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In the past, people would browse over the internet using their PCs or laptops. Nowadays, people can browse the internet with other devices like tablets, smartphones, and others. When using such devices, the web pages that were not designed for their resolution won’t come out looking like how they’re supposed to look. It’s either the page would be too big or the resolution is just not as appealing. This became a problem to many site owners thus Responsive design in WordPress themes were created and it’s now becoming a fast trend.
Simply put, when a site claims that it has cross browser compatibility that simply means the site supports all kinds of browsers whether they are for PC, for Kindle, an iPad or any other devices. WordPress is one of the most preferred blogging tool and it is now equipped with Responsive Design themes to let their users enjoy cross browser compatibility.
The goal of web developers is to keep their visitors happy while browsing their website. When the site is only compatible to one particular browser then the developer will lose all prospected visitors using other browsers and that’s not a good thing. There are many browsers being used such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and many others used for mobile devices. It’s the responsibility of web developers to ensure that their site will look identical no matter what browser visitors are using.
If a WordPress theme design is said to be “responsive” that means that all the contents and the layout responds to the screen that views it. If a user views the page with a PC or with another device, the site with a responsive design must automatically adjust to the screen whether it’s on a computer monitor or a small mobile device. The aim is to give the best display possible for any type of screen or browser.
Since there are many responsive WordPress Themes available, you must know what to look for when making the selection. There are themes that you can get for free but the majority of these responsive design WordPress Themes are available at a price. If pricing is a big concern for you then you may narrow down your selection to the free themes available or those just within your budget.
Whether or not you are willing to pay for your Responsive Design WordPress theme, you still must evaluate the design to know what you are getting. It’s important to find the right one that fits your needs and wants. First of all, you must know how to check the design if it’s supported with other devices or browsers. There are tools available online that you can use such as the Browsershots, Browser Sandbox, Resizer, Adobe Browserlab and many others. By checking the design’s adaptation to different sized browsers let you see their weak points.
Menu handling and video handling are also important when making your choice. Menus most often are affected when the size of the screen has changed. When the theme is not responsive, the menu can break in different and weird places and the user may not be able to use the menu properly. In looking for a responsive design, make sure that it has the capability to make the menu adapt to whatever device or browser is used. Video handling is also important if your site has embedded video. This is particularly complicated if you create your own responsive designed site from scratch. Find a particular responsive design WordPress theme that can handle video embedding if this is one of your special needs.
There are other factors that you should consider such as the content hierarchy and ad display. Many website owners run ads on their website so they could earn especially from Google Adsense. It’s important to have a strategy on how you want to go about with these considerations. With content hierarchy you can set priorities to the real content and keep side bars hidden if that is what you prefer. Just make sure you check your site on the tools listed above to see if you are already satisfied. As for ads, you can opt for an alternative advertising when your site is viewed on mobile devices or simply turn advertising off.
As the way technology is going, it is inevitable that all themes will eventually have responsive designs. As an online publisher, it is your goal to have several versions of your site to accommodate more users using different browsers or mobile devices. The best way to get this is by getting a Responsive Design especially for WordPress themes to make your life easier. It will also make it easier for the readers to enjoy your site.
For small business website owners, it is essential to find the right theme framework that will help boost your business. Currently, the two most powerful and popular theme frameworks available for WordPress are the Thesis Framework and Genesis Framework. These frameworks are great and easy to use but you must choose one and stick with it as it’s very difficult to change your framework especially when your site is already established. You can get a penalty from Google when you make the switch and frameworks have different HTMLs so switching is highly complicated.
It is important to note that both the Thesis and the Genesis platforms are from well respected developers. Studiopress is the developer of the Genesis Framework while DIYThemes developed Thesis. With that said, you know you can never go wrong with any of the two and your choice will be based only on your preference and need.
One of the top considerations of website owners when looking for a premium wordpress theme is its price. If the price is too high many would run and hide. With Thesis and Genesis, their prices vary and each has its own pros and cons.
Starting with Thesis, the price is at $87 for its personal option and $164 for the Developers. With its Personal Option you are allowed to use it on your personal website with 1 development center that is localized. This option is great for beginners who only intend on using it with just one website. The Developer’s Option packs more as you can use the framework in as many sites as you want provided that these are your own personal or business sites. If it’s for a client then you are to pay an additional fee. The price for the fee can go as low as $32 per website if you buy 10 licenses. The Developers option is great for personal use with multiple websites but can get a bit more expensive when you use it for your clients. For 10 licenses at $32 each that already adds up to $320 plus $164.
With Genesis, the Framework alone costs $59.95 but if with theme then it’s at $79.97. Their Pro Plus is priced at $299.95. The $59.95 price allows you to use their Framework to as many sites as you want whether it’s your own personal websites or for your client. The $79.97 package option lets you use their Framework inclusive of a child theme to as many websites you want. Their Pro Plus Package costing $299.95 lets you use their Framework and all the themes that are also developed by StudioPress. The number of child themes continues to grow so you will get a lot of options to choose from. The big advantage is that these child themes developed by StudioPress are yours for free. In comparison, the Pro Plus Package is cheaper than the Developer’s Option if to be used with several clients.
To compare Thesis Vs Genesis in terms of their base designs is easy as each one has their own style. With Thesis you can choose from the skins available while Genesis calls these base designs as child themes. DIYThemes don’t offer skins so you will have to get them from a 3rd-party developer and the selection are plentiful. Some skins are available for free while many are priced from over $30 to as high as over $80. There are memberships available from these developers so you can get a cheaper rate for multiple skin purchases.
Child Themes are also made by StudioPress so you are not dependent on any third party developers to get your theme. The big advantage to this is that when StudioPress updates the Genesis Framework then all the child themes will already be supported. There are many Child Themes available for your selection but if StudioPress’ selection isn’t enough for you then they also have a marketplace wherein you can purchase Child Themes from other developers that are approved by StudioPress. The price for each Child Theme is $24.95.
The customer support of Thesis vs Genesis customer support is practically at par with each other. That’s because both are offering great support so customers are assured they won’t end up spending days to get a response from the team. Both have their support forums which is great as you can get answers from their representatives and from other webmasters as well.
If there’s one advantage Thesis has over Genesis in terms of customer support is with their online manual. You can even copy some of the snippets that you’d want to share in your websites. Genesis does not have a user manual.
All in all, Thesis and Genesis deserve their spots as the two most competitive Framework Systems for WordPress. Other similar Frameworks can’t compare. You can never go wrong whether you choose Thesis or you choose Genesis. What’s important is that when you choose one you got to make sure you already made up your mind as you have to stick with it until the end.
Guide in choosing the right Framework:
Choose Genesis – Click here to visit their site
Choose Thesis – Click here to visit their site
Your budget and need are really the two factors you have to consider when making a selection. By answering the guide listed above, you won’t go wrong in making the right choice for you.