If you are new to site creation and have chosen WordPress as the platform for your website, it’s logical to assume you’ve fallen for its incredible popularity and renowned ease of use. However, going deeper into all the details, you start to realize WP actually isn’t absolutely intuitive and you might use some help. Especially when it comes to the design part.
Well, relax and pause for a moment. WordPress isn’t popular for nothing. In spite of the fact that a vast majority of websites on the Net are using it, they still don’t look the same (but some do look pretty similar). WordPress provides countless opportunities to give your web home a special look and feel resembling no other site. Many CMSs do the same, that’s true, but the best thing about WP is, even with no previous experience or web design skills, you can build a beautiful site – with lots of desire, some imagination and a good deal of trying. So, let us share some tips to get you started.
You’ve just installed WordPress and dash off to find a cute theme since the default one doesn’t fit into your conception of great? Good for you, but hold on.
Apart from the general appearance, themes tend to provide a variety of extra features tailored for different needs. So, if you don’t plan to master web design, HTML, CSS etc. in the nearest future or spend money for hired help, it’s best to choose the theme that allows a lot of customization with key design elements like colors, fonts, layout etc. The good (and free) examples are Make and Pinboard providing almost limitless opportunities to configure the looks of your site to your own taste. It’s also very convenient, if a theme offers a drag and drop page builder, significantly easing the process of creating a layout of the page without a single line of code.
Ok, this is easy for users just looking for their WordPress theme, but what about those who have chosen one already and don’t wish to get into the hassle of changing it (In fact, it’s not that scary and you can learn more about changing a theme in WordPress)? Luckily, there are lots of ways to personalize your website without the need to switch themes.
Homepage is usually the first page a visitor sees on your site (unless they land on a specific page from SERPs). So, if you make it look breathtaking, the impression will work for other pages, too. Using one of the page builder plugins, you can create the homepage of your dreams by simply dragging elements to where they are meant to be. Most popular free plugins include Page Builder from Site Origin, WR Page Builder, MiniMax – Page Layout Builder, Aqua Page Builder.
These tools feature little to no learning curve, so your most important task would be not to get stuck with millions tiny details of your homepage.
You may have never paid attention to the small things like all kinds of widgets that are usually present in abundance on most websites. No matter how small, they can bring in a special charm and refresh your site if chosen correctly. WordPress plugin directory features numerous widgets available for free, so before looking in there, you’d better plan what kind of functions they should perform and where they will be located.
There is one golden rule to follow – less is better. The design cluttered with a number of elements is hard to perceive, while simplicity is always a winning variant. It’s best to select only the most necessary widgets, but make sure they go well with each other and the overall website appearance.
Using rare fonts that people don’t get to see on every site is one more way of producing an impression on your visitors. Some themes provide a selection of fonts to choose from, so if you’re lucky and your theme does, picking the font will be easy.
In the opposite case, you can use a plugin to add support of multiple font options. Easy Google Fonts and WP Google Fonts are the free examples of such plugins.
Remember that you’ve got to use different fonts in moderation and select the fonts that go well with each other in order to give your website a professional look.
It’s hard to overestimate the effect a colour scheme can produce on the site appearance and mood. Many themes have colour schemes available to choose from. If yours doesn’t have this option or the available variants aren’t quite satisfying, there are tools to help you out, like Theme Tweaker which basically provides you with a colour picker to select the exact hue needed along with a number of other options available.
Take your time to pick the best colour variant in order to attract users, not scare them away with colours too vibrant or too gloomy. Make sure also that the design creates a good background for the content instead of grabbing all attention. It would also be a good idea to use colour combination schemes for designers that will guide you in the world of colours.
All in all, you now see how much you can do to make your website look amazing and how many choices you’re going to have when designing your site. It would be awesome to learn about your tips and tricks on making your website unique and beautiful, so do share your opinions in the comment section below.
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