bingo games online free|play bingo online free http://www.pcgam.com No More Monkey Business Tue, 07 May 2024 19:19:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://www.pcgam.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/monkey-thumb_webicon-48x48.png Themes – WebMonkey http://www.pcgam.com 32 32 Best Lightweight WordPress Themes for Performance http://www.pcgam.com/best-lightweight-wordpress-themes/ Sat, 21 Nov 2020 17:17:18 +0000 http://www.pcgam.com/?p=15184 Whether you run a personal site, a business portfolio, a storefront, or any other type of blog, WordPress themes help ensure your content looks put-together and cohesive. Most themes WordPress offers differ based on which content creators they're catering to – personal blog styles offer different features than a storefront theme, for example.  While WordPress...

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Whether you run a personal site, a business portfolio, a storefront, or any other type of blog, WordPress themes help ensure your content looks put-together and cohesive. Most themes WordPress offers differ based on which content creators they're catering to – personal blog styles offer different features than a storefront theme, for example. 

While WordPress offers thousands of different themes, they can often get very complicated and overcrowded. The more fluff a theme has, the slower your page may run when implemented. A “lightweight” theme means that it takes little power for your blog to incorporate, not affecting your site speed at all. If your goal is a fast yet cohesive looking page, this list of the top lightweight WordPress blogs is for you. 

What You Need to Know About WordPress Themes

A few key terms are helpful to know for this ranking of the top 8 lightweight WordPress themes. First, WooCommerce is a plug-in that is compatible with specific WordPress themes, allowing storefronts and businesses to sell and advertise their products easily. Essentially, it effortlessly turns your page into an online store. 

Second, page builders: A page builder is something used on WordPress to help creators format and create pages to make their themes stand out. Page builders help add complexity to your WordPress blog. 

Third, SEO or Search Engine Optimization. If a WordPress theme has SEO concepts in mind, it merely means that the theme considers the traffic your blog will get based on specific keywords from search engines. Certain themes implement SEO practices, giving your blog the chance to show up on online searches and gain more views. 

After getting to know these terms, if you're looking for a simple yet effective theme to help your blog get started, this is the place for you. If you can't get your blog to look the way you'd like while maintaining its speed and accessibility, perhaps you need to implement a lightweight WordPress theme. 

Generate Press 

Generate Press is a lightweight, basic theme offered on WordPress. It adds less than 10KB to your page, meaning it keeps things running quickly. The simple design is easy on the eyes and keeps things uniform and cohesive. Generate Press is suitable for any content, be it a personal blog, a business venture, or a storefront. 

Features 

The main features of Generate Press include its user-friendly interface, its compatibility with plug-ins, and its ability to be maneuvered through quickly. GeneratePress offers a block template where your blogs each get a small feature with the ability to expand to continue reading. 

The short blurb promoting each blog includes the date published, any tags, and the title. The sneak peeks into your content is a great way to get viewership up with exciting and enticing storylines. 

The theme flows flawlessly and is simple yet aesthetically pleasing for those who prefer a toned-down look. GeneratePress boasts the ability to work with all page builders, making it easier to shape your blog exactly how you see fit. 

The speed is one of its most alluring qualities – being able to add a professional-looking format while making the site speedy to use is a massive plus for viewers. The ability to work well with multiple plug-ins is also a bonus as it allows you to add flare to your site. 

Pros

  • User friendly
  • Adding less than 10KB to your page 
  • Compatible with many plug-ins and page builders 

Cons

  • Bland colors 
  • Commonly used block style

Bottom Line

GeneratePress is perfect for those that don't want to stand out. The theme offers little color and vibrancy, so someone looking to remain neutral and straightforward would enjoy this theme. GeneratePress is a great beginner option to help new bloggers get an idea of how they want their site to look. 

Astra

A similar option to GeneratePress, Astra is a lightweight theme adding less than 50KB to your page. The theme provides quick perusing and customizability. Astra is an excellent option for any personal blog, business, or storefront. 

Features 

Astra's main features are the simple, lightweight design, its ability to be changed based on your preferences, and its compatibility with page builders. Similar in look to GeneratePress, Astra offers a block design that previews your blogs. While GeneratePress has separate blocks for each blog, Astra's blocks run onto one another, creating a seamless and cohesive page. 

The blog previews feature the title, small snippet of your writing, date published, and categories. Astra is SEO-conscious and ensures search engines will favor your site. The theme can provide unparalleled speed to its users and viewers due to it being so lightweight. It also offers full customizability, stating you can alter the theme to fit exactly how you want your blog to look. 

Pros

  • Extremely fast 
  • Adding less than 50KB to your site 
  • Customizable 
  • Simple layout for any user
  • SEO concepts in mind 

Cons

  • Not stimulating to look at 

Bottom Line

Astra is the perfect theme for someone who values speed over creativity. While the theme may be customizable, it lacks color and flare, leaving it quite bare. However, for those who prefer a reliable site over a bright one, this theme would work well. It also favors SEO concepts and is compatible with page builders, helping your site gain traction. 

Portfoliolite 

Portfoliolite is the perfect lightweight theme for those looking to start their online portfolio. The banner across the opening of your blog displays the name in a sure-to-see place. 

Features 

The main features of Portfoliolite include its ability to use WooCommerce, its versatility for not just portfolios but businesses and storefronts, its compatibility with a large number of WordPress plug-ins, and its ability to work with page builders. The theme showcases each blog title prominently along with the date published, the number of comments, and the post category. 

The pop of color in the “Read More” links leave the blog, as a whole, looking very neat and orderly while adding a splash of fun. Not in a block style, the seamless look of the theme adds to the professionality and is great for a portfolio that aims to showcase different works. The seamless aspect also allows viewers to scroll continuously amongst your portfolio, ensuring they see all the work you have on display. 

Pros 

  • Seamless 
  • WooCommerce compatibility 
  • Perfect display for those looking to showcase their portfolio 
  • Page builder compatible 

Cons 

  • Similar to other seamless themes 

Bottom Line

Portfoliolite is the perfect option for someone who has a large amount of work to share. While it may work for a business or a storefront, this theme does exceptionally well with portfolios (hence the name). 

If you are looking to display your content, Portfoliolite is the perfect starting point. The natural flow of this theme is what keeps it speedy and light. Its ability to work well with WooCommerce and page builders helps creators share their content professionally yet tastefully. 

PopularFX

PopularFX is another lightweight theme that goes above the basic set-up. It allows for a plethora of different formatting options and customizability while remaining speedy.

Format 

The format of PopularFX follows a more intricate block style. While each blog has its preview, there are more options to add to your snippet. There is also the ability to add lists, HTML, links, photos, elements, tables, checkboxes, and headings. The addition of these formatting options makes your blog cleaner and more put together while remaining fast and easy to use. 

The blog title will appear across the top banner, with the option to add links to other areas such as an About Me page or your Contact Info. PopularFX is an excellent way for creators to keep the speed while adding a few extra features that make their blog stand out. Its simple nature caters more towards a personal blog rather than a business or storefront. 

Pros 

  • Quick to navigate 
  • Simple yet effective 
  • Offers formatting customizability 
  • Good for personal use 

Cons

  • Lacking color
  • Not the best option for businesses or storefronts

Bottom Line

PopularFX follows the roadmap for an option providing simple yet effective themes. Again, perfect for those who prefer catering to practical usage over aesthetics, PopularFX is an excellent option for the personal blogger who wants a reliable blog page. 

Top Store

Top Store is the perfect lightweight WordPress theme option for online stores. Unlike the themes based on personal blogs, Top Store provides features that benefit those selling and marketing a product. Storefronts often require a slightly different set-up than a personal blog as they have products to sell instead of stories to share. 

Features

Top Store's user-friendly template allows for easy navigation, which is essential when selling a product. The theme provides header and footer options, making it easy for customers to find what they're looking for. The customizable pop of color along the banner provides a nice touch to the theme's otherwise simplistic nature. 

A drop-down menu provides the perfect spot for customers to look through everything offered, allowing them to find products they enjoy. Each post has a preview, allowing customers to browse through merchandise and learn about what the store is selling. The theme also allows for a search of the site, providing customers with the ability to look up specifics. 

The theme offers helpful features such as a comparison tool where your customers can compare one product versus another, a product carousel that displays each product, and a wishlist where they can save their favorites. Top Store also provides a quick link to the comments so customers can see what others are saying about your products. 

Pros 

  • Simple for all customers to navigate 
  • Features to help improve quality for customers 
  • Fast 
  • Customizable colors 

Cons

  • For storefronts only – one customer base 
  • Your store won't stand out with this basic theme

Bottom Line

Top Store provides a great starting point for a new storefront that needs a template to get going. It will allow your store to be viewable and clickable while implementing a few neat features to impress your customers. The simplicity of it will enable the customers to view quickly, something that can come in handy if your site has a lot of traffic. 

Due to the specific nature of a storefront site, Top Store is a great option when it can be challenging to find a reliable storefront theme. While speed isn't always an absolute necessity for a personal blog, a storefront can lose customers quickly if it's ineffective and slow. A simple styled theme like Top Store ensures that customers remain happy and returning. 

Airi

Airi is a great option for those looking to run a business site or blog. While good options for both, Airi offers a more professional set-up that many other themes are lacking. If your blog happens to lean more professionally or has a more mature audience, Airi is an excellent theme to add. 

Features

Losing the block theme, Airi has a seamless feel as all the content flows very nicely. A small line separates each post preview from one another, allowing you to scroll through past content endlessly. Each post preview features the date posted, the title, how it's categorized, the number of comments, and a snippet of the text. 

Airi provides WooCommerce support, helpful if you are promoting or selling any merchandise. The versatility of WooCommerce will allow your business site to take off and sell to its full potential. Airi is a great option for those looking to start their business site from the ground up with a little help.

The customizability of both WordPress and WooCommerce together will allow for an original and diverse page for your business. The seamless feel also adds professionalism, allowing customers and viewers to take your page seriously. 

Pros 

  • WooCommerce compatibility 
  • Sleek and easy to follow 
  • Seamless 
  • Perfect for up and coming businesses 

Cons

  • Only suitable for businesses 
  • Not the best option for established businesses 

Bottom Line

Airi is a great, lightweight option for businesses that are looking for help starting their page. For those that are new to the game, this is the perfect theme to help you get a basis for your website. The compatibility with WooCommerce will provide a lot of help in getting your content seen and product purchased. The seamless feel makes your site look welcoming and put-together, and the speed of it will keep customers coming back again and again. 

OceanWP 

Ocean WP is another option that stands as one of the best lightweight WordPress themes. The seamless flow of each blog allows for a sleek look that viewers can enjoy. Straying from the typical block-style while remaining speedy is a perfect alternative for those looking to create a website. 

Features

Ocean WP, similar to Airi, provides a seamless and sleek looking theme. While Ocean WP is similar to Airi in its ability to work well for a business site, it is also suited for a personal blog or portfolio. WooCommerce, again, is compatible, an essential feature for any storefront. 

SEO concepts were integrated with Ocean WP, ensuring your blog brings in the most views possible. The lightweight design allows for speed and quick access among devices. The customizability makes it so that you can change your site's look to better fit the device viewing, whether it be a tablet, phone, or PC. 

Page builders were also kept in mind when formating Ocean WP, as they are easy to implement with the theme. Each post's seamless preview shows a title, published date, category, and a small fragment of the total blog. 

Pros

  • Seamless look 
  • Speedy 
  • WooCommerce compatibility 
  • Page builder compatibility 
  • SEO concepts 

Cons

  • Not great for storefronts 
  • Similar view to other popular themes 

Bottom Line

Ocean WP is a great option for those looking to jump on the seamless wagon and leave the block style behind. The fluidity of the non-block themes makes your site look more professional and put-together, something that can provide continuous clicks and traffic. Ocean WP is a wonderful option for those looking to create a portfolio, as it displays content in an easy to digest, viewable manner. 

Blocksy

Blocksy is a lightweight theme that provides another different take on the block style blog. The shifting of the standard block style allows for a new look while remaining simple. Implementing the simplicity of styles like Blocksy is a great way to get started on your website with minimal effort for maximum gain. 

Features

Instead of the common block style theme that runs horizontally with one long block across your screen, Blocksy provides three blocks vertically. Each section provides a small blurb featuring your post, the date, and the title. This unique take on the block style helps break up the basic look's monotony while keeping the same speed that a lightweight theme offers. 

The Blocksy theme is an exceptional option for those looking to start a personal blog, a business blog, or a storefront. The vertical block style allows for a theme that is customizable in a personal or professional way. It has SEO concepts in mind, allowing your blog to gain the most access. It also had WooCommerce built into it, meaning you can ensure that anything you sell is getting the best chance. 

Blocksy works with the best WordPress page builders, meaning your blog is customizable to an extent and able to look its best with minimal effort on your part. The vertical block view allows viewers to get more post previews per page, ensuring they can get an idea of your content quicker and decide if it's something they want to see more of. 

Pros 

  • A unique take on the block style theme 
  • SEO concepts 
  • WooCommerce compatibility 
  • Works well for any blog
  • Fast 

Cons

  • Not extremely customizable 

Bottom Line

Blocksy is a superior option for either a business, personal blog, storefront, or more looking to jazz up their site. The unique flare on the original block-style theme is a perfect way to keep a lightweight blog's simplicity and speed while standing out from the crowd. The extra vertical blocks also allow for multiple samples of your work to be on display at once. The uniform look is appealing and sure to please readers. 

Try a Lightweight WordPress Theme

Depending on what type of site you're running, these lightweight WordPress themes are sure to garner recurring clicks. While all simplistic, they provide the necessities for running a successful blog. Speed is a priority for a lightweight theme, which is why all of these value swiftness and accessibility. The easy navigation and basic outlook allow for a plethora of different users to enjoy your content. 

The block format is the classic style that most lightweight themes follow, as it is easy to keep simple while things remain navigational. While most of these follow that same style, they are all unique enough to offer slightly different templates. A business, storefront, personal blog, or portfolio-maker will benefit from any of these themes. 

The customizability of nearly every single one of these lightweight themes allows you to alter your blog to your specific preferences. Implementing a lightweight theme is perfect for a new blogger who needs the basics while they're getting settled. Changing colors and font styles is ideal for making your blog feel more like home while not having to code a theme by yourself. 

Consider any of these themes if you need help getting set up with your site in the beginning. These are great options for someone who is just starting – if you are an established blogger and WordPress user, perhaps you would be comfortable with something more elaborate. If you aren't interested in some fancier blogs' intricate complexities, then these could be great additions to your page.

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Best WordPress Theme for Google Core Vitals & Page Experience http://www.pcgam.com/best-wordpress-theme-for-google-core-vitals/ Thu, 12 Nov 2020 17:15:09 +0000 http://www.pcgam.com/?p=15175 In mid-2020, Google announced the creation of its Core Vitals initiative. The goal of Core Vitals is to help websites optimize the user experience (UX). Using Google's reporting, business owners, developers, and content managers can use metrics to assess the UX on their websites and identify areas needing improvement. Google uses Core Vitals to determine...

