child-theme/
One-Click Child Theme Plugin
@christinahills | #wclaxhttps://wordpress.org/plugins/child-theme-wizard/
Child Theme Wizard Plugin
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Themes with Blank Child Theme
Page Builders
https://theme.co/x/
X Theme
http://avada.theme-fusion.com/
Avada Theme
www.elegantthemes.com
Divi From Elegant Themes
https://www.elegantthemes.com/
Divi Page Builder
www.wpbeaverbuilder.com
Beaver Builder
www.wpbeaverbuilder.com
Beaver Builder Page Builder
What to Watch For
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BEWARE: Google Results for Theme Search
@christinahills | #wclaxhttps://wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/
Test Your Theme
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Old Theme with Errors
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How Detect a Theme From a Website You Like: WPThemeDetector.com
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Theme Detector Website with Results
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Does The Theme Have a Community?
Good Website Design = Professional PicturesEasy Intuitive Layout
Great Web Copy
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Bottom Line:
Go with a reputable company Look at the popularity Evaluate the theme demo Evaluate the documentation Does the theme have a community Don’t let price be the deciding factor Try it out!
This presentation will be available at:www.christinahills.com/wclax2016
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