What is a WordPress Theme?

I have been getting a few questions here at digitalmaestro.com, I thought it would be a good idea to start off with some of the basics and talk about choosing a WordPress Theme.  You may be reading this post if

1. you like what I write
2. you are new to blogging and interested in finding out more, or
3. someone asked you to learn about WordPress Themes!

Whatever the case is, welcome!

What is a WordPress theme?

In a simple sense, a WordPress theme is just the outward appearance of what your website will look like. In a sense, a theme is what gives your site its personality! Just like the clothes you wear, you can change your appearance without changing who you are. You may wear shorts one day, jeans the next, or a formal gown the next day. You are the same person, but your outward appearance is different.

The same is true with a blog. The way your site looks can change, but the content of your posts and pages will still be there. You may have a red color one day, a blue one the next, and even a polka dot theme the next day.

Based on everything written here so far, the theme allows you to change the outward appearance. This is true. However, a good theme can ALSO change some of the functionality of your website.  Some themes give you extras that are very nice to have. For example, you can purchase a jacket to change your appearance, but you can also purchase a specific motorcycle jacket that will protect you in case of an accident. Likewise, you can change the appearance of your shoes by wearing different shoes, but some shoes/boots have steel toes for safety purposes.

Currently, the default WordPress theme is Twenty-Ten, shown here:

A theme is actually a collection of files, fonts, margins, the layout of the screen, and even more things.

How should you choose a theme?

Changing themes can be easy as selecting a theme and clicking. In other cases, is can be a bit more intricate.  Before switching your WordPress blog theme, consider these questions:

• Are you running your entire site as a WordPress site, or are you supplementing it with a blog? If you are running the entire site via WordPress, you will want a theme that has extra functionality built in to help with this.  This site here, digitalmaestro.com is entirely run on WordPress. The site, AllAboutGratitude.com is a combination of a ‘traditional’ site with a blog added on.
• Have you decided what you want your site to be? What is its purpose? If you are unsure, you may want to start with a free theme so you can play around and change it like you change your clothes! (Note: it is not suggested you have a ‘Theme of the Day’ and keep switching it – you may confuse your readers!)
• Are you ready to lay out some money on a premium theme? Some themes like the Socrates Theme and the Thesis Theme specialize in SEO. Other themes like OptimizePress specialize in Sales Pages and membership sites.

Tomorrow’s post will continue this ‘theme’ on selection of a WordPress Theme (pun intended)!