Hey everyone, I’m Linkon from TrendingWP. This article will cover the top five easy ways to customize your theme, taking full advantage of WordPress’s flexibility and its infinite theme options.
WordPress is one of the most popular CMS’s on the Internet. So popular, in fact, that one-third of the internet runs on it. The other two-thirds run on cat memes and Taylor Swift gossip.
I heard she’s dating a cat now. The internet just exploded. The main reason WordPress is so popular is mostly its flexibility and customization, and here are five ways you can take full advantage of this customizability.
Use WordPress Customizer
WordPress has a built-in editor tool called “The Customizer” separate from whatever theme you have installed. Doesn’t “Customizer” sound like a really cool professional wrestler name? The Customizer.
Can you smell what the customizer is customizing? That would be another line he would say. You can get to the customizer from your dashboard by navigating to appearance then customize.
It’s not super in-depth, but it gets the job done for some simple and necessary adjustments. Here you can update items like logo and title, the general layout, the top-level color scheme, typography, menus, and the widget section, OOH!
Use Theme Customization Options
Within whatever theme you have itself, you’ll find a bunch of easy to use customization options. The Customizer likes what he hears!
The specifics here will vary from theme to theme, but you will typically be able to access these features from your dashboard, likely under the appearance tab listed as the same name as your theme.
Make Changes to the CSS
Changing CSS is so easy you could do it in your sleep while taking a CSS-ta. CSS (or cascading stylesheet for those keeping score at home) is the code in your website files that make your site look the way it does—everything from text size, color, and font to image margins, column width, and more.
Any element in your site tagged with the CSS style tag will pull its styling from the CSS, meaning you can change all of those elements at the same time by just updating the CSS code.
BOY, that’s simple and efficient! When adjusting the CSS, you want to make sure you’re not changing the core CSS.
Instead, access the additional CSS section from the WordPress customizer we mentioned in number one, or you can use a CSS editor plug-in like SiteOrigin CSS.
Plugins like this often include user-friendly, no code needed visual editors. It was so easy even Taylor Swift could do it, then break up with it, and then write a song about it.
Use the WordPress Page Builder Plugin
Many WordPress themes come with easy to use page builder functionality, but you can also install specific standalone plugins to accomplish the same thing.
These plugins are set up to give the user drag-and-drop abilities that make page building very intuitive to even the most Taylor Swift of all of us.
I don’t know why I assumed Taylor Swift couldn’t code. I’d just assumed she’s so good at singing and guitar that like when would you have time to practice coding, you know?
If you’re in the market for a page builder, check out Elementor Page Builder, Beaver Builder, or Divi Builder. All great page builders. Elementor?
If Elementor even steps one foot in this ring, I will drag and drop him. Code this Elementor. All of these take the burden of coding off your hands.
Simplifying the process of building a site. Freeing up more time to practice guitar.
Invest in Photos and Good Design
Colors and text can only take you so far. A truly excellent and customized website should have original images and design elements.
A purposefully designed logo by an experienced graphic artist will add tons of value to your brand. Check out sites like Fiverr.com or upwork.com to easily hire an experienced artist at an affordable rate.
Yeah, I like it too. And professional headshots, product shots, and general imagery can add the extra custom polish. Setting you apart from your competition.
Sites like unsplash.com and pixels are excellent free use photo resources if you can’t go to the full professional photographer route.
And there you have it — five easy and accessible ways to customize your website, giving you a competitive edge. What’s your customization method of choice? What’s your favorite Theme? Let us know in the comments.