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In mid-2020, Google announced the creation of its Core Vitals initiative. The goal of Core Vitals is to help websites optimize the user experience (UX). Using Google's reporting, business owners, developers, and content managers can use metrics to assess the UX on their websites and identify areas needing improvement.

Google uses Core Vitals to determine a website's ranking. Thus choosing a WordPress theme that optimizes Google's Core Vitals criteria is critical to performing well in Google rankings. We've evaluated the best WordPress themes for Google Core Vitals to help you choose the best option for your website. Let's get started!

What are the Best WordPress Themes for Google Core Vitals?

If you want to optimize your website's performance on Google Core Vitals, these WordPress themes are an excellent place to start.

Here are our top choices for the best WordPress themes for Google Core Vitals:

  • GeneratePress
  • Astra
  • Neve
  • Twenty Twenty
  • Zakra
  • Schema
  • OceanWP
  • Hello Elementor

Google uses the following metrics to determine the UX.:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): is how quickly the webpage loads. To perform high on this metric, LCP should happen in 2.5 seconds of when the page begins to load
  • First Input Delay (FID): the time from the user's initial interaction with a website to when the browser responds to the exchange. Shouldn't be over 100 milliseconds
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): is a website's visual stability. For a good UX, websites need to sustain a CLS of less than .01

The themes that made our list are among the fastest full-featured WordPress themes available. The fastest among them is open to interpretation; some barebones themes will perform faster on objective speed tests using Google PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom, and GTMetrix.

The themes we chose for this list will ensure your visitors have a positive UX. These themes will also help you maximize your Google Core VItals metrics, ensuring your website has the best chance at ranking high in Google search results.

Best WordPress Theme for Google Core Vitals Review

Now that you understand the criteria that make up Google Core Vitals let's take a closer look at the WordPress themes that made our list.

GeneratePress

If your focus is improving your website's performance while maintaining the ability to customize and control your page, GeneratePress is worth checking out. GeneratePress comes in free and premium versions and is arguably one of the fastest WordPress themes available.

It is an elegant and lightweight WordPress theme. GeneratePress's founder and lead developer, Tom Usborne, tested the basic GeneratePress theme's speed. The results speak for themselves.

GeneratePress got a GTMetrix score of 100/100 and a Google Insights Page score of 100/100 for desktop and mobile. Their test website loads in under one second; that's a lightning-fast loading time.

Generate Press has a lot to offer in addition to speed; it's also a great WordPress theme. GeneratePress is a versatile and fully customizable theme making it adaptable to most businesses. The theme boasts over one thousand 5-star ratings on wordpress.org.

Features

Although GeneratePess has a free option, its best features are available only with the premium version.  By now, you know that GeneratePress is all about speed and streamlining the UX. One of its main features is its lightweight and fast. It comes with 14 modules that allow you to make the most of the theme. What’s nice is that you can disable any that you don't need.

The theme is built on the lightweight but powerful Flexbox Grid, which looks great across devices. The schema is built-in, ensuring improved search engine result pages. The WordPress Customizer works superbly with all theme customization options found in one place, making learning how to customize the theme straightforward.

GeneratePress works with the most popular WordPress plugins, including Jetpack, Yoast SEO, Akismet, Wordfence Security, BuddyPress, and many more. There's a lot for developers to like with many hooks and filters. Developers can use these features without altering the theme files that reset when the theme updates.

Pros: 

  • Fastest WordPress theme
  • Easily customizable, knowledge of coding not required
  • Excellent performance when all modules are active
  • Developer friendly
  • Affordable pricing

Cons: 

  • Free version has limited features
  • No option to buy a lifetime plan

Our Choice – The Best Theme for Core Vitals

ASTRA

One of the most popular WordPress themes, Astra, also has a good reputation for quickly loading web pages. Astra's goal is to have a premade website ready to go as soon as you install it on your WordPress site. It is a multipurpose theme that is customizable to meet just about any niche.

Astra WP Logo

You can further customize Astra by pairing it with WordPress page builder plugins, which is a popular way to use this theme. In addition to all the customization options, Astra is known for its outstanding performance. Astra's GTMetrix score is 100/100, and its Google Insights Page (mobile only) score for mobile was a highly respectable 99/100.

Astra has a free basic version and a pro version. It packs excellent features, including developer tools, ease of use, and solid coding, into an attractive WordPress package. Astra has over 4500 5-star ratings on wordpress.org.

Features

Astra's most prominent feature is its quick load times, with Astra claiming a load time of 1.1 seconds the generic “hello world” post using their theme. Astra doesn't use JQuery, which is one reason it loads faster than other WordPress themes. According to WP Rocket's speed test, Astra comes in right after GeneratePress with a speed of 1.599 seconds.

Coding is the backbone of any theme, and Astra is a well-coded theme. However, Astra has a page builder, so you don't need to know coding to use this theme. Astra uses Underscore's starter theme. Underscore is the basis for recent default WordPress themes. Thus, Astra's theme is clean and logical.

Astra supports schema markup to benefit your website's SEO and has many theme hooks for developers to add content. If you don't want to build your website from scratch, Astra stands out for the number of pre-built templates it offers. From Gutenberg and Brizy to Elementor and Beaver Builder, there are many page builders to choose from.

Pros: 

  • Lots of customization options
  • User-friendly and easy to configure
  • Fast loading speed
  • Offers many pre-built templates
  • Developer friendly

Cons: 

  • Best features only available with Pro version
  • A bit expensive
  • No support forum

Neve

ThemeIsle, the company behind Neve, is known for creating fast and flexible themes and plugins. Neve is a multipurpose theme with a highly customizable layout. It's also the fastest of Themselse's themes. Neve works well with large and small websites. This theme is user-friendly and compatible with all of the popular page builders.

Neve performed well on GTMetrix speed tests with a score of 99/100 on Google Insights Page (mobile only); it scored 100/100, making it an excellent option for improving your website's speed. Neve is a multipurpose WordPress that will work well with just about any website.

The website's setup is easy; you can have a basic webpage up and running in minutes thanks to Neve's many starter sites. You don't need to know how to code to use this theme. Neve has close to 500 5-star ratings on wordpress.org.

Features

If you want to improve your website's mobile speeds, Neve is worth a look. The Neve theme focuses on faster and more robust loading experiences on mobiles and tablets. The theme also is fully responsive, adjusting to the screen size of any mobile device.

Neve supports all of the major page builders and comes with built-in SEO to improve indexing and ranking. If you're setting up an online store, Neve works seamlessly with Booster for WooCommerce to ensure your business has every opportunity to succeed.

Nerve offers many options for customizing the layout of your website, including efficiently designed headers and footers. Three are also various hook locations that allow custom code to create innovative and professional designs.

Pros: 

  • Outstanding onboarding process
  • Focus on mobile optimization
  • Translation ready, great for non-English speaking countries
  • Lean core theme
  • Many customization options

Cons:

  • Limited options with the free version
  • Homogenous starter sites

Twenty Twenty

Twenty twenty is WordPress's default theme that gets a new updated release annually. This theme comes installed on every WordPress build; you can also install past versions of the theme, such as Twenty Nineteen.

Twenty Twenty is a Gutenberg ready theme and integrates well with the Gutenberg page builder. Gutenberg is a block editor, and Twenty Twenty allows users to take full advantage of its flexibility.

Besides being a great theme, Twenty Twenty's performance metrics are impressive. WordPress's default theme consistently performs as one of the fastest WordPress theme options. Twenty Twenty has stable code and a slim file structure, which enhances its performance. Its GTMetrix score is 100/100, and its mobile Google Insights Page score is 99/100.

Features

All versions of the Twenty Twenty theme, past and present, are free to use. Twenty Twenty doesn't have as many ratings as other themes, but those that exist are overwhelmingly positive. Twenty Twenty has a lot of notable features.

Since it's updated yearly to match WordPress's current version, many say it integrates perfectly with WordPress. As mentioned above, Twenty Twenty is one of the fastest WordPress themes. One reason is its file sizes, and requests are regularly very low. Being made for WordPress reduces the speed and conflict issues found with many third-party themes.

There are countless customization options for Twenty Twenty, and it comes with various tools such as editor styles, colors, fonts, and infinite scrolling. The theme also adapts brilliantly to mobile devices and offers lots of user-friendly tools adaptable to all devices.

Pros:

  • Landing pages are easy to make
  • Outstanding performance with mobile devices
  • Integrates almost perfectly with WordPress
  • Great block editing
  • Lightweight with fast loading speeds

Cons: 

  • Simplistic, barebones look
  • Variable fonts can be slow

Zakra

A ThemeGrill creation, Zakra, is a lightweight multipurpose theme that has something to offer everyone. Zakra's speedy interface stands out, scoring 99/100 on the GTMetrix speed test and 98/100 on Google Insights mobile page score. These scores match the speeds of the industry's top performers.

Features

Zakra offers both free and premium versions of its theme. Unlike most themes, Zakra free version comes with impressive features. However, the premium version is where Zakra truly shines with excellent WooCommerce tools, blogging options, and advanced headers.

If you have an online store, Zakra is worth considering because it is especially suited to online businesses. With its speed optimization, you'll maximize your opportunities for conversions. Being AP ready and fully responsive, Zakra looks great across all devices.

There are many demos for this theme, including many eCommerce starter sites. Zakra integrates seamlessly with Elementor giving you many customization options. Zakra's optimization tools make it a pleasure to use.  Zakra has over three hundred 5-star reviews on wordpress.org.

Pros: 

  • SEO friendly
  • Lightweight with a clean user interface
  • Great for small businesses
  • Compatible with Gutenberg and a few other page builders
  • Highly flexible sidebars

Cons: 

  • Fewer options than GeneratePress on what you can disable on a post or page
  • Some users report difficulty loading the theme on mobile devices

Schema

“The fastest SEO WordPress theme available” is how Schema advertises itself. It is a clean and lightweight theme with a professional design. This theme is known for its quick loading speeds and was designed with bloggers and entrepreneurs in mind.

Schema comes with a responsive, highly customizable design. While it's not as fast as GeneratePress, Schema still posts some impressive speeds. On the GTMetrix speed test, Schema posts a speed of 93/100 and gets the same 93/100 on Google Insights mobile page score.

While it's not the fastest theme, it's not bad. Plus, it comes with all the tools you need to build and run an impressive website or blog.

Features

Schema is a premium website theme; there's also a free version called Schema Lite. Schema's fully responsive design ensures it looks great on mobile devices as well as PCs. The theme features a custom options panel, post widgets, shortcodes, and pixel perfect design.

In line with its focus on SEO optimization, it includes rich snippets that help search engines find your sight resulting in higher search engine rankings. The theme manages ads efficiently, coming with an ad management panel that allows you to manage your website's ads easily. The theme's code is secure and lightweight, and it supports custom CSS.

If you need to build a multilingual website, Schema is translation ready. You can also choose from hundreds of Google fonts for your website. It also has social media sharing functionality. As if that weren't enough, outstanding support is available from its support forum.

Pros: 

  • Rich snippets
  • Clean Code
  • High-quality support
  • Leader in SEO WordPress themes
  • Very user-friendly

Cons: 

  • A very text-heavy theme
  • Doesn't work well if you want to build a visually appealing site

OceanWP

OceanWP is an easily customizable and fast WordPress theme. It's a free multipurpose theme that gives you a lot of control over your website using the real-time WordPress customizer. While the core OceanWP theme is free, it also offers many free and premium extensions that add functionality.

OceanWP stands out for being user-friendly, allowing you to import ready-made demo sites using their free import extension. With the free version, you get seven free extensions, and you have the option of adding 11 more premium extensions to customize the theme further.

This theme is a hit with users because it's easy to use and intuitive, giving users the power to customize the theme to their needs—oceanWP scores 98/100 on the GTMetrix speed test and 86/100 on the Google Insights mobile page score.

Features

One of OceanWP's best features is its WordPress customizer settings. Even with only a few extensions installed, the user has a long list of options to choose from. This is more than what you'll find on the average WordPress theme. The theme also comes with many unique and attractive demos for designing your site.

The theme is fully responsive and arguably looks better on smaller devices but performs well across the board—the built-in SEO to help your page's indexing and search rankings. The theme also supports WooCommece, which is a must if you're setting up an online store. WooCommerce features include quick view, native cart popup, and a floating cart bar.

OceanWP also works well with most popular page builders such as King Composer, Beaver Builder, and Elementor. It supports social media integration, popup notices and has a full-screen scrolling tool. The theme also has one-click ready to use templates.

Pros:

  • Easy onboarding process has you up and running in no time
  • Lightweight theme with fast page loading times
  • Large selection of quality demos
  • Offers a large number of free and premium extensions
  • Developer friendly with SEO integration

Cons:

  • The customizers options can be overwhelming
  • Not compatible with speed optimization plugins

Hello Elementor

Hello is a lightweight and barebones WordPress theme designed to work with the Elementor page builder plugin. Unlike the other themes we've reviewed, Hello won't look like a real webpage until you start using the Elementor plugin.

Being so stripped down of features and its styling makes Elementor one of the lightest themes available. With Hello, you're responsible for building everything from scratch. If you want full control over your website, Hello is worth a look. Hello is a free starter theme that works with either Elementor or Elementor Pro page builders.

If you're not familiar with Elementor, it's a drag and drop WordPress page builder that is easy to use and requires no coding knowledge. Hello scores a 99/100 on the GTMetrix speed test and 100/100 on the Google Insights mobile page score.

Features

One of the best things about Hello is it's free and one of the fastest WordPress themes available. You don't have to worry about bloat or excess code when using Hello because none of that is preloaded on this theme. Developers will appreciate the hooks available to expand the theme.

Hello integrates perfectly with the Elementor page builder allowing you to make any type of website you need. The theme's base design and files are minimalistic, which contributes to the theme's speed. The interface is uncluttered and user-friendly.

Many page builder elements come included with Hello, such as portfolios, Google Maps, video, heading, spacers, posts, and much more. The theme is fully responsive and looks great across devices. If you have questions, Hello has a strong support system with many articles online.

Pros:

  • One of the fastest WordPress themes
  • Seamless integration with Elementor page builder
  • Great for building fast landing pages
  • The theme is 100% free
  • No bloat or excess code

Cons:

  • Basic styling options
  • You have to start from scratch to build a website

FAQs

If we haven't answered all of your questions above, maybe you can find what you're looking for in this list of frequently asked questions.

  • How can I improve my core web vitals?

One of the best things you can do is optimize your website's images. Images on your site are most likely the website's LCP. If you optimize your images, you'll be one step closer to improving your core web vitals.

  • What is page experience?

