How to Install a WordPress Theme (3 Easy Methods)

WordPress is the most widely-used Content Management System in the world for building self-hosted websites. Chances are if you’re not already, you’ve decided to use WordPress for your own website. But do you know how to install a WordPress theme?

Understanding how WordPress themes are added to your website is not complicated at all, no matter which method you choose to use — and there are a few! The great thing is, once your theme is installed, you’re ready to start creating a standout website right away.

In today’s post, we’ll dig deeper into how to install a WordPress theme. Specifically, we’ll cover:

Where to Find WordPress Themes (Both Free and Paid)

Learning how to install a WordPress theme on your website isn’t hard to do. What is hard, though, is choosing the right theme for your needs. But before we look at what you need to successfully achieve that, let’s have a quick look at where you can find WordPress themes.

Right now, the WordPress Repository is one of the most common places to find reliable and free plugins and themes to extend the design and functionality of your WordPress website. In fact, there are over 7,400 themes in the WordPress Repository alone.

Adding to that, there are also thousands of free and premium themes available for WordPress users that can be found in marketplaces such as MOJO Marketplace, CSS Igniter, and StudioPress. That said, the most famous theme marketplace to date is Themeforest, which currently has over 46,000 WordPress themes to choose from.

How to Choose the Right WordPress Theme

So, how are you supposed to know which WordPress theme is right for you?

Here are some tips to help:

1. Decide Between a Free or Premium WordPress Theme

The free vs paid WordPress theme debate has been around for a long time. This makes it tough to know whether you should save your money and go for a free theme or invest a small amount of money for a premium one and reap the benefits. If you come across a WordPress site with a theme that you like, you can use our theme detector tool to find out what theme it uses.

It really does come down to your budget, there are some things to consider before making a final choice:

Pros of Using a Free WordPress Theme

Using a free WordPress theme comes with plenty of advantages:

• They’re free to use, which means if you end up not liking it and want to change your WordPress theme, you’ve lost no money for giving it a try.
• The free themes in the WordPress Repository are officially approved after going through a strict review process.
• Free themes found at WordPress.org will be compatible with all the free plugins found in the same place.

That said, free themes do come with some disadvantages too.

For example, they typically have a limited feature set, are used by many people (making it hard to create a unique website), and there’s usually little to no prompt support if there are issues. Not to mention, free themes found outside the WordPress Repository may be poorly coded, which opens your site up to vulnerabilities and attacks.

Pros of Using a Premium WordPress Theme

Just like using a free theme, premium themes come with their own set of benefits:

• You get support for it to help you with things like bugs, technical issues, and customization (suggested reading: How to Customize Your WordPress Theme).
• You’ll receive frequent updates, which come with increased security and features.
• The feature sets range from mild to wild, so you can design your site to look and do whatever you want.
• If from a trusted theme marketplace, company, or developer, you’ll know your premium theme is up-to-date with all the latest versions of WordPress, HTML, >CSS, and PHP.

Premium themes do, however, cost money. Some paid themes require a yearly payment, and others require a one-time payment. This means if you buy one, and later decide to change, you’re out whatever money was spent.

2. Know Your Niche

WordPress caters to all kinds of websites, so you can expect WordPress themes to do the same. Knowing your niche before you decide on a theme will help you find WordPress themes that will have the design and functionality you need.

For example, if you’re starting a WordPress food blog, you’ll want to be on the lookout for a WordPress blogging theme that caters to food websites. Better yet, if you think you might want to sell products and services to fellow foodies like yourself, you might want to check out some ecommerce themes that come with the functionality to start both an online food business and blog.

To make a good decision, think about the type of content you want to publish, key features your theme will need, your target audience, and what industry you want to be in, so you can narrow your options and make deciding a little easier.

3. Use Credible Sources

Anyone that can develop a WordPress theme and make a profit off it, will. But the thing is, just because someone has created a WordPress theme doesn’t mean it’s free from bad code, viruses, or even spam links.

If you’ve decided to use a free WordPress theme, the best place to look is the WordPress Repository. If you need a premium theme or want to use a free one from a third-party theme company, check for the following:

• Author reputation
• Frequency of updates
• Positive customer reviews
• Number of sales

In the end, it doesn’t matter what type of WordPress theme you need. What really matters is that you avoid using nulled WordPress themes, so you don’t have problems in the future with site security, downtime, and lost site visitors.

4. Keep It Simple

It’s easy to get caught up in the appeal of popular multipurpose WordPress themes such as Avada or X. And while these themes may have the features and design some people need, the truth is, simple is often better.

This is especially true for those just starting out. Sometimes multipurpose themes come with too many features, have a high learning curve, and affect your site’s speed and performance.

It’s best to use a theme that has just what you need and nothing more.

5. Look for Responsive Design

Not to be confused with mobile-friendly design, responsive design is necessary for giving your mobile site visitors exceptional user experience.

Having a mobile-friendly WordPress theme means that no matter what device your site visitor accesses your website from, it will appear the same. The site visitor will be able to see all your site’s content, navigate the site easily, and click the CTA buttons you want them to. That said, none of the elements on your website will change, no matter the device or screen size accessing your site.

To check for mobile-friendliness, use Google’s Mobile-Friendly test.

 Google mobile-friendly test

On the other hand, having a WordPress theme with responsive design means that when your site visitors click on your website using a mobile device, your website will adjust according to the screen size. Elements on your website will change to render seamlessly for site visitors so they can access your site content with ease.

To check for responsive design, use the free Responsive Checker tool:

 Responsive Checker

The neat thing about this online tool is that you can evaluate your website using multiple device types, including laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. In addition, you can navigate the site as if you were really accessing it using a mobile device to make sure your site looks and functions the way you want it to for site visitors.

6. Evaluate the Theme Support

There may come a time when you need support while using your WordPress theme. That’s why being able to get in touch with the theme developer or their support team is crucial.

Find out what kind of support is offered before deciding on a WordPress theme. And remember, most free WordPress themes come with very little support, if any at all.

7. Consider the Features

Lastly, you should definitely consider the features your WordPress theme comes with. Here are some of the best things to look for in any theme you choose, whether it’s free or premium:

• Social media sharing
• Built-in SEO optimization
• Cross-browser compatibility
• Inclusive WordPress page builders for easier site creation
• Popular WordPress plugin compatibility
• Multilingual and translation ready
• Ecommerce support

Of course, every person needs different things for their website. However, the above-mentioned considerations will help point you in the right direction and help you make a decision.

Now, let’s take a look at how to install a WordPress theme onto your website after you’ve chosen the perfect one.

How to Install a Free WordPress Theme

If you want to use a theme found in the WordPress Repository on your website, the easiest way to do this is on the backend of your website.

To start, log into your WordPress website and go to Appearance > Themes in the WordPress dashboard and click Add New.

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 Adding a new WordPress theme

From there, you can filter the results based on:

• Featured
• Popular
• Latest
• Favorites

 Filter theme results

Or, you can use the Feature Filter button to filter the theme results based on specific features.