Bloggers and Webmasters always face the decision of what theme or template to use for their site.  There are thousands of free and paid themes out there.  Just search this blog, I’ve posted hundreds of them (and I’m a little fish in a big sea).  Nowadays there are so many styles and colors to choose from, it could get overwhelming.  Do I use 2 or 3 columns?  Do I use a dark or light background?  Do I pay some money for it or do I go the free route?  The questions could go on and on.  To make it easier I’m giving my suggestions as to how to choose the right theme for you.

Outline: You should write down the  pages (about, contact us, etc.) that you want and in what order.  Then, write down the categories that are going to be needed for you blog.  I would also write a summary of what your blog is and its purpose.   All of this will help you stay on track and have something to look back on.

Figure out what you want: Knowing what you want before browsing for themes is a good idea.  If you don’t, after a couple hours your head will be scrambled because you just viewed many different types of themes.  When you know what you want before you can narrow your search down a lot.  The below bullets are some things to keep in mind.

• Columns- For the most part, there are 1, 2 or 3 columns themes available.  Without knowing what kind of niche your in, my general suggestion is sticking with a 2 column theme.  One is too simple and 3 could get too complex.  Two columns allows you to post your articles and have numerous widgets and elements in your sidebar.  As you can see Theme Today is a two column theme.
• Background Color- This is a personal choice but you have to take into account the font color.  For example, if your going with a black background then your font has to be white (not gray).  If your background is white then you need a dark gray or black font.  Also, you should look around the internet for color schemes you like.  Another aspect to keep in mind is the psychology of colors, to learn more click here.
• Monetizing?- If you plan on or already are monetizing your blog then you should stick with a premium theme.  It is important that your theme look as professional as possible.  Some premium themes come ad placement ready.  It’s important that you look at the future and realize the money that you will pay for a premium theme will be a good investment.

Look around: Now that you have a general idea of what you want your theme to be then it’s time to look for the perfect theme.  You can search this site for a bunch of free and premium themes.  If you can’t find anything on here then just simply Google it and you’ll find tons of themes available for download.  Most of the themes available will allow you to demo it.  I highly suggest you do this and here are some things to keep in mind.

• Usability- Make sure you can navigate to each page, post and links correctly.  Also, make sure its not too busy, you want a site that is simple for your readers.  Sure, there are flashy themes out there but they will not benefit you, trust me.
• Test- Test the theme in different browsers; Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari at the least.  Some themes are coded to work in a specific browser (stay away from these), you’ll lose potential readers.
• Support- If you pay for a theme, most likely you will get the support from the developer or a forum.  This is crucial because if problems arise then you need an expert suggestion.  Some of the free themes don’t have any support.  The creators code the theme, then leave it up to the person who downloads the theme to handle the problems…this option is not fun and extremely frustrating.
• SEO Optimized- Most Bloggers don’t know diddly about Search Engine Optimization, and that’s ok.  Its a very complex subject and that’s why you should get a theme that encompasses search friendly structure.  Its hard to tell which one’s are and aren’t.  Alot of times the author will mention it under the features section (if they are honest).  As a side not
• the best SEO friendly theme is Thesis.

Click here for my recommended premium themes

Upload: step-by-step instructions to upload your theme to WordPress.

You have just uploaded the perfect theme that will suite your blog!  If you have a existing reader base I think its a great idea to ask for feedback.  Make sure your audience likes it, sometimes it will take  some getting used to.  If you just launched for the first time then please delete the “Hello World” post.  Goodluck with your new theme and hopefully it will bring you better exposure!