Choosing a WordPress theme is important because it affects how my website looks, how easy it is to navigate, and how I am able to organize my content. For my website, The Thrifty Dish, I wanted a theme that was clean, easy to customize, mobile-friendly, and worked well with images.
Sources for WordPress Themes
There are several places where WordPress themes can be found. One of the main sources is the official WordPress Theme Directory. These themes are free and can be searched for and installed directly through the WordPress dashboard. This makes them convenient, especially for someone who is new to WordPress.
Another source is third-party theme websites. These websites can have more theme choices and different designs. However, it is important to make sure the theme comes from a trustworthy source and is regularly updated so that it does not cause security or compatibility problems.
Themes can also be purchased from theme developers or marketplaces. Paid themes may have more customization options, features, and customer support. However, they can cost money and may require a subscription or license. When choosing a theme from any source, it is important to consider its features, updates, security, customization options, and whether it fits the purpose of the website.
WordPress Theme Files
A valid WordPress theme must include two main files: style.css and index.php.
style.css controls the appearance and styling of the website. It also contains information that WordPress uses to identify the theme.
index.php is the main template file for the theme. It can be used to display content when another more specific template is not available.
Themes can also contain additional files that provide more control over different parts of the website. Some commonly included files are:
- functions.php – Adds features and functionality to the theme.
- header.php – Controls the header section of the website.
- footer.php – Controls the footer section.
- sidebar.php – Controls the sidebar and its content.
- single.php – Controls the layout of individual blog posts.
- page.php – Controls the layout of individual pages.
- archive.php – Controls pages that display groups of posts.
- 404.php – Displays a page when a requested page cannot be found.
- comments.php – Controls how comments are displayed.
- screenshot.png – Provides a preview image for the theme in the WordPress dashboard.
Not every theme needs all of these additional files, but they are commonly used to organize and control different parts of a WordPress website.
Choosing My Theme
When choosing my theme, I considered things like how easy it was to customize, how clean and organized the layout was, how it looked on mobile devices, how well it worked with images, and whether it was a good fit for food and blog content.
I looked at Twenty Twenty-Two, Prespa Wellness, and Extendable before making my choice.
I liked Twenty Twenty-Two because it was simple and I liked the font it started with. However, I felt that it looked a little bland. There was a lot of white space, and I did not feel like I had enough options to add color and variety.
I also tried Prespa Wellness. I liked parts of its design, but I found it difficult to customize. Since I am still new to WordPress, I would sometimes get stuck trying to figure out how to change certain things.
I ultimately chose Extendable. I liked how everything was spaced out and organized, and I found it much easier and more enjoyable to customize. It gave me presets and different options to work with, and I was able to change the fonts and colors to my liking. I also liked how the theme looked on mobile devices.
Theme detail pages:
Installing My Theme
I installed Extendable using the wp-admin method. I went through the WordPress dashboard and used the Themes section to search for the theme. I then installed and activated it from there.
I did not have to manually download or upload the theme files because Extendable was available directly through the WordPress dashboard. Once it was activated, I could begin customizing the theme to fit The Thrifty Dish.
Overall, I chose Extendable because it gave me the best combination of a clean design and customization options. Since I am still learning WordPress, it was important to me that I could easily find the settings I needed and make the website look the way I wanted.