One of the reasons I suggest WordPress as a web solution to my clients is the number of high quality, flexible and polished themes available. Premium themes give you a powerful, dynamic website “out of the box”, with short turnaround time and a very small investment. However, one should always do their research. Themes come in all shapes, sizes, colors, categories and styles. Before you invest in one, you need to know what you are buying and, more importantly that it will suit your needs.
Premium or Free, what is the difference?
“ Purchasing a premium theme gives you a powerful, dynamic website “out of the box”, with short turnaround time and a very small investment. ”
Simply put, a premium theme is one that you pay for, usually because it has a better design or more features. There are definitely a lot of quality free themes available for download, and they are great if you are on a very limited budget. With a little knowledge of PHP/HTML/CSS and some time, you can usually customize a free theme to meet your needs. However, if your time is money or you don’t have the coding experience, spending a modest amount of money on a premium theme is well worth the investment.
The biggest advantage of premium themes over free ones is that they work right out of the box, are very customizable and have styles and functions specifically developed for each individual theme. Premium themes typically come with thorough documentation, and you can normally depend it’s developer for support if you need it. More often than not the developer will also have forums you can reference if you get stuck. Also, updates and patches are usually free with premium themes. All of these features make premium themes much more valuable then free ones, which is why the premium theme market has seen a boom in recent years.
Determine which theme style you need
There are so many great premium themes available that it can be a little overwhelming. Many people purchase a theme on impulse because they love the design, only to find out later that it simply doesn’t fit their needs. So it is important to figure out what you need in a theme before shopping.
One important consideration when purchasing a theme is the amount of time you will be spending on updating the site after it is finished. Blog, magazine and news styled themes are designed for lots of content and regular updates, which will require much more time and energy. If you do not update a theme of this style frequently it will soon lose it’s appeal to readers. If you do not plan to regularly update the site, you should consider themes with a corporate design. Corporate themes are designed with more ‘static’ pages (about us, our services, etc) and will have a small area for news updates.
As WordPress has grown in popularity, so too have them number of theme styles. Premium themes usually fall into one of these style categories:
Blog
Standard blog style themes are the most common style because WordPress is in it’s most basic form a blogging platform.
Magazine Style or News
Blog, magazine and news themes typically require more content and regular updating.
Corporate style
Usually more static content, smaller area for news/updates. Doesn’t require as much updating.
Portfolio/Gallery
Focus is on images/photos and not on copy
e-Commerce
Storefront style theme, usually connects with external payment gateways such as PayPal/Google checkout
Social Network/Community
All the features of a social network, with registered users and groups, forums, etc.
Niche Specific
There are many niche specific themes out there, such as geo-centric travel blogs, knowledge base, directories, recipes, real estate listings and more.
Options, Support & Other Important Factors
Now that you are more familiar with the theme styles available it is time to look at other factors that should play a significant role in your decision making process. While style may be the most important consideration, there are others that should be a close second (if not just as important). Remember, just because a theme looks amazing doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for your site. Take a look at the following list and be sure to keep them in mind while shopping for your premium theme.
Cross-browser compliance
Test the demo function properly in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome.
Widget Support
Any premium theme worth it’s salt will support widgets. If it doesn’t, think twice before buying it.
GPL Licensing
Most premium WordPress themes are released under the GPL license. If the theme you are interested is not, be sure it is GPL compatible
Documentation
All premium WordPress themes should come with good documentation and instructions on how to administer the theme.
Forums
Most premium theme designers have forums where you can discuss the theme with others that may have the same questions or issues. The forums may sometimes be locked to anyone other than theme club members, so you’ll have to purchase the theme first.
Paid Support
When you purchase a premium theme, some designers will give you free support for a pre-determined period. Others will simply direct you to a support form or forum indefinitely.
Free Updates
Be sure any theme updates (usually for bug fixes) are available to you at no cost. Also find out if the theme designer contacts you pro-actively when an update becomes available.
Tutorials and How-to Videos
Lots of designers are making how to videos and theme tutorials available to theme buyers. It adds value to the theme and makes it more attractive to potential buyers.
Cost
Premium theme vary in price, but you’ll typically spend well under $100 for a single domain license. Other licenses are available, but for small businesses and non-profit organizations there isn’t really any need for them.
Keep in mind that price does not necessarily equal quality. Premium themes have become a commodity, and as such due diligence should be applied when making your purchase. I suggest shopping around and bookmarking any themes that stand out and suit your needs. After you have the list narrowed down, go back and dig into each one. Test drive the theme (if it has no demo, don’t bother spending money on it). Read as much as you can about each theme, look at the designers portfolio. Is it extensive? Read comments and feedback. You can learn a lot about a designer from people who have already purchased a theme from them.
If you are still on the fence and have doubts but really like the theme, contact someone who has purchased it already. Usually their websites are linked to their comments. Lastly, when purchasing a premium WordPress theme, be sure to use a decent third-party payment system like Google Checkout or PayPal. This will protect you in case the seller is less then honest.