The series of signals that indicate the user's perceived experience while visiting a page, apart from the web page's quality and content.

  • How do I check my website's Google Core Vitals performance? 

You can use the following tools:

Final Thoughts

Performing well on Google Core Vitals is essential to search engine indexing and ranking. Google introduced Core Vitals to help websites optimize the UX. Choosing the right WordPress theme will help you improve your website's Google Core Vitals performance. To optimize your website, be sure to select a theme that is clean, lightweight, and above all, fast.

All of the WordPress themes that made our list perform admirably; however, GeneratePress stands out in a crowded field. Before choosing a theme, be sure it matches your business goals. Selecting one of the themes on our list will put your website on the path to performing well on Google Core Vitals.

The post Best WordPress Theme for Google Core Vitals & Page Experience appeared first on WebMonkey.

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7 Best Minimalist Themes for WordPress – Top Free and Paid Minimal Templates http://www.pcgam.com/best-minimalist-themes-for-wordpress/ Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:32:59 +0000 http://www.pcgam.com/?p=15156 There are so many options for website themes that it can be challenging to find the perfect one for your project. Moreover, themes can be customized, giving you almost infinite options. And your decision is an important one. Almost 50 percent of people judge a company’s credibility by its website design.? That doesn’t mean that...

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There are so many options for website themes that it can be challenging to find the perfect one for your project. Moreover, themes can be customized, giving you almost infinite options. And your decision is an important one. Almost 50 percent of people judge a company’s credibility by its website design.?

That doesn’t mean that you should load up your site with all the bells and whistles, though. Minimalist may be the way to go in regard to web design.?

Simple themes highlight your products and services without distracting your audience. They’re clean and don’t have much decoration.?

Minimalist themes are ideal for creative professionals, such as artists, graphic designers, and photographers because they let the work speak for itself. However, a simple theme is beneficial to a website owner in any niche.?

In some cases, not all themes will be appropriate for every industry. But minimalist themes for WordPress generally work for practically any niche. Because they’re so versatile, there are several that you can choose from. How do you decide what to look for?

We researched the top minimalist themes for WordPress and evaluated them on the standards that are essential for picking the best one for your website. Here are the results.

What Is the Best Minimalist Theme for WordPress?

  1. Avada – Excellent all-around minimalist theme
  2. Astra – Perfect for beginners
  3. StudioPress – Ideal for people who want a fast website with minimal customization
  4. Divi – Lots of features, options, and versatility
  5. Hestia Pro – Best for single-page websites
  6. Elegant – Ideal for creatives
  7. Ava/Agency – Great for visual content

Divi may be the best overall minimalist theme for WordPress because of its ease of use and versatile functionality. Elegant and Ava/Agency may be better for creatives, though. Hestia is the theme that someone with a single-page website would need.

More Information on How We Created This List

We wanted to make sure that we were comparing apples to apples when creating our review roundup of the best minimalist themes for WordPress. Therefore, we made sure that we took the following elements into consideration when reviewing each theme:

  • Responsiveness and versatility
  • Ease of Use
  • Features, options, and plugins
  • Support/customer service

Then, we went on to note whether the theme offered anything else of value. Sometimes, those extra perks work for your business. But they’re not always necessary or valuable for every industry. Below is our personalized review of the top 7 minimalist themes for WordPress.

Minimalist WordPress Theme Website Builder Comparison

Theme Name Overall Score Price Templates Plugins Support
Avada 4.3 $60 for use on one website 40+ 200+ premium plugins 6 months on Themeforest forum, plus FB group
Astra 4.7 $59-$489 annually 70+ 12 free plugins One-on-one email support for premium
StudioPress 4.25 $99.95-$499.95 35+ themes 15 plugins created by the same developers Ticket and forum-based support
Divi 5 $89 annually, unlimited websites 1,000+ A few free plugins, plus buyable 3rd party ones Live chat, ticket system
Hestia Pro 4.15 $69-$199 9+ demos none 1 year unlimited with purchase
Elegant? 4.7 $49-$249 yes none with basic package documentation and forum
Ava/Agency 4.6 $59 39 custom modules Premium slider Forum-based support

Best Minimalist Themes for WordPress: Reviews

  1. Avada

Avada is a fantastic theme, and its creators know it. It is ideal for people who are just starting out and want to get their websites up and running quickly and without hassle.?

Avada Pros:

  • Comes with more than 40 templates and demos
  • Free premium plugins
  • Supportive Facebook group
  • Price includes lifetime theme updates

Avada Cons:

  • Uses many plugins to operate, which can slow it down
  • Only offers one license per website
  • No theme or product builders

Responsiveness and Versatility 4.5

Its website touts it as “The Theme to End all Themes” and “the #1 selling theme of all time.” It can do just about anything, and anyone can use it. The theme is fully responsive, and you can fine-tune the displays and responsiveness for various devices so that it works for your design and typography settings.

Ease of Use 4.0

The front end visual builder lets you create a website without any knowledge of coding. You can choose from templates and more than 40 demos if you need some inspiration. The Fusion Builder allows you to create your website from the front or back end. There is a slight learning curve, but most users get the hang of it easily.

Features, Options, and Plugins 4.0

You have access to a theme with the richest selection of options available. That allows you to customize your website completely without looking at a line of code. Buyers also receive $200 worth of premium plugins as part of the package.

Support 5.0

This theme support is top-notch. It has a 5-star rating, and its customers speak highly of the support team’s ability to help newbies and help them save money. The theme also has an active Facebook group where other experts and users can help each other out.

  1. Astra

Astra is a lightweight WordPress theme that loads quickly and integrates well with popular WordPress page builders. The developers say that it’s the fastest-growing theme of all time.

Astra Pros:

  • Lots of free templates
  • Versatile to use with different page builders
  • Well-coded and lightweight
  • Each plan can be used for three different sites
  • Free and pro versions

Astra Cons:

  • Offers a lifetime plan, but it’s expensive
  • Limited customization options and header layouts
  • No custom products or shop pages on Woo Commerce

Responsiveness and Versatility 5.0

This is one of the most lightweight themes available. Therefore, it runs smoothly and quickly. It can also be customized for just about any industry. The theme is fairly empty when you first install it. Installing a premade site is recommended. Then, you just have to load your unique content.

Ease of Use 4.8

One of the primary selling points for the Astra theme is its integration with page builders. Many website themes don’t support page builders, leaving you with a mess when you upload your site. Astra is different. You can customize your website on a page-by-page basis, modifying it to your liking even if you don’t have tech experience. You do have to make sure that you utilize the page builder that was used to design the template you’re working with if you want the site to work properly.?

Features, Options, and Plugins 4.5

This theme comes with more than 70 pre-built design templates, including specific layouts for blogs, shops, portfolios and other industries. The Astra Hooks plugin makes it easy for non-developers to add code and unique content to their websites. The theme makes it easy for you to know which plugins are necessary to get your site up and running. You can extend the features and usability with 12 free plugins.

Support 4.8

You can use the free WordPress support forums to get help for the free version of Astra. If you paid for the pro version of the theme, you receive one-on-one email support as well as exclusive training.

  1. StudioPress

StudioPress is a high-quality minimalist theme that’s made by the creator of the Genesis Framework, which is potentially the most recognized WordPress framework. StudioPress runs off of the foundation of Genesis but has unique child themes.

StudioPress Pros:

  • Clean code for fast loading and streamlined user experience
  • Excellent security
  • Child themes allow you to change website’s look quickly
  • Reliable

StudioPress Cons:

  • Minimal customization isn’t ideal for advanced users
  • Plugins add functionality but slow down the site

Responsiveness and Versatility 5.0

StudioPress features various themes that run on the Genesis framework. They all have fast loading times and additional emphasis on security. They don’t have too much bloat from extra, unnecessary features, and they’re fully responsive to mobile. The clean code also means that these themes are extremely SEO-friendly.?

Plus, StudioPress isn’t created by independent designers, like the themes on Theme Forest are. Therefore, you can count on them to provide updates and solutions for as long as you have the theme.

Ease of Use 4.0

While StudioPress themes are customizable, they aren’t like some themes, which have so many options that they’re overwhelming. Because StudioPress themes give you such a blank slate to start with, you might be confused to begin. However, the documentation for using the themes are solid, and there are YouTube tutorials for just about every theme.

Features, Options, and Plugins 3.5

StudioPress doesn’t have a lot of features or customization options out of the box. You can add plugins and code, but that could clutter the back end, delaying load times and bloating the site. If you’re looking for a theme with plenty of personalization options, you might not want this one.?

If you just want to get going quickly and don’t need all the bells and whistles, this may be the theme for you. Still, the Design Palette Pro lets you customize the look of your site without touching code.

Support 4.5

You can get a lot of assistance through the public forum. However, if you have a specific concern, you can open a ticket with StudioPress to get tailored help. The price gives you unlimited support for one year as well as unlimited domains and updates.

  1. Divi

Divi might be the most versatile, user-friendly minimalist theme for WordPress. Its popularity probably comes from the fact that it comes with more than 1,000 templates and incorporates an easy-to-learn page builder.?

Divi Pros:

  • Install it on unlimited websites
  • Loaded with features
  • Easy to use
  • Excellent third-party marketplace
  • Provides live preview as you make changes

Divi Cons:

  • Has some glitches
  • Leaves shortcodes when updating

Responsiveness and Versatility 5.0

This theme is a website design system that allows you to create a cohesive site that is consistent with your brand, no matter what industry you’re in. The design is incredibly responsive. You can adjust the settings for a computer, tablet, or smartphone. You can even design the graphic elements in a way that is usually only available in an editing program such as photoshop.?

Ease of Use 5.0

The back end of Divi is easy to use. It features a drag-and-drop interface that’s intuitive and requires no coding. You can also edit from the front end so that you can view the website in real time while you alter it. Create global elements that update across all of your pages so that you don’t have to edit certain elements individually.?

Features, Options, and Plugins 4.5

Divi has many of the basic features that all of these minimalist websites offer. However, it also offers additional features that take it to the next level. For example, this theme offers split testing. You can create two different page designs and evaluate the one that helps you achieve your goals so that you can use it going forward.?

Divi doesn’t come with loads of plugins. However, it does have the Bloom email opt-in plugin and Monarch social media plugin. Both of these can help boost engagement and improve your conversions. Because Divi is open source, many developers have created plugins that work with the theme.

Support 5.0

Elegant Themes offers some of the best support for minimalist WordPress themes. Premium members can access the support staff 24/7 through the forum. Issues are typically dealt with within the hour. You will also often find a support member on live chat, which allows you to get instant assistance.

  1. Hestia Pro

Hestia Pro is developed and sold by Themeisle. It’s a one-page theme that’s modern, uncluttered, and versatile.?

Hestia Pro Pros:

  • Versatile if you want a one-page site
  • High performance
  • Excellent support
  • Easy to use

Hestia Pro Cons:

  • Limited header and footer layouts
  • Not enough demo sites to import

Responsiveness and Versatility 3.8

From the perspective of a website owner looking for a one-page website, this theme is extremely versatile. It works for many different industries and projects. However, if you want a more complex website with many pages, this might not be the theme for you.?

Ease of Use 4.5

You won’t get sucked into a complex web of page layouts with Hestia Pro. The fact that it’s a single-page template makes it easier to learn and use than most themes. Everything can be customized centrally, and even beginner users shouldn’t have a problem.

Features, Options, and Plugins 3.5

While this theme offers plenty of features for single-page websites, the customization options aren’t as robust as with other themes. It doesn’t come with as many site demos as the other themes that we reviewed, it has limited header and footer layouts, and it doesn’t have a lot of color customization options.

Support 4.8

With the purchase of the theme, you get one year of unlimited support and updates for free. The documentation is detailed and comprehensive. If you have an issue that is not covered in the documentation, you can open a ticket. The support staff usually responds within 5 hours.

  1. Elegant

Elegant is a straightforward theme that lets your content shine. There aren’t any animations or graphics to slow down the site, and it moves quickly and allows your products and services to stand out. Therefore, it’s ideal for photographers, artists, musicians, and writers.

Elegant Pros:

  • Ideal for creatives
  • Lots of design options
  • Easy to use
  • Integrates with WooCommerce

Elegant Cons:

  • Basic package does not include plugins

Responsiveness and Versatility 4.8

You don’t have to worry about your website looking different on various devices. The Elegant theme is entirely responsive and shows up beautifully on all devices and at every resolution. While this theme is versatile for everyone, it may be best for visual businesses.

Ease of Use 5

The Themify drag-and-drop page builder makes it easy to customize this theme. It supports grid-based layouts, which you can use to highlight your work, blog posts, or products.?

Features, Options, and Plugins 4.5

This theme offers features that are quite helpful for creative websites. Although the theme is designed for blogging, it is used by many visual creators, such as magazines and agencies. It features a variety of header styles, portfolio sections, and interesting color schemes. The typography is gorgeous, and it leaves a lot of white space to emphasize your visuals. You can even add filters right on the site without altering the original image.?

Support? 4.5

The documentation is comprehensive and walks you through everything you need with tutorials, screenshots, and videos. You’ll find most answers to questions you have in the documentation, but you can get faster support through the forum.

  1. Ava/Agency

Although this Theme Forest theme is clean, it gives you lots of great options, such as parallax background effects, sidebar generator, and custom widgets.?

Ava Pros:

  • Premium support
  • Lots of features
  • Simplified usability

Ava Cons:

  • May be difficult for beginners
  • Not as easy to set up as some of the other themes

Responsiveness and Versatility 5.0

The theme is fully responsive and fluid. It fits any device. It has been tested on actual devices, so that you can trust that your website will be beautiful in anybody’s eyes.?

Ease of Use 4.0

You don’t need any coding skills to customize your site with five header types, more than 500 fonts, a grid blog, and a newsletter and carousel portfolio to engage your audience and put your best face forward. Ava is east for the Independent website owner to learn, install, customize, and update, but there is a bit of a learning curve.

Features, Options, and Plugins 4.5

Like many of the other themes, this one is WooCommerce ready. It also comes with a drag-and-drop page builder, sliders, individual page layouts, short coats, RTL support, and extended documentation. It is also search engine optimized.

Support 5.0

This theme features live support, which is helpful when you need an answer to your question quickly. There are plenty of tutorials and how-to’s inside the forum, and you can get additional assistance if you need it.?

How to Choose a Minimalist Theme for WordPress

Important elements of a minimalist theme:?

  • White space
  • Focus on products/content
  • Visuals
  • Easy navigation
  • Mobile-friendly

Are There Benefits to Choosing a Minimalist Theme?

There are so many ways that you can make your website stand out that you might be tempted to choose all of them at once. But your website has to be as simple to use as it is engaging and attractive. Less is more.?

People want to get more done in less time. The busy consumer doesn’t want to have to sift through the information on your website. They want it to stare them in the face.

