Are WordPress Premium Themes Worth It? – WPCAST004

In this episode, we compare free and premium WordPress themes, and discuss the pros and cons. This episode is inspired by an article from WP Tavern, “What’s Your Perception of ThemeForest?”

The Changelog

• David:
  • Finishing a new email marketing plugin at FatCatApps.
  • Recommendation for adding a WYSIWYG editor: Knockout JS.
• Thanks to Dan and Ian for the mention on the TropicalMBA Podcast
• Thanks for the 5-star reviews!
  • Ben (USA) – WP Motion
  • Julian Juenemann (Germany) – JJ Analytics
  • Trent Anderson (Australia) – Opal by Anderson Beattie
  • Lukas Hehenberger (Austria) – Kopi Luwak Direct

The Core

• Basis for this episode:
  • http://wptavern.com/whats-your-perception-of-themeforest
• Free Themes:
  • BonesWP
  • Underscores by Automattic
  • Default WordPress themes:
    • Twenty Fourteen
    • Twenty Thirteen
    • Twenty Twelve
  • Disadvantages (generally):
    • Customizations may be tougher and require PHP and CSS.
    • Risk of author vanishing, spammy footer links.
  • Use WordPress.org or a trusted source.
    • Googling “free WordPress themes” has malware / link spam.
    • Link spam story:
      • People building free themes/plugins, not on repository.
      • Hidden CSS links, backdoor access.
• Premium Themes:
  • Advantages (generally):
    • Support
    • Updates
    • Well coded
    • Nice UI
  • Places to buy premium themes:
    • ThemeForest (marketplace with different authors)
      • Recommendation: Kriesi
    • WooThemes (especially if you’re using WooCommerce)
    • StudioPress / Genesis framework (our affiliate link) (non-affiliate link)
    • Thesis
    • Pagelines
• Our Recommendations:
  • StudioPress / Genesis framework (our affiliate link) (non-affiliate link)
    • Somewhat of a learning curve.
    • If you’re not comfortable with the coding, use a pre-built child theme.
  • WooThemes
    • Less of a learning curve.

Tips & Tricks

• Disqus Comment System
  • Replaces default WordPress comments.
  • Less friction – you can log in with Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • Less spam.
• Duplicate Post
  • Duplicates a post or page with all settings (layout, metadata, etc).