15 Things You MUST DO Before Changing WordPress Theme
15 Things You MUST DO Before Changing WordPress Theme
If you’ve got used WordPress, then you’ve got most likely switched themes a minimum of once in your life. If you haven’t, and this is often your 1st time, then it’s even higher. the wonder of WordPress is that it makes it terribly straightforward for users to alter themes. it’s virtually a few clicks away. however dynamical themes are far quite merely clicking activate. during this article, we are going to give you a listing of things that you just should do before dynamical WordPress themes. These steps square measure vital to creating positive the method goes swimmingly otherwise you’ll be able to find yourself losing parts that you just failed to mean to lose.
1. Take Notes on Your Current Theme
Many WordPress users surf the online to search out solutions to their issues. usually, they notice those solutions in a type of snippets that they add manually in their themes like the functions.php or another file. as a result of these changes were created once, folks have an inclination of not memory them. bear your theme files and text all further code that you just adscititious. you furthermore may need to ascertain your current theme’s load time as a result of this fashion you’ll be able to compare the 2. visit a web site like Pingdom Tools or use YSlow to check out totally {different|completely different} pages (Yes different pages, not simply the homepage).
2. use caution of the Sidebars
You must confirm that your new theme is widget-ready. Sidebar widgets square measure very easy to use this plenty of users use it to customize it. we have a tendency to notice that sidebars square measure most likely the foremost user-customized space of WordPress sites. folks create loads of changes like adding custom texts, images, links, advertisements, and different widgets. If you’re employing a widget-enabled theme, and you turn to a subject that’s not widget-ready, then you may lose all of that. If you’re employing a widget-enabled WordPress theme, then this is often not a difficulty.
Also, something that you just modify in the sidebar.php file of your previous theme, are overwritten. therefore confirm that you just add those codes within the new theme sidebar.
3. Don’t lose following
Most bloggers use some type of analytics whether or not it’s Google Analytics or one in every one of the opposite services. plenty folks don’t use plugins to feature the following codes. a number of North American nation open the footer.php file and modify the codes. a number of our themes have a spot to position the Adsense code. Whichever one is your case, you would like to create positive that you just copy and paste your following code to your new theme. this is often one in each of the items that’s terribly usually unnoticed by users. as a result of it’s therefore straightforward, most folks ignore it.
4. the nice old RSS square measure you working?
A lot of folks use FeedBurner for our WordPress RSS Feeds. one in every one of the elements of desegregation FeedBurner into WordPress is informed your default feeds to FeedBurner this fashion you’ll be able to have analytics on your feed subscribers. plenty of themes like Genesis, Headway Theme, normal Theme, et al enable you to integrate FeedBurner from their settings panel. you wish to create positive that you just keep the feed directed to FeedBurner otherwise there’ll be 2 RSS feeds for your journal. the most WordPress one, and also the FeedBurner one that is taking the data from your WordPress RSS Feed. Except, you may lose count of plenty of the subscriber that you just had as a result of they were signed mistreatment the /feed/ universal resource locator that not points to FeedBurner. Again, this doesn’t mean you lose them, it simply implies that you can’t see them within the FeedBurner count.
5. Backup!!
You ne’er have something to lose by making a backup. As a precautional life, you ought to back up all of your theme files, plugins, and also the info. though nothing ought to happen, however, you’ll be able to ne’er be too safe. you’ll be able to use BackupBuddy to make a full-site Backup for you.
6. Maintenance Mode
Maintenance Mode WordPress
You probably don’t need your users to check whereas you’re creating the switch as a result of they’ll find yourself seeing a broken web site or such. it’s best to show on Maintenance mode for fifteen-twenty minutes that it’s going to take you to create positive that everything is functioning properly. Once you’ve got setup Maintenance mode, you’re smart to travel ahead and activate the new theme.
7. Testing all practicality and plugins
Once you’ve got the new theme activated, you wish to create positive that you just retain all the practicality and plugins still work. bear in mind that smart or’ notes list that you just created in step one. this is often the time wherever which will return handy. return and add any and every one practicality that you just need to bring from the previous theme into the new theme if you haven’t done therefore already. try all the options together with however not restricted to the commenting method, single post pages, search, 404 pages, archive page, contact page, etc. confirm all of your widgets square measure still there and square measure operating.
