A theme is essentially the same thing as a template. This is such a fun part of setting up your blog, you get to make it look however you want! There are thousands of themes available, both free and paid. The key is to get a theme that will aid you in converting customers, not just one that looks pretty. Here’s what to look for:

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You can search for themes Here, or you can search on Google for words that are relvant to what you desire in a theme (like WordPress Themes Adsense, or Green WordPress Themes). What theme you ulitimately choose depends a lot on if you are comfortable with code, such as html or css. If you don’t know either of these, it’s completely fine. If you do, you have many more options in choosing a theme, because you will be able to customize elements on your own. If you are interested in learning either of these, a great resource for doing so is w3schools.com.

1. If you are planning on setting up Adsense or Affiliate Ads on your blog (or even selling adspace once you have the traffic to support them), make sure you download a theme that has this as a built in option.

2. If you choose a theme that is extrememly popular, you run the risk of it showing up on every third website you see. . Look at examples of sites with the theme. Do they all look identical, or were they obviously able to customize things?

3. If you choose one that is more obscure, you run the risk of never getting answers to questions you have. Is there a place you can go for support of the theme? (It should say on the download page). Click on the link. Click on a few of the quesitons. Is there someone there, actively answering questions? Look at the dates of the questions, are they recent?

4. If you already have graphics, like a logo, make sure the colors match the theme you choose.

5. Take a look at the way things are laid out on the theme. You’re going to want your main content to show up above the fold (the bottom of the computer screen). If the header (the big image across the top where your logo goes) is too big, you waste a lot of space. Is there a seach button on the theme? Are the pages/posts laid out neatly across the top bar? Is it the theme easy to navigate? It may have pretty colors, but if it’s not user friendly, if it’s too cluttered or too difficulat to find posts, your users will leave your site.

6. If you are not really comfortable with code, and don’t want to customize things a lot, use a theme that is widget friendly. This will enable you to add and remove items easily.

In the coming months, we will have tutorials on customizing your wordpress theme. Keep your eyes open for these tutorials to make your theme look even better!

Watch this Video to see how to install your theme:

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