Website owners and developers today are given a huge variety of choice when it comes to personalization and themes. With the WordPress platform, advanced knowledge of traditional site building methods such as XML or HTML is no longer necessary for your average blogger. However, if you are really looking to build a brand and your reputation online, you may want to create something original with a unique layout and functionality. For this, cookie cutter WordPress themes may not make the grade. Serious developers have begun to commission unique, customized WordPress templates for their new projects.
The three big players in the field of WordPress themes are Woo Themes, Genesis and Thesis. Woo are known for their affordable, attractive themes best suited to regular bloggers. Google authority Matt Cutts recommends Thesis for it’s clean design and awesome functionality for users with advanced requirements. However, there have been some mixed reports on thesis amongst some users who find that it is not as well coded for working with some WordPress plugins as it really should be. Genesis on the other hand is 40% cheaper at $60USD, and has good plugin compatibility.
You can also use it to host more specialized websites with minimal alteration. For example there’s many online TV streaming sites which run with Genesis as a background theme instead of using complicated XML or HTML designs. You can see an example in this post – http://cipec.org/environment/watch-uk-tv-online-in-usa, notice the embedded video which can be modified to live stream.
Would-be custom webmasters will still need to enlist the help of a professional theme designer, but once you have chosen your starting point from Woo, Thesis or Genesis, the process is very straightforward. Each base theme recommends designers who are well familiar with their system. You simply need to determine your requirements and hire someone who is already familiar with your theme of choice. Personally, my employment information site is the last project I will ever use a cookie cutter template for. From now on, it’s unique functionality all the way!
Further Information – on YouTube
