How to Install a New WordPress Theme Without Affecting Your Website
In the last few years, WordPress has become the go-to platform for bloggers and online publishers who want to build a personal, online presence. Launching a personal blog now is easier than ever with WordPress.org, which offers a free option that anyone can use to build a blog. WordPress makes it simple for anyone to publish content and gain audience. In fact, the platform offers such a good user experience that even experienced web designers and tech savvies have been swayed into using it.
But, if you’re looking to kick start your blog or need a fresh new look for your website, you may be wondering what the best way to do that is. Is it best to find a new WordPress theme and plug it into your site? Or should you build a completely new site from the ground up using the power of WordPress? If you’re planning on making substantial changes to your website’s design, going down the path of changing the theme could have some unexpected consequences.
Changing The Theme Has Its Drawbacks
When you make substantial changes to your site’s design—like changing the theme—you’re essentially starting from scratch. That means you have to build your blog from the ground up with the chosen theme, and it may not be the best approach for everyone.
For instance, if you’re using a free WordPress.org option to launch your blog, you may not have the luxury of choice when it comes to the theme. You’re probably going to be presented with a few options when you log in, and chances are, they aren’t going to be the most compatible with your chosen template.
This can be problematic for those who have built a substantial presence on other platforms, like Reddit or Medium, and may not have the time or resourcefulness to rebuild everything from scratch using their preferred theme. For those individuals, using a hacked theme or building a completely new site may be their only and best option.
It’s All About The User Experience
When you change the theme on your site, it can affect how users experience your content. Let’s say you’re using a free WordPress.org option and your theme is called ‘X’ and you want to switch to ‘Y’ because you think it’s better. When a user logs in to your site after the switch, they may notice some glitches in the way content is displayed because the theme they’re used to isn’t quite the same as the one you’re now using. This can be frustrating because they may not even see your content at all if it isn’t displaying correctly.
The way around this is to use a caching plugin like W3 Total Cache or WP Easy Cache to make sure that whenever a user visits your site, the latest and greatest version of your theme is loaded.
What About Security?
If you’re worried about security, changing the theme on your site is not the way to go because it gives your visitors a new chance to see and scan your website for security flaws. It may also mean you have to revisit all your theme’s code to make sure there aren’t any hidden security issues that could be exploited by hackers.
If you decide to go down this road, the first step is to move everything from your old theme into a new one—like ‘Y’—before going live. This will give you the best chance at avoiding any security issues.
If you’re worried about security, it may be best to build a new site from scratch with the chosen theme. However, if you have a large following on another platform, you may not want to lose it all because you changed the theme.
The Bottom Line
In the end, it’s all about you and what you want for your blog. Are you looking to create a new site with a new look and feel? Are you wanting to find the best and cheapest hosting plan for your needs? Are you worried about security?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, it may not be the best idea to change the theme on your site. Why? It will affect your user experience, and you may end up compromising security. If you have a large following on another platform and are worried about losing it all, it may be best to build a new site or move your existing one to a different hosting provider. However, if you’re looking for something unique, changing the theme may be an option worth exploring.