The cool thing about blogs is you can say anything you want, about well… anything. If you can write, why not have the world see your story? Blogging, however, is more than just writing. The blogosphere has inflated, and you need more than just measly little words to get your point across. Words are not enough anymore. If you love themes, this can be fun. Themes are cool and while adding to the work in creating yet another blog, help make it more interesting and unique.
Question: Thought your article could just be stuck in a blog to be read?
Answer: Not a chance. You need to select the best theme, but you can’t use just any theme. A theme about flowers is not going to fly in a blog about robots. Themes are often industry or business related. A blog about online classes should look somewhat educational. Research similar topics and niches, and a pattern should emerge.
What Am I Looking for Again?
Look for a great blog theme that matches what you are talking about. Another note about themes – they don’t just sit there and look pretty. Many have features. That’s right! It’s kind of like shopping around for a cell phone. Columns and colors are common aspects. In the case of WordPress, you might find themes with menus, different widths, custom backgrounds and other fun stuff. And there are thousands of themes out there. It would be quite mind boggling to look for a theme and not know what your site is about. Hint: you should start there.
The layout can be a two or three column format, while sidebar chronological lists have become basically standard. There are also special layouts for photo blogs and magazine blogs. You might not be the next Mashable, but with the right theme and content, you may have a shot at going viral.
Characteristics of a Great Theme
- Navigation — Just as GPS is needed on the road, your readers being able to navigate their way around your site is important. If it is easy to get lost on your site, focusing on navigation is a great place to start. Many themes have menus already built into help with this. You could always change things up afterward, but some techie experience is needed. There are plenty of designers out there willing to modify themes for a fee.
- Functionality — Many themes include elements that increase user functionality. “Read More” links, “Next” or “Previous”, comments sections and other more may seem cliché, but many readers find these useful.
- Simplicity — Complex themes are confusing and sometimes don’t work right, so keep it simple for your users.
- User experience — Reviews are everywhere online, so these should be easy to find. You should also look at other sites using the theme because you can put yourself in the user’s shoes. Move on if the theme doesn’t seem to fly or doesn’t seem appropriate for your goals.
- Compatibility — Make sure the theme is compatible with as many browsers and versions as possible. You don’t want to disappoint anyone. If one reader is shut out from your blog, what if they were the one who was going to help you land your big break?
Am I Going to Pay for This?
There are plenty of free blog themes out there, but be careful. While you might find a good one, chances are someone else could have the same theme and your blog may be mistaken for theirs, or vice versa. Compatibility issues can also be possible. Plus, if the theme is free, it is unlikely you will get assistance with support and no master will be available to customize the theme for you.
However, if you found a free, great blog theme for a simple blog and funds are low, this could be the right way to go.
Perfect Themes and Happy Writers
Once you select a great blog theme, you can start blogging and reveal your thoughts to the world. Then you can visit sites like Problogger to find out how to actually profit from all of the hard work you put into your site. Best of all, your great blog theme will make you happy with the blog. Happy writers tend to buckle down into their trade more, and your hard work will be evident when readers are looking at your blog.
Paying for a blog theme almost seems to be a standard to get a great blog theme these days. I love all of your points and completely agree wi them. It fits underneath the categories that you mentioned, but so many people are using mobile devices, great mobile functionality is on my list to a great blog theme. Great post, Courtney.
This is some good timing. My cousin just got hosting setup for a new WP site and has been shopping for themes.
I am running my site on the Genesis framework using a premium theme from StudioPress and it has been a major improvement over any free theme I’ve used before in both functionality and appearance.
Good points 🙂 A decent theme is important for those who struggle with working out layout, colour, type etc… allowing them to focus on what’s important – content. Despite it seeming that way, not everyone is a designer despite saying they are. Existing themes use tried and tested methods of design principles that work. Not all are great, but there’s always something suitable out there on the interwebs.
I don’t use a theme myself as it’s an ongoing ‘work in progress’, adding new elements as and when. However, outside of WordPress for blogging and theming (as it seems that the majority of bloggers use it), the new Ghost platform looks great and if I wasn’t using my current setup, I’d consider that.
There are good choice of themes both free and premium and could be a challenger for WordPress’ blogging crown. From what I understand, Ghost is aimed more for the writer, allowing us to concentrate on our writing skills more than designing. By the way, I’m not affiliated with any of these platforms – just excited about the possiblities!