Thread: What do you look for in a WP theme.

I recently set up a WP testing ground on a localhost and am going to be playing around with creating themes and plugins etc. lI know many use WP as a website and not just as a blog, so I thought I would toss this question out there and see what feedback I get.

What is the most important factor you look at when you choose WP themes. Design, plugins, Theme options with more than one color scheme?

Our business might move over to WP, and it's my task to learn every aspect about WP and how to code it, create themes, and plugins etc. I have extensive books etc. lol feels like I'm back in school again.

What do you guys think?

I haven't looked much at the WP theme landscape. Early on in my WP days I found a theme (untheme two column) that was specifically designed to be customized. The layout is similar to my static sites so it is easy to have a family feel for my blogs. If the blog is part of a site I use the site color scheme. If the blog is stand alone I do a design specifically for the blog. I add the plugins that I want when I put up a blog.

Creative and simple design but easy to load that most important thing.. beside if you are planning to put multiple ads, make sure the themes you choose provide appropriate space for ads, and not look so messy

what I like is 3 column simple wp themes. I think it can attract more people.

Ok, so, as I thought , the design is important. Two to three column themes seem to be the most popular. Wold you use dark themes, colorful themes, themes that are a little different from the norm when you look at the layout or design. I've been thinking about plugins as well, there is the normal anti spam, the SEO plugins etc. Would you add fun plugins? I am thinking about adding plugins for videos and podcasts, but would you add other fun plugins for visitors to look at?

Fun plugins for visitors to look at? maybe you can use real time visitor tracker.. everytime they visit your blog they can see source of traffic from other country and others info.

I tried a .wmv plugin once, but the results were unpredictable. The plugin was not very smart. I found that I could find most of the videos that I wanted to use on youTube, so I just embed them. I wrote css classes for the various sizes and give them a little border and color. I have never tried a podcast plug, but generally all that I say to a microphone is 'check - 1 - 2'. I do use a flash .mp3 player on a few sites and have thought of putting short tips on a player for one of my sites.

I have one dark theme on my mc-rally.com site blog (matches the site) and it really sparkles (I like it, so the rest of the world will just have to live with it), but generally I would not use a dark theme (I say that, but probably the themes for half of my blogs some would consider to be dark). It does depend on the site and the theme should reflect the image that you want to make for the site. A site that is all business should be business like while a fun site might use more/brighter colors.

I think that a 'share it' (social bookmarking) plug might be important these days. I added them to my article directories and the static site that I just rebuilt and have been meaning to add them to the blogs, too.

maybe you can use real time visitor tracker

Unfortunately most of my blogs are far to lonely of places for those plugs.

There was a podcast plugin originally designed for the older versions on WP, but apparently doesn't work with the new WP3 version. So I am thinking about adding audio to the site, or creating a plugin that can do that, so that when we start podcasting, it can be placed on the site. I think a visitor tracker might be a good idea though, as well as flash maybe.... Isn't it still considered taboo as far as SE's go? I want to limit the amount of scripting to mainly one or two Jquery sliders and keep the rest in php css and html. Which would make it more SE friendly.

Our site colors are mainly oranges and grays, but I want to bring some other color into the design to break it up a bit. I think that might be the hardest, because of the color choices, unless I use a main color, like a neutral color and then bring the site colors into the logo, Jquery, and then sprinkle it around the site a bit.

If tastefully done colors can add impact and call attention to special features. Just be careful and don't go overboard with splashing colors around a business site.

Definitely. Especially with the colors we use. If done wrong, it could look an awful mess for sure. I've gotten to the meat of the book it seems, talking about the code behind a WP page, and its interesting to see how its structure differs from a normal HTML page. So far, I have not hit any speechless moments where I don't understand what's what, so that can only be a good thing.. I think the biggest complication would be creating plugins. but I have always loved a challenge

The primary interest in theme building is the css stylesheet. When I was first learning css I ran across an impressive css demo site: KazGarden Demo The constant is an html file, only the css could be changed for the demos.

Originally Posted by wink0r

The primary interest in theme building is the css stylesheet. When I was first learning css I ran across an impressive css demo site: KazGarden Demo The constant is an html file, only the css could be changed for the demos.

It is impressive. The different template designs load well and look amazing. I see that you could join the project and add your name to the list of designers etc. and that you can edit the css all you want, but you cannot touch the html file. actually made me curious. lol

I think I am going to be spending a lot of time working with the stylesheet, html isn't a problem for me, but CSS seems to elude me at the best of times, toss in the newly and still busy acquiring php skills needed and I can see myself on a caffeine drip at 2 in the morning ok, well, maybe not that bad

i look for ever tying which all i want i can post them here

Originally Posted by wink0r

The primary interest in theme building is the css stylesheet. When I was first learning css I ran across an impressive css demo site: KazGarden Demo The constant is an html file, only the css could be changed for the demos.

Really wonderful. I am so much sick with my designers that I have started learning CSS Myself and this share is really awesome. Thanks wink

Originally Posted by idreesfarooq

Really wonderful. I am so much sick with my designers that I have started learning CSS Myself and this share is really awesome. Thanks wink

Good luck, and I hope your designers see the light and start doing what they're meant to. It's not easy being a designer, and sometimes its hard to get a design 100% right. lol If it wasn't for my art background, I would still be learning, more than I am already

2 Column {Sidebar Right 300px}, 960 Grid System, 3 Column Footer, Auto Thumbnail Hompage {Just Title And Image & No Description}, Fast Loading & Grade 100% On PageSpeed & YSlow