Deciding on a WordPress Theme to use, and why I didn’t build my own using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and Bootstrap.
WordPress Themes are relatively easy if you know how. HTML, CSS, Framework (Bootstrap), JavaScript and PHP.
For this site my job was relatively easy. I chose a ready made theme that just needed tailoring to my needs. I decided on a two-column layout, which can be adjusted later, but it includes a sidebar which is optional and not essential. This post, however, uses a single-column layout.
I often create my sites using Bootstrap grid, CSS, HTML, PHP, and some JavaScript. These can later be switched to a WordPress theme, but that’s a time-consuming process. WordPress saves a lot of time and offers extensive functionality, so it’s easier to purchase an inexpensive theme and adapt it. Of course, you could also build a WordPress site from scratch and use existing plugins to add functionality and features like animations. Or if one has the knowledge, build your own Plugin.
I love coding my sites and I get what I like as I go, as opposed to redesigning someone else’s ideas which is effectively what you need to do with a WordPress themes. If you buy a very content rich Theme you’ll have a lot of work to do, you may in fact need a team to support your website.
By the 7th of October, you should be able to view the theme I built, Cue80sMusic. I originally created that website about 10 years ago. It required a lot of work, and I had to use some clever tricks to work around coding issues caused by YouTube. The WordPress theme took significant effort as well, but I managed to complete it. Unfortunately for me, YouTube changed some of its functionality, which made my site somewhat redundant. Nevertheless, it’s a good example of what I can do, and it worked for 8 years. Everything you see was built using CSS, but to experience it fully, it needs to be live.