One of the first things that I did before I even launched StandOutBlogger was to create a unique design and get it coded to wordpress. Since then I have had about 3 different themes as I made my way back to a unique theme.
But Are Unique Themes Important For Success?
Definitely Not!
If you have spent any time visiting blogs you would have experienced your fair share of successful bloggers. Now I would dare to guess that a lot of them where not using a unique theme. Instead they have been using:
- A Premium Blog Theme (Straight Out Of The Box)
- A Premium Blog Theme (But Highly Customised)
- A Free Blog Theme
Now there is definately no right or wrong answer when it comes to whether your blog should have a unique, premium or free theme. It really just comes back to preference and budget.
So let’s take a look at the pro’s and con’s of each (plus a few of my fav’s of each!)
Free WordPress Themes
There are many free WordPress themes available these days. Infact, there are quite a few that could be considered premium (except they do not cost!).
PROS: For Free Themes
- They Don’t Cost Anything!
This is the main reason that people turn to free themes.Blogging is seen as a low entry cost opportunity and so spending $30-$3000 on a blog theme is not usually high on new bloggers priorities. - They Are Still High Quality (Some Are!)
- SkinPress.com
- 100 Amazing WordPress Themes Of 2009 – Smashing Magazine
There are 1,000 of free WordPress theme, however it takes a fair bit to cipher through the rubbish. However, that being said, there are still a lot of high quality free themes and here are a couple of my favourite links for finding them:
CONS: For Free Themes
- More People Have The Same Theme As You
Since the designs are free, there are going to be quite a lot of blogs using each of the themes (especially the better ones). However if you don’t see many blogs in your niche using the ones you like – you shouldn’t worry. - Footer Links
The way that free blog themes are free, is because the designers either have a link to their website at the bottom, or they sell multiple links to the highest bidder. This means you could have a couple of totally unrelated links in the footer of your blog.
Premium Blog Themes
Premium themes have had a great run over the last year, becoming a lot more popular. The major players in the premium WordPress themes are:
PROS: For Premium Blog Themes
- More Unique
No one wants a blog theme that every body already has and this is why a lot of people opt for a premium blog theme. Because for a price of $20-$80 they get a theme that is not as widely used as free themes and not as expensive as having a custom designed theme. - They Are Usually Better Coded
Aside from a few exception cases, the main reason that premium themes cost money (while free ones are, well… free), is that they are of a higher quality. I have found that in a couple of cases of just little things that are missing from free themes that really should have been there – and since a designer is getting paid for their work, with a premium template everything is in the right place!
CONS: For Premium Blog Themes
- They Cost Money
This is not really an excuse, because the cost is usually so minimal – but a lot of people just don’t want to pay for their theme! - Other People Still Have The Same Theme As You
The only thing that get’s me about premium themes is that after handing my money over and getting a great theme – there are still plenty of other people using the exact same theme as me.
Unique Blog Themes
UniqueBlogDesigns were the ones who really kicked the unique blog theme market into gear a couple of years ago.
A unique blog theme is where you get someone to design (or you design) a blog theme that is totally unique for your blog. StandOutBlogger has a unique theme that I designed myself (and had someone else code for me).
PROS: For Unique Blog Themes
- No One Else Has It
This is one fantastic tool for marketing your blog. Since no one else has the same theme as you, then when people visit your blog – it will be much easier for them to associate the design with your blog. - It Is Exactly How You Want It
When you use a free or premium theme are are always little things that you would do differently. With a unique theme you have the opportunity to have it designed exactly how you want it to be.
CONS: For Unique Blog Themes
- They Can Be Quite Expensive
Since I designed my own unique theme, I only had to pay someone to code the design for me. But if you are looking to get a theme designed and coded you will be looking at anywhere from $500-$7,500 (Yea, that is how much UniqueBlogDesigns charge!)
So, that is a bit of an overview of where we stand as bloggers looking at our themes. What category do you fall under with your blog?
Tags: Elegant Themes, Free Blog Themes, Premium Blog Themes, Thesis, Unique Blog Themes
I had no choice but to go unique, designed by me, coded by a designer.
I had a list of a LOT of stuff to “showcase”, but as uncluttered a look as possible.
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..UPDATED: Theme Customization Part 3 – Banner Advertising NOT for Sale!
Yeah, I agree with your pros and cons. I’ve always used Premium Themes and just customized them to fit my needs without too much trouble. Unless you’re really new to blogging, I’d recommend making the small investment into a Premium Theme. The free ones are just annoying and dull in my opinion. :) Once I get a nice budget going, I’m also going to get a Unique theme created.
Alex Sumerall´s last blog ..Try Blogging and Making Money Online – The Risk is Very Small
Prefer unique or a customized premium theme but finding decent freelancers to work with is almost impossible nowadays.
Jason @ Make Money At Home´s last blog ..How To Get The Most Out Of Blog Commenting
For many of the top premium themes, you will still look like everyone else!
Jason – I could introduce you to my designer. I met her recently, and am VERY happy.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Would You Like a FREE Banner Ad Position?
Great article to give the pros and conts, still the best is customize your your own theme, great! Thanks
Latief@AnotherBlogger´s last blog ..BlogEngage Great Place To Engage With Blogger
I’m using free themes, I can’t afford to pay for themes yet, may be in the future I may get a premium theme.
That’s a good point Gabe. The only way to have a truly unique blog design is to get a unique design customized for you. This of course is only worth doing if your blog is making you enough money to cover the cost of getting a customized theme.
Scott@ Forex Robot´s last blog ..Compare Forex Trading Software
I have raised the same topic on my blog and again I would always suggest for the majority to use premium themes. But again if you have the budget then go for the unique ones.
Melvin´s last blog ..April Fools Pranks, Are you one of those fools?
For a successful blog post I don’t think that you need a unique theme but yeah definitely it can add up to your blog quality.Unless you are really new to blogging you can go for small investments for your blog as mentioned in the post. And the important point is when one opts for free themes there are chances of many people using the same themes.
For me either of the two will do it’s all about the content.
If you have the money and you think it’s a good investment, hey go for the premium theme. I just don’t know if $7,500 is a good investment for most people. You need to be making BIG cash from your blog to even consider it. Then you have to think if your design will improve profits or if it’s just to stroke your ego.
Michael@Outsource´s last blog ..The Secret of Passive Income Through Outsourcing Revealed