When you’re first starting out with WordPress, it can be tempting to just go with one of the many free themes that are available. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, eventually you may find that you need something a little more customized to really make your site stand out.
Fortunately, it’s not difficult to make some simple changes to your theme to get the look and feel you want. In this post, we’ll show you how to customize your free WordPress themes to get the perfect website for your business or personal blog. We’ll cover everything from choosing the right theme to matching your colors and fonts, adding a custom header or footer, changing the colors or fonts, or even creating a completely custom layout.
By the end of this post, you’ll have all the information you need to create a website that looks great and functions exactly the way you want it to. So, let’s get started!
What Are Free WordPress Themes?
In WordPress, a theme is a collection of templates and stylesheets that define the website’s appearance and display. WordPress themes can be downloaded and installed from the WordPress.org theme repository, or they can be purchased from third-party sources.
There are two types of WordPress themes: free and premium. Free WordPress themes are typically released under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which allows anyone to use, modify, and distribute the themes. Premium WordPress themes are usually sold by third-party companies and are not released under the GPL.
Nowadays, WordPress is becoming more popular among bloggers and webmasters. Many free WordPress themes are available on the internet, which can be used for personal or business websites.
There are many advantages to using free WordPress themes. Some of them are listed below:
- WordPress themes are easy to install and set up.
- They are responsive and mobile-friendly.
- They are SEO-friendly.
- They are cross-browser compatible.
- They are easily customizable.
Why Is There A Need for Customizing Free WordPress Themes?
We all love freebies. But when it comes to WordPress themes, is it really a good idea to use a free theme?
Most of the time, people choose to use free WordPress themes because they are just starting out and don’t have the budget to invest in a premium theme. However, what they don’t realize is that using a free theme comes with a lot of risks.
The biggest risk of using free WordPress themes is that it is likely to be full of vulnerabilities. This is because free themes are not regularly updated and maintained by their developers. As a result, hackers can easily find and exploit vulnerabilities in these themes.
Another reason why you should avoid using free WordPress themes is that they are usually very poorly coded. This means that your website will likely run slowly and be full of errors. Even when it comes to customization, free WordPress themes are often limited.
This is why there is a need for customizing free WordPress themes. Or need to use premium WordPress themes that offer plenty of customization options. With most premium themes, you can easily change the colors, fonts, layouts, and more without having to hire a developer.
This means that if you want to change something about the theme, you may not be able to do it without hiring a developer.
No that is not the case, you can customise your free WordPress themes without hiring any developer with the below-listed method if you know some sort of coding.
3 Easiest Ways To Customise Free WordPress Themes
While thousands of great free themes are available, they can often be challenging to customize. Here are three easy ways to customize free WordPress themes:
- Theme Editor
- Website Builder Plugins
- Themes Code Editing (CSS/JavaScript/HTML)
Let’s see them in detail,
Theme Editor
You’ve probably heard of the new WordPress editor, Gutenberg. Gutenberg is a major update to the WordPress content editing experience, which has been outdated for years. The new editor is named after Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press.
Gutenberg is a block-based editor, which means that instead of working with individual pieces of content (text, images, etc.), you work with blocks. This makes it much easier to create custom pages, and posts without having to code or use shortcodes. With the Gutenberg Editor, you can add blocks of content to your pages and posts, and then customize them with your own words and images. You can also use the Gutenberg Editor to create custom headers and footers for your WordPress website.
To customize your free WordPress theme, you simply need to go to the “Appearance” section. Once you install any theme you can find the Customize option beneath Theme. Click on Customize option, you will be redirected to customizer as shown below.
Here, you can create and edit the header, footer, background image of the slider, menu, widget, and many more things. Plus, you will also be able to add any custom CSS in the additional CSS section.
Website Builder Plugins
One of the easiest and fastest ways to customize your Free WordPress theme is with a website builder plugin. A WordPress website builder plugin is a software program that enables you to create a website without having to write any code. WordPress as a CMS enables you to create a website or blog without having to learn HTML or another programming language.
The Best WordPress website builder plugin is installed on your WordPress site and then enables you to create pages and posts by drag-and-drop. You can also add images, videos, and other media to your pages and posts.
Below, we have compiled a list of some of the best plugins that you can use to create a beautiful website.
