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[A real report from a WordPress teacher!] What are the WordPress blog themes that people actually use? Updated in February 2021!
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Since 2019, I have been working as a WordPress instructor.StorecaI registered and started working as a WordPress instructor.To over 147 students in 2019 aloneWordPress Private LessonsI went there.
Most of the students are [WordPress blog beginners]
✔ I'm not good with the web or computers
✔ This is my first time on the website
✔This is my first WordPress blog/homepage.
For those who are about to start a WordPress blog or website, or those who have already started using a WordPress blog or website but have just started building it and have not been able to move forward.For example, it has become like this.
The first thing that comes to mind when starting with WordPress is what theme to use.
it might be?
The site
- Is it a homepage format?
- Is it in blog format?
- Is affiliate marketing the main focus?
The theme you use will vary depending on the theme you use. First, I created a video on how to install the theme.I don't know how to install the theme!If you are interested, please take a look!
What WordPress blog theme should I use?
The number one concern for those who are starting a WordPress blog is "What WordPress blog theme should I use?As a WordPress instructor who has seen many cases in private WordPress lessons, I would like to report on the actual theme usage situation! I will introduce a mixture of paid and free themes.
The reason why I mix paid and free themes is that paid themes are worth paying for, and they are an initial cost for running a WordPress blog for a long time.Small investments are essentialBecause I think it is.
As of April 2020, I feel that there are a lot of people who are purchasing paid blog themes. Rather than just making money from blogging casually, I think they want to earn money from blogging in earnest.
Also, TCD themes have a unique way of updating themes. We have created an explanation of how to update themes, so please refer to it!
First of all, what is a WordPress theme?
A common question for those who are just starting out with WordPress is: What is the best theme for a WordPress blog? What is the best theme for a WordPress homepage? We will answer your questions!
WordPress Site Design ReferenceThan
It is like a "skin" that changes the appearance of the site, and is responsible for all display of the WordPress site. Many "themes" with diverse designs are distributed, and you can easily switch between them with one click from the admin screen.
This set includes "CSS" for layout and decoration, "(x)HTML" for deciding what information to display and where, and the theme's own optional functions, allowing you to freely customize your site design without touching WordPress itself.
By using a theme, you can build a homepage with the same look and feel as WordPress, even if you don't have any knowledge of HTML or CSS.
You can also easily change the look by changing the theme.
Changing themes is also very easy; simply go to the dashboard (administration screen) [Appearance] > [Themes], select the theme you want, and then [Install] and [Activate] it.
What's great about themes is that famous themes not only look great but also have a variety of functions. Just activate a WordPress theme and
- SEO settings available
- Create a slideshow just by adding images
- You can post blog posts in speech bubble format.
- Easy to set up CTAs
- Can display articles in a carousel format
- Easy to enter ad code
There are many different things you can do depending on the WordPress theme.
Which WordPress theme should I choose? It's a difficult decision.
About paid and free WordPress themes
There are free and paid themes for WordPress blogs.
- Fully functional free theme
- The basic features are free to use, but if you want to use the extended features, you will be prompted to sign up for a paid subscription.
- Once you buy it, you can use it forever.
- Paid themes with annual license fee
Types of Free WordPress Blog Themes
Some features are freeThere are many themes that are like this, so you need to be careful.
In addition, the basics can be done for free, andPaid plans for those who want to expandSome themes also offer this option.
For free WordPress themes, you can choose a theme from the dashboard by going to Appearance > Themes > Add New.
Foreign themes may also be used in English, so you should also pay attention to whether the theme is made in Japan or overseas.
Types of paid WordPress blog themes
Even with paid WordPress blog themes,One-time purchase and license typesSo please be careful.
If you choose the one-time purchase type, you will pay at the beginning and then you can continue to operate your blog or homepage with the same theme for a long time while receiving updates.
With licensed themes, if you stop paying the license fee, you will no longer be able to receive updates. However, you will still be able to use the theme, just not receive updates!
How do I choose a theme?
For those who are just starting to manage a WordPress blog or website, you may not know what you can do with WordPress or what measures you should take to create a website.
- Fee
- Is it easy to implement SEO measures?