Almost 60 percent of internet users scan articles when they’re busy–which is the majority of the time. A simple design allows your most important content to stand out. When viewers get what they need efficiently, they’ll be more likely to return.

A minimalist theme also works better across platforms. You never know what browsers or devices your audience is using to access your site. Use a minimalist theme to achieve quality and consistency across the board. You’ll get faster loading times when your web pages aren’t cluttered.

Simple websites are inviting. They don’t scream, “I’m selling to you!” Instead, they deliver clear, useful, and high-value content. The audience will want to engage more when it’s on their terms as opposed to yours.

There are direct benefits to the website owner too. Minimalist websites are easier to manage, which means that they’re simpler to fix when things go wrong. Maintaining impeccable code is one way to keep your site streamlined.

Plus, minimalist websites may have cheaper hosting fees. They don’t take up massive space, and they reduce workload on a server. That leaves you with a faster, more responsive website and lower hosting costs, in many cases.

FAQs

Which is the easiest theme to use?

All of these themes are easy to use. The back ends and builders look a little bit different from each other. If you have experience with one, you might find one with similar features easier to use. However, they are all easy to learn for people with little web design experience.

Which is the most customizable theme?

Divi might be the customizable theme. However, Astra is right up there. Hestia may be the least customizable due to its one-page setup.?

Which theme is the cheapest?

Many of the themes offer a free version. However, you will benefit from purchasing the pro version because it usually offers many more features as well as better support. If you plan on keeping your website going for several years, you typically benefit from buying a lifetime package if that’s available. Then, you don’t have to worry about availability to updates, plugins, and support.

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7 Best WordPress Themes for Artists 2023 – Inspired Templates for Inspired People http://www.pcgam.com/best-wordpress-themes-for-artists/ Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:30:44 +0000 http://www.pcgam.com/?p=15155 As an artist, you have specific needs for your website that may not pertain to those in other professions. You need to ensure your art images are as beautiful as they are in person, that your pricing and contact information are readily available, and that your website design fits with your aesthetic as an artist....

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As an artist, you have specific needs for your website that may not pertain to those in other professions. You need to ensure your art images are as beautiful as they are in person, that your pricing and contact information are readily available, and that your website design fits with your aesthetic as an artist.

Choosing the right WordPress theme will help you to achieve all of your goals and build conversions. A quick Google search garners so many options for themes that it can be incredibly overwhelming to choose. Luckily, we're here to help with our seven favorite WordPress themes for artists.

What is the Best WordPress Theme for Artists?

We scoured the WordPress theme database to find themes that were shining stars in the art world, and we've narrowed down our list to the top seven.

  1. Divi– Best overall
  2. OceanWP– Best for Multiple Purposes
  3. Portfolio– Best for Social Media Promotion
  4. Galleria Metropolia– Best for Galleries or Museums
  5. Uncode– Best for Pre-Built Templates and Layouts
  6. KALLYAS– Best for Photographers
  7. Astra– Best in popularity

Each theme in our top seven is unique and offers artists something that the others might not. We love all of these themes, and we know that it won't take long before you fall in love with one of them as well.

Divi took our top spot quite easily because of its ease of use and bold homepage design. It is not only simple for technophobes to understand and utilize, but it also sets a great tone to create returns from your website. After all, the goal of your website is to help sell your art or art services. Creating a portfolio-forward homepage is the first step to making money with your art.

Comparing the Top Themes

If you're in a rush, check out this quick comparison of our favorite themes. If you're not in a hurry,mthen go ahead and read our full review.

Theme Name Specific to Creatives? Cost User Level

Compatibility

Divi No $89-249 Intermediate
OceanWP No $39-129 Beginner
Portfolio Yes $49 Beginner
Galleria Metropolia Yes $59 Intermediate
Uncode No $59 Beginner
KALLYAS Yes $30 Intermediate
Astra No $249 (Pro) Intermediate

Seven Best WordPress Theme Reviews

Now that you've gotten to know each theme's essential points, let's take a deeper dive into our top seven WordPress themes for artists.

Divi

Best Overall

Divi is our favorite WordPress theme for artists because it's more than just a simple theme. Divi changes how you build your websites because it allows you to use a visual building style that's far superior to the typical drag-and-drop style that most themes use.

Artists are particularly suited to the visual building style because they tend to have an eye for sizes, shapes, and colors beyond what many other professionals possess.

You can utilize the visual building tools to make boxes larger, move logos, change colors, and edit almost every element of the page or post in front of you without having to dig into advanced settings or understand coding.

Features

The features you get when you purchase the Divi theme are outstanding for both individuals who know nothing about website building and professionals in the field. You can not only edit visually, but you can also edit in bulk. That means if you want to change the size of all of your text in each box on a page, you don't have to do it individually. It saves a lot of time.

Another fantastic feature of Divi is its page layout library. Instead of having a set number of pages, each with their specific look like many other themes, Divi allows you to choose each page's look from their vast library of options. If you have particular ideas about what you want, then feel free to create your layouts based on your needs.

If backgrounds are essential to you stylistically, then you'll love Divi. They have a variety of options of shape dividers for the backgrounds of each page on your website. That means you can have an ultra-hip look without a lot of work, creating the background in an image-building software before bringing it into your website.

Divi makes it so easy to make your website look like it was designed specifically for you without a template or theme involved with its transform tabs. You can change the angle of text, boxes, images, and more. You can even make some shapes look like they are in 3D. The options with this theme are almost limitless.

Pros

  • 30-day free trial available
  • Pay yearly or for a lifetime
  • Usable on multiple websites
  • No need to understand code
  • From scratch websites and pre-designed layouts available

Cons

  • Some users complain about support options
  • Difficult to get the full value of the software without extensive time spent

OceanWP

Best for Multiple Purposes

Whether you're a designer, photographer, painter, or gallery owner, OceanWP probably has the layout needed to attract clients to your art. OceanWP is a multipurpose theme that comes with a ton of pre-built layouts to help you quickly and easily create a website for whatever type of art you do.

Features

If you're not excited about the idea of creating a layout or page template from scratch, that's okay. With OceanWP, you can simply demo any of the pre-built layouts you find in their catalog and then import it to your website with a single click. From there, you can begin to add your wording, images, and more to create the personalized look you're hoping to create.

The cost of a single website package under OceanWP is only $39 for a lifetime, but you'll pay more if you're hoping to use this theme on multiple sites, so you may want to upgrade immediately to ensure you can use the theme numerous times. There is also a 14-day risk-free money-back guarantee, so you can use the theme and decide if it will work for you.

OceanWP has an excellent support network, including a blog space where you can learn about the theme and discover tips and tricks on using it.

This theme is fully responsive, meaning it will allow your website to morph to show up perfectly on any device. That's good news for artists who don't want images distorted on smaller devices after creating their site on laptops or desktop computers.

OceanWP also has SEO, translation, and RTL built-in so you can attract clients of all cultures and promote your business efficiently without having to do the challenging work yourself.

Pros

  • Multiple uses for different professions
  • Generous support and learning resources
  • Fully responsive
  • Translation and RTL ready

Cons

  • The lowest price only buys your use of the theme on a single site
  • The maximum number of sites for the theme is only 25

Portfolio

Best for Social Media Promotion

Just like the name implies, Portfolio is a theme that focuses on artists who would like to display their work online the same way they would in-person. Portfolio is simple, sleek, and easy to use. It's also fully responsive and has built-in widgets for every type of social media you could think of to help promote your business beyond your website.

Features

Portfolio is a simple and straightforward theme. It only offers two blog styles and five types of layouts. It's easy to overlook Portfolio because of its simplicity, but the lighter the theme you work with, the less buggy it tends to be. Portfolio has slow support, but it tends to have fewer user complaints than other broader themes.

The Portfolio theme is super affordable, especially compared to broader themes like Divi and Astra. It also offers the ability to use Portfolio on multiple websites with no penalty. Once you download Portfolio, you can use it as many times and in as many ways as you can.

As far as customization goes, Portfolio offers over 500 Google fonts to choose from to make your website stand out as your project. Portfolio links easily to your social media accounts using widgets. It focuses mainly on Twitter and Instagram, but you can also connect to other social media forms without much trouble.

Pros

  • Simple and light
  • Fully responsive
  • Social media focus
  • Smart sidebar

Cons

  • Email-only support options mean slow response times
  • Need another website builder or some coding knowledge to make adjustments

Galleria Metropolia

Best for Galleries or Museums

Many of the themes on our top seven list are multipurpose, which means various artists in different fields can customize them to their needs. Galleria Metropolia, however, is not a multipurpose theme. The designers of this theme made it specifically for galleries and museums. Its simple, modern style is a perfect complement to any exhibition or Showcase.

Features

Galleria Metropolia extends the original WordPress admin panel to include extra customizations to ensure that you can make this theme fit your style and needs. The coding for the theme is valid CSS3 and HTML5, which means that anyone with a knowledge of coding can make changes beyond the theme's customizations.

Custom widgets are another excellent feature of the Galleria Metropolia theme. These widgets allow you to manage content in ways that you couldn't with a basic WordPress site. Also, Galleria Metropolia includes two popular slider plug-ins to help customize your page's look and show off some of your exhibits or paintings.

The theme's retina readiness and responsive layout is a double whammy that helps to ensure users have a great experience on your site. You can rest easy knowing that users will see the same beautiful site using an iPhone or a desktop.

With unlimited color possibilities and hundreds of Google fonts to choose from, Galleria Metropolia is an excellent option for galleries and museums who want to match their web aesthetic to their in-person venue.

Pros

  • Unlimited colors and customizations
  • Custom widgets included
  • Two slider plug-ins included
  • Valid CSS3 and HTML5
  • Responsive layout

Cons

  • Translation features can be problematic
  • Specific to galleries and museums, might not be suitable for other artists

Uncode

Best for Pre-Built Templates and Layouts

With more than 70 pre-built layouts and over 400 section templates, Uncode is an excellent option for artists who aren't excited about the idea of having to customize their site on their own or artists who want to build a perfect site in half the time. Uncode is pixel perfect, which means it will work hard to ensure your images stay looking beautiful after you upload them.

Features

Uncode utilizes and advanced version of the WP Bakery page builder, which is a famous page builder for WordPress that allows extensive customizations and extra user-friendliness for those people who aren't comfortable with website building yet.

You can start by looking through Uncode's live demos, and then if you find one that you like, insert it directly into your website with one click and start customizing your text and images. Because of the variety of layouts available, this theme is an excellent option for almost every kind of artist.

If you're unsure where to start with Uncode's extensive library or if you're nervous about what the results will look like, visit the Showcase. Uncode offers Showcase as an option for users to see recently completed websites from their theme. It's an excellent way to get inspiration for your site.

Uncode offers adaptive images, which means that the theme will detect the screen size of a person who visits your site and adapt the images to fit the screen's size so that the images look just as beautiful on every screen option.

Pros

  • Extensive layout and template options
  • Live demos with a one-click application
  • Privacy plug-in included
  • WooCommerce integrations
  • 100% responsive layouts with adaptive images

Cons

  • Some of the previewable layouts no longer exist
  • Customer support can be slow to respond

KALLYAS?

Best for Photographers

The KALLYAS theme is all about what's happening “above the fold.” This focus means that a theme is an excellent option for photographers or other professionals who want to focus on potential clients' attention on their work first and details later.

Features

KALLYAS comes with a wide variety of slider options. Sliders are vital for photographers because they allow potential clients to view multiple images without scrolling down the page or moving to different pages.

Not only does KALLYAS have tons of layout options for a variety of needs, but their portfolio layout options are vast as well. Almost every artist needs a portfolio on their website, so having various options to choose from is vital to ensure your satisfaction during the website building process.

KALLYAS also has built-in pricing tables that you can easily customize to your needs. This is another reason that photographers will love this theme. It's simple to put in your pricing and services in these tables, and you can customize the font and coloration to your needs.

Pros

  • PHP contact form
  • Built-in pricing tables
  • PSD files included
  • Multi-browser functionality
  • Quick and friendly support

Cons

  • Updates are infrequent so that bugs can occur
  • Can have slow loading times compared to other themes

Astra Pro

Best in Popularity

Bigger isn't always better, but Astra Pro doesn't fit that bill. Astra is the most popular WordPress theme on the market in terms of use. It offers options, support, and building tools that you won't find in almost any other theme. Astra isn't just for people who understand coding, either. This is the ideal theme for individuals who are brand new to website building for many reasons.

Features

Fewer site blocks and faster loading times are at the forefront of what Astra achieves with its performance-focused layouts and coding. It comes ready to allow your website to look great on any device, from the smallest cell phone to the most massive desktop.

The number of design options available through Astra's catalog is difficult to comprehend. They have various pre-built layouts, headers, menus and more. Your Pro license gives you the ability to customize every detail of your website, from the colors to the fonts to the photos and text boxes.

Astra is WooCommerce ready, which means selling your art or merchandise to support your art is simple. You won't need special skills to understand how to set up your ecommerce page.

Utilize Astra's spacing control to create a custom look on your site. If you want something a bit more ready to go, you can choose from a huge array of versatile layouts that are straightforward with their uses to easily select one that fits your needs. Astra also has boxed layout options that work great for photographers wanting to showcase their work.

With SEO optimization built-in and plug-ins to connect your social media accounts, it's no wonder Astra is so popular. This theme will work for a wide variety of artists in all different professions.

Pros

  • Enhanced customizability
  • Built-in integrations to promote the website
  • Pre-built layouts and headers available
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Performance focused

Cons

  • Pro account is necessary to access all features
  • Pricey compared to other options

How to Choose a WordPress Theme for Artists

Choosing the right WordPress theme is vital to present yourself and your art in the best light. It would be best if you took your time to look through your options and get an idea of what's out there before you make your final decision. Try out a few demos, and read through our handy how-to guide to ensure you choose the best option.

Responsive Layouts

Responsive layouts are almost impossible to live without regardless of your profession right now, but they are even more vital for an artist. Responsive layouts ensure that your site will look great still of the device on which a client is viewing it.

In addition to fully responsive layouts, looking for adaptive image options is essential for photographers and other artists. Adaptive images can detect the size of your clients' screen and then adapt the size of an image to that screen to never appear pixelated or too large for the screen.

Performance Optimization

Loading times are a big deal for your clients. If it takes more than a few seconds to load your site, a prospective client might move on without even waiting to see your art. Looking for a theme that offers performance optimization can easily garner speeds up to 50% faster than a typical theme. Faster load times means more eyes on your art, and that means more money.

Plug-In Options

Look for a theme that offers several free plug-ins and options to purchase more. Plug-ins provide functionality that you can't get with a theme alone. Themes are there for design and aesthetics, but if you're looking to add more functionality for you or your website users, then you'll often need to utilize plug-ins throughout your site.

Plug-ins can get expensive if you need several to ensure the functionality of your site. If the theme comes with plug-ins, you'll be less likely to break the bank trying to create the missing functionality.

