Crealanta Magazine

How do you choose a theme to your Membership Website

Sep 6, 2024

Reader Disclosure

The process of choosing an appropriate WordPress theme can be something like stepping into a black hole. Space and time will cease to exist and in a flash you've sunk into endless hours looking for something you can't find and you've found the ideal theme.

WHAT'S IN THE INSIDE          Toggle

With thousands upon thousands of WordPress themes to choose from, my goal for this blog post is to keep your time from spending longer than 60 minutes trying to come up with a a decision on which theme is the most suitable option for your site's membership.

The earlier you're in a position to take a decision, the sooner you'll be able to have your website started and begin to attract new customers.

Let's move on to the task at hand...

But first, you might like to watch our short video about the top five WordPress themes for membership websites:

Find out What's Most Important To You

The initial step in this process should involve writing down a list of what you're looking for in a subject. Since there are a lot of options available, it's probably a good idea to divide your choices into two categories.

  1. Things you should include.
  2. Features that are nice however, they are not mandatory.

It is possible to choose to have a theme that has an off-canvas menu, or perhaps you need a theme with support for two menus built within.

If you're comfortable with CSS or CSS, perhaps the color scheme doesn't seem important to you or maybe you're searching for a particular homepage design - full-width or boxed layout.

First, let's get started. Make a list of your requirements before returning to discuss some of the other features that you could consider as crucial.

A Strong User Support Team and a Huge user base

A large user base and the support systems are crucial. There is a good chance that you will at some point in time to require assistance.

There is nothing more frustrating than running into a problem and needing to wait for 3 days to get your question answered.

Most of the times high-quality themes, paid or free, will be able to provide you with a reasonable amount of assistance - regardless of whether it comes directly from the designer of the theme.

A lot of the most popular themes available through ThemeForest also offer great support.

The larger the user base is, the higher chance you'll have the ability to come up with the fastest solution for all issues that come up. Your problem is probably solved by someone else earlier.

Free vs Paid WordPress Themes

While there are many free themes available for WordPress, that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy to choose a great one.

You might find it difficult to locate a theme that can serve your community with all the features you desire.

There's a variety of opinions about the subject, however my opinion has always been that paying themes will be the most effective option.

There's a wide selection you can pick from, and in most cases, the paid themes mean that you receive better assistance, frequent updates and much more.

Features & Functionality

The majority of paid themes come with a lot of functions and features. It is essential for them to remain competitive, and it's a win-win for you. Here are some points to be looking for:

Mobile Responsive Design

Mobile-friendly websites are according to me essential. It seems that Google believes the same as they released their mobile-friendly algorithm upgrade in April this year.

In the end, a mobile friendly website results in better user experiences for your members that will most likely use your website on their mobile devices.

User Friendly Navigation

An unwieldy website navigate can frustrate members more quickly than anything else.

If you're choosing a theme be sure to consider the user-friendliness of your site How quickly and effortlessly do your users find elements on your website that are important to them?

Be aware of both desktop and mobile navigation, since both are important. The most important thing to consider is the efficient use of the screen space for mobile devices.

Easy Customization

In order to make your membership site distinct from others you must select a theme that makes customizations effortless.

Certain of these themes could provide more functionality than you need from the beginning. For those who need it, an in-depth look at a lightweight framework like Genesis as well as an additional theme may be the best place to start your search.

SEO Prepare

Utilizing a theme already optimized for search from the beginning means you have only one thing to think about.

At some point, you could decide that you want to add additional features like that Yoast SEO Plugin however, to begin with getting your SEO requirements covered is an essential option.

Flexible Layout Options

Having the ability to select between different layouts might seem like a big issue when you're just beginning, but as time passes you'll be able to test designing the layout of your membership site.

When that time comes, it's nice to have options. Custom widgets and widget areas along with multiple sidebar options are great features to have, even if you don't use them right away.

Wrap-Up

Selecting the right theme for your site's membership page should not be an overwhelming task.

Here we've listed several of the key features and considerations in making a choice, But don't fret, you're still left with thousands of possibilities.

It's unlikely to discover a theme that can satisfy the entirety of your requirements or requirements, therefore it's best to prioritize your needs before beginning the research.

Remember, you are able to modify your design down the road So don't get hung up on having everything flawless the first time.

 Please share in the comments the theme you chose to use for your website. What were the deciding factors that you considered when selecting your theme?

If you liked this article make sure you join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram as well as LinkedIn! Don't forget to sign up in the box.

Image Credits: thestocks.im

Joe Fylan       Joe is an accredited WordPress expert who is constantly making WordPress websites, such as websites on a regular basis. Joe loves sharing his expertise with other users out there. Find all the latest WordPress news and reviews on Get Web Tips.