The WordPress theme dictates your website’s appearance, including layout, colors, fonts, header and footer contents, etc. After choosing a theme, you can enter content without worrying whether the header color and your buttons match or if the titles look the same.
Themes go beyond visuals, however. Many of them add functions to the backend. Some include custom blocks, while others add types of content beyond Pages and Posts.
Your theme might make it possible to insert a “team members” section with information about your staff or add a post type about your past projects and portfolio items.
Main features of the best WP themes for small businesses
The main features of good WordPress themes for businesses are as follows:
- Professional landing page design
- Portfolio, service, contact info pages
- Call to action part
In addition, many specialized themes let people showcase their creative work. If you want to start an art-related or photography business, you can share your work through your website to attract potential buyers. Look for gallery-specific features and a photo-oriented page layout.
If you want to launch an online store, choose a theme with WooCommerce integration. The product pages will match your other visuals.
Whichever theme you end up going with, WordPress Elementor will come in handy. This drag-and-drop page builder helps users create beautiful pages and dynamic sites. It is an all-in-one solution that lets users control every part of their website designs.
Consider your brand
You can customize the majority of themes, for example, changing the color scheme to match that of your brand. However, you’re interested in spending as little time as possible on customization.
If you have a light, airy brand aesthetic, look for a theme that uses a one-column layout, simple fonts, and plenty of white space.
An artistic, modern-feeling brand should feature a theme with unique menu placement and image styles, as well as animation features.
A fun, quirky brand aesthetic could benefit from bold shapes, text overlays, and overlapping images.
Functionality
Do you need shop pages, a café or bar menu, or other special features? Many niche themes support unique content through custom post types. You could choose an Album post type for a singer, a Portfolio type for a counselor, or an Instructor type for an education service. Such template-based functions can alleviate work with the back end, leading to more uniform results.
Must-Haves
Your theme should consider performance, accessibility, responsiveness, flexibility, support, etc. Here is a deeper look into each of these.
Performance
A site that loads quickly makes for a good visitor experience and benefits your SEO. Choose a theme only with features you’ll use because each one adds weight to your website.
Responsiveness
The right theme will adapt to different browsers, devices, and platforms so every single visitor’s experience is excellent. The design should create a single-column layout by moving content around on smaller screens. This layout is easier to grasp on mobile and essential for SEO.
Most traffic comes from mobile devices now, so ideally, opt for a theme that is “mobile first.”
Flexibility
If your theme of choice is missing important features, it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker. There are plugins to make up for any feature. Your theme should integrate with other plugins well. You’re off to a great start if it’s already compatible with an event or a perfect translation.
Support
Last but not least, themes that are updated regularly will keep your site secure. They have the added bonus of being compatible with the latest WordPress versions. The developer behind yours should be active. Look for the date on which the theme was last updated when viewing it in the WordPress library. Some themes also offer a support package, which inexperienced users find helpful.
