subject: Using Different Wordpress Themes To Distinguish Your Site [print this page] When creating your membership site on WordPress you want the ability to stand out from other sites. One way of doing this is selecting the right theme for you and lucky enough, you have millions of different themes available that can be used to customize your site.
Themes provide a 'mask' or 'covering' to change the look and presentation of your site. If you want a three-column site with heavy use of red and green, and space for a large animated header, then there's certainly a theme out there for you. You just have to find it!
Selecting a theme is as easy as going to one of the following sites and taking the time to find the theme that best suits your needs. Of course, these are just a few examples as there are MANY WordPress theme providers. However, this should get you started on your search: http://www.ElegantThemes.com http://www.WooThemes.com http://www.iThemes.com http://tinyurl.com/freewpthemes http://welovewp.com/
Once you find a theme you like, simply obtain and upload it with the Theme Uploader to your WordPress site. http://screencast.com/t/OGM2MGJjZDct Once the theme is uploaded, click the 'Themes' option you will notice to the left and you'll then see a list of thumbnails which can be selected. Locate the theme of your choice and then either click 'Activate' to choose the new theme, or 'Preview' to see how it looks before you make it live. http://screencast.com/t/OWZkODQzMDA
So why would you go though all this trouble, just to change the look of your site? It's all about appearances. Selecting a good theme can allow you to have different options (for example, post of the day option). It can also be adapted to match your brand's identity and colors. It really boils down to professionalism and separating your site from the crowd.
A large number of visitors already know the default themes for Wordpress. If you can't or won't upgrade your site, what will the message be to your customers? "The look is out of date. Could the content be as well?"
There's always a chance you might like the default theme but there's certainly nicer ones out there. Enticing themes that will make your members want to sign up.
If you are using the WishList Member PlugIn for your membership site, keep in mind is that while the WishList Member PlugIn and WordPress themes typically do work together well, it's impossible to provide 100% compatibility with the millions of themes available. Although it does happen on occasion, it is very rare that a theme will not be compatible with WishList Member. If you install a new theme and find that you have new errors appearing within your site, it's probably due to an incompatible theme. A quick way to find this out is to deactivate the new theme and activate the default WordPress theme. http://screencast.com/t/NDMzNDRlNjg If the error no longer appears with the default WordPress theme applied, then this suggests an issue with the previously installed theme.
If you really want to use that particular theme you will have to customize the theme's code (either yourself or you can hire a programmer). Otherwise, you can just select a different theme. If needed, we can provide a list of WishList Member Certified Developers to assist with this.
With these tips, you should be able to find a theme that gives your site the look and feel you've been searching for, as well as avoid any potential issues.