Check Reviews for Support Comments

The support you get with your theme will be vital to your success with that theme. Even if you decide on a beginner level theme, you'll probably end up needing support for one thing or another. Not all themes come with the kind of help you will need.

You're busy. You have art to create, merchandise to sell, and clients to help. You don't need to wait three days for a response from your theme's support department. Looking through your theme's comments to check for issues with customer support will help you eliminate options that won't be there for you when you need them.

Conclusion

There are so many WordPress themes out there for artists. A quick Google search will net you such a high number of options that it might be overwhelming to look through. We've narrowed down the search to our favorite seven, and we hope that you found one within those seven that you feel works well with your needs.

Our favorite is Divi because of its extensive customization options, from scratch user-friendliness and pre-built layouts, and 30-day free trial. Divi is also usable on as many websites as you want or need, making it an excellent option for an agency or an artist with multiple areas of expertise.

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7 Best WordPress Church Themes 2023 http://www.pcgam.com/best-wordpress-church-themes/ Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:28:01 +0000 http://www.pcgam.com/?p=15154 Part of running and keeping a church is the business side of it. Your church needs to have a website that will help new members of your congregation find all of the information they need and feel that your worship house takes your message seriously. Think of your website as a first impression. You want...

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Part of running and keeping a church is the business side of it. Your church needs to have a website that will help new members of your congregation find all of the information they need and feel that your worship house takes your message seriously.

Think of your website as a first impression. You want to show a strong online presence to invite new members to attend your church.

You don’t have to know how to code, nor do you need to hire a web designer. You only need to take a look at some of the best WordPress themes so you can build a significant site for your church all by yourself. There are dozens of great themes to choose from. We’ll look at seven of the best today.

What are the Best WordPress Themes for Churches?

WordPress themes are user friendly. Designers want people who know nothing about coding or web design to craft the perfect website. These themes ask for some sort of annual plan so your website can be updated and supported.

You will likely need to shell out some cash to keep your site up and running. The money you spend is worth it, though, as many of these plans offer valuable support.

Keep in mind that your website is the first impression you have for some of your new congregation members. You want a theme that is easy for you to use, and that draws in new members.

Here are the 7 Best WordPress Themes for Churches

Astra – Best Overall

Astra is a WordPress theme designed to suit any kind of website. It includes hundreds of demo sites for you to try out. Its advantages are that it is a fast and lightweight theme, making it easy for different browsers to load it.

It’s also easy to set up, which is excellent if you don’t have any web design background or coding background. Customization is good for page building. You can even import outside plugins and use them inside of this theme.

Another advantage is that Astra has built-in search engine optimization. Built into it is Schema.org code, and Astra is Native AMP ready. These features help your website become a top search result when a congregation member searches through Google or another search engine.

Pros:

  • Built-in SEO optimization
  • Can import plugins
  • Hundreds of demo sites
  • Integration with payment methods

Cons:

  • Have to pay for premium support and more options

Ultra – Easiest to Use

Ultra is a theme created by the team at Themify. Themify is a known and trusted maker of themes for WordPress.? It comes with a free version at no cost, but paid versions include extra features. It’s worth it to go for a paid plan if you can. The additional features will make your site look and feel more professional.

The free version offers no technical support. Themifiy’s Lifetime master option comes with a higher upfront price but gives you lifetime access to all themes, updates, photoshop, PSD files. These are useful for creating a site that stands out.

Ultra comes with premade demo sites and skins. These skins help you design your website quickly in just minutes. You’re able to display videos in the background of your site as well as animate text.

Like other themes, Ultra allows third-party plugins and add ons. Overall, Ultra keeps things simple by allowing you to select from useful templates.

Pros:

  • Skins help you design a site in minutes
  • Pre-designed layouts
  • Pre-made site demos
  • Affordable, made by a trusted maker

Cons:

  • High price for lifetime master support
  • Free option offers no support

TheGem – Most Template Options

TheGem is an adaptable and straightforward theme designed by the team at CodexThemes. It is a theme for the creatives out there.

With TheGem, you’ll have access to over 400 premade templates to choose from. You’ll have no shortage of options to design your ideal site. You can view the download page to see what kinds of websites are possible with the many different site skins. You can do all of this and not have to write any code.

You can customize this skin with external plugins. However, you’ll have to get high quality hosting like that of BlueHost, before you can use TheGem. The premium version of TheGem does require payment, but it connects directly to theme upgrades.

Pros:

  • Over 400 templates to choose from
  • Compatible with different plugins
  • Simple and adaptable

Cons

  • Requires hosting

ChurchHope – Best Features for Churches

This theme is brought to you by Themholics and is quality checked by Envato.

With ChurchHope, you can use pre-built page layouts specially designed for critical features for a church website. These pre-built page layouts to help you develop your website quickly. You have space for special sections your site visitors will want to see.

Your site visitors can view sermons through video, audio, or PDF. You can display your schedule clearly with your set Church times or calendar events. There is also a special place for speakers where you can include pictures and short bios for pastors.

These features highlight all of the essential parts of a church website. They provide a place to display your information clearly and in a design that looks professional. New church members will want to see how your church works and what your ultimate message is. This theme helps you put together a website that communicates these crucial details.

Some reviews say this theme does not offer support with the latest version of WordPress. However, developers met these comments with responses that the theme supports the newest version, and you have to make sure that you have the most updated version WordPress downloaded.

Pros:

  • Quality checked by Envato
  • Offers theme hosting
  • Special layouts for churches

Cons:

  • May have trouble with support for the latest version of WordPress

Avada – Most Popular

This theme is the number one best selling theme in the largest WordPress theme marketplace.

Created by the team at Theme Fusion, Avada focuses on versatility. You can use it as a layout for multiple kinds of websites. Though highly customizable, no coding knowledge is necessary. The drag and drop tool helps you intuitively create sections for your content. You’ll find that you can create a website that may match a professional web designer’s work if you make the right design choices.

Avada comes with a growing number of pre-built websites and individual page templates. The layout supports background videos. There is also support for popular plugins, like WooCommerce and gravity forms.

Currently, the site has 49 website demos. Though it is highly customizable, some reviews say that Avada may feel like a software piece that you have to learn how to use. The tools take time to learn. Maximum potential comes from understanding how to utilize each of the features best.

This theme is best for someone willing to learn how to use all of the site-building tools and work with the customization options. This theme’s real strength is its options for just about all of its features, but only for those who have the time to sit and learn how to get the best results.

Pros:

  • #1 bestselling theme
  • Highly customizable
  • supports outside plugins

Cons:

  • Not as intuitive
  • Requires time to learn and use well

Beautiful pro Theme – Easiest to Use

Beautiful is a theme that focuses on ease of creation. This theme is from Pro Theme Studio Press. You can begin to create your website with just a few clicks.

There are ten widget areas for a simple design to save you time. It comes with premade templates for your use. The theme is mobile responsive, so it will run well when booted up on the phone.

This theme is our recommended quick and easy theme option. Though it is not as customizable as some other themes, it allows you to design a site without learning a lot of software to make your website look and feel professionally done.

Beautiful Pro Theme is best suited if you need a website for your church without the hassle of going through unlimited amounts of options. It is a fast yet reliable theme that will give your website the edge it needs. One drawback is the high price for the theme, but the money upfront can save you time if you’re looking for that.

Pros:

  • Simplest design
  • Mobile Responsive
  • Saves time

Cons:

  • Highest price

Benevolence – Best Support

The Benevolence theme is designed especially for churches and nonprofit organizations. A key asset to this theme is that its optimization for speed. Its advantages are the integrated features for multiple payment methods. These are methods like Paypal and credit cards.

It is currently sporting a 5-star customer rating with high praise for excellent support. It comes with 18 widget areas, 11 custom post types, and unlimited color options. Another asset to Benevolence in its SEO optimization. The theme responds automatically to adapted resolution. So whether the customer is viewing the site on a computer or a mobile device, the theme will respond and look great too.

Benevolence has the fastest page load speed for a non-profit site. Its speed grade is A90+. This speed will help your website stand out among other top results that might get looked over due to slow startup speed.

The theme works great for fundraisers as you can track donations. There are also features to support sermons in audio, video, or document formats.

Benevolence reviews praise the high quality of support that backs the theme. Users are incredibly happy with their service.

Pros:

  • Designed for churches and nonprofit organizations
  • Consistent 5-star customer ratings
  • Optimized for site speed
  • SEO Friendly
  • Low yearly price

Cons:

  • High price for Lifetime access
  • Lifetime access is quite a step higher.

How to Choose a WordPress Church Theme

Apart from our seven themes, there are hundreds of themes that you can choose from. The truth is that most of these themes do the same things. They are website designs that you can control to design a site to your liking for your church.

Though they are quite similar, it’s up to you to focus on what your Church needs. In most cases, you don’t need a site with a lot of fluff to make it look nice. You need the information that new and current members of your church are looking for to stand out.

Much of the decisions you’ll need to make are your personal preference. Keep in mind that the impression that your website gives will give the visitor an idea about what your church is all about. You want your new church members to see your site and become aware of how your church runs and what your church deems to be the most important.

When you look for the right theme, there are several factors to keep in mind.

Some of these factors to think about are technical for websites. Things like speed and SEO will help your website maximize user experience.

Clarity of information and collections and donations are content-based pieces of your website that you must also consider. Think of the core values of your church. You want those values to be clear to any new site visitor.

Think through these factors to get the best possible site for your church.

Clarity of Information

The message your church has must be made clear on your website. Choose a theme that is easy to read. You want a first time visitor to find everything they need to know with no hassle. Your website viewers should find your church schedule, calendar, and sermons on the front page.

Select or design your layout with crucial information in a place that users will find with just a glance. The point of your site is to help users find out about how they can get involved.

Collections and Donations

Most people understand that churches remain up and running with the help of donations and periodic collections from the congregation. Your website can help your church get the assistance it needs.

You will want a theme that allows you to display how your church does collections. Each church handles its collections a little differently. If someone has found your site with the hope to donate, make doing so a convenience and not a scavenger hunt.

Plugins or built-in options make it, so your website is compatible with credit card payments or Paypal. Consider if the theme you’re getting has these plugins or features available. It will make donating much easier for churchgoers.

Speed

You want to choose a theme with a fast site speed. That means after your website is found and clicked, the website should load in full in just a few seconds or less.

In a world of speed, your site’s loading speed could be the difference between someone visiting your church or finding another one. With all the different churches out there, it’s difficult enough to get a visitor to your site. In terms of speed, faster websites will win more visitors.

Accompanied with this is the idea that your theme should look good across all web browsing platforms. Whether someone views your website on a desktop, a laptop, or through a mobile device — your theme has to look great. Make sure you choose a theme that is fully functional across these platforms to maximize your visitor potential.

Price

Pricing is something to consider too. These themes offer support for their users. The free plans save you money, but you will lack the means for a professional look and feel. Your site doesn’t have to be fancy in any way, but it must have a presence that shows your church is a real business.

You want a plan with support, especially if you don’t know code or web design. It can get a little expensive with higher-tier packages. This support is your maintenance if anything goes wrong with your website.

SEO Ready

Finally, you also want your site to be SEO or search engine optimized. This optimization will make your website one of the first ones when someone does a google search or search engine search for churches. SEO is powerful because it makes it, so your website is the easiest to find. If you pair speed with excellent website content, you can count on more members clicking your site.

Seven Best WordPress Themes for Churches Roundup

  1. Astra – Recommended
  2. Ultra – Most User Friendly
  3. TheGem – Most Templates
  4. ChurchHope – Best Features for Churches
  5. Avada – Most Popular
  6. Beautiful Pro Theme – Easiest to Use
  7. Benevolence – Best Support

Final Thoughts

Astra is our recommended theme for your church. It’s a fast, reliable, and SEO ready theme that gives you plenty of options for designing an excellent site for your church. As runner up, we recommend the Benevolence theme for its support. Both of these are trusted themes that have won high praise in WordPress’s marketplace. You won’t go wrong with either one.

Websites help your business by providing all the information your customers or new church members need. A simple website that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to use will allow your church members to find all they need to know.

FAQs

Which theme is easiest to use?

If you want a theme with simple tools, we recommend the Ultra theme. It is compatible with a drag and drop tool to make things easier for you. Building the website will be fast and easy — even fun with this feature. You can try out as many options as you like until you have just what you need.

For a super easy to use theme, we recommend the Beautiful Pro Theme. Though it is a little pricey, you will save time. You’ll also have confidence with a great layout and a high-performance website.

Can I use a free theme for my church website?

The short answer is “yes,” you certainly can. However, there are some major drawbacks to using a free theme plan compared to even the cheapest package for that theme.

Oftentimes, free theme downloads will lack support. They will also lack customization features and may not update appropriately over time. A lack of support could cause your site to underperform, and ultimately, your options will be limited.

You may not want to get a lifetime package right away. These are the most expensive packages. Perhaps you want to see how you like the theme before deciding that it will be the one you use for life. Cheaper packages will allow you to experience some more customized options, and they usually come with support for your site. In the end, it’s worth it to go for a paid plan. The assets available for a fee will help your site immeasurably.

Which theme has the best templates?

Many of the themes here come with beautiful pre-built templates for you to use with your website. We recommend Astra, Avada, and ChurchHope for the best themes. Both Astra and Avada are trusted themes with numerous options for customization. You can select a template and tailor it just to your liking.

ChurchHope has specialized features for churches and nonprofit organizations. You might want these to help information on your website standout.

How long will it take for me to design my page with a Church Theme?

The time it takes to design your page will mostly be based on how long you want to spend customizing it. Some themes here make it so you can create a website in just a few minutes. These have premade layouts and drag and drop tools. You can make a simple and functional website with only these tools.

Some of the themes here focus on giving you options for detailed customization. You can spend as much time as you want, making sure you design every website’s detail. The great thing about these themes is that designers made them so you can create great sites without knowing any kind of programming.

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Best WordPress Themes for Blogging 2023 – Content Never Looked So Good http://www.pcgam.com/best-wordpress-theme-for-blogging/ Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:22:44 +0000 http://www.pcgam.com/?p=15152 A lot of planning, organizing, hard work, and pure talent goes into creating a fantastic blog. Regardless of the topic or the content you post, it all comes together in the perfect package when you choose the right theme.  WordPress has 200 themes, so what's the best WordPress theme for blogging?  What's the Best WordPress...

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A lot of planning, organizing, hard work, and pure talent goes into creating a fantastic blog. Regardless of the topic or the content you post, it all comes together in the perfect package when you choose the right theme. 

WordPress has 200 themes, so what's the best WordPress theme for blogging? 

What's the Best WordPress Theme for Blogging?