On the plugin front, you only need to create positive that the format remains constant. plenty of plugins utilize your existing designs to show their output. therefore you almost certainly need to create positive that they still look smart with the new theme.
8. Cross Browser Compatibility
Test your web site all told browsers you’ve got access to. Browsers have an inclination of rendering things otherwise. Especially net human. you would like to create positive that your style appearance smart in major browsers. Some pretty trying themes have an inclination of breaking in varied browsers. therefore if plenty of your audience is mistreatment net human, then you would like to create positive that it’s still accessible to them.
9. create those Third Party things look pretty
If you’re mistreatment Google Adsense or another ad company that permits you to format them, then your best bet is to customize them. for instance, your previous web site was orange, therefore you had orange links for Google Adsense. currently, if it’s blue, then you almost certainly need to require that into consideration.
The same goes for twitter devices, Facebook like buttons, etc. change those together with your new color scheme. If you’re going from a light-weight to a dark style, or vice-versa, then you wish to create those changes.
10. Let your Users understand
10. Announcement
Turn off maintenance mode, and write a fast journal post to let the users understand. Notice, you merely spent like fifteen-twenty minutes on checking things. there’s no approach that you just could’ve caught all the bugs. By holding your user’s understanding, you’ll be able to expect to induce bug reports. we frequently raise our readers on Twitter (@wpbeginner) for bug testing. raise your audience via twitter, Facebook, etc to check if the positioning appearance smart in their browser. If they are saying affirmative, then it’s excellent news. If they are saying NO, then raise them to please take a screenshot of the problem. you’ll be able to take a glance at the problem and check out to mend it. If you can’t fix it, then kindly raise the developer of the theme to mend it. Notice: unless you purchased the theme, these developers aren’t needed to mend those problems for gratis.
People have all types of browsers, screen resolutions, etc, therefore obtaining their opinion is vital. Don’t forget to inform your RSS readers to go to the positioning still, in order that they will see the goodies.
11. Pruning plugins
Themes square measure currently coming back pre-loaded with plenty of options. for instance, if you’re mistreatment Genesis or another theme that has BreadCrumbs, then you’ll be able to get eliminate crumb plugin of yours. The conception is straightforward. Get eliminate things that you just don’t want. One issue you ought to confirm the’ is commonly plugins will do the task higher. for instance plenty of themes square measure coming back with loads of SEO options. Genesis, Thesis, Headway, normal Theme and everyone other boosts their SEO options. We’d rather use a far a lot of powerful plugin like WordPress SEO by Yoast. create your selections with wisdom.
12. Take Baby Steps once dynamical
Babysteps
You are operating with a brand new theme here, therefore it’s most likely best that you just create changes rigorously. modification smaller parts to create positive that it behaves properly all told browsers. Then once you’re snug enough, then you’ll be able to create forceful changes. It’s necessary to be told about the structure and linguistics of the new theme before you create vast changes. this can enable you to sight the matter directly.
13. take a look at Loading Time
Take the load time numbers that you just had on your previous theme (from item one of this checklist), and compare the 2. See what you’ll be able to do to boost load time by finding out Syed’s presentation on Slideshare.
14. Monitor Bounce Rate
After switch themes, you would like to create positive that you just square measure watching bounce rate. Some themes square measure simply a lot of friendlier than others once it involves navigating the readers around your web site. If your bounce rate has exaggerated compared to the previous theme, then you ought to most likely work on it. Add connected posts widgets, common posts widgets, or just have a higher call-to-action for brand new readers.
15. hear your readers, and IMPROVE
When a brand new style comes out, users continuously have suggestions. They either love a particular feature or hate a particular feature. Communicate together with your audience mistreatment surveys or Facebook Polls. See what they’d prefer to see improved, and so work on obtaining that done.
Do you have a listing of your own once dynamical WordPress themes? would like to hear it if we have a tendency to incomprehensible one thing.