According to research, 37.8% of all the websites run on WordPress. This translates to over 70 million sites. For brand visibility, and with such statistics, it goes without saying that your website should be powered by WordPress.

With coding skills, webmasters can now design WordPress themes by using programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Even without any programming skills, this guide will sufficiently educate you on how to design a WP theme. However, it should be noted that you'll eventually need digital marketing experts to optimize your site for SEO.

Benefits of a Self-Designed WordPress Theme

For high functionality and meeting the primary goal of your portal, which is to get the attention of the desired audience, a customized WP theme is by far the best option. For blog owners, your website’s appearance can influence your audience to contribute more on your website.

Apart from attracting the targeted audience, your site stands to gain the following benefits:

1. Security

Pre-designed WordPress themes sometimes come loaded with bugs that may present security challenges for your website. With minimal codes and fewer features for the customized themes, you're bound to detect the bugs faster and deal with them accordingly once they occur. This ensures that your site's security remains healthy and uncompromised.

2. Satisfaction

When you design a WordPress theme, you decide what to include. Since there's no limitation by another person's design, the whole process will leave you with a satisfying feeling.

3. Uniqueness

Unlike the pre-designed and third-party themes, a self-coded WordPress theme is unique to your site and may play a role in improving brand visibility.

4. Increased Performance

With a self-made WP theme, you can limit the number of plugins to be used but with third-party themes, you may have to use the installed plugins otherwise this may result in the instability of the theme.

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Source: Pixabay

Typically, and unlike in pre-coded WordPress themes, self-designed themes have minimal codes and fewer features which makes them lighter, a key feature for sites properly optimized for SEO. Though there are pre-designed themes that address the speed question, self-designed themes are the best for SEO.

Having a well-designed WP theme can also be a factor when it comes to outreaching. Your prospects will see your website and the first thing they’ll consider is your web design. That’s why it’s easier for well-designed websites to gain backlinks and improve their SEO.

The uniqueness that your website brings can be the deciding factor to convert a prospect to a client. Outreach services can be quite hard if your website is hard to sell. However, with a well-designed website using self-made themes, you can easily catch your prospect’s eye. You can also inquire to blogger outreach services to save you some time from outreaching.

How to Make a Self-Designed WP Theme

The following ways can be used to design a WP theme:

• Modifying an already existing theme

• Altering or editing the code of an existing theme

• Building a WP theme from scratch

1. Modification of a Theme

Essentially a "child theme" is created. A WP theme that's already in use is adopted but edits are done to the undesired areas. The layout, color, or font size are some of the features that can be edited. Changes will not be affected even when WordPress updates are automatically installed.

How is a Child Theme Made?

This method is best for those competent in web design and SEO. However, even without these skills, a professional SEO agency may be consulted for the same, if not better results.

First step:

A new file should be made under the/themes/folder.

Second step:

The original name of a parent theme is reused when coming up with a name for the new theme. However, ensure to append it with (-child). This eliminates confusion in differentiating the parent and the child files.

For example, for a child theme named you & me, you may use (/you & me- child/) as the name of the child theme.

Third step:

In the child folder, functions and CSS files should be included. They store codes that inform WP of the location of the cascading style sheets.

Fourth step:

In your admin panel, click on Appearance then Themes, and finally, Activate to get the new WordPress theme running.

2. Changing Code of Existing Theme

A duplicate of an existing WordPress theme should be made then changes are made to suit one's preference. This may involve doing away with unnecessary styles and replacing them with what you like. Moreover, elements can be changed by altering the HTML codes for the footer, header, and index files and finally replace them with the desired elements. If along the way, you find out that some of the adopted features are unnecessary, the PHP snippets can be used to delete the unwanted sections.

3. Coding a Self-Designed Theme 

Source: Pixabay

This method may be technical and would call for sound expertise in web design and coding for good results. The following six steps should be followed to give you the right results.

First Step:

A parent folder is made for holding the new theme files. A root directory named WordPress is necessary for future WP installation. There are many folders and files that are contained in the WordPress directory. More on the subject should be accessed here

Second Step:CSS & index PHPfiles creation

In thecustomfolder, make theindexand CSSfiles. The index file holds details of what is to be found on your home page while the CSS contains the formatting details. Bingo! We now have a WordPress theme built from scratch.

Third Step: Seeing and evaluating your new theme.

From the WP dashboard, go to Appearance then click Themes to view your new theme.

Fourth Step: Home page title and text

Make title and text for your home page by adding a PHP code. 

Fifth Step: Linking Posts

Add links to your posts by using the permalink address. This enables posts to be viewed independently rather than viewing them as part of the home page.

Sixth Step: Customizing your Header and Footer 

A professionally designed theme should never lack a title or content. Of equal importance is the theme header and footer. These vital sections should be placed on top and under the page content. This is made possible by adding a get_header and a get_footer function to your new theme.

Conclusion 

According to research, 50% of websites powered by WordPress have experienced security breach of some sort. This was caused by the use of outdated plugins and poorly coded WP themes. To avoid being a part of the statistics, designing your WP theme may be a great idea. Consult a reputable SEO agency today for a perfect solution for a self-designed WP theme.