Wordpress Theme selection help

[peter]

Hi all...

I'm setting up another Wordpress blog and I've decided I want to do it properly and purchase something

Don't get me wrong... I don't mind fixing the free ones or modifying them... but as I am building more and more blogs... I would like to buy a professional solution that will save me time in the long run and give me the ability to modify looks and styles easily...

I've been searching around the Internet and obviously there are a lot of solutions out there...

What I would like to know is if there are any good solutions you have been using and would be happy to recommend.

These are the ones I have found so far that I am considering:
* Thesis - diythemes.com
* Headway - headwaythemes.com

Thanks,
Peter.

PS. Feel free to PM me affiliate links if you are currently using and are happy with a solution

[Vita_Vee]

Hey Peter,

I'm using Flexsqueeze, I find it very customizable and it allows to create squeeze pages very easily in addition to regular looking blogs.

VV

[peter]

Thanks VV...

That was one of the first ones I looked at based on another thread of yours but it's not what I'm really looking for... and it doesn't help that I can't really describe what I am looking for... but I was hoping some people on here would be using some kind of a Wordpress framework style solution...

Do you use that theme for all your sites?

Anyone else got an example? good or bad?

[CoolyKid]

Hi Peter,

If you are looking for a very good "framework" theme to use then you should check out Justin Tadlock's Hybrid theme. However, you really do need to have a reasonable grasp of CSS and PHP as he does not build a lot into the back end, his main forte is top class programming - but you can build just about any style of website you want with it.

I can PM you some of the child theme designs that I have done for active website to illustrate how versatile the framework is.

[peter]

Thanks Cooly

Checking out the sit enow and that is the kinda thing i'm after... I've run an IT business for about 8 years and been playing with all different types of code since the late 80's so I'm ok with CSS and PHP

If you could PM me a few designs so I can get an idea... that would be awesome...

[CoolyKid]

Hi Peter,

PM sent. You will see from the variety of designs that you are really only limited by your imagination with the Hybrid theme/framework.

[superspy]

Hi i use Thesis, my knowledge of css and php is not great so i decided to try Headway, much more comfortable if you want a drag and drop WP theme. Easier to use for people who don't want or have time to become intimate with coding.

[peter]

(03-23-2010 12:01 AM)superspy Wrote:  Hi i use Thesis, my knowledge of css and php is not great so i decided to try Headway, much more comfortable if you want a drag and drop WP theme. Easier to use for people who don't want or have time to become intimate with coding.

Thanks superspy...

So you are saying you have used both Thesis and Headway? And that Thesis is more for the coder and Headway is more for the drag-and-drop user?

[jamesrayenz]

On the first page of the themes repository, under Recommended, is the Athalupa theme. That's exactly how it's laid out.

You can rip out the stuff you don't want, or check out the Flexx theme. Not sure if any of their screenshots show all layouts, but I DO have a copy of one, and it does do what it says on the tin.

[CarlosAmigos]

I have used FlexSqueeze mainly, but have seen a couple of frameworks out there...some of the sites use them in their WP designs..I think Brian Gardner (WordPress guy who runs studiopress.com has one that uses a framework)

A CSS framework I was also thinking of is http://960.gs which is worth checking out.



Carlos

[Buster]

Hi can anybody suggest were I can go to see some good videos
on how to set up a wordpress!!

Regards

Buster

[CarlosAmigos]

Buster,

What in particular do you want to get info on? eg. plugins, blog settings, templates?? so we can point you in the right direction.

(04-03-2010 04:11 PM)Buster Wrote:  Hi can anybody suggest were I can go to see some good videos
on how to set up a wordpress!!

Regards

Buster

[Buster]

LOL all of it!!

Thanks for replying Carlos,
have just signed up with host gator and went onto my cpanel and started
a wp blog but seem to be struggling with what theme and plugins to use
and how to implement them inside wp so was wondering if ther are some easy to follow videos out there!

Thanks again

Buster

[CarlosAmigos]

http://www.blogohblog.com has some nice ones that a lot of people are using on this forum..

plugins, well depends on what you are planning on doing

You might wanna check out this thread on the forums
http://vitavee.com/forums/thread-68-post...ml#pid9444

You can upload the zip files into your /wp-content/plugins folder..then activate them.

(04-03-2010 05:55 PM)Buster Wrote:  LOL all of it!!

Thanks for replying Carlos,
have just signed up with host gator and went onto my cpanel and started
a wp blog but seem to be struggling with what theme and plugins to use
and how to implement them inside wp so was wondering if ther are some easy to follow videos out there!

Thanks again

Buster

[CoolyKid]

Hi Buster,

You can also have a look at the free flexibility 2 theme that a lot of members here use - you can find it here http://www.flexibilitytheme.com.

If you look through this forum you will find posts on the recommended (eg. Headspace 2) and most used Wordpress plugins and you could probably find a heap of videos on Wordpress setup on YouTube.

You can also find plenty of free themes at the Wordpress repository http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ . Inove was a particularly popular plain vanilla theme.

You can upload these themes and the majority of plugins through your Wordpress admin if you are unfamiliar with FTP.

[Buster]

Thanks Carlos and CoolyKid for your help
will have a look through the videos and try
and get my head around it....