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Review of Three Of The Best Professional Wordpress Themes

Posted on 17. Jan, 2009 by Derrick.

Looking for a new look and feel for your blog?  Not sure where to look?  You can spend hours searching for the right theme (I have!, in fact I would say I’ve probably spent a good week searching!)  Here is a breif review of  3 of the best wordpress theme design companies I have discovered over the past few weeks and my experience in dealing with them.

1.WooThemes -

Really love these guys designs, but most importantly they mentioned they offered theme support for customization (which I needed).  Also they have developers who can help you make the changes should you not want to do it yourself (at about $50-100/hour). The help to customise was the main reason why I went with them, also they have a permanent 2 for 1 offer, so you get 2 for the price of one at $70.  They also have a theme club offer where you can have access to all the themes for a great price.  Currently they have 17 theme designs (all with colour theme variations) and they also have 4 Free ones now - Check them out here

They are really responsive when I made these sales enquiries (usually answered within 24 hours) plus their after sales support was excellent and they lived up to their promise of helping me customise my theme - my initial queries were answered within 30min. My last query is still unanswered, but it is the weekend! and I think I was lucky to get the others answered so quick on a Saturday night!

WooThemes - Quality - 4.5/5, Customer Service 4.5/5 so far, Value 4.5/5

2. Revolution Themes by Brian Gardner.

Another great set of themes, (Currently they have Ten different theme styles).   I have previously purchased a theme from Brian, and I have to say his service and response is also excellent.  He also has a support forum set up for customers, and I found this very useful in getting an issue resolved.  I would say quality and customer service is level with Woo Themes.  He also has a single theme price ($59.95) or a developer price where you get access to all his themes plus lifetime support. (199.95).  For repeat customers you also get 25% off:)

Revolution Two - Quality : 4.5/5,  Service 4.5/5, Value 4/5

3. Unique Blog Designs.

Many people use these guys. and they also produce great looking professional themes.  I would  say these guys are slightly more upmarket in terms of they have a more corporate professional feel.  This is reflected in their cost -  their current lineup of three themes are $79.00 each. and they have an equal focus on creating customized themes for mid-high end level clients.  I would definitely consider using them If I had the budget for a customized design - you’re looking at least around $1500 for a fully customized solution from them.

I did submit a couple of requests for more information, and they were a bit slow in responding. (about 2-3 days) - not sure if this was because I contacted them at the beginning of the year, and they may not have started work yet, nevertheless they were very professional, and were happy to discuss on the phone as well as via email.   A lot of the big boys use them, so if your budget allows - definitely worth checking them out for the fully customized option, or just get one of their professional ready made themes for $79.

Unique Blog Designs - Quality : 5/5  Customer Service 3.5/5 (based on slow response to sales enquiry only - have had no contact with support after sales), Value 3/5

I also made some enquiries to random wordpress designers, and even got a quote for up to $10,000 to get one done!  So if you are on a budget, but do want a ‘pro’ look for your theme with support (the problem with free themes are, it may be more difficult to do troubleshooting and therefore waste time, as compared to getting a professional theme, where they offer good support to help you get your theme working as fast as possible.

Here is a comparison table for these theme designers:

* Revolution themes offers 25% off any purchases after initial purchase.

Ultimately who you choose will largely depend on personal preference of design, and budget.

Here are quick links to their sites so you can take a look for yourself.

1. WooThemes
2. Revolution Themes
3. Unique Blog Designs

Feel free to make a comment, and let me know if  you have any questions,  or if you have any other wordpress theme designers you would recommend!

Derrick

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Gravatars - Setting Up Gravatar Plugin for extra features for Wordpress 2.7

Posted on 04. Jan, 2009 by Derrick.

Please note that wordpress 2.7 already has the gravatar function (I found this out after I did this video), however this plugin, provides more functionality (will detail these in later post).  To customise and adjust settings for using the standard Gravatar in wordpress 2.7 , go to settings > discussion and scroll down to find the Gravatar settings.

Just click play to watch the video below

Gravatars - How to Install Gravatar Plugin for Wordpress 2.7 (For enhanced functionality)

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