Elementor:
Elementor is a WordPress plugin that allows you to create beautiful websites with drag and drop. With Elementor, you can create any type of website without having to write any code. All you need is a WordPress site and the Elementor plugin.
Elementor is the most popular WordPress plugin for creating websites. It is used by over 3 million people worldwide. Elementor is simple to use and very user-friendly. It comes with a lot of features and allows you to create any type of website you want.
Beaver Builder:
Beaver Builder is a WordPress plugin that lets you create a website with drag and drop. Beaver Builder is a popular plugin that is used by many businesses.
Divi Builder:
Divi Builder is a WordPress plugin that lets you create a website with drag and drop. Divi Builder is a popular plugin that is used by many businesses.
To customize your theme, you simply need to install one of the above plugins, we would recommend using Elementor as you will find tons of Free WordPress themes that are based on Elementor so you can edit each section of your website.
Once the installation is done, then activate the plugin and start customization. Elementor widgets are great for adding custom content to your website. There are a wide variety of widgets available, so you can find one that suits your needs. You can also use Elementor to create custom pages for your website. For example, you can create an About Us page or a Contact Us page.
Themes Code Editing (CSS/JavaScript/HTML)
The last but most robust method for customizing any theme is by directly making changes in the theme code. Once you install the theme, you can see the “Theme file Editor” option. When you click on it, you will be redirected to the coding page where you will find the PHP, Java, CSS, and HTML code which you can edit as per your requirement. But this method requires a good knowledge of Coding. We would recommend hiring a good web developer who can help with it if you don’t have coding knowledge.
5 Most Customizable Free WordPress Theme
You will find thousands of WordPress themes on the internet, both free and paid. Here are the best free WordPress themes that are optimized for Elementor – a popular WordPress plugin that allows you to create custom pages and posts with drag and drop.
With Elementor, you can create a custom WordPress website without having to code. All you need is a WordPress theme that supports Elementor. Let’s see the 5 most customisable free WordPress themes that are optimised for Elementor.
This free plumbing WordPress theme is perfect for plumbing businesses of all sizes. Featuring a clean and modern design, this theme is easy to use and customize. With a responsive design, this theme will look great on all devices. The theme also includes a blog, so you can keep your customers up to date on all the latest news and information. Why purchase so many themes when you can buy a full pack of WordPress Theme Bundle by adding some more bucks to your budget. So you can also go for a theme pack if you desire.
The Free Farm WordPress Theme is a perfect way to get started with a Farming or Agricultural website. It offers a clean and simple design that can be easily customized to match your brand or farm. The theme is responsive and includes all the necessary features to get started with a website for your farm. The Free Farm WordPress Theme is a great choice for farmers, agricultural businesses, and anyone looking for a simple and flexible WordPress theme.
Free web agency WordPress theme is perfect for any web agency, whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned pro. With this theme, you’ll get a beautiful and modern design that is sure to impress your clients. Plus, the theme is packed with features that will make your life as a web agency owner easier. For example, the theme is for an Elementor drag-and-drop page builder, so you can easily create custom pages for your website.
In order to keep up with the competition, businesses must be nimble and adapt to new trends and technologies. This can be a challenge for small businesses with limited resources.
That’s what a free business WordPress theme needs. This is perfect for businesses of all sizes. This theme is packed with features that will help your business stay ahead of the curve, including a responsive design, an easy-to-use admin panel, and eCommerce integration.
The Free IT Solutions WordPress Theme is the perfect choice for businesses that want to showcase their IT products and services online. This theme is packed with features that will make it easy for you to create a professional and modern website. The theme is responsive and will look great on all devices. It also includes a drag and drops Page Builder, so you can easily customize the look of your website. The IT Solutions WordPress Theme is also compatible with the elementor WooCommerce builder plugin, so you can easily sell your products and services online.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we have discussed what is a free theme, why there is a need for customization and the 3 most easy ways to customize your free WordPress themes. We have also looked at the most customizable and free WordPress elementor themes that you can consider for your website. These all themes are fully customizable as they all are based on Elementor. Moreover, they all come with premium upgradation features so you can anytime update it to premium to get more features out of it. With this information, you should be able to create the perfect website for your needs.
