How I Chose my WordPress Theme (3 of 4 in the Blog Setup Series)

Choosing a theme is like choosing an outfit, but way harder

The theme you choose for your WordPress blog dictates how your site will look and behave.

I’ll warn you now: if you have a hard time deciding on what outfit to wear in the morning, this could be a very, very long process.

www.wpbeginner.com provides helpful tips for selecting a theme.

In addition to picking a simple design that matches your business, you should also be aware of browser compatibility (some themes haven’t been designed to work properly in all browsers – you could alienate potential readers based on that alone) and the terms of service. Beware of theme providers who expect you to name your first-born child after them (or equally unreasonable terms) or those who bury “spam” links.   You also want a theme that is SEO optimized – that is, built so that search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) can find your site easily.

Daily Blog Tips has other suggestions, including

• Knowing ahead of time if your blog will be used to make money or accommodate monetization efforts, such as ads, banners, etc.
• Evaluating the level of support you’ll need. (I’m a BIG fan of support.)
• Do you care how distinctive your blog looks?  Popular themes become recognizable. Do you care if your blog looks like 50,000 others?

Despite the accusations of overuse, I decided on Thesis by DIYthemes. Why?

1. I had come across it on some of the high-traffic blogs I follow (Copyblogger, Chris Brogan).  Using wordpress.com’s free but limited options has engendered a serious case of Thesis-envy.
2. SEO optimization is important to me, as is support.
3. I had no interest in turning my search for a WordPress theme into a full-time job. I have enough other things to do. If it’s the wrong choice I’ll change it later.

Of course, what’s the first thing you do before making an on-line purchase?

I looked for a discount coupon.

Aggravated, I noted that I missed DIYtheme’s Black Friday special by a couple of weeks. Argh!

I also noted a number of sites offering rebates, but the process of removing cookies and providing a Paypal account and other hoops I had to jump through weren’t worth the $15.

With a quick check on xe.com to make sure I hadn’t missed a sudden seismic shift in the currency market driving down the value of the Canadian dollar, I signed up.

They promise I will fall in love with Thesis in 30 days or my money back.

Bring it on, Cupid.