In the interest of time, we've listed our top seven choices right from the get-go for anyone who can't stick around: 

  1. Divi – Best Overall 
  2. Thrive Theme Builder – Best for Lead Generation 
  3. Hemmingway – Best Free Theme
  4. Typography – Best Minimalist Theme
  5. Astra Pro – Best for Premium Expansion
  6. Entrepreneurship – Best for Magazine Style 
  7. Angle – Best Flexible Space 

We've also gone into great detail about blogging themes and each of our top choices, so read on to learn even more valuable information. 

How We Determined Our Top Choices

The themes we picked weren't just picked from a hat. In fact, we used a thorough screening process based on critical features that we feel are important for blogger themes. The features we focused on the most included:

  • Ease of Use
  • Customization/Design
  • Support
  • Value

These four components serve as a good starting point for finding a high-quality blogging theme. 

Divi – Best Overall

Created by Elegant Themes, the Divi theme has proven to be our number one choice overall. Not only is it prevalent among WordPress users across the board, but it builds in tons of useful and impressive features that are easy to implement. 

Pros

  • Extremely user-friendly
  • Ready to use out of the box
  • Highly customizable
  • Multipurpose use 
  • Easy and direct text editing
  • Mobile responsive layouts
  • Includes 20 premade layouts

Cons

  • You have to load your page before truly seeing the layout
  • No live chat support
  • Elegant Themes uses a separate marketplace, meaning you have to pay for additional plug-ins 

Ease of Use: 4.5/5

This functional theme is set to go from the start. It works just like any average WordPress theme – despite the fact that it's third-party created. 

Divi is very much a learn-as-you-use platform. In other words, the best way to pick it up is to just jump right in. Once you get going, you'll notice that all of the columns, content block, text boxes, and rows are simple to move, juggle, and adjust. 

Customization/Design: 4.5/5

Divi provides both premade layouts and the ability to completely customize your entire site. With the easy-to-use tools and many template options, you can essentially create any kind of structure or design that you can think of. 

You can start with anyone of their included designs or layouts and work from there.

One specific design element we'd like to highlight here is Divi's split-testing module. Here, you can split your screen between two designs or layouts and review them side-by-side.

Support: 2/5

Users report having severe difficulties in terms of reaching out and making contact with support agents. Not only do they say that support agents take well over a day to respond, but there also appears to be problems with the live chatbox. If you don't keep the chat box open on your screen, you will automatically get kicked out. 

Value 3.5/5

There are only two pricing options when it comes to using Divi: a yearly module and lifetime access.

As far as value goes, the lifetime option is pretty good. But we did find some issues with the limited yearly subscription. For example, your access is severely limited, even though you're paying a significant amount.

Even with the upgrade, the theme has its own separate marketplace for plug-ins and add-ons.

Thrive Theme Builder – Best for Lead Generation

The Thrive Theme Builder is our favorite theme for bloggers who need to generate leads, make conversions, and secure reliable income from their content. 

Pros

  • Simply and fun customization (drag and drop)  
  • User-friendly and easy to operate
  • Start from scratch or use a Shapeshift starter theme
  • Thrive Editor allows for quick and easy content management
  • Lightweight and mobile-optimized
  • Conversion and website traffic focus

Cons

  • Basic understanding of WordPress is required
  • Theme is not compatible with some e-commerce add-ons like WooCommerce 
  • Theme is not recommended for code users

Ease of Use: 4.4/5

Thrive Theme Builder was designed to let you achieve a professional-looking website without the use of a professional.

Using Thrive starts with three simple steps:

  1. Upload Thrive Theme Builder
  2. Follow the simple Site Creation Wizard
  3. Add content and publish it

It really is that easy. Plus, you have the option to build your theme from scratch or use the Shapeshift feature. This little tool lets you design a custom site in just about 15 minutes.

Customization/Design: 4.5/5

The Thrive Theme Builder is an excellent option for anyone who's not quite technically savvy, but still wants complete control over the design aspect of their website. This is great for bloggers because you often need to showcase your personality through your website's appearance. 

With Thrive, users have so much control that they can literally alter their theme pixel by pixel. Even individuals with little to no coding or site-building experience can create and customize every element, including fonts, colors, layouts, category pages, headers, footers, sidebars, and more.  

Support: 4.9/5

Thrive Theme's support meets the standard of excellence. They are highly responsive and easy to get in touch with, especially considering the access to support tickets right in your dashboard. You will absolutely get a response within 24 hours, but likely even sooner.

Value: 4/5

It seems that users get a lot for their buck when it comes to Thrive. There are two membership options: the Thrive Membership and the Agency Membership. This nice thing about Thrive is that they divide their memberships by need.

The Thrive Membership is recommended for individuals and entrepreneurs, while the other is for agencies and web designers. We like this because it leaves no question as to which you will need. 

Hemmingway – Best Free Theme 

Hemmingway is our choice for the best free theme for bloggers. Simple yet appealing to the eye, this is a theme that even the newest of bloggers can find great value in. 

Pros

  • Basic theme for beginner bloggers
  • Free option that allows you to start out without paying 
  • Clean and attractive appearance with some personalization options
  • Excellent performance and mobile-optimized
  • Easy installation and activation
  • Special post format options

Cons

  • Minimal design/formatting options
  • Limited widgets/add-ons 
  • Little to no support

Ease of Use: 5/5

Because the Hemmingway theme focuses on the written word over design, super-technological features, and development, it's incredibly easy to use. If you're a blogger who simply wants to write without worrying about setup, design, and distractions, this is the theme for you. 

Upon setup, users simply have to activate the theme – and just like that, you're ready to go. It already looks good, and it's ready for mobile devices as well. 

Customization/Design: 3.5/5

Because this theme was specifically created to be simple and easy to use, it feels hard to give it a customization rating. While there may not be a whole realm of design options at your fingertips, there are a few things that you can control.

The Hemmingway theme allows users to customize colors, including accents, backgrounds, links, and buttons. You can also create custom header images and post in special formats, including video, quotes, and standard. 

There are also four different areas for widgets if you so choose to include them.

Basically, you can tweak your formatting a little bit, so it's nice to have those options even with such a simple platform. 

Support: 2.5/5

The critical thing to understand here is that Hemmingway was a theme that was kind of created in someone's spare time. It's not super involved, it's easy to use, and there's not a lot of features – so basically, not a lot can actually go wrong. 

Because of these details, the support really isn't super involved here. You can secure essential support within the WordPress forums, but you won't have access to technical documentation, live chats, or genuinely dedicated support. 

Value: 4.5/5

Considering this theme is free, there's really not much to question on its value. Most individuals who use this theme come here for the explicit purpose of a no-hassle, no-cost platform to post their personal writing. 

That being said, when you're paying nothing for something, you're getting a pretty good value. 

Typology – Best Minimalist Theme 

As the name suggests, the Typology theme is a modernized, text-based WordPress theme that boasts a minimal design that allows bloggers to focus on what they do best: write. 

Pros

  • Minimalist designs focus on content over design
  • Simple and easy to use 
  • Compatible with a wide range of plug-ins, browsers, e-commerce programs, and software
  • Responsive design
  • Fast and reliable speeds

Cons

  • Does not use images
  • Not ideal for visual bloggers

Ease of Use: 4.5/5

When there's less to set up, learn, and put into place, themes become that much easier to use. The Typology theme lets your focus on what's important and puts everything you need well within your reach. 

It's incredibly easy to start your page, with most things being pretty self-explanatory. However, if you do run into a bump along the way, the responsive support team is there for comprehensive guidance. Plus, you can always tap into the step-by-step setup guide.  

Customization/Design: 4.8/5

Hear us out on this one. Yes, this is a minimalist theme. However, the theme has also managed to capture the attention of users even without the use of images or animations altogether. 

Users still have several design and customization options they can implement to make their blog their own. 

From top to bottom, you can choose various displays for your cover area, your intro, your posts, and more. You can select your ideal layout, and of course, fine-tune your typology from font style to font size and beyond. 

With unlimited colors, fonts, and logo optimization, you can genuinely make this simple website your own with ease. 

Support: 4.6/5

In some cases, themes with minimal design selections tend to have less than stellar support. However, Typology is the exception. Customers rave about their support team, who typically answers in 24 hours or less. You also have access to WordPress experts and a complete setup guide. 

Value: 4.8/5

For just $59, you can set up your captivating yet straightforward blog focused purely on your writing. If you're looking for a platform that you can make your own without having to worry about extra frills and complicated coding, then this is it. 

The value is excellent here; we can't say enough about it. 

Astra Pro – Best for Premium Expansion

While Astro Pro is an excellent theme for beginners, we also love that it offers fantastic premium expansions so your site can grow as you develop your skills and knowledge. 

Pros

  • Versatile design for blogs, portfolios, businesses, and online shops
  • Free version allows you to start and explore
  • Offers tons of high-quality designs and the ability to import more
  • Superb upgrade options – both paid and free
  • Created by a long-running development company

Cons

  • Extra steps for customer support
  • Limited style and layout options for comments, headers, and other areas

Ease of Use: 4.8/5

Astra lets you use the page builder of your choice, so you can pick whichever one you're most familiar with. And, you don't have to use any code whatsoever. Both of these details make the theme incredibly user-friendly. 

You can also opt to use the default theme. Here, you can still customize, but you get a starting layout that makes it simple to change a few things here and there as you please. Operation is fast, simple, and involves a lot less clicking and scrolling than other themes. 

Customization/Design: 4.9/5

The big deal about Astra Pro's customization options goes far beyond the features and bleeds over into its speed. Many themes have a wide range of options, but the theme itself can't handle these details without sacrificing speed.

With Astra Pro, you can customize essentially any little element of your website, including backgrounds, colors, typography, layout, and more. This is even true of the free version, which is super generous.  

Support: 4/5

Generally, support is outstanding across Astra's platform. When you enter the support page, you do have to type in the issue you have before actually talking to someone. Some people find this extra step annoying, but it's really not a big deal. 

Value: 4.5/5

Some users say that Astra Pro is one of the best WordPress themes ever. While we won't go that far, we can agree that you are indeed getting your money's worth with this theme. 

The theme is easy to use, fast, offers a free version, and tons of excellent design options. In fact, many users agree that even with the free version, they have more than enough to build a solid blog. The paid upgrade is just a bonus. 

Entrepreneurship – Best for Magazine Style

Writers and bloggers come in all shapes and sizes. Some prefer poetry, while others focus on satire. Entrepreneurship is an excellent choice for bloggers focusing on the magazine-style. 

Pros

  • Captivating design
  • Responsive design
  • Search engine optimized 
  • Fast and reliable 
  • User-friendly
  • Fully customizable

Cons

  • Many options designed for entrepreneurs may be irrelevant
  • Some aspects are a little complicated to set up. 

Ease of Use: 4/5

The easiest part about using Entrepreneurship is the setup. In just about three minutes, you can choose your basic settings and install your theme. The setup allows you to skip over certain steps that you can handle later on, or you can choose all your settings right away. 

Because of extra features like social media integration and shortcodes, inexperienced users might have a little bit of difficulty setting this theme up and customizing it. 

Customization/Design: 4.7/5

With Entrepreneurship, you have tons of options when it comes to customizing and designing your website. You can choose from advanced typography, unlimited sidebars, unlimited color schemes, and even huge, customizable menus. 

It also comes ready for widgets, several languages, and a wide range of file types. You can use third-party plug-ins and even apply code edits. Basically, there's nothing you can't do. 

Support: 4/5

Not only does Entrepreneurship offer 24/7, 365-day support, but they also deliver a Child Theme Support that lets you build your own theme. When direct support is lacking, they have extensive documentation where you can often find many of the answers to your questions about features and theme details. 

Value: 4/5

Given that support, customization, and ease of use average out across the board here, we agree that Entrepreneurship gives you a good value here. The membership often offers free trials for multiple sites, while the paid version is one-lifetime cost – and it's a pretty good deal. 

Angle – Best Flexible Space

Angle is another minimalistic theme that was actually designed and created by bloggers. What could be a better option for bloggers than that? 

Pros

  • Clean, elegant, and simple design
  • Portfolio module focuses on writing and work
  • Customizable homepage, color, and typography
  • Plenty of space for widgets and add-ons

Cons

  • 1

Ease of Use: 4/5

There is so much that you can do with this simple layout that it may feel a little overwhelming at first. Of course, with images being an optional addition, it only becomes complicated if you take it to that level. 

Overall, the setup is super easy. With just one click, you can install your theme and get going. From there, you can customize what you like rather than spending hours upon hours setting up every little detail. 

Customization/Design: 4.5/5

The Angle theme delivers a theme options panel that lets you choose from a wide range of built-in theme options. You can edit your homepage, layout, colors, styles, and more. You can even go beyond these visible themes and edit items such as exporting/importing, SEO, and general settings. 

On top of that, Angle's portfolio module lets you prominently display images. While other blogging sites focus on the words, this theme understands that some bloggers also want pictures, photo galleries, and visual effects. 

Support: 4.6/5

Angle has customer support agents that actually answer the questions that you have. They answer quickly and concisely, delivering comprehensive solutions that are easy to understand and implement. 

Value: 4.5/5

Compared to other themes, this one is particularly affordable. And with this low cost, you gain access to a simple design with a lot of options backing it up. It's basic yet flexible, allowing you to showcase your portfolio without any hassles, coding, or hoops to jump through. 

How to Choose the Best WordPress Theme for Blogging

The great thing about being a blogger is that there are so many creators out there designing themes specifically for your sector. While other professionals, like sales leaders, photographers, and videographers, might have to find more specialized platforms for their craft, bloggers have the luxury of a wider range of options.

Ease of Use

As a blogger, your main focus is most like your writing. While you may implement things like videos, photos, etc., the words are the most important thing here.

Rather than a theme that requires coding and has complicated instructions for every step, look for a theme that implements drag and drop tools, easy-to-find sections, and helpful tips. 

Customization & Design Flexibility

Some WordPress themes come with set themes that cannot be changed once you have chosen them. Still, more of them have very set layouts and formatting that don't really give you much room to toy around and change things up. 

The best WordPress themes allow bloggers to customize their pages, choose their own colors, and mess around with various fonts. While a theme will start out with a suggested color scheme, font choice, and layout, you should have the freedom to mix it up and try new things. 

Select a theme that will allow your creative side to thrive. You may not be a design expert, but that doesn't mean you can't put your own unique twist on any given page, header, or text box.

Support

We'll just come out and say this right away: the more money you're spending on your theme, the more likely you are to have quick and reliable support.

That's not to say that with a cheap or even a free theme, you definitely won't have good support. In general, though, since you're paying more, the theme's creator wants you to stay happy. 

High-quality support is critical to have on hand should something go wrong with your website. When you're up and running, live, and with loyal site visitors, the worst thing that can happen is a glitch in your site.

Value

A lot of factors will come into play when considering the overall value of your WordPress theme. The main question here is this: is your theme worth the money you're spending on it? 

