Looking for tips on making WP blog look professional

[Yack]

I really struggle to make my WP templates look professional. I feel like maybe I'm making this more difficult than it has to be. I can spend hours tweaking a site and I feel like it looks like a 12-year-old's first blog.

Any tips on themes or options to use for a simple professional looking design? Any themes you don't have to do much to in order to use them? Free preferred.

Is there a way to see what template and options a site is using?

Thank you for any advice you can send my way!

 

[BobIsaGoodName]

Wordpress can be such a mess when you don't know what you're looking for, I know how you feel. Your best bet is to make a sample, free blog and choose a theme from Themeforest. You can either buy or find it for free, the top seller are usually the best ones. I love the Theme Porto, it's my favorite and I make almost all my freelances using it. Since the theme has a LOT of options, you should either read the documentation or try to understand how the demo pages were made.

Using demos as a quick deplying tool, only editing pictures, text and color identity is also a great option. I never really tried any free themes, but there are a lot of compilations online that can help you to choose one.

About seeing what template a page is using, you can usually check the source-code for "wp-" files. That'll make it easy to find which theme they're using!

Good luck!

 

[Univa]

What kind of template are you willing to create? What all have you done till now, maybe share more details about it hiding other things.
Also any genesis or astra theme with elementor is easy to customize.

 

[raffael213]

A simple way to get inspired is just to go to themeforest and search for "news". You can find a lot of options there and you can choose the one you like. Installation and customization tips are included in documentation. It's just a matter of taste with this, but you may take in to consideration something that works for everyone else, at the end the content matters more then the design. The design is looked for each user perspective, so something you like, someone else wouldn't like it.

 

[Max Blax]

To know which wordpress theme is in used by a website, just google it:

https://www.google.fr/search?q=what+theme

I'm a beginner with wordpress but i'm a developer and i've seen several wordpress tutorials.
I think the best way to go is to create your own widgets based on your own CSS templates with a good page builder (Elementor is a great one).

https://developers.elementor.com/creating-a-new-widget/

You could also find tutorials on Youtube...

 

[Yack]

I appreciate the advice. A big part of it is the learning curve, I think. I don't know why, but I find this part of online business so intimidating.

I love the Theme Porto, it's my favorite and I make almost all my freelances using it. Since the theme has a LOT of options, you should either read the documentation or try to understand how the demo pages were made.

Using demos as a quick deplying tool, only editing pictures, text and color identity is also a great option. I never really tried any free themes, but there are a lot of compilations online that can help you to choose one.

Thank you, will definitely check this out!

Also any genesis or astra theme with elementor is easy to customize.

This too! Mainly, I'm trying to put together a travel site with a blog right now, and it's just very ugly at this point, and no one is taking it seriously because of it.

at the end the content matters more then the design.

Thankfully, I'm pretty good at the content!. I think, anyway. lol

To know which wordpress theme is in used by a website, just google it:

...

Cool tip! Thanks!

 

[Mlander]

Most templates I see require a lot of your own HQ photos incorporated in the content as well as your theme. So filling it with nice featured photos, social media posts, logo/headshot, etc and it brings it all together.

 

[smallfoot]

It doesn't need to be hard. There are some great themes and templates from companies like Genesis that can simplify things. You also have tools like Beaver Builder that can help with more advanced stuff.

 

[Yack]

Is there a way to build your site and see it in action before uploading it to your webhost? I want to work on the design of my blog, but I don't want to put it in maintenance for right now.

 

[Dndukwu]

You can check what theme a website is using on this website https://whatwpthemeisthat.com/

A simple theme I enjoy is called hestia. It’s minimalist.

 

[SEO_Skipper]

you should must use elementor plugin if possible buy its premium version
it is really great to give your site a professional look

 

[J0sh]

Ever thought about purchasing a site already made? You can get some really good deals on Flippa. Why reinvent the wheel if someone already has a great design. You'll save tons of time and money by purchasing ready-made.

Also, wordpress themes with dummy content are your friends.

 

[Yack]

Ever thought about purchasing a site already made? You can get some really good deals on Flippa. Why reinvent the wheel if someone already has a great design. You'll save tons of time and money by purchasing ready-made.

Also, wordpress themes with dummy content are your friends.

I probably should go this route. It just makes me feel lazy. haha Plus, I really hate spending money.

 

[Cassius Ali]

Hire or trade services to someone to teach you or just outright do the work.