WordPress is the most popular blogging platform on the internet today which allows you to change the look of your blog in a jiffy using numerous themes designed by various designers. When you choose a theme as per the colour scheme and design you have in mind, also ensure that the theme offers you newer features and integration with various blogging related services.
Before you choose a new theme for your blog, you need to make some choices based on your individual requirements and preferences:
- Two Column or Three Column
- Fixed Width or Fluid Width
- Blog or Magazine
WordPress Themes: Features Checklist
Once you have decided upon the basic structure of the theme you want based on the above options, try to find a theme which provides you with the following features:
- W3C Valid XHTML & CSS
- Sidebar Widget Support
- No Sponsored Links or Encrypted footers
- GPL Compatible License
- Gravatar Support
- Adsense Ready
- Feedburner & FeedCounter Support
- Theme Options Page
- SEO Friendly
- Multi Browser Compatibility
- Compatibility with latest WordPress version
Sources For WordPress Themes:
Following a discussion on the WordPress ideas forum and a post on their blog, the WordPress founders announced that the official WordPress theme directory at http://themes.wordpress.net would no longer host themes containing sponsored links. This theme directory was later discontinued and subsequently a new revamped theme directory opened at http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/. This should be your first stop while searching a theme for your blog/website.
Other sources to get good free WordPress themes include Weblog Tools Collection and Smashing Magazine.
If you want to create your own custom theme, you can also try the Custom WordPress Theme Generator. But the features on offer here are quite basic.
The market for premium WordPress themes is taking a hit with the launch of Revolution Two as a free theme, and other theme designers will be stepping up and releasing premium quality themes for free as well.
Do you know a good source for clean & light free WordPress themes? Post it in the comments below and we will update this post with your links.
awesome post….very helpful…keep it up!
Don’t forget about http://new-wordpress-themes.net!!
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