Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
1. Introduction
Now that you have the mental picture of what to do and where to start in choosing a theme and developer, let us delve into a more elaborative steps in carrying the said out.
Going to theme developer marketplaces could save you a large amount of time, considering you don’t have to jump from site to site visiting each developer’s page just to see what it looks like. Theme marketplaces show a very large list of themes by various developers, with each having their own page, and most of the time, profile, rating, and comments are provided to see the reputation of the developer. This is rather beneficial in your quest to evaluate a theme, as you can also see other customers’ questions and issues.
Finding the right theme developer can be a very painstaking process, but fret not, this guide will tell you how. Typically, theme developers create their own page where they sell their products, which are the themes. They will include snippets of what the theme will be like with some pictures and a price tag. But don’t make any decision yet.
Before you start picking a perpetrator role, it is important to know what this role will convincingly do. In your case, it may be designing your own website template – someone who is able to convert your idea into an actual design. You may not want to hire a professional and design the whole website because it will be quite expensive and also very time-consuming, especially when you change your idea quite often (which happens a lot). WordPress itself has been featured with plentiful free templates (also paid ones) that can be used at your disposal; a perpetrator role work here is turning these templates into a more personalized design and suiting your very own taste. Almost all the plugins are coming together with their respective themes. Now you may see how important this role is.
2. Researching WordPress Theme Developers
There are a number of developers who are very experienced and produce high-quality work but due to various reasons, are unable to attract much public attention. These developers often go unnoticed because they do not have the marketing skills or do not feel the need to advertise their services. A great way to find these ‘hidden gems’ is to visit the WordPress theme marketplace site and conduct searches using specific keywords to match your requirements. Once you have located a few developers, ask them if you can view their portfolio. Always remember that some of the best developers are not always the most popular ones.
Always start by having a look at the developer’s portfolio. This can normally be found on their personal website. The portfolio showcases previous work completed by the developer and is an excellent indicator of the developer’s capabilities and standard of work. Have a close look at the designs and ask yourself if you are happy with the quality of work and if the design is suited to your needs.
There are numerous WordPress theme developers out in the market, with each having a varying level of experience, quality of work, and range of services. In order to find a developer that best matches your preferences and needs, it is essential to carry out thorough research. The following are a few steps that you should take when researching for WordPress theme developers.
2.1. Evaluating their portfolio
Also consider the types of businesses the developer has created themes for. A developer who has created themes for a number of different industries or styles probably has a broader range of abilities than someone who has only created themes for a specific industry. If the developer’s portfolio is comprised of themes for a specific industry, but that industry is the same one your site is in, then this developer is still a good candidate, as he is likely to have a good understanding of what appeals to that particular target audience. Finally, compare the developer’s portfolio with the themes you found during the first phase of your search. Further familiarize yourself with what’s available and make notes of any potential developers and themes you have found. Be sure to link to any developer’s site or theme that you find.
A developer’s portfolio is a very important thing to consider when evaluating potential candidates. A portfolio is usually comprised of a limited number of better projects. Viewing a theme developer’s portfolio will give you a very good idea of their design style. Do the colors and layout of their work impress you? Does their sense of style match the direction you would like to go with your site? Would you be proud if your site resembled their recent work? Find the answers to these questions.
2.2. Checking customer reviews and ratings
A positive indicator of the reliability and efficacy of a theme developer is the mood presented by their customer base. It is fairly easy to find website reviews and ratings hosted on a variety of sites. Use a search engine to find out what people are saying about the company on the various forums, blogs, and websites dedicated to web development and webmastering. Read a handful of reviews to get a feel for the overall satisfaction of their customers. Look for comments on the professionalism of the company. Do they deliver on what they promise? Are there recurring complaints from different users? See if the company or companies you are considering have a good amount of positive reviews, and not just on their own website. Get a feel for the public opinion of the developer. Like with any other product or service, word of mouth is a very powerful sales driver and often the most reliable method of gauging quality. It is also important to see if the company responds to negative criticism. This could be indicative of a commitment to quality and customer service. If they are put on blast, do they address and attempt to remedy the complaints or overlook them. Sometimes it can be insightful to compare a developer to its competitors, as a way of indirectly benchmarking it. This will also help in your efforts to make an informed decision.
