General question re choosing a theme

  • I am new to WordPress and I have spent ages choosing a free theme (with a premium upgrade option), learning how to use it etc. Unfortunately I have chosen one which appears to offer almost no meaningful support. The developer’s forum is extremely slow to respond, and when they do, their answers are almost impossible to understand. I have emailed them saying that I was considering purchasing the premium option, and asking what kind of support they offer for these, as it is not stated on their website. They have not bothered to reply.

    I won’t mention the theme as this is just a general question. I wonder if any experienced practitioners have any practical advice on how to ascertain which theme providers effectively support their products with meaningful and timely responses to questions. I have tried Googling this question, but haven’t found anything helpful.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Moderator Jan Dembowski

    (@jdembowski)

    Forum Moderator and Brute Squad

    Start with the Twenty Seventeen theme, create some content and then consider perusing these themes.

    https://www.ads-software.com/themes/

    Until you have familiarity with WordPress and how (well coded and supported) themes work, I don’t recommend you making any more purchases. You need to get a better understanding of how WordPress and themes interact.

    Create content first. Then worry about the theme second.

    Jeremy

    (@jemscot56)

    WCLDN 2018 Contributor

    Choosing a theme is a problem for everyone. Welcome!
    Once you have generated some content (as suggested above) look around at sites you like the look of. (You will be surprised how many of them have been built using WordPress). When you’re on that site’s Home Page, if you press (CMd U on a Mac, Ctrl U on a PC) you can see the underlying code and search for ‘theme’. Even if it’s been customised it should provide some ideas for your site.
    Another way to choose is to look in www.ads-software.com/themes (as suggested above). The filters are of limited use but try a few free themes to see if they have the kind of features you want.
    You should also look at the reviews but remember they can be biased. 1* reviews are usually written late at night when people are angry and upset. 5* reviews are generally written by friends and supporters of the Theme author! Also, the 5* reviews tend to say things like “Cool” and “awesome” which does not help the decision-making process. 2*, 3* and 4* tend to be more objective which may give you some specific answers to questions you have. As in “this is a good Theme but it would be even better if it…..”
    It’s not a quick process and you may go up several blind alleys in your search. But you will be learning all the time. (And make a quick note of each one you test with its good and bad points — it may save you some time the NEXT time you build a site.

    • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Jeremy.
Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
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