WordPress is a very flexible CMS with an easy 5-minute installation system which makes it the most preferred CMS on the web. Without requiring knowledge of CSS/HTML to change and install themes, it is easy to understand WordPress‘s success among web beginners. However, it is also for this reason that changing themes can sometimes be viewed as intimidating or confusing for the average user.

In this entry, we have included a few things to consider when changing WordPress themes so as to make the switch less challenging:

Change Admin Password

WordPress provides a password that is probably impossible to memorize upon installation. As such, the first thing you would want to do is to change the admin password to a memorable one.

Back up Existing Theme Folder

We cannot stress the importance of backups enough. You never know what may go wrong when changing to a new WordPress theme, so always create a backup before doing so. This way, if anything goes wrong, at least you can restore the old theme.

Rectify Broken Links

Make sure to check for the broken links and rectify them upon installation of the new theme as links are crucial to the functioning of your website.

Check for Security Loopholes

Some theme designers encode their websites (especially the footer links) in such a way that users are unable to remove the sponsor’s link. There is a risk that a malicious script may be encoded here, so always check for security before your website goes live.

Ensure RSS Subscription Link is Correct

Default feed links are available for all themes. Ensuring the feed links are correct is an absolutely necessary step to guarantee your subscribers receive your content and that all new and available feeds are automatically detected by their RSS readers.

Page Listing

Different themes display the pages in a different manner. Make sure to check that all the pages are listed correctly, not jumbled up after the theme change.

Reset Stats Tracking Code

Most of blog owners use stats tracking scripts like Google Analytics, Woopra, 103bees, etc. These scripts work by introducing a snippet of code in the header or footer. Every time a new theme is loaded, it is necessary to reset the stats tracking code as it will be overwritten by the new theme. Read more on installation of new WordPress themes.

Check Browser Compatibility

Ensure maximum compatibility with different web browsers by loading the website using IE, Firefox, Chrome and Safari, the most frequently used web browsers.

Verify Sidebar Content

New themes may be accompanied by unwanted links in the sidebar which you may want to remove. If you added codes to the previous theme manually, then make sure to add these to new theme as well.

Reassess Plugin Usage

Not every plugin you install is used. The more plugins you install, the more time is taken to load your website. So reassess your plugins often and remove those you don’t need.

Reset Ads Code

If plugins are not used by you then the ads code must be put back manually.

Matching Favicons

Favicons should match your new WordPress theme and the logo of the blog. Always remember to check for consistency when you change your website theme.