(Worksheet PDF here: http://chrisburbridge.com/themetoolkit/) The WordPress theme market has grown and grown over the past few years. There are many great themes out there, but many customers find themselves disappointed, because they didn't know what to expect, or get what they thought they were getting. This slideshow gives you a roadmap to follow, to help you make better decisions, saving you time, money, and frustration.

1. Theme Selection Strategy
How to Pick
The Right WordPress Theme
For Your Project
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2. WordPress
Theme
Market
Past 3 years
Quality,
profusion,
usability, all
better & better.
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3. $10,000 → $100
Consumers can get a quality
of design for less than $100,
that would have cost
$10,000 ten years ago.
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4. Themes for Every Use
Hotels, Restaurants,
Realtors, Hair Salons,
Churches, Law Offices...
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5. Lots of Options
Slideshows
Controls
Gizmos...
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6. Customers
Happily purchase
themes, to meet
their needs, download,
and install...
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7. So, what’s the problem?
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8. Many are disappointed
once they buy the
themes.
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9. Confused by
options,
sometimes
poor code,
and lots of
setup they
did not
expect.
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10. Designers
(Who make the themes)
Have certain training
Aesthetics
Composition
Visual appeal Often lack
other training
Marketing
Business
Usability
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11. And sometimes...
They are tempted
to hype theme “features”
to get sales, at the
expense of usability,
or good support
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12. Example
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13. Theme demo
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14. * NOTE: This is NOT a diss on any particular theme
developer, AT ALL. This is an excellent theme, and represents
a ton of hard work. I just wanted the average consumer to
see what it sometimes takes to make their site a reality.
Theme installed, out of the box*
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15. Lots of options panels, setup
8 tabs
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16. Lots of settings
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17. So what I
want to do
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18. Is provide you with
some tools
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19. So you will know
What to look for,
What to avoid,
and What to expect.
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20. 1 Build your roadmap
Who’s your ideal customer?
What burning problem do you want to
solve for them?
How do you express your solution in words
that speak to them?
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21. 1 Build your roadmap
What is the CHARACTER you want
the site to convey?
Serious and reliable... fun and easy to be with... innovative...
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22. 1 Build your roadmap
What do you want the customer to do?
Believe you when you say you’re an expert...
Give you their email...
Call you for a consultation...
Buy your products...
Pick ONE main thing, and focus on that.
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23. 1 Build your roadmap
What kind of website are you building?
Photographer Brochure ...
Online shop Portfolio
Realtor Restaurant
Blog Dentist
Magazine Law Office
Intranet Wiki
Review site Recipes
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24. There is often no particular reason to buy a
special “nonprofit” theme, or “restaurant” theme...
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25. Tuesday, April 2, 13
you ideas for your website
Except if it inspires you, gives
Just remember—you don’t keep the
photos, which are probably the main
thing that attracted you.

26. BUT sometimes, a good theme WILL have special
functions—for recipes, hotel bookings, and so on
though, because there’s always plugins.
You don’t necessarily NEED them
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27. 1 Build your roadmap
How important is mobile-
friendliness?
Ever-increasing # of visitors from mobile.
But not necessarily huge yet, except in
certain areas.
* Tech
* Developing markets
If it is important, you can consider a
“responsive” theme, or a mobile plugin
like WPTouch.
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28. 1 Build your roadmap
What is your technical level, or
How much WORK do you want to do?
Trade-offs
between out-of-
the-box ease
and flexibility.
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29. 2 Know What You’re
Looking For
Readability
!!!
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30. 2 Know What You’re
Looking For
Readability
GREAT example
BAD example
Tiny text, low contrast.
Good size, good contrast.
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31. 2 Know What You’re
Looking For
Readability
Designers = VISUAL ≠ Big Word People
They often care more about a site’s
IMMEDIATE VISUAL APPEAL, than they
do about making words EASY TO READ.
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32. 2 Know What You’re
Looking For
Readability
But you should care A LOT about making
the words easy to read.
(AND THEN, writing words worth reading...)
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33. 2 Know What You’re
Looking For
What’s part of WordPress
out of the box?
Sidebars
Widgets
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34. 2 Know What You’re
Looking For
What’s part of WordPress
out of the box?
Custom
Menus*
* Your theme must (and SHOULD support).
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35. 2 Know What You’re
Looking For
What’s part of WordPress
out of the box?
Plugins, to
do any and
ALL sorts of
stuff...
95% of the time, you can just get the features you need from plugins.
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36. 3 Do Your Search
Look in Good Places
Reputable Theme
Companies
Pagelines Elegant Themes
Themify Woo Themes
Rocket Themes ... and others ...
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37. 3 Do Your Search
Look in Good Places
Theme Forest
Proceed with care
Individual developers
Some GREAT STUFF
But varies
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38. 3 Do Your Search
Look in Good Places
Smashing Magazine
To find great free themes.
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39. 3 Do Your Search
What to look for
Good Documentation
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40. 3 Do Your Search
What to look for
Good
Support
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41. 3 Do Your Search
What to look for
Good Options/Setup
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42. 3 Do Your Search
What to look for
Skins and Variations
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43. 3 Do Your Search
What to look for
Colors, fonts, overall “feel” that
match your site’s character...
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44. 3 Do Your Search
What to look for
Niche Features (maybe)
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45. 3 Do Your Search
What to look for
Readability
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46. 3 Do Your Search
Special Needs
Social Media
BuddyPress+
WPMU Dev
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47. 3 Do Your Search
Special Needs
Online Marketing
Optimize Press
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48. 3 Do Your Search
May/may not need a spacial theme
Special Needs
E-Commerce
Cart66
Shopp
WooCommerce
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49. 3 Do Your Search
Special Needs
Directory Services
AppThemes
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50. 4 Now, the Fun Begins
ALWAYS, with your site
visitor and site goal in mind...
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51. 4 Now, the Fun Begins
Setup the theme
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52. 4 Now, the Fun Begins
Install plugins
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53. 4 Now, the Fun Begins
Write pages
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54. 4 Now, the Fun Begins
Choose and place images
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55. 4 Now, the Fun Begins
Create or commission a logo
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56. 4 Now, the Fun Begins
And now, the marketing!
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57. Further Resources
Worksheets and other
info to go along with
this talk, available at:
http:/
/bit.ly/themetoolkit
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58. Coming Soon...
WordPress Website Kits
Niche-focused, how-to kits,
on the last page, and I will let
Fill out your email at the link
you know when it launches.
including plugins, how to
write your pages, how to
pick the right images, local
search, and more!
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59. Thank You.
Get in touch
http://chrisburbridge.com
chris@chrisburbridge.com
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