- Is it easy to run ads?
- Is the theme easy to customize?
- How often are the themes updated?
I think the above five points are important. As a WordPress instructor who has seen many blogs and actually seen the inside of themes, I can tell you which are the really popular themes. Let me introduce them to you right away!
So, let's start with a ranking of the WordPress themes that everyone is using!
147 people in 2019WordPress Private LessonsSo we compiled a list of the WordPress themes that our customers actually use and ranked them!
Price, SEO, ease of advertising management, ease of use, update frequency
We will explain the criteria for choosing a theme.
Fee: Free themes are ★★★, paid themes are relatively cheap or one-time purchase type are ★★, expensive themes that require monthly/yearly payments are ★
SEO Measures: If the theme has SEO measures, it is ★★★. If the theme has SEO measures but requires the addition of a plugin, it is ★★. If the theme can achieve SEO measures by installing a plugin, it is ★.
Ease of advertising: ★★★ if the theme has a mechanism to easily display ads such as Google Adsence, ★★ if the theme only supports Google Adsence, ★ if the theme cannot display ads without installing a plugin yourself
Ease of use: Evaluates how easy the theme is to customize. Themes that have many features tend to have a lower usability rating.
Update frequency:To keep up with the frequent updates of WordPress, you need a theme (template) that is compatible with WordPress updates. If the theme you use is not updated frequently, problems will occur. Themes that have been updated within the last 2-3 months are rated ★★★, themes that are not updated frequently but are compatible with the latest WordPress are rated ★★, and themes that have not been tested to work with the latest WordPress are rated ★.
1st place: cocoon (84 votes)
Cocoon is the most popular choice among blog managers.
Cocoon is also a free theme.A wide variety of skins(You can also choose your favorite design from design templates) are available.
There are no paid plans available,All features are freeWhat's great is that it can be used in
>>cocoon demo site
Price ★★★
All functions are free. Even if you use the same cocoon, you may not realize it is cocoon at first glance because there are many skins available! It is multifunctional so you can express your originality.
SEO measures ★★★
SEO measures have been thoroughly implemented.
Ease of advertising operations ★★★
There is a field to enter your AdSense code and it is designed for advertising management.
Ease of use ★☆☆
There are so many things you can do and so many settings to choose from that it takes a while to fully understand it.
Update frequency ★★★
Compatible with the latest version of Worpdress.
2. Lightning (60 votes)
I feel that Lightning has the overwhelming majority of users!
Lightning also supports homepage formatFree ThemesIt will be.
This is a popular theme for those who want to run a blog or a website.
However, when you search online, you will find that there are so many websites with the same structure that it seems like a lot of people are using it. It may not be suitable for those who are looking for something original.
>>Lightning demo site
Price ★★★
Basically free. You can build a homepage like the demo site completely free of charge. By combining it with a free plugin called ExUnit, you can easily set up CTAs, etc.
If you purchase Lightning Pro, which costs ¥6,980 (excluding tax) per year, you can use the designed extension theme called skin. The extension theme costs around ¥5,000.
SEO measures ★★☆
The code input field for google analytics is equipped in ExUnit. CTA is also equipped in ExUnit.
Ease of advertising management ☆☆☆
There are no ad slots, so you will need to install a plugin yourself.
Ease of use ★★★
The settings are not very complicated, so even beginners can use Lightning easily.
Update frequency ★★★
Compatible with the latest version of Worpdress. Updates are frequent, and new features are constantly being added.
3rd place: TCD series (56 votes)
Many of you may already know about this paid theme, TCD.
As of April 2020, we are distributing 67 paid themes. All of them have exceptional design and quality!
Since you can build a WordPress site without needing a designer, it is especially popular with people who want to create a homepage. If you have a little knowledge of WordPress, you can receive orders for homepage creation by using TCD themes, which are of such high quality that you can do so.
>>Check out the official website for TCD Themes
Price ★★☆
It depends on the theme. Prices range from under 10,000 yen to close to 50,000 yen for themes that allow you to build SNS accounts.
SEO measures ★★★
It depends on the theme, but the TCD themes I have used so far have a section where you can set search titles and descriptions for each page. Some themes also have the ability to simply enter analytics code.