2.3. Assessing their level of experience
When trying to find the right person to fit a particular role or job, a great method to evaluate potential candidates is to review their level of experience within their field. The same goes for evaluating the skills and expertise of a WordPress theme developer. Most developers will specify how long they have been working with WordPress along with other related technologies such as XHTML, CSS, PHP, and MySQL. Now, on its own, just because a developer has been working with WordPress for 5 years does not ensure he is the right candidate for the project. But, in the grand scheme of things, those that have remained active and consistent within a particular field tend to be more reliable and competent in their skills. This is due to the fact that the technologies involved with web and software development are constantly evolving. This requires a good level of dedication and self-motivated learning to keep up with the latest practices and standards. As a developer who is well-informed in his field, the end product of his work is more likely to be efficient and relevant compared to someone who is lacking knowledge in certain areas. Another factor that can come into play is the developer’s career background. Things such as computer science studies, software development jobs, and companies he has worked for can be great indicators as to what type of developer he is and how competent he is with his work. An individual who has been involved in software development from a young age or has had professional experience with software companies is likely to be more knowledgeable and comfortable with his skills compared to someone who is self-taught and has been doing freelance work for a couple of years.
3. Considering Compatibility and Customization Options
Custom post types are an example of functionality that is tied to a specific theme. If a blog has used a gallery custom post type for posting galleries, the gallery posts will only be displayed properly if the theme provides the correct display templates. Changing the theme to one without custom post type support or with a different implementation of the custom post type will result in the gallery posts becoming a list of regular posts.
Often your website will use certain functionality (a blog, portfolio, eCommerce, etc.). Surprisingly, some themes can be bloated with an excessive amount of built-in functionality. The problem is that if you change the theme later, it can be a very painful experience migrating to the new theme.
Don’t assume anything. If you are buying a theme because it looks good and you expect its looks will help your site sell products or convey a positive image, you could be setting yourself up for failure. You should ask the sales pre-sale questions to ensure the theme actually does have the features/design you are expecting. A free test drive could also be worthwhile. Pick a target audience for your website. This can simply be yourself. Then, write a list of the exact goals you have for this site. Compare these against the features of your chosen theme.
To ensure that you can actually achieve your ongoing website goals, such as publishing certain types of content, selling products, capturing leads, or creating memberships, you need to choose a theme that is suitable for these activities. Most good themes provide a design that is fairly close to the default, but you can disable sections of the default design you do not require using a control panel (good theme options page). This will also require some technical knowledge. Altering theme functionality beyond toggling settings often requires a developer.
3.1. Ensuring compatibility with your website goals
When looking for a new theme, you need to consider the short term as well as the long term goals for your website, as it is best to find a theme that will grow with you. With the thousands of themes available, this will be one of your hardest tasks. As a WordPress theme developer, we are not always honest in our sales, and you will often find bloated sales themes and commercial themes that do not always meet certain standards. Always look for user feedback, reviews, and demonstration of the theme before purchasing. User feedback often is a good standard for when you are considering purchasing anything, be it new shoes or a new car. Look for a theme that has a fairly high satisfaction rate and has been in use by the community for a decent length of time. Any theme with a satisfaction rate of 80% or higher will be fairly safe, but still, you should always check it yourself to make sure it meets your standards. Any theme that is highly popular and has been in use for a while will usually be safer than a new theme that has not had significant time to be tested and critiqued. Themes that have been used longer may also still have user groups and forums that you can dig for more information on its compatibility and quality.
3.2. Exploring customization features
When previewing theme options, you want to ensure that it has all the style options you need in order to not only achieve the vision for your site but also allow for easy edits to elements that aren’t working the way you want them to. For this, preview the customization options typically found in a theme by using a theme from the directory and previewing it. As you are browsing through the theme’s features, consider whether the element in question would be fixed by an edit of the style.css. If not, it is likely a theme option. Theme options are often the best way to allow for quick changes in between certain design elements. This is particularly useful for those not familiar with CSS or if the theme is going to be edited by someone else who doesn’t know CSS. With that said, not all theme options are created equal.
4. Evaluating Support and Maintenance Services
Finally, while it can be frustrating, sometimes the best means of support is repurchasing the theme from another developer who has “adopted” it. Consider the long-term sustainability of your developer.
Live chat is a rare but very effective support channel, providing instant clear communication for quick issue resolution.
Forums are a useful means of support, particularly for smaller issues and customization advice. They also promote a sense of community where users can often help each other before seeking a developer’s help.
Email support can be effective, but be wary of developers who only offer this. It can be very easy for important emails to be lost or forgotten and does not provide a good base for tracking reported issues.
A good developer will agree to fix reported bugs and issues, and the best way to do this is via a bug tracker. Bug trackers can range from a simple TODO list to a detailed repository such as Trac with time-stamped progress updates. This allows you to easily check the status of reported problems and see when they are going to be fixed. It gives the developer a clear sense of direction and avoids any possible misunderstandings.
