Are you deciding whether to purchase a premium WordPress theme or install a free one?
Then you’ve come to the right place as we will discuss the benefits you get by purchasing a premium version.
It’s a step that you shouldn’t take lightly, as a WordPress theme is the core of your website and it dictates its overall feel.
It’s a crucial step when starting a new website or redesigning your existing blog, so invest some time into it and avoid the issues of switching to a different theme later on.
If you choose wisely, you might even use the same theme forever, as many premium themes are frequently updated.
6 Reasons To Purchase A Premium WP Theme
There are many reasons to choose a premium WordPress theme over the free one.
We will focus only on the key WP theme features that you can’t overlook.
Note: The installation of a premium WordPress theme is slightly different compared to the free one. (In a nutshell, you install a free one through the WP admin’s theme search (Appearance > Themes) but you need to use the upload function for the premium version.)
1. Quality
The overall quality of the theme is the most important factor to consider.
And it’s not just about the design and how pretty the theme looks on the outside.
Good coding practices and frequent updates are of great importance as they ensure your website will not break every time you update your WordPress installation or one of the plugins you use.
The fact that the theme is premium (aka, you have to pay for it) doesn’t automatically mean it will meet all those strict standards.
That’s why you must invest some time and research if the theme is premium enough and you are not just wasting your money on it.
The easiest way to check this is by reading reviews and checking if the theme’s rating is at least 4.5 (4+ in the case of niche themes), if reviews exist.
By purchasing one of them, you minimize the chance of your website crashing due to poor coding or lack of updates.
Advice: Don’t purchase a multi-purpose theme if you’re building a simple blog. They’re too heavy and bloated. They won’t run that fast. Instead, consider WordPress blogging themes.
2. Always Responsive
Another factor that is very important for a modern website is how it behaves and looks in responsive mode.
Most of us spend a decent amount of time browsing the internet on a mobile phone and it would be just weird if your website is not adapted to it.
So, a theme you purchase must be fully responsive. And you need to be strict here.
It’s not enough that the theme is just responsive; it needs to look perfect when viewed on different resolutions.
And it’s not only about the looks, but search position on Google also depends on it.
There are several tools you can use to check if the responsiveness is good enough:
- Google mobile-friendly test
- Site responsive test by SEO Aura
- Am I responsive by UI.DEV
You can also check how the responsive mode of the theme looks by right-clicking anywhere on the page, clicking inspect, and clicking the Responsive Design Mode (device emulation) button.
3. Excellent Support & Documentation
Free themes usually come without much support from their authors since they’re not being paid for that and have other jobs to take care of.
And if you are not tech savvy or if this is your first WordPress theme, that can be a deal breaker.
Premium themes have a big advantage when it comes to support & documentation as a dedicated team of experts will help you solve any issue that you might have.
Some businesses also have a commonly used comments section where you can post your questions or concerns and the support team (or other users) will provide valuable information to help you out.
Good support is crucial when purchasing the best WordPress theme for your website. Especially if you are a novice user and can use all the help you can get.
4. Predefined Page Templates
One great aspect of modern premium WordPress themes is the ease of use.
And nothing helps you build your website faster and more efficiently than predefined templates and layouts.
Some of the theme’s authors really make a tremendous effort here with hundreds of pre-built demos that all come with a 1-click installation to make your life even easier.
So, whether you are building a website for your photography blog or an e-commerce solution for your bike shop, themes like these have you covered.
You can have a website tailored to your wishes set up within minutes. That means you have a lot more time to concentrate on your content.
And it’s not just about the predesigned templates. You can also set different layouts for your blog, portfolio, and shop.
This will help you diversify your website and make it as user-friendly as possible.
5. Endless Features
Modern premium WordPress themes have an enormous list of capabilities.
For instance, these are some of the most used features:
- One-click Website Installation will make sure you get a head start with your brand-new website and will save you countless hours. And yes, all media usually comes with each demo installation.
- Mega Menu Builder is very popular today as you can add many visually appealing elements directly into the menu to emphasize certain website content.
- GDPR & Cookies so you don’t have to install an extra plugin for it.
- Single Page Import to copy content from any given pre-built website with just a single click.
- Custom Icons that you can upload and use while editing your content.
- Diverse typography which includes Google Fonts or custom fonts of your choosing. Most modern themes give you full control over the fonts.
- SEO-ready themes are a must today and most are built according to the best SEO practices to help rank your website even higher. But you may also want to read the complete SEO guide for new WordPress themes if you want to succeed.
Please note that these are just some of the many features premium WordPress themes implement and deploy.
But it’s also important to know that every theme has its features and abilities so make sure you read the description carefully and ensure the theme you are about to purchase has everything you need.
6. Abundance Of Customization Options
WordPress would lose much of its appeal if it weren’t so customizable.
It was built with that in mind so that we can build almost any type of website with it. (Without coding and design experience when using a theme, of course!)
And themes must utilize it to their advantage.
Ensure you always check how the theme administration panel is designed in the WordPress theme you are about to purchase.
Usually, theme authors will prepare a short video presentation or at least a good image presentation in the theme’s description.
Changing the typography, colors, layouts, social networks, etc., should be an integral part of the theme’s dashboard.
7. Bonus: Regular Updates & Improvements
Last but not least are the updates and improvements.
This is very important as outdated themes can crash your WordPress page and cause many issues.
Regular updates & improvements will ensure your website always has a modern look with top-notch features to stand out from the crowd.
And that can take one worry off your list if you are using your website for your business. A proper premium theme can last you forever.
Conclusion
There are a lot of good free themes available today; by all means, try them out. If you are running a blog or intend to have a website as a hobby, then a free theme might be more than enough for your needs.
But if you have a serious business that is also your livelihood, then you should strive towards a modern premium WordPress theme.
It’s much more reliable in the long run with regular updates, improvements, amazing design, and tons of customizability options.
Thanks for taking a look at our WordPress themes and reading our blog. We’ve spent countless hours designing, developing, and perfecting them just for you.