Ease of advertising operations ★☆☆
This also depends on the theme. Home page themes do not have advertising features, but some blog themes do.
Update frequency ★★☆
Updates are notified occasionally. However, unlike other themes, the update notifications are sent to the admin screen and you cannot update with one click. Also, there are surprisingly many reports of bugs.
4th place: WING (AFFINGER5) (44 votes)
This paid WordPress theme is often used by students who want to earn some extra money through blog affiliate marketing and who have done their own research online. The reviews are very good.
>>Check out the official website for AFFINGER5 WING
Price ★☆☆
14,800 yen. I'm sure there are many people who would like to purchase a paid WordPress theme for less than 10,000 yen.
Even so, I get the impression that many people are still buying it. Is this because of the strong image of SEO?
If you don't want to spend over 10,000 yen, there is also a free version. We recommend trying out the free version of the WordPress theme before deciding to purchase it!
"STINGER PLUS2+" released for free
SEO measures ★★★
They are very famous for their SEO measures. From various reviews, I think their SEO settings are perfect.
Ease of advertising operations ★★★
This theme is designed for affiliate marketing on WordPress, so it definitely gets 3 stars!
Update frequency ★★★
Compatible with the latest version of WordPress!
5th place: JIN (36 votes)
JIN has a distinctive design with four items below the main visual. Here you can place recommended categories, introduce yourself, and make other appealing statements.
Many people choose JIN because they like the structure of the top page.
Popular blogger HitodesanI also use JIN!
>>Check out JIN's official website
Price ★☆☆
14,800 yen. I'm giving it one star because I think many people have a budget of less than 10,000 yen.
SEO measures ★☆☆
The site title and description for each page cannot be set unless you expand it with a plugin.
Ease of advertising operations ★★★
It has monetization features and the theme is designed with advertising in mind.
Update frequency ★★★
It is frequently updated and is compatible with the latest versions of WordPress.
6. Stork (28 votes)
Stork is a popular paid theme among bloggers, and its blue design is popular with both men and women.
>>Check the official website for stork
Price ★★☆
10,800 yen. For those looking for something under 10,000 yen, this is probably a tight price range.
SEO measures ★☆☆
You can't add searchable titles or descriptions unless you install an SEO plugin yourself. Also, the theme doesn't include popular tables of contents or speech bubbles. Some people have used this theme to launch Google cannons multiple times.
Ease of advertising operations ★☆☆
You also need to install the AdSense plugin to see the ads.
Update frequency ★★★
It is frequently updated and is compatible with the latest versions of WordPress.
7. Emanon Business (18 votes)
This is a paid WordPress theme for business use, [Emanon]. It is often purchased by students who want to create a landing page-style homepage. Even if you don't have specialized knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can create a high-quality homepage.
Price ★☆☆
12,800 yen. A price that is easy to afford even for those with a budget of 10,000 yen.
There is also a version called Emanon Free, so we recommend trying it out with the free WordPress theme first!
SEO measures ★★☆
It's also perfect for SEO! However, there are also cases where the number of visitors decreased after switching to this theme.
Ease of advertising operations★★☆
If you want to specialize in affiliate blogging with WordPress, we recommend Affinger WING and cocoon. These are WordPress themes for business use. However, they also have spaces for inserting advertisements, so they are easy to use!
Update frequency ★★★
Compatible with the latest version of WordPress!
If you think it is difficult to build a WordPress site by yourself
At hanami-web
We have heard stories of people giving up on building a website because they struggled to choose a WordPress theme. If you have any problems, please feel free to contact us!
[Summary] As a result
- The recommended free theme for WordPress homepage is [Lightining!]
- Recommended paid themes for WordPress homepages areTCD】
- Recommended free themes for WordPress blogs arecocoon】
- Recommended paid themes for WordPress blogs areWING】
This is just my personal opinion. I don't think that using this theme is good for SEO! I just use it for daily updates, blog posts, and basicGoogle GuidelinesI think you need to design a website based on this. You can use any of the themes introduced here with confidence. The criteria for choosing a theme areDoes it fit the structure of your website?!I think.
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