Ensuring that your theme developer offers solid support and maintenance services is crucial to getting the most out of your theme. If something goes wrong, you’re going to want it fixed. Be it a trivial cosmetic change or a major bug, having access to customer support is invaluable.
4.1. Reviewing available support channels
This is an equally important concern. The WordPress community is built around supporting the software, so many people who provide support do so as an aside to their full-time jobs. Sometimes they may not be available to answer emailed questions or they may lack in-depth knowledge of the themes they have developed. Since the Theme Developer may not be the person providing support, it is wise to inquire as to who will actually be providing the support, and what sort of qualifications and knowledge they have on the theme. Support through the WordPress forums can be an effective way of having queries answered, but often the fastest and most secure way to get support is via a support ticket system. This allows you to keep track of all correspondence and is logged in case you need to revisit an issue. It is also worth considering whether you’re likely to need support. If not, paying a higher price for a theme from a reputable company with better designed themes and coding standards may mean you need less support in the long run. Theme providers often run promotions and discount their products around the holiday season. If you buy a theme during a promotion, it’s unlikely the developer will still be actively developing the theme during that period. This means that people who have bought the theme at different times may have different versions and the developer may be more focused on the newer version. In this case, it would be better to wait until they are between promotions so you can ensure you’ll get the best support.
4.2. Assessing the frequency and quality of updates
To gauge the extent of a developer’s commitment to their theme, check whether a time-stamp or version history is readily available. Users are entitled to know how often a theme is updated and whether a developer is very occasionally re-releasing the same version with a mere file modification. Support asking a developer directly about their update policy is a valid concern, especially when a theme is purchased under the assumption that it will continuously be compatible with future WordPress updates. High quality and dedicated theme developers will not be elusive when asked for clarification on update inquiries.
Simply having a WordPress theme tailored to needs at the beginning of a project isn’t enough. It might appear that a theme wasn’t even necessary. Themes do evolve over time and new compatibility upgrades don’t always match old versions. When possible, inquire with or monitor a developer or club’s change logs for bug fixes, enhancements, or feature additions. Also take notice of whether a developer keeps their themes current with the latest version of WordPress. If a theme appears to have ceased active development and support after a certain period, it might be best to find another alternative, as using an outdated theme on an up-to-date install of WordPress might potentially “break” certain elements or functions of the site due to deprecated functions.
Excited to unveil wonders? Step inside and uncover what sets us apart!
References:
Alqahtani, F. and Orji, R. “Insights from user reviews to improve mental health apps.” Health informatics journal, 2020. sagepub.com
Kingstone, Tom, et al. “Finding the’right’GP: a qualitative study of the experiences of people with long-COVID.” BJGP open 4.5 (2020). bjgpopen.org
Muncan, B., Walters, S. M., Ezell, J., and Ompad, D. C. ““They look at us like junkies”: influences of drug use stigma on the healthcare engagement of people who inject drugs in New York City.” Harm reduction journal, 2020. springer.com
Lu, Vinh Nhat, et al. “Service robots, customers and service employees: what can we learn from the academic literature and where are the gaps?.” Journal of Service Theory and Practice 30.3 (2020): 361-391. semanticscholar.org
Verhoeven, V., Tsakitzidis, G., Philips, H., and Van Royen, P. “Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the core functions of primary care: will the cure be worse than the disease? A qualitative interview study in Flemish GPs.” BMJ open, 2020. bmj.com
Giebel, Clarissa, et al. “Impact of COVID-19 related social support service closures on people with dementia and unpaid carers: a qualitative study.” Aging & mental health 25.7 (2021): 1281-1288. academia.edu
Crompton, Catherine J., et al. “‘I never realised everybody felt as happy as I do when I am around autistic people’: A thematic analysis of autistic adults’ relationships with autistic and neurotypical friends and family.” Autism 24.6 (2020): 1438-1448. sagepub.com
Albalawi, R., Yeap, T. H., and Benyoucef, M. Using topic modeling methods for short-text data: A comparative analysis.” Frontiers in artificial intelligence, 2020. frontiersin.org
Hung, Man, et al. “Social network analysis of COVID-19 sentiments: Application of artificial intelligence.” Journal of medical Internet research 22.8 (2020): e22590. jmir.org
Vayansky, I. and Kumar, S. A. P. “A review of topic modeling methods.” Information Systems, 2020. researchgate.net
Keywords: choosing the right WordPress theme developer, crafting your dream website, step-by-step guide WordPress theme, selecting WordPress developer, WordPress theme development, best WordPress theme developer, how to choose WordPress theme designer, guide to WordPress themes, professional WordPress theme developer, WordPress theme customization.
