Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links – at no extra cost to you.
You have a big idea to share with the world and you’ve finally decided to take the leap of faith and start your own blog/website, CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve just landed on the best WordPress theme to get your blog looking in top notch condition.
Before I go over why 17th Avenue Designs is the best premium WordPress theme on the market let’s address what you need to start your blog.
I’ve been blogging for 5 years and It took me way too long to find and set everything up the way it is today. You’ve got a long journey ahead of you but I’m about to help you set the perfect foundation to get your blog up and running in no time!
How to set up a successful blog
1. Choose your host and domain
I recommend Bluehost for hosting and support. The package also comes with a domain name so get your website name ready, things are about to get real! You’ll be able to easily get your website up and running on WordPress once you’ve chosen your plan.
2. Pick a WordPress theme
Time to lay out the design and functionality of your website, that is, it’s time to make it beautiful and eye catching for your readers! For this I recommend 17th Avenue Designs and this is what I’ll be focusing on in this post.
3. Start building an email list
If you’re serious about your blog and want to grow and make money from it, you’ll need an email list. I recommend the email provider Flodesk. They make emails and optins easy and simple to create and automate with their beautiful templates, tutorials and support! You can read my Flodesk blog post here – PLUS you can get 50% off here for a whole year!
If you want the full run down, you can read the full guide on how to start a blog and make money from it here.
Essentials for a good WordPress theme
When deciding on the theme, there are a few things that are important if you want to make your site a success right from the beginning.
1. The look and aesthetics of your site
Think of this as the ‘front house’ of your site. Essentially if you’re blog looks good, it’s more likely to grab your audience’s attention and keep them on your blog for longer.
Your niche plays a big role too. Once you’ve figured out what your blog will be about you need it to compliment it with the correct aesthetic, so you can present the right ‘feel’ and get your message across more effectively.
2. It's functionality
Does the theme allow you to utilise it properly for the purpose of your site. That is, does it compliment well for what you need your website to be based around (eg – a blog, an online shop, a business offering services, a sign in type of website etc etc.)
3. The layout
Does the layout fit with your websites needs? Are their options to drag-and-drop widgets to areas of your liking so you can place your ideas in the correct place? This is really important depending on how you want your audience to land on your page. Some readers don’t scroll all the way down, so have you put the essential stuff more towards the top of your page?
4. Allows widgets
Widgets are essential to a great site and blog! If your theme comes with widgets, the possibilities are endless at this point. Widgets really helps you to customise your blog the way you want. For example, you may want to add a shop widget to direct your audience to your products or a newsletter subscription to grow your email list.
5. SEO optimised
SEO is just as important as the content of your blog, this is how your writing is shared with the world. And you need a theme that’s going to be fully SEO optimised so you can get a head start from the get go!
6. Reader friendly across all devices
This is important. Your audience can access your blog through a range of devices so you need to make sure the whole site is adaptable to that device.
So whether your reader is on their laptop, tablet or phone. They all need to offer the same experience as the other!
Is it worth investing in a premium WordPress theme?
There is a large selection of free themes on WordPress. Though I’ll be quite frank with you, they are not worth the time and effort it takes to actually get your website to look and navigate the way you want it to.
Yes, some come with a few of the essentials a theme should have but they also come with a lack of organisation, support, professionalism and “personality”.
So if you really are serious about your blog, I highly suggest investing in a premium theme that ticks all your boxes. To date, I’ve brought a total of three themes and I don’t regret it one single bit.
So why is 17th Avenue Designs the best WordPress theme
Simply put, 17th Avenue Designs has ALL the essential features you need for your blog and website to reach its full potential. I’m not even kidding right now, they’ve got all bases covered!
Their themes are beautiful, clean and ooze professionalism and they have a range of themes to suit every style. They make it super simple to install your design to wordpress. As well as that, they offer exceptional support, easy to follow tutorials and even a paid service to do all the leg work for you, should you need it.
Here are some of their great features
- Easy one-click demo import.
- Selection of custom designed widgets.
- SEO optimised.
- Completely mobile responsive and adaptable style.
- Unique homepage designs with flexible widget areas.
- Blog page layouts.
- Navigation menu configuration options.
- Social media feed widgets.
- Range of plugin styling for WooCommerce, WP Recipe Maker and more.
- Unique footer sections.
- Back to top buttons.
- WooCommerse and shop ready.
- Custom designed pages, such as ‘About’ and ‘Contact’.
Each theme comes with more unique and customisable features so be sure to check which one suits your needs best. For this blog I use the Audrey theme and I’m inlove with it! You can view all themes here aswell as see how others have used it in the lookbook.