In this article, we will study what are themes and plugins in WordPress and some of the commonly used themes and plugins.
Before moving ahead in WordPress themes and plugins, we should know about what is WordPress! WordPress is a free and open-source Content Management System(CMS) framework. It is the most widely used CMS framework of recent times.
WordPress themes: In WordPress, a theme is a collection of templates and stylesheets used to define the appearance and display of a WordPress powered website. It can be also referred to as the skin of the website. They can be changed, managed, and added from the WordPress admin area under Appearance » Themes. Then search the theme of your choice and the Install and activate the theme.
The main thing to remember is there are plenty of themes available in WordPress according to the demand of the user. Each one comes with a different design, layout, and features. A user needs to choose the one that suits their taste and requirements for their website. If you are a beginner in WordPress, then start with the themes that are much flexible to use. Certain options may appear or disappear because of the selection of themes. There are other themes also available such as e-commerce, blogs, etc.
Mostly used themes:
Mostly used plugins:
The main thing to remember is there are plenty of themes available in WordPress according to the demand of the user. Each one comes with a different design, layout, and features. A user needs to choose the one that suits their taste and requirements for their website. If you are a beginner in WordPress, then start with the themes that are much flexible to use. Certain options may appear or disappear because of the selection of themes. There are other themes also available such as e-commerce, blogs, etc.
Mostly used themes:
- Astra
- Twenty Nineteen
- Twenty Seventeen
- Ultra
Mostly used plugins:
- For contact forms:Ninja forms, WP forms, Contact forms 7
- For chat: Tawk.to, WhatsApp., Messenger
- For backup: All in One WP Migration
- Other plugins: Top bar, Popup builder, Yoast SEO
- Form dashboard(available on the left side), Go to plugins, right-click on it and select Add New.
- From there select the plugin to be used.
- Add install and activate.
- Your plugin is ready to use and it will be displayed in the dashboard
- A theme controls the presentation of content. A theme is basically about the overall appearance of the website. Your theme decides about what your website will look like. There is a default theme installed in WordPress. Also, the themes are available according to your use. Some themes are called "multipurpose" and some are called "Niche" themes. The point to remember is that we can only use one theme at a time. So, you need to decide carefully that which theme you want.
- Any theme you create should not add critical functionality. Doing so means that when a user changes their theme, they lose access to that functionality. For example, say you build a theme with a portfolio feature. Users who build their portfolio with your feature will lose it when they change themes.
- A plugin is used to control the behavior and features of your WordPress site. You can use as many plugins as you want to use on a single website. In the above article, the difference is clear.
- By moving critical features to plugins, you make it possible for the design of your website to change, while the functionality remains the same.