Designing your own website might be tough, especially if you do not understand the basics of coding or coding language. Using a free WordPress theme can be a simple alternative to creating websites and blogs all with individual effort and minimal professional skill. It is a free web publishing application, content management system (CMS), and blogging tool developed by a team of generous software engineers.
A theme in WordPress comprises a variety of templates and stylesheets used to embellish and prescribe the appearance of a WordPress-powered site. Themes can be altered, managed, and added from the WordPress administrator under area Appearance.
Free WordPress Theme Can Be Unsafe For Use
Installing free WordPress themes may pose a serious threat to the user. Most people think this is because the search may be frustrating or spammy. This is true, but other than that, the search may raise themes that are out of date and do not work with the latest version of WordPress; it may also contain many generated errors upon installation. The most troubling issue about these themes, however, maybe the idea that many of them have gaps in their security.
One of the findings showed a theme that could be used to hide destructive code and in one such instance erased the footer of the owner which contained the name and copyright information at the base and replaced it with a free antivirus site. Most of the sites that used free themes contained carried malicious software or left the site vulnerable to external attacks. These themes may break your server. The free themes are also likely to contain viruses that may also harm your data files.
To avoid such situations, it is necessary for users to know how to pick these free WordPress themes. Here are some useful tips to guide you.
#1 Using a Reputable Site is Not Negotiable
Ensure the website you select is reputable and has what you need. Remember that your theme is the face of your WordPress site and plays a very key role in how users, as well as search engines, perceive it. Finding a reputable site that will fit all your needs may not be easy hence the need to research and have a plan for your exact needs.
#2 Use a VPN
A Virtual Private Network would be useful to get sites that may have the best free WordPress Themes. Use a VPN search engine to ensure that your search is customized only to suit your needs. For this, ensure you have a clear plan on the direction you want your site to take.
#3 Clutter is Not Appealing
In the long run, a theme that has cluttered features is not appealing at all. A feature that is cluttered may be nice in the initial stages, but it will eventually affect your site’s performance. Features are cool and maybe very alluring to install - resist this idea. Most developers do not necessarily put features with consideration to security; they usually use code obtained from the internet which might create security weak spots that will harm your website.
#4 Updates and Security Considerations Are a Must
Your theme should be able to automatically update in line with any core WordPress updates. The main reason for the updates is security. Free themes have been known not to have updates and this may be dangerous to your website’s security from threats and other vulnerabilities.
#5 Ensure the Selected Theme is Responsive
Your theme is not only meant for you but other users as well. Ensure that it’s easy to use on multiple devices, not just laptops. It needs to be compatible with mobiles and has to have menus and other widgets that are easy to navigate. For instance, a responsive theme may be one that flawlessly transcends mobile and PC platforms.
#6 Compatibility with Browsers is Essential
Having a theme that is only compatible with your browser is extremely inconvenient to the other users. Before picking out a theme, ensure it appears well across different browsers. If the developer does not test it across other browsers, do yourself a favor and try it on the popular ones.
#7 Read Reviews before You Decide
Reviews are a good way to know the quality of a product. Vendors usually offer an option to filter themes by ratings. Customer experiences with the theme may also help to know whether it will suit your needs.
#8 Test the Theme Thoroughly
Testing the theme assists to ensure that it is up to all current WordPress standards. After uploading your content, do not be quick to announce it to the world. First of all, review your content, check out your site on mobile and ensure your images load properly.
Conclusion
In as much as such considerations are put into place before getting a free WordPress theme, in the long run, cheap is always considered expensive. Getting a free WordPress may be a good idea because it does not cost anything but eventually, a paid or premium theme may be more beneficial and dynamic hence ensuring your site has an upper hand over everyone else in the market.
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