Today we continue our series on the site called “Where to Start?” Where to Start? is a step by step series that helps you build a website from scratch on your own by giving you a variety of options to choose from.
Follow the Series Step by Step:
Free Theme vs. Premium Theme
There are literally tens of thousands of WordPress themes out there that have been developed for distribution. Some WordPress themes are available for free while others, Premium Themes, are available for purchase. Obviously, most ministries have tight budgets and may opt for the free themes. However, if you’re one that plans on customizing the theme even in a little bit to make it fit your style, I would recommend going with the Premium themes. They all have support forums and message boards to help you in every step of the way, and can even help you fix something if you mess up.
Premium Theme Vendors
There are literally hundreds of Premium Vendors out there. These are a few sites that I have used in my own business and have seen really great results from. Note that for budget-constrained ministries, ThemeForest sells the cheapest of the Premium Themes, starting at around $20.
Free Theme Vendors
Here is a list of a variety of free WordPress themes to hopefully get you started. If you happen to find one not listed here, please let us know in the comments.
- WordPress.org
- WordPress Themes Base
- Smashing Magazine
- WP Skins
- Theme Splice
- Top WP Themes
- ThemeLab
- Fresheezy
Installing a Theme
Once you’ve acquired your WordPress theme, you have to install it in the WordPress Backend. Installing a theme is very easy in WordPress. Just follow the steps below:
1. Navigate to Appearance
Considering the tips that we gave you above, download the theme files. In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to the Appearance tab, and then the Add New Themes page under that.
2. Browse for the Theme
At the top of the Add New Themes page, you will see a link to an Upload page. Click and you will be taken to this page.
3. Upload the Theme
To upload your theme, all you have to do is click browse, and then navigate to the .zip file of the theme that you want to use. Click Install Now.
4. Activate the Theme
The next page you will see is the progress of the theme uploading. Once it is finish, click Activate Theme, and voila, you are done!
If you run into any troubles or have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below or to get in touch with me directly via the Contact Page.
