WordPress is the most popular CMS out there. It powers a good number of websites and blogs, and owing to its popularity, the number of extensions and themes that are available for WordPress surpasses those of any other CMS by a mile.
Speaking of WordPress themes, the market is filled with options. You have free themes, premium themes, themes created by design agencies, themes created by casual designers just to kill time, themes created with passion and, sadly, themes containing spam and shady links. However you look at it, I guess the point is clear:
WordPress themes = way too many!
In this article, we shall be taking a look at the current state of WordPress themes.
WordPress Themes: The Trends
So, what are the current trends when it comes to WordPress themes?
Note: The word ‘trends’ does not essentially mean design aspects; it may also refer to market conditions and usage statistics.
- Trends in Design: Like it or not, minimalism and responsive web design trends have almost driven ornate and flowery elements into a corner. Thus, when it comes to WordPress themes, clean, minimal and responsive work is the way to go!
- Purpose of Themes: WP, being the most popular CMS, is used for multiple purposes: to run an online store, a personal blog, an art portfolio, a news website, and so on. Naturally, WP themes have adapted to such diverse usage: you can now find themes that are meant specifically for eCommerce, personal blogs, news/magazine websites, job boards, and so on.
- Market Saturation: The actual level of market saturation when it comes to WP themes happens to be a product of the purchasing power of the users, as well as market competition. Since the theme providers are too many, most users simply opt for the most popular option. Now, keeping the purchasing parity in mind, not everyone will be able to afford a club membership with ten theme providers. As a result, they will settle with just one theme provider, possibly one that has a huge collection of themes and offers a clean track-record of serving customers. This further means that big theme providers, like WooThemes and ElegantThemes, keep getting bigger and smaller ones are not able to grow at exponential rates.
- Response to Saturation: Since most new theme provider shops and startups are not becoming WooThemes overnight, an alternate route has gained traction: theme marketplaces! ThemeForest and Mojo Themes have been providing good quality themes created by talented folks from around the world. This ensures that the end users get decent themes at budget-friendly rates, and theme makers get to earn a profit without being shadowed by the bigger players.
- Counter-Saturation: Ever heard of John Saddington? Yes, the guy behind Standard Theme. His success in terms of WP themes is based on one creation of gigantic proportions. Not everyone gets to be Saddington obviously, but the point is clear: in spite of a highly competitive market, making one’s mark is not impossible. Another case is that of A J Clarke who, unlike Saddington, releases numerous themes (both paid and free) regularly. Clarke has earned a name not by being gigantic, but simply by being consistent.
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