Your WordPress Theme Needs to Bring More Than Looks to the Table
The world of WordPress themes contains a vast array of styles and functionality options. Many small business owners select a theme based only on how it looks, which is understandable. Visual design is a big deal that can convey a lot about your brand identity. However, the right theme is more than just pleasing to the eye. It also needs excellent mobile functionality, a good user experience, strong SEO performance, and more. A theme that lacks those traits will annoy your visitors until they leave your site. It will also have a severe impact on your search engine rankings, which are responsive to user experience and technical performance.
The Wrong Theme Is More Trouble Than It’s Worth
How exactly do inadequate themes do websites so much harm? It might not be obvious on the surface, but some themes come with so many extraneous features that they destroy any hope of a page loading within three seconds. That’s potentially disastrous, considering that over 50% of web surfers bounce if it takes longer. Bad mobile functionality is another common issue. Many WordPress themes are completely warped when viewed on mobile devices, making users magnify the page just to read text or click tiny links. Sometimes, links don’t even work on mobile devices. Other themes keep you stuck with one rigid layout, causing difficulties if you ever need to overhaul your site. Maintenance is another issue. Some themes haven’t been maintained in years, meaning they might not work anymore when WordPress pushes out an update.
A Systematic Approach to Simplify Your Choice
There’s no shortage of WordPress themes to choose from. You could preview hundreds of WordPress themes a day, and it would still take a while to check out each of the thousands of options. When faced with a mountain of options, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. A systematic approach is key to confidently making the right decision for your business. Your website will work for you like a small business marketing employee who never needs to sleep, so thinking of it in those terms is helpful. Reliability, efficiency, and fit are key. Here’s a handy checklist of traits to look for:
- Speed
- Mobile functionality
- Good reviews
- Consistent updates
- Efficient code and proper technical structure to improve search rankings
- Plugin compatibility
- The features you need
Free Versus Premium Themes
WordPress themes come in free and paid varieties. Either can potentially work well for small businesses, though there are differences to keep in mind. Free themes are obviously budget-friendly, which is their biggest draw. The downside is that many of them lack desirable features, are hard to customize, and have poor user support. Premium themes rarely have those issues. If you want to lean hard into digital marketing, a paid theme is probably best. Fortunately, most are pretty affordable. The right theme is critical to your site’s success at every stage, from initial SEO efforts to conversion rates and customer retention.
