Premium Wordpress Themes - Which One You Should Choose & Why
So you're looking at premium Wordpress themes and wondering which one to use? Wordpress has a lot of different options when it comes to 3rd part premium themes and I get a lot of questions about Wordpress themes and which to choose.
In my experience there are two basic philosophies when it comes to using a premium theme for Wordpress. Though these concepts seem to have merged a bit there is still a lot about these different kinds of premium themes that fall in to the "install it and go" category, or the "customizable framework" category.
Install it and go
These are themes that are built with the thought of getting you up and running as quickly as possible. The biggest key for these kinds of premium themes is that there are numerous child themes to choose from. These kinds of themes can be extended and customized extensively through the user interface and more extensively by users who have experience working with the underlying code. Used by bloggers out-of-the-box and by designers who customize them these are a great place to start.
- Studiopress Themes for Wordpress - Tons of beautiful and flexible child themes, this is a perfect choice to get started. Either use the child theme as it is or customize it to your satisfaction.
- Woo Themes - I think there are more options for Woo Themes than there are for Studiopress and Genesis. Same things apply here though - tons of beautiful child themes to choose from and easy enough to use for the person who just wants the child theme and to get started.
- Elegant Themes - There are a lot of themes to choose from here too, but this one is a little bit different being membership-based. You will still have access to whatever themes you downloaded if you cancel, you just lose access to more/new themes and support.
Customizable Frameworks
These are really aimed more at those who want to customize the design of their Wordpress site heavily. While the user interface is robust for these theming frameworks, these are really meant to be customized. These are the frameworks that you would likely use if you're working with a designer to create a custom theme and website for you.
- Thesis Theme for Wordpress - The Thesis theme is probably among the biggest and best-known theming frameworks for Wordpress. Numerous big names use this framework. This one is not so heavy on child themesout of the box, instead opting to give you a really solid framework on which to build your own theme. Custom design options are available, but getting a truly unique design is something that you're going to need to get "under the hood" to do. Familiarity with CSS is something that you're definitely going to want to have to make a truly unique design.
- Standard Theme - Standard Theme is another one that is light on child themes (though there are a few available) but it's a fantastic framework for those who want to design their own theme. I've built several sites using Standard and it's a fantastic tool that keeps getting better. Same as with Thesis, you're definitely going to need a solid working knowledge of CSS to customize this one. You can read more here about why I choose to use the Standard Wordpress Theme.
- StudioPress Genesis Theme Framework - This is the backbone behind the amazing child themes available through Studiopress. This is the framework on which you can build your own custom Wordpress theme. This can be purchased separetely without the child theme which is less expensive and gives you an amazing set of tools to create your own custom theme. This is suitable for both the novice as as well as the the expert developer and is an amazingly powerful tool.
So when you're choosing a premium theme for Wordpress choose wisely and know what you're options are. If you're comfortable working with CSS and getting "under the hood" then one of the theming frameworks will probably be the best bet for you.
If you just want something other than the stock theme that ships with new Wordpress installations then choose one of the themes that gives you a lot of child theme options.
And if you need help getting started with your Wordpress site I can help you with that too.
image by Michael Cavén
