The Secret Guide to Basic WordPress Theme

What is WordPress?

WordPress is an open source Content Management System (CMS), which allows the users to build dynamic websites and blogs. WordPress is the most popular blogging system on the web and allows updating, customizing and managing the website from its back-end CMS and components.

The Benefits of using WordPress

Here are simply the highest five advantages of using WordPress:

1. The software system is free!

   What percentage times have you ever been given one thing without charge that’s absolutely useful and prepared to use? And if you wish to upmarket your website a trifle with premium themes and plugins, you’re still getting to save loads of cash over what you’d acquire a bespoke website.

2. It’s easy to use

   Seriously, if you can send an email, use Microsoft Word, or set up a Facebook account, then you can use WordPress. In alternative words, if you’ve already used a computer, likelihood is that you’re already arch enough for the WordPress basics. And even higher, it’s arduous to mess it up. You’ll be able to simply add and delete pages and posts while not accidentally messing up the style of your website.

3. You are in control

   Owning your own site, and being able to make changes to it yourself, is the ultimate in online freedom. You don’t have to rely on an expensive web designer to make changes or fix a tiny error for you whenever they can squeeze you in. You’re in control of your site—and your wallet.

4. WordPress has search engine (SEO) advantages

   Search engines love sites that are easy to index and that have frequently updated content. That’s where blogging comes in to play so nicely. Just by running your business or personal site and communicating with your readers in a way that’s natural to you, you’ll be producing fresh, relevant content the search engines can’t wait to get ahold of.

5. There’s a HUGE support community

   WordPress isn’t just a software, it has become a community. They are informal, community-organized events put together by other WordPress users just like you. You’ll meet people of all backgrounds, ages, and nationalities at Word Camps. Plus, there are thousands of individuals and many resource and tutorial web sites found out simply to assist you along with your WordPress site.

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org

The one major distinction between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is who’s really hosting your web site.

With WordPress.org, YOU host your own web log or web site. WordPress.org is wherever you’ll notice the free WordPress package that you just will transfer and install on your own net server. obtaining your WordPress web site found out involves buying a website name, shopping for a hosting arrange and so putting in WordPress on your server. Most hosting companies provide instructions or services to install WordPress for you.

WordPress.com, on the other hand, takes care of all of the hosting for you. You don’t have to download software, pay for hosting, or manage a web server.

What is a WordPress Theme?

A WordPress theme provides all of the front end styling of your WordPress site.

WordPress uses themes to manage the planning and presentation of your web site. You quickly modification themes and alter the whole look of your web site, whereas still maintaining the underlying WordPress code that powers your web site.

WordPress themes are quite like however a replacement outfit will provide you with a completely trend. However themes go even deeper than simply the planning. They management the layout and practicality of your web site in addition. You’ll produce totally different layouts for various styles of content with a subject matter.

It’s a part of what makes WordPress therefore powerful. You’ll modification the whole look of your web site while not ever dynamical the content or backend structure. Many clicks of the mouse and you’ll add a replacement theme and have a completely trend. It can make updating your site and keeping things current a much quicker and simpler process. Instead of rebuilding a house from the ground up, you’re just replacing the siding, so to speak.

Themes come in all types and varieties, including free and premium themes. You can also customize a theme to make it your own.

Most WordPress themes provide:

• The overall design or style of your site
• Font styling
• Colors
• Widget locations
• Page layouts (or templates)
• Styles for blog posts and blog archives
• Additional stylistic details

Free vs. Paid WordPress Themes

Just like WordPress plugins, you can choose from over a thousand free themes from the WordPress Theme Directory or invest in premium, or paid themes like our own iThemes Builder.

The advantages of premium themes are like those of premium plugins. Premium themes sometimes have a reliable code base and provide support if one thing goes wrong.

Some premium themes, like Builder, operate a lot of like net style code, permitting you to style and build your own theme styles and page layouts.

How to Install a WordPress Theme

Additionally to the default theme enclosed along with your WordPress installation, you’ll be able to conjointly install your own WordPress theme to alter the planning and elegance of your website.

Download & Upload Method

If you’re employing a premium theme from a 3rd party supply, they’ll sometimes return as a .zip file. You’ll have to be compelled to use the transfer & transfer technique to put in the theme nothing file on your website.

1. 1. From the WordPress dashboard, expand the Appearance menu in the left-hand navigation panel. Click the Themes link.
   
2. Click the Add New button.
3. Click the Upload Theme button, locate your theme zip file and then click Install Now. Then, click Activate.

Search & Install Method

Much like installing plugins, you can search for a theme and install it directly from your WordPress dashboard.

1. From the Appearance > Themes page, click on the Add New button. You can search the Free Theme Directory right from your WordPress dashboard. Find a theme you like (you can use the search box or the feature filter to sort by various options)
   
2. When you’re staring at a particular theme, you’ll be able to click on Preview to check the theme in action. Click around to seventy six see completely different pages and make certain you wish what you see. Some things may be options you can customize, but other tweaks will require editing the code of the theme.
3. Once you find a theme you like, click ‘Install.’ Once the theme is installed, just click the Install button. And rather like that, your website incorporates a fresh look.

Manual methodology

You can additionally add themes by manually uploading them to your server with FTP computer code. This is often additional difficult and not for the novice user. You’ll got to transfer a topic to your laptop and unfasten it.

This will give you a folder on your computer with all the theme files. Then, using an FTP program, upload the theme folder to the wp-content/themes folder on your site. Then move to the Themes screen in your dashboard and you may see your new theme within the list. Click ‘Activate’ to induce started.

Managing Your WordPress Themes

1. To manage your WordPress themes, expand the looks menu within the WordPress Dashboard.
2. Here, you’ll see the Themes page.
3. The terribly initial theme listed on this page is your Active theme. Here we also see an option to Customize. If you click this button, you’ll see a preview window that allows you to make stylistic changes to your site, such as your Site Identity (Site Title, Tagline & Site Icon). From here, you can also make changes to Menus and the Front Page.
4. If you come back to the Themes page, you’ll see a grid list of obtainable themes additionally to your active theme. These are a themes that are conjointly put in on your WordPress website, however aren’t active.
5. If you click the Live Preview link beneath any theme, you’ll see a preview of however your website would look thereupon theme. Within the preview, you’ll be able to navigate to totally different pages to ascertain however the theme handles posts, archives and different page templates.
6. In the left-hand panel of the preview window, you can edit the theme settings. These settings will differ, depending on what theme features the theme supports.
7. To accept the new settings and activate the theme all in one step, click the Save & Activate button at the highest of the left-hand panel.