Many of the themes we listed above come with monthly fees. The price ranges vary, as do the features built into each. A good theme will offer a wide range of features for a fair price. If you're paying a lot per month for only a few features, there's a chance you're paying too much.

The post Best WordPress Themes for Blogging 2023 – Content Never Looked So Good appeared first on WebMonkey.

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Best WordPress Theme for Video 2023 : Top Options for Vloggers and Filmmakers http://www.pcgam.com/best-wordpress-theme-for-video/ Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:57:01 +0000 http://www.pcgam.com/?p=15147 If you're putting your heart into creating excellent video content, don't do the unthinkable and skimp on presentation quality. The best way to showcase your videos for business or entertainment is to use a web format that highlights the content and makes it easy for viewers to watch. While designing a website from scratch is...

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If you're putting your heart into creating excellent video content, don't do the unthinkable and skimp on presentation quality. The best way to showcase your videos for business or entertainment is to use a web format that highlights the content and makes it easy for viewers to watch.

While designing a website from scratch is a headache, it's remarkably easy to set up a WordPress theme, specifically designed to showcase videos. You will immediately notice how a quality WordPress theme draws attention to the content while optimizing SEO and various technical issues.

In this guide, we will list seven of the best WordPress themes designed with videos in mind. Take a look at each one and then download the one you think fits best with your product.

What is the Best WordPress Theme for Video?

  1. Vlog – Best video theme for numerous design options
  2. Videoly – Best beginner’s video theme
  3. Astra – Best free video theme
  4. Vidiho – Best social sharing theme with video
  5. Divi – Most popular theme
  6. Relive – Best efficient magazine style theme
  7. Superflick – Best video theme for filmmakers

1. Vlog – Best Video WordPress Theme for Design Variety

Vlog has an easy name to remember, and its simplicity at handling various complex tasks is why we ranked the theme so high. Vlog has a sophisticated theme with a clean interface, and yet one made for users that want to share many videos quickly.

Vlog can be used for many scenarios, such as vlogging, creating a news magazine, or even sharing popular videos from other sites with your audience. The theme automatically supports and correctly displays videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and other popular sites.

You get a custom video importer plugin to help with easy formatting that will quickly standardize and display in most popular browsers. You can also group videos and articles into playlists of your choosing. Whether you want to publish a tutorial or even a series of videos, it's easy to keep things organized.

You can attract attention quickly using a full-width video slider and section for “Featured” playlists inside an easy to view grid. You can also post the latest videos for returning viewers.

First, you select one of the theme's demos with various styles for vloggers. Find the one that best suits your business and personality and then start publishing videos onsite or linking them to your video sharing account offsite.

The number of templates ensures you get the ideal layout for your site. You also get auto-detecting software to create thumbnails for previewing content.

There are also options for monetizing your site, saving videos for playback later on, and displaying videos in a full-screen mode.

Besides all the handy features, the theme also remains flexible and fast-loading for optimal viewing. If you're picky about visuals, Vlog can help you find the right look.

Pros

  • Displays video links, like YouTube or Vimeo, just like your own video file
  • Over 200 post layout options
  • Optimized for fast loading
  • Ready for monetization
  • Display categories, widgets, and more

Cons

  • Occasionally gets minor complaints of bugs and glitches

Price

  • $69

2. Videoly – Best Video Theme for Beginners

Videoly is not only versatile but has a beautiful and yet complex display page. The design works well for video loggers, YouTube hosts, and other content producers that need control over layouts. The theme comes with nine demos to choose from and a Visual Composer page builder, so you can customize your page to reach a specific audience.

Display your best videos using various thumbnails, which can also play immediately or take the user to a specific page or video link – whatever you choose! This theme's key feature is how much flexibility you get over the home page, not only with templates but also with other adjustable features.

The drag-and-drop design keeps things very simple, so there's no need to study anything too confusing. You also get customizing controls and settings over the homepage and how single posts are displayed.

You can choose one of six different hero sliders or nine templates that organize a number of videos in a logical and scannable way. The theme also handles new Google Fonts, offers unlimited colors for presentation, and is responsive and optimized for SEO and fast loading time.

The ability to change visual presentation without knowing any code makes Videoly a beginner's choice.

Pros

  • Choose between six hero slider types
  • View in any retina display for better image quality
  • A lifetime of free updates
  • Multiple header layouts for a unique look
  • Quick customer service, responds in 24 hours

Cons

  • Not everyone admires Visual Composer, the included editor

Price

  • $59

3. Astra – Best Free Video Theme

Astra may not be the best overall theme for the video, but it's almost the best to download for a free video theme. Astra is a fast-loading and very lightweight theme that makes it easy for new web entrepreneurs to launch their site, with easy-to-learn video support.

The theme has starter templates and allows video flexibility without coding. The theme was designed for page builders, who wanted control over the title, sidebar, and page's full width.

Astra is faster than most other video themes because of its lightweight design. Yet, its simplicity doesn't compromise on customizing the home page or other visual aspects of the theme. You can adjust the header, blog, archives, and the way single posts are displayed. You can also modify the footer and customize the sidebar to your liking.

The theme has many different header layouts, while also offering color and typography control that matches your video content. You can design blog posts layouts and archive pages and the width and metadata of all posts. Astra is complex in the sense that it gives you a great deal of control but still manages to meet common Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

The visuals are clean and yet made for page builders that you can integrate with the theme, even programs like Beaver Builder, Visual Composer, and Site Origin.

Astra is not the newest or most dynamic theme out there, but if you don't have much to spend, it's a fine one to start exploring. Best of all, it's not just a demo, but a free theme to download and install. There is also a paid version of Astra, though the free version works fine and has a generous support community online.

Pros

  • The free version is not limited, but completely free and loaded with features
  • Create full-width pages or custom layouts
  • Lightweight programming, meaning faster loading time
  • Full integration with site editors and other tools
  • Follows the best SEO practices

Cons

  • Lacking some in-depth customization, probably on account of it being free

Price

  • Free option
  • $47, Pro
  • $169, Agency
  • $249, Agency Bundle

4. Vidiho – Best Video Theme for Sharing Social Content

Part of video hosting is making a share-friendly site so that your audience wants to share links. That's why the makers of Vidiho focused on creating an attractive homepage with social media integration and a host of other features. The presentation starts with a large image slider for a homepage, and it displays high-resolution videos.

In addition to built-in social media links, you can also use shortcodes, page layouts, widgets, and lightbox popups for a dramatic coupon offer or reminder.

Whether you want to direct attention to YouTube or Vimeo (or even your site), you can embed videos by pasting the link into the Vidiho theme.

You can also adjust column setups and start editing headers, footers, and the look of single posts. The theme also integrates with page builder programs like Elementor. That way, you can further customize the visual aspects of the theme.

With the many share-friendly options like split menus, adjustable headers, widgets, floating video, and a video slider, this theme is both minimalist and yet dramatic in reaching first-time viewers. Adjust the headers and footers to make room for more widgets.

You will also enjoy modern options like loading effects, column selections, grid gutter adjustments, flip orientations, other page elements. The theme is compatible with other plugins and is still updated by the producers. The staff offers quick customer service for technical issues, though there is also an online tutorial.

The demo import option is very useful to new users. Now you can replicate the existing and highly professional site with your video content and specifications. Replace the company's content with your own and spare yourself of reading hours of technical jargon.

Pros

  • Manage all video content, onsite and off, from WordPress
  • Integrate all your video with social media pages
  • Elementor and Elementor Pro integration for detailed site creation
  • Flexible headers and footers for a creative presentation
  • One-click demo importing for beginners

Cons

  • Although the site does load fast, does not come loaded with fancy visual animations or effects

Price

  • $34.30 for just the theme
  • $174.30 for a lifetime-buy of all options and updates

5. Divi – Most Popular Video Theme

Divi was built to handle single home pages or multi-pages, but always with a drag and drop design for new users. The theme also includes features that quickly grab attention, like parallax scrolling, showcases, and an animated slider.

This drag and drop page builder also does wonders for video sites, whether you want to use a template layout or use it as a background. You can select from hundreds of different templates in terms of visual style, each one publishing video content in sliders, or a header, or even a full-page background.

Divi excels in simple operations and a clean interface because it was written for beginning web publishers. While you can control many details of the size, including fonts, colors, text styles, and even animations, you also get more fun with transforming elements and using advanced filters. The theme works with other builder solutions though it offers its fixes without new code.

Divi offers fast loading, giving you the ideal layout according to your preferences in just seconds and a preview screen. The real-time website building, along with the live preview, according to your chosen device. You don't have to fill out forms to see how the page looks.

The “all-in-one” approach of Divi is one reason why it's a popular download. It not only handles videos but also gives you control over live editing, rows, columns, and layouts so that you can display videos most efficiently, whether your audience is using a mobile device, tablet, or desktop PC.

Divi's feature of importing a ready layout is one of the best ways for a nervous beginner to get started. Don't start with an overwhelming blank page. Discover how things work by using a template that's ready to go, and that matches your content.

Get started right away, and more importantly, change your theme right away if you feel the need to restructure. Everything's easy to manage, with an all-in-one solution like Divi.

Pros

  • Drag and drop editing, with true visual editing of your site in real-time
  • Save unlimited custom designs
  • 800 premade designs and 100+ website layouts
  • Believed to be the most popular WordPress theme
  • Money-back guarantee

Cons

  • More like a complete system, with email, social sharing, and site builder – pricier than average

Price

  • $89 a year
  • $249 for life

6. Relive– Most Efficient Magazine Style Video Theme

The Relive video-centric theme has a distinct look and mood, and one that encourages storytelling, through a combination of video, text, and photography. The responsive theme has many modern features that make for more immersive visitor experiences.

Using integrated multimedia and a retina-ready option for superior image quality, Relive can display videos, podcasts, photos, articles, and other “personal stories” in an organized way, with an artful display style. The page is also customizable and ideal for fashion or travel posts where both video and photos will be posted on the same page.

The style is minimalist and clean, but the customization level is impressive. Change blog layouts, single posts, headers, transparency levels, menus, and other custom elements, or keep things simple with a carousel slider and insertable slides to create a trending stories category. You can also integrate the Relive theme with your own choice of modern page builder plugin.

The site has modern pagination features to display blocks of information at a time, to speed up load time – an important factor in SEO optimization and better search rankings.

Pros

  • Lightweight design and yet made with a distinct mood and presentation
  • Over 600 Google fonts
  • One-click demo for beginners
  • Free visual composer plugin included with purchase
  • Get HTML exports so you can transfer the site to other site editors like Joomla, Drupal, etc.

Cons

  • May not be useful if you don't have a lot of articles, images, sound files to include along with video

Price

  • $58, Starter
  • $99, Developer
  • $299, Lifetime

7. Superflick – Most Cinematic Video Theme

Superflick may be a general-purpose theme for video, but it's certainly clear why it's recommended for movies, TV, and internet shows. The theme has some impressive templates for publishing professional-quality movies and multiple videos at a time.

You can choose from Superflick demos to give your project a movie-trailer look, including not only the video but also the text. The layouts allow you to simply add your own personal touches to a standardized format. However, you're not limited by the layouts since you can mix and match a number of videos, audio files, and other multimedia projects.

Even if you're totally in the dark about working with a video publishing theme, the demo content importer will guide you through the process. All you have to do is upload your content and customize your text. If you prefer, you can customize other details using the WPBakery Page Builder, which is included with purchase and integrates well with the Superflick theme.

Superflick works well for video artists and filmmakers and agencies and studios who want to create a portfolio with freedom and flexibility. While the over 100 templates are impressive in their own right, the ability to alter and create an almost unlimited number of unique layout changes is one of the best features of Superflick.

Other modern features include mouse hover previewing, video backgrounds and zoom effect, sliders, galleries, menus, MailChimp integration, social sharing links, and built-in feeds widget area.

Superflick is not only one of the most customizable themes, but its dramatic highlighting of video content can turn any trailer into a studio-quality exhibition.

Pros

  • Unlimited layouts
  • 100+ templates
  • “Steal” the demo template with your content
  • Page builder WPBakery Page Builder included
  • Choose between eight sliders

Cons

  • Designed for films and music, not necessarily other videography projects

Price

  • $69

FAQs About WordPress Themes and Video

What's the difference between themes and templates?

While the term “template” is sometimes used colloquially to refer to the overall design, the most accurate definition for a complete package of page layout details is called a theme. WordPress themes refer to your entire site's unique designs, made possible by the theme developer, using WordPress' CMS system.

A WordPress template is a single-page layout that is part of the overall WordPress theme. There may be multiple templates, or even hundreds, within one WordPress theme. There are also more complex definitions of templates, such as PHP templates and hierarchies used in WordPress coding, as the official WordPress blog explains.

When it's time to spruce your site up, you don't install templates – you install themes, which let you change templates and redesign your site's layout.

What Do People Mean When Referring to Coding, CSS, HTML, and PHP?

These are the languages of web design that programmers understand, but that many new site builders take for granted – especially since their themes allow them to design website pages using a WYSIWYG editor, or “site builder.” An integrated site page builder means that this editor is proven to work with the WordPress theme.

What should I consider when looking for a new video theme?

Users may want to change slide layouts, color schemes, background images or movies, fonts, and animation effects. These aspects are all part of a WordPress theme.

What's the difference between themes and plugins?

WordPress themes are made to alter a site's layout and edit multiple aspects of style and display. Plugins are more mechanical and have to do with adding new features to your WordPress CMS system.

Generally, you should install a new theme first (and make sure WordPress and your PHP system are up to date) and then install new plugins that “integrate” with that theme.

How many video themes can I have?

There is no limit, according to WordPress. But keep in mind keeping multiple themes that you do not use may waste your storage space. Having a few different themes, however, lets you change the look of your site in seconds.

What is meant by the expression WordPress child themes?

No, “child themes” are not made for or by zillennials. Instead, they refer to themes that are “children” of an original parent theme – that is, a successful theme that was changed or edited slightly. The new theme is original but still derivative, as it used the same framework as the first theme.

Why is my background video not displaying correctly?

Simply installing a new WordPress theme doesn't guarantee a video background will display correctly. Smart Slider plugins make the process easy, and so does publishing videos with high resolution. Read more about Smart Slider strategies from the Smart Slider page.

Remember that despite the high number of video content out there, less is still more! Videos on your site should be shorter in length, not only so that your audience will watch more of them, but also for faster page loading.

You can also activate looping video, which doesn't have to pause for buffering or start pagination, which only loads bits of content at a time.

What is Bootstrap WordPress?

Bootstrap WordPress is a new technology and an expression commonly used to refer to web design mockups. You can get a “live” demo of what a website page looks like and its functionality.

What does a responsive WordPress theme mean?

Responsive themes automatically adjust a layout based on the size of the reader's screen and the resolution. Responsive themes are designed to enhance readability, even on smaller Smartphone screens.

How important is adding video to my site?

