What Wordpress Template Should We Use? → Washingtons Blog
What Wordpress Template Should We Use? - Washingtons Blog

Friday, August 19, 2011

What Wordpress Template Should We Use?


We have received a wonderful offer from an SEO expert to help migrate the website over to Wordpress.

Because we have the collective design skills of a blind mole, we'd be grateful if you could point us towards a Wordpress template that:

  • Is SEO-optimized
  • Looks similar to the current site (clean, blue)
  • But has 3 columns
Thanks in advance!

The redesigned site will have better organization and better search and comment capacities. And let us know what you think about our new use of headers ... is this as easy to read?

11 comments:

  1. JonAugust 19, 2011 at 1:30 PM

    I have to recommend that you look at some themes listed at ThemeForest (just google it). I'm a repeat customer of theirs and I know you will find something there that you will like.

    (disclaimer)I buy Wordpress themes from ThemeForest and modify them for my (and my clients') purposes. I make no profit from any sales there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 20, 2011 at 4:12 AM

    Take a look at Yoko from elma studio. It is free, 3 column, simple and out of the box it is fluid, i.e. it runs as well on a phone as it does on a desktop. I use it and if you need help, ask.

    ReplyDelete
  3. DreddAugust 20, 2011 at 6:56 AM

    Washington DC is the ground zero for bad microbes which alter the state of consciousness in a W direction through (newly discovered) human symbiosis.

    ReplyDelete
  4. xxxevilgrinxxxAugust 20, 2011 at 8:07 AM

    Thematic - it's clean, has the options for one, two or three columns, lots of "child themes" and a great forum for documentation purposes

    http://themeshaper.com/thematic/

    add to that - the guys at thematic are the same people that created Wordpress's own "Duster", also known as TwentyEleven, Wordpress's current default theme. So it's got to be good :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 20, 2011 at 8:48 AM

    If you're willing to compromise on the three columns, then I'd suggest Kubrick Theme - has always been my personal favourite on the WordPress.

    However if three columns is a must have - then I recommend DePo Masthead Theme or Fadtastic Theme (if the blue and white contrast is a must have).

    Any one of these would be great for your sort of blog - best of luck with moving, hope it all goes smoothly.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousAugust 20, 2011 at 3:30 PM

    I should add that finding a logo you like is the most important starting point, because from there it is really easy to change design elements around that.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousAugust 20, 2011 at 3:33 PM

    What works best is KISS: keep It Simple Stupid.
    Don't geek out on us. Ha. Ha.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownAugust 21, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    check out the small business theme from expand2web. it has everything you need for integration with SEO, social media and more.

    btw... I'm not associated in any way with expand2web. I'm an SEM consultant that works for a company that builds websites for professionals. we don't use wordpress as our CMS, but if I were to build a wordpress site with a template, that's the one I would use.

    ReplyDelete
  9. jonahwintersAugust 22, 2011 at 7:54 AM

    I've done 50+ wordpress sites, and these days I find it far simpler to not even modify someone else's template, but just make my own. With WP it's extremely easy, far easier than any other Content Management System I've ever used. You make your basic HTML page and stick in the necessary WordPress "function calls" like wp_list_pages and wp_list_categories.

    Having said that, I recognize this advice isn't much help to you if this is your first WP site and you're not sure how to put the template together -- but hopefully your SEO volunteer can do that for you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. GfranAugust 22, 2011 at 10:01 PM

    As a part time dev, I've used a lot of themes. 3 column themes are a little tougher to find, at least good looking ones are. If you're looking for something super simple, this one at studiopress has served me well. I usually tweak the typography a bit...but, it's not bad out of the box
    http://www.studiopress.com/themes/minimum

    Here is an idea of what it would look like...
    http://i.imgur.com/D3T0I.png

    Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  11. mikeAugust 24, 2011 at 1:52 PM

    Use the default theme, twenty 10 or twenty 11. It's 2 columns, it's simple and elegant. Remember KISS.

    ReplyDelete

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