14 DAY TRIAL // The WordPress platform can be used without any restriction or limitation for any purpose when you want to build a new website or to redesign an already existing one. Due to the fact that this PHP/MySQL application is a content management system that separates the content from the website layout, know that after you have added the content into the database, it's easy to change its appearance by installing a different theme.
The installation of a new theme requires the presence of all necessary files in the Themes directory of your WordPress blog. You can switch between themes from the appropriate section of the administration area by simply selecting the desired theme.
With all that, the complex part is represented by theme selection or customization. The structure of the theme, correlated with the website content, will influence the nature of interactions between the visitors and your entire website. As a consequence, the WordPress theme will determine the website's functionality and content appearance. In order to maintain an optimal level of accessibility and usability for your website, a few basic rules are to be followed.
From the usability point of view, you must decide the number of columns that your theme should have, the type of pages, the necessity of a search box feature, sitemap and more, depending on the website type. After this preliminary step, up to ten WordPress themes containing the majority of elements needed by your website structure should be downloaded and tested. Every structural aspect can be easily customized in the final selection of a single theme by editing the appropriate code.
The sensitive part in the customization of a WordPress theme is the stage of color adoption or modification. All existing colors in a certain theme will contribute to the definition of the personality of your website on one hand, while on the other hand they will influence the content perception by website visitors to a great extent. The proper selection of theme colors and images will attract more visitors and will make their browsing experience more pleasant.
If the theme colors are defined in the CSS file contained in the theme distribution directory, by changing the color HEX codes for the desired elements and saving the file, you can easily customize the website appearance. By using an image viewer with processing capabilities you will be able to change both images, backgrounds and others elements colors, if they are defined through image files.
For example, if you are using Windows operating system, IrfanView could be employed to change image colors or textures by using one of its processing functions or filters.(Enhance colors function allows you to change the default color of an image, as well as contrast and saturation). By cycling through the images and performing the necessary modifications or processing operations and then uploading them on the server, by rewriting the existing files you can enjoy a live preview of the WordPress website after every individual change in elements colors (it is recommended to backup files before performing any change).
This method will permit you to adjust the elements and colors of various themes in a gradual manner. As a consequence, there are good chances to obtain an optimal color scheme for your website. The proper selection of theme colors and images only stands to attract more visitors and to make their browsing experience more pleasant.