If you’ve started looking for themes for your business site, you will understand that there are literally hundreds of thousands of possibilities out there for you to utilize. However, with so much choice around, how do you know which best is for you and your business? Again, there are plenty of themes around which will fulfill your criteria upon first sight, but there are a few necessary questions you may want to ask yourself before leaping.

What is a Theme?

For many people crafting their business from scratch, this will be the first time they have ever engaged with WordPress, let alone considered what a ‘theme’ is. A theme is what makes your site look the way it does. By applying different themes, you can change the entire layout, color patterns, and overall aesthetic in just minutes.

The most important thing to remember is when it comes to picking a WordPress theme; you have two options, ‘free’ or ‘premium’ themes. As a business owner, you want to pick a premium theme. Of course, this costs money – but it is worth it. A premium theme is an investment; there are teams of people dedicated to keeping it up to date, bug-free, security-safe, and web tight. The last thing you want to happen is for your site to be hacked. Remember…no site, no online presence, no income. Avoid this by investing in a premium theme. On top of everything else, their design and aesthetic appeal are often far superior to free theme choices.

Choosing the right theme

There is so much advice that can be found online concerning choosing the right theme for your business; this can be confusing when trying to choose something which will work for your specific business brand.

Since you will be investing in a premium theme, you don’t want to waste your strict business budget by choosing a theme that doesn’t actually suit your needs. Product photography, product development, marketing, and branding will demand your budget so it is imperative to avoid website redesigns in the early stages and get it the right the first time. Sometimes, it can feel a little overwhelming with so much choice, but there is one thing to remember – your site should be individual and a complete reflection of you and your business. Please read up on the advice given by online business coaches and bloggers, but what may work for their business may not work for yours.

What is your business?

Businesses require different needs from a website. For example, some businesses set up a website purely as a first base for customers, where they can read about the company and what it offers, and maybe view a gallery of past work or projects. Other businesses are based purely online and sell various products online and will generally require a lot more from a website.

Make sure you understand exactly what it is you are seeking. A basic portfolio website is easy to cater to. However, a demanding e-commerce business requiring strong product pages, video, 360-degree photography, and social media links must be built within a theme which enables these plugins.

Consider CRO

Conversion rate optimization basically refers to the experience visitors gain when on a particular website. The goal is to transform these visitors into actual paying customers. Different design layouts can dramatically affect a customer’s decision whether they will spend their money with you or not.

You must make sure the theme you are investing in will connect with your customers, allow them to see your products in the best light possible, and most of all, you MUST create a sense of trust and security, so customers feel you are a genuine company. Conversion Rate Optimisation itself is big business, and CRO consultants can significantly boost business profits. So as you are starting, make sure your theme ticks the boxes before investing to save you future CRO consultancy fees.

Here are a few good questions to ask when it comes to choosing a theme:

• Does your theme come from a credible developer? Make sure your premium theme comes with solid web support, for you will probably be constantly utilizing it when it comes to maintaining your site. A credible developer who has a track record for creating and distributing themes will offer good web support. If you are unsure, do a quick Google search to bring up a wealth of information & reviews regarding the developer.
  
• What is your price range? You get what you pay for; the more expensive a theme, usually the better it is. However, you can get pretty decent themes for around sixty pounds. However, don’t be conned with a very expensive theme that does little; always research the one you are about to purchase. Check annual renewing fees also.
  
• SEO options? The very best themes have inbuilt SEO tools which help your website stand out in search engines. Look at themes that offer this as standard.
  
• Responsive theme? We live in an age where people access the internet in many different ways, whether on their smartphones, tablets, or laptops. Responsive themes adapt to such platforms.
  

As you can see, there are a few things to think about when choosing a WordPress theme. First, don’t rush your design decision; your website needs to convey the correct message to your visitors and match your brand feel. Do your research and pick the right theme for you and your business. There are plenty of reviews that can be found online relating to each theme; make sure you assess what is being said about particular themes you are considering, and if you still feel unsure, you could always contact other businesses which use the particular theme to ask them how user friendly it is, or if there are any problems they have encountered.

Find over 10,000 premium themes here.

About the author: Hannah works for VoucherCloud, and has recently worked on their website redesign and launch. Vouchercloud offers voucher codes for their customers, such as Debenhams discounts and Travelodge offers where customers can save from top brands. Many planning, consultancy, and time have gone into their new website. However, Hannah began working with smaller brands, so she understands how important it is to get design right when on an unforgiving business budget.

Data Breach Infographic developed by LifeLock.com

According to a recent study conducted by Stanford University, about 10 percent of the United States work force reports working from home (or telecommuting) at least one day per week. The study revealed what many business managers were already discovering: that working from home really works. Virtual offices lower operations costs and, surprisingly, can boost productivity.

If you’re a business owner or a cubicle-bound professional, it may be time to cut your desk leash and conduct business on the go.

The Stats

According to a recent Huffington post article, the share of employers in the U.S. who allow employees to work from home has more than doubled since 2005 to a whopping 63 percent. The reasons behind this shift are telling. In the Stanford University study, a travel company named based in China named CTrip employs 16,000 people and found that over a nine-month period, productivity spiked in the employees who were allowed to work from home. Now, the company officials randomly chose call center employees who had volunteered to participate in the study. As the experiment went on, company officials noticed fewer breaks and sick days as well as more calls per minute. After having this proof, along with increased job satisfaction, CTrip officials rolled out a larger work-from-home group and experienced a 22 percent gain.

While that is truly impressive, what does this mean for smaller businesses? Well, with fewer employees, every upswing in productivity is noticeable. In fact, according to http://www.internetproviders.com, virtual meetings will save your business both time AND money. That’s good news no matter the size of your business.

The Savings

A move from a conventional office to a virtual office has bottom-line implications. The money your business spends on rent, air conditioning, water services, coffee/tea, maintenance and other overhead expenses can easily be diverted to other business functions. Technology reduces the need for a centralized office. With so many Wi-Fi-ready coffee shops, book stores and libraries, virtual offices can spend the monthly Internet fee on purchases that promote growth. The flexibility gives employees the opportunity to “get close” to their customers as well, going to meet local customers (if that is part of your business structure) or responding with lightning speed to requests from customers further away.

Much of today’s business is moving slowly and steadily to “the cloud.” Essentially, storing data or other information on traditional servers can be costly. In fact, most dedicated servers are run on stand-alone computers. You’ll likely have to have IT professionals in place or on standby, in case something happens which causes those servers to go down. With cloud computing, you’ll not only save money on servers, you’ll also remove the need for an in-house IT department. Instead, remote cloud-computing experts handle this efficient technology.

The Work

Modern business guru Seth Godin speaks to the creativity boost that the virtual office brings into the equation. On his blog, he suggests that shows like “The Office” will soon be a “quaint antique” with the boosts in creativity and production along with the massive drop in overhead costs. The home office (or anywhere else the employee chooses to work) is a fresh environment that can help to inspire the innovation and creativity that all businesses strive and long for.