According to statistics compiled by Hubspot, video content leads to increased sales and increased traffic. Over 80 percent of respondents admitted video content marketing had surpassed blogs and infographics in importance.

Now more than ever, companies should extensively plan to publish video content and, as we've learned, develop a web presence to highlight those videos.

Conclusion

Our research showed that Vlog was the best WordPress plugin made for video. While other themes effectively worked with video, Vlog was made for the task – and its level of customization and simplicity made it an ideal choice for first-time producers.

After all, you have to save your energy for creating high-quality videos. What you want at the end of the day is a WordPress theme that works for you, allowing you to concentrate on more pressing issues.

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7 Best WordPress Themes for Business 2023 – Top Customizable Templates http://www.pcgam.com/best-wordpress-themes-for-business/ Wed, 09 Sep 2020 20:43:20 +0000 http://www.pcgam.com/?p=15142 Whether you're starting your businesses, taking over an established brand, or revamping your company's online presence, getting your website right is a big deal. If your coding skills aren't exactly up to par, then the best way to create a business website is using a website builder like WordPress. Once you've decided to build your...

The post 7 Best WordPress Themes for Business 2023 – Top Customizable Templates appeared first on WebMonkey.

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Whether you're starting your businesses, taking over an established brand, or revamping your company's online presence, getting your website right is a big deal. If your coding skills aren't exactly up to par, then the best way to create a business website is using a website builder like WordPress.

Once you've decided to build your site using WordPress, you'll need to decide on a theme to help bring your site's vision to life. There are so many themes available for WordPress sites that it can be tough to choose the best one for your business. That's where we come in.

We've scoured the web to find the seven best WordPress themes for business, and we'll give you all of the details to help you choose one that's right for your needs.

What is the Best WordPress Theme for Business?

  1. Avada– Best overall
  2. Hestia– Best for simplicity
  3. Fortune– Best for well-established businesses
  4. Shopkeeper– Best for online retail
  5. Brompton– Best for service-based businesses
  6. Confit– Best for restaurants and cafes
  7. Astra– Most popular theme

Each of these themes offers something different to users looking to create a custom website for their needs, but Avada takes the top spot by a landslide.

We love that Avada allows you to customize your website from their basic theme or to choose a website style that they've already created for you. The styles work for so many types of businesses, from a cat food website to consulting, that it's hard to find fault with this theme.

Comparing the Top Themes

If you're in a hurry, check out our quick comparisons of the themes here. If you've got more time, then read on to see our comprehensive reviews of each theme.

Theme Name Overall Score Cost Plug-ins Included? User Level

Compatibility

Avada 9.5/10 $60 Yes Intermediate
Hestia 8.25/10 Free No Beginner
Fortune 9/10 $150 No Beginner
Shopkeeper 8.5/10 $59 Yes Intermediate
Brompton 8/10 Free Yes Beginner
Confit 8.75/10 Free No Beginner
Astra 9.25/10 $249 (Pro) Yes Intermediate

Seven Best WordPress Theme Reviews

Now that you've seen a brief comparison of our top seven themes let's dig a little deeper to find out more about what each theme has to offer.

Avada

Best Overall

Avada has a lot to offer business owners of all kinds. It is a website builder in its own right, but it also provides pre-made websites to choose from if you don't feel confident enough to build your own using this theme.

You'll get excellent support for six months when you license Avada, but you can add on an additional six months of support for $18 more, which will bring you up to a full year or support for the service. That extra support can come in handy if you're a novice website builder or owner.

Features

Avada is a mobile-ready theme, which means that it can adjust your website to fit appropriately on cell phones and tablets without any extra work from you. Since most customers these days will view your site from their phone before viewing a computer, having a mobile-friendly site is imperative.

If you opt to create your website using this theme, then you can save and store many different templates as you go. Allowing you to save templates is a great way to save you time in the long run, because you may want to try out a few before deciding on the right style for your site. You can even have different templates for different times of the year, if necessary.

Avada comes with a drag-and-drop web page builder called Fusion Builder. It makes Avada even more comfortable to use for beginners and allows you to organize the website that works best for you and your clients.

Pros

  • Unlimited layout and design options
  • Pre-made websites
  • Performance optimization opportunities
  • Fusion Builder
  • It includes several premium plug-ins

Cons

  • Licensing and updates are inconvenient
  • Minimum requirements for web hosting are high
  • Need an additional caching plug-in for best performance

Hestia

Best for Simplicity

If you're a true beginner and want something easy to use and easy for your clients to navigate, look no further than Hestia. This theme is bright and airy, and it's fully customizable to whatever you need for your business. Hestia is especially great for small businesses looking to develop an online presence for the first time.

Features

Hestia is a one-page theme by ThemeIsle. Its style is modern simplicity without all the bells and whistles. It features a customizer that is easy to tweak any space you don't feel work for your site.

If you want to do some more in-depth website building with this theme, you can use any website builder you'd like. You're don't have to feel tied down with Hestia because you can go with the easiest option for you to use or that has features you need.

Hestia also features WooCommerce integration, which makes it super easy to sell products through your website. WooCommerce is easy to use for you, but it's also user friendly for your clients and customers. Even if you don't sell products through your website, access to WooCommerce can come in handy in various ways.

Hestia is a great option for all kinds of business owners, but we think it's especially nice for those small businesses that are just starting to dip their toes into an online presence.

Pros

  • WooCommerce integration
  • User-friendly
  • Free to download and use
  • Freedom to choose your page builder

Cons

  • Support for this theme is limited at best
  • Some users are finding bugs with the latest update
  • Not a great option for advanced users

Fortune

Best for Well-Established Businesses

Fortune is a classy, clean, and modern theme that is a great option for well-established businesses or non-profit organizations who need their websites to make clients feel confident in their services immediately. This theme comes with four custom page templates built-in so that you can focus your energy on customizing the wording and images to fit your needs.

Features

With four page templates to choose from, you can find the right style for your business needs. You can view each template's previews to decide if you like that look best, and you can even combine them to create a custom experience for your clients.

Fortune comes with optimizations already in place for SEO, and it's ad spaces are CTR optimized as well. That means that using this theme for blogging is easy as well, and adding a blog or ads to your business page can make you a little extra money.

Fortune comes with King Composer Pro, a drag-and-drop website builder, to optimize your site's needs. It also comes translation ready so that customers all over the world can get the same great experience on your site with the click of a button.

Another feature that makes Fortune an excellent theme for more extensive and more well-established businesses is the multi-location Google Maps integration. You can easily present your office locations in multiple areas of the US or the world using this simple plug-in.

Finally, Fortune is a responsive layout, which means it will look great on any screen, from the smallest cell phone to the most massive computer.

Pros

  • Responsive layout
  • SEO optimized
  • WooCommerce and King Composer Pro built-in
  • The classy and clean theme comes with four pre-built page templates

Cons

  • Difficult to customize without coding knowledge
  • Pricey compared to most other themes
  • Newer theme option, so users may run into more bugs than with themes that have been around longer

Shopkeeper

Best for Retail Websites

Shopkeeper is a fully responsive theme for WooCommerce that the creators built with ecommerce functionality at the forefront of their minds. Shopkeeper is hugely popular with online stores, with more than 28,000 sites utilizing this basic theme for their ecommerce websites so far.

Features

Shopkeeper is a beginner's dream. The goal of this theme is to avoid you having to code to customize your site. It's user-friendly at all levels, from initial set up to maintenance to support. Because Shopkeeper specializes in WooCommerce websites, it's easy to find the right support and answers to any questions you might have along the way.

WPBakery helps you to build pages through a drag-and-drop formula that's simple to understand. Having a page builder already integrated into the theme helps cut down on work on your end as well.

The headers available with Shopkeeper allow complete customization. You've got unlimited style options with this theme, which is a great way to set you apart from other online retailers right away.

You can even turn off the ecommerce portion of your site and use it for cataloging only if necessary. Then turn the functionality back on and start selling whenever you're ready! The ability to turn ecommerce on and off is excellent for inventory time or trying to catch up when you first start.

The theme's design is responsive and built for performance. Loading times are fast with Shopkeeper to keep your customers satisfied as they navigate to and through your website from your blog, to your portfolio, and your ecommerce pages.

Pros

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Built for performance and speed
  • WooCommerce compatible
  • A hugely popular option for retailers of all sizes
  • Easy to customize without coding

Cons

  • Cannot customize font sizes
  • Have to customize pages for mobile and desktop separately
  • Updates are necessary quite often/ high maintenance

Brompton

Best for Service-Based Businesses

Brompton is a simple theme that works well for individuals in service-based businesses like real estate, consulting or law. It's a fundamental, clean theme that you can customize; however, you like to fit your business needs. This theme isn't quite as user friendly as some because it doesn't come with the extra plug-ins and integrations that many themes on our list do.

Features

Brompton is a very basic theme that you'll use WordPress Customizer to alter to fit your company's needs. Its classic, dark tone makes it a great option for professionals in businesses that cater to higher class clients. It has space for your logo or photo front and center on the header and then allows for multiple options to fit your needs.

If you're interested in Brompton as a theme, you need to know that this isn't the type of theme that you can customize easily without at least some prior knowledge of WordPress or CSS codes. You'll probably need to make some minor adjustments along the way, and you'll need to build page templates as well.

If you're up for a challenge or confident in your website building abilities, Brompton is a great jump-off point. The available colors and fonts for this theme are classy and will likely give your clients confidence, but it may take some extra time to get the perfect look to your site.

Pros

  • Classic colors and fonts
  • Fully customizable
  • Fully responsive theme
  • Nothing fancy to get in the way of your customizations

Cons

  • Not for beginners
  • Need some coding knowledge to customize fully
  • No plug-ins or integrations built-in

Confit

Best for Restaurants and Cafes

Confit makes building a website for your restaurant or cafe fun and straightforward. It comes ready with options for menu pages that are easy to update, a photo gallery to show off your best dishes, and easy integration with OpenTable to help fill your seats with eager patrons.

The Confit designers built it specifically for restaurants, so you won't be trying to add on necessary elements to a theme that wasn't made for your specific type of business. It's an excellent option for the restaurant industry, and it's incredibly user-friendly.

Features

Confit utilizes a simple sidebar widget for your contact information, including your hours and a map of your location. Location and contact information are vital parts of any restaurant's web page, so having it pinned to the side is ideal.

You can also easily integrate your OpenTable site with your website with Confit. Add it to your sidebar as well so that patrons can start their journey to your dining room right from your website.

You can easily upload, update, and reorder your food menus at any time with ease using the Confit theme. Customers love knowing what they're getting into before they get to the restaurant, so having a user-friendly menu option online is a great idea. Easy customization means that you can change prices, seasonal dishes, and more in no time.

Confit doesn't have many add ons, to begin with, and it does require some coding knowledge to dig into customizations. Still, it's overall user friendly and a great option for intermediate users or users who love the theme as-is.

Pros

  • Set up for a restaurant or cafe
  • Easy menu updates and customizations
  • Integration with OpenTable app
  • Sidebar widget for contact information and location

Cons

  • Need some coding knowledge to customize fully
  • No additional integrations or plug-ins
  • Not a widely used theme, so support is limited

Astra Pro

Most Popular Theme

If you're looking for the most popular WordPress theme available, you'll want to check out Astra Pro. Astra Pro isn't the cheapest option on our list by any means, but it has so much to offer that it's worth every penny. You can even choose your plan so that you aren't getting anything you won't use, but you'll have all the support and options you could need.

Features

Astra is focused on website performance, which means you'll see quicker loading times and fewer site blocks as you build and customize your site with this theme.

The amount of design options available with Astra is almost overwhelming. They offer various full layouts, header and footer options, transparent headers, sticky headers, mobile options, Mega Menus, and more. You can customize every aspect of the typography and every color on your site if you'd like to, and it all comes with your Pro license.

Astra is WooCommerce ready if you're looking to build an ecommerce website, and the ecommerce options are just as customizable and easy to use as the rest of the Astra theme.

Website layouts with Astra are versatile and straightforward to your needs. You can choose fluid designs that stretch as wide or slim as you need, boxed layouts to focus on your most important content, or utilize spacing control to create a look that is unique to your site.

Astra is SEO optimized and comes with three other integrations to help your website gain popularity. Your online presence earns you new customers more often than not, which means that having different integrations to promote your business is imperative. It's no surprise that Astra is one of the most popular WordPress themes across the board.

Pros

  • Fully customizable from fonts to colors to layout
  • Integrations to promote website popularity and usability
  • Custom layouts and headers are available
  • 24/7 support, video tutorials, and learning articles
  • Focused on performance

Cons

  • Cannot access all features without a Pro account
  • Expensive theme options versus others

How to Choose a WordPress Theme for Business

Business websites are different from your average blog or fun sites. They require things that other websites don't need because a business website aims to attract clients and sell a product or service. These differences mean you'll need to keep an eye out for specific details when choosing a theme for your businesses' WordPress site.

Responsiveness

Having a website that looks gorgeous on a desktop or laptop is great, but if it's nearly impossible to navigate on a phone, then you're probably losing a lot of business.

More than half of web usage was from phones in 2019. That means it's just as likely someone will view your website on their phone as on their laptop. If your website is responsive, then you won't have a problem, but if it's not changing to fit a cell phone screen automatically, then your potential client probably won't last long on the site.

Opting for a responsive layout handles the problem of cell phone and tablet viewing for you. It makes your website look great regardless of the device from which someone chooses to view it. That's good news for you and your clients.

Browser Compatibility

A good theme will tell you every browser that it's compatible with upfront. If it doesn't, then let go right then and there. If a theme you like isn't available with even one of the most popular browsers, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Missing out on compatibility with a single browser, then a large number of people may not see a vital part of your page, and that could lose you some business.

Translation or Multilingual Ready

Make sure that your theme is translation or multilingual ready. Having the ability to see your website in any language means that you'll get more views and potentially more clients.

Just because someone speaks English well enough to work with you doesn't mean they wouldn't prefer to read details in their native tongue. Having that option can make your business seem more inclusive and set potential clients and customers at ease.

Consider Going Premium

Choosing a premium theme isn’t right for everyone, especially with the added expenses that go with premium options. However, premium themes are great for a lot of reasons. The most impressive part of a premium theme is the theme-specific support you’ll receive.

You might think that a premium theme is unaffordable, but if you compare the time you spend figuring out a free theme on your own to the amount of money you’ll spend on a user-friendly and fully supportive premium theme, you may change your mind.

Conclusion

You have tons of options when you're looking for a WordPress theme for your business, and that can make finding the best option tough for you to accomplish. Our top seven WordPress themes for business are an excellent place to start.

Avada is our favorite overall because it has everything you need to customize your website in a user-friendly way that anyone can use. All of our top seven are excellent options depending on your needs, and each one is responsive and ready for you to make it your own.

The post 7 Best WordPress Themes for Business 2023 – Top Customizable Templates appeared first on WebMonkey.

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