Before you start blogging, you should have a WordPress Theme be installed - no matter how simple the theme is. Because the theme gives a blog a first basic structure. Synonymous words for theme are template or design. In addition to the design elements, a theme includes a basic structuring of the blog according to a certain scheme. WordPress offers some free versions. The purchasable themes are individually and more extensively designed.
Free Themes
If you have a WordPress account, you should first familiarize yourself with the dashboard and the individual links on it. You can also view several free themes here before you choose one and install it. WordPress offers a handy preview feature that allows you to theoretically preview any theme offered on the dashboard before installing it on your blog. There are over 200 themes available. With the free themes you don't have extensive possibilities to customize your blog like you would with a premium theme or a self developed blog, but you can customize the theme with some functions and the so called widgets. You should never simply download wordpress themes from the internet if they are not directly offered in the wordpress search. There are many sites where you can download themes for free. These are usually infected with Malware.
Install free themes
To install a theme you must be logged in to WordPress. You go first to the Dashboard and then to DESIGN, which you can find in the menu bar. Under DESIGN click on THEMES and then you will see all available themes of WordPress in thumbnail view. The thumbnail view helps you to get a first impression of a theme without having to take further steps. If you have decided on a theme, click either on the picture or the name. The selected theme will then open and show your blog in the selected theme. If you don't like the large view, you can close the browser window and select another theme. On the overview page with the available themes you will see three links below the thumbnails. You can either activate a theme right away, view a live preview or read details about a theme. If you decide quickly, you can click on ACTIVATE to use the theme and continue working with it. If you need more information about a theme, click on DETAILS.
View themes by category
There are over 200 themes available, which can be used free of charge. You can filter them by certain criteria and view only selected themes. Filter the themes by A to Z if you are looking for a theme by name. View themes that are popular, hot or new. You can also filter out the royalty-free and premium themes. With the "Feature Filter" button it is possible to filter the themes according to certain design features. This allows you to view themes in a specific color or with specific features and formatting.
Advanced features
You don't have to adopt a theme 1 to 1. There are several ways to differentiate your blog from other blogs that use the same theme. First and foremost, you can change the background image and the image in the header and give your blog a personal touch. To do this, go to the dashboard wheel and click on Design and then BACKGROUND. You can edit the header by clicking on the HEADER link under Design. Here you can either take an image from the WordPress selection or upload a private photo from your computer. You can also choose from different fonts and features. The menu structures a website like the table of contents of a book. To edit the menu, go to Design on MENUS.
Create a blog with a widget
Widgets are so called tools that allow you to add more features to your blog without having to program anything yourself. You can use them to sort your posts by month or insert a calendar. All widgets can be found under Design and WIDGETS.
Editing Themes
If you have installed a theme but want to change something about it, you can do so under two conditions. You leave the free WordPress offer and have to pay a fee for editing the theme. In addition, you should know about Cascading Style Sheets yourself or hire someone to change the theme. The custom design upgrade, which allows you to further customize your blog, can be found at Design USER DEFINED DESIGN. After paying a fee, you can change the fonts and colors. To do this, you must first register with the external provider Typekit. In addition to this, the upgrade also gives you the opportunity to edit the CSS files and adapt them to your wishes.
Buy Premium Themes
Premium themes are individually designed and offer advanced features that you don't have with the free themes. In addition, it's often the case that you can claim the theme after purchase and no other blogger in the world can buy this theme again. If you compare the effort of creating your own blog and learning the programming languages to the price of Premium Themes, it's worth choosing the latter.
In our article "Where can I buy a theme" you will find a selection of reputable providers.
