If you are looking for a WordPress theme for your website, as there are so many to choose from, it can be a daunting task. You must consider whether to go with a free one or a paid one for a start then after that, there are countless options. Regardless of the options available, there are several features that the theme you choose must have if you want your website to be successful. Here we have highlighted 5 of the most important and why your theme must have them.
#1 Mobile Friendly: We live in an age where there can be as many people online using their mobile devices to view your website than there are sitting at home on their PC or laptop. For this reason, your theme must be responsive in the sense that it adjusts its layout depending on the device or screen size it is being viewed on. If you already have a site, you can check if it is mobile friendly by visiting Google’s mobile friendly test page. Otherwise ensure you check prior to buying a new theme that it is mobile friendly.
#2 Simply Does It: A common mistake that lots of people make is they will buy something that has way too many features and functions than the purpose they bought it for requires. Don’t let all the bells and whistles that a theme has cloud your judgement as to whether it is right for you. Choose a theme with a layout that ties in with the goal you have for your site, and is also user-friendly for both you and the visitors to your site.
#3 Plugins Supported: A simple check, but nevertheless, a very important one is to make sure that the theme you are choosing supports all the major plugins that you are likely to need. This could include Akismet, Yoast SEO and Google XML Sitemap plugins. As your site grows you may wish to add additional functions and features which are normally achieved using plugins. If your theme struggles to integrate plugins and their functions then you are going to have real problems.
#4 SEO Friendly: Even though a WordPress theme may look stunning, its HTML coding may be so poor that it adversely affects your website’s SEO, which in turns knocks your ranking. Always read the details about your theme to see if the developers have stated that it is SEO friendly, especially if it is a free theme.
#5 Browser Compatibility: Just because your website looks great when you view it in the browser of your choice, it does not mean all the visitors to your website are seeing it as they should, due to the fact they might be using a different browser from you. Ensure that any theme you are buying has been tested to be compatible with all the main browsers which are Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari.