About iThemes

For bloggers and users of WordPress, it can sometimes be a challenge to find high-quality themes to incorporate onto one’s blog or site. As such, there are a number of separate companies that have come to fruition to help WordPress users spruce up their blogs and sites. A popular company that produces high-quality themes is iThemes. iThemes is headquarted in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and was started in January of 2008 by Cory Miller who is a former journalist. The company currently employs over twenty people.

Not only will one find a number of premium WordPress themes for blog sites on the iThemes website but one will also find a number of themes that are perfect for small business websites. The company is successful in part because iThemes is a strong proponent of themes that are:

• Convenient
• Affordable
• Powerful

iThemes has developed smart technology and employs the right developers and designers who are at the forefront of creating the cutting-edge themes. In a marketplace that is starting to become competitive, iThemes is able to stand apart thanks to the talented designers it has helping to run the company.

Top Features Of iThemes

A unique selling point of iThemes, the service allows its users to customize the themes in order to fit the look and feel that one is looking to achieve for his/her particular site. Basically, instead of installing a prebuilt theme, one can drag and drop modules to make the layouts that one desires. The user can even use different layouts on different pages of his/her website. Each installation allows one to create a completely custom look, meaning one can use it on multiple websites without making them look identical.

At its core, iThemes behaves a lot more like a theme builder. The package comes with a default basic, blank child theme but what makes the service unique is that one can construct his/her very own layouts and each layout can be attached to a specific page. This means that the user can create multiple themes throughout the site which helps eliminate any repetition and ensures that the site does not become overly boring.

Another beneficial feature of iThemes is that it is easy to use even for those who are not technologically savvy. Even if you’re not familiar with how to build code, that’s not a problem. iThemes can help with that. If you need to change the background, try a different font, or match the theme to the colors of your brand, Builder’s Style Manager plugin can help you do it fast and without touching the code.

The service also provides some tutorial videos that provide a clear and concise way to teach you to how to use the system. While somewhat necessarily complicated at first, there are clear videos to teach you what to do, and once you’re used to digging into the settings, it’s not so hard to easily change lots of aspects of your site.

Another key feature of the iThemes Builder is that one can customize the system even further by using blocks, which are functionality add-ons. These blocks act as custom post types, custom taxonomies, and widgets that are specific to a niche website. Some of the special block options include sermons with audio in the Church block, events calendars and locations in the Events block, and a menu within the Restaurant block. No matter what type of website one is looking to create, iThemes can assist you through the process.

The last defining feature that helps iThemes stand apart is that the system is now fully responsive. This means that one’s site will adjust to fit different screen sizes like phones and tablets providing a better experience for all users. In this mobile age, providing a website that renders well on mobile devices is crucial for most websites and can really help increase one’s reach and target more potential customers/readers. It’s definitely beneficial to be able to view your website on multiple devices, since it means the site is accessible from almost anywhere!

iThemes Prices

The cost to use iThemes can vary depending on what type of theme and service that one is looking to utilize. There are three basic groups of themes, plus a special type of theme called Flexx. There is also the “Builder” themes, the “Classic” themes, the “Allure” themes, and then the “Flexx” theme. There is also the option to buy all the themes together in one “All Access” pack.

Builder themes are $80 individually or $150 for all 60 themes in the Builder pack. Users also get the Builder framework whenever a theme is purchased. The Builder framework is responsive.

There is also a package called “Foundation Pack” which consists of 5 very basic themes + a theme called Air Starter. All these themes are really very basic when it comes to design. Of course the Builder framework also comes along with this option and it costs $80. Lastly, if one purchases the “All Access” package, one will get the Builder themes, all the Allure themes, all the Classic themes, and the Flexx theme for $197.

Criticism Of iThemes

Like anything else, the iThemes service does not come without some negative criticism. While iThemes does have some nice designs, a number of the themes tend to be dated or a little boring looking. Some of the designs do not have enough attention to detail that one might otherwise expect from a pro theme.

While iThemes is continuing to add more themes to its collection, there are still a relatively limited number compared to the overall number of themes.

The company advertises that it has “180 themes”, but this drops considerably if one takes the non-responsive and graphically plain or dated designs out of the total. The company also counts different colored versions of the same theme as a separate theme. The number of themes will likely continue to increase as the company is around longer since there is definitely a demand and a need for more and more designs to be developed.

Customer Support

iThemes comes with a number of support options. To start, there is a free “Getting started with Builder” eBook that comes with any subscription level to the service. The book introduces users to the service and is full of helpful step-by-step tips for creating your first website. One can also access a whole archive of past webinars that cover numerous topics including “How to Convert Your Site to Builder” and “Builder Basics from a Design Perspective.”

In addition to the eBook, there is a support forum, which includes answers to questions on topics that are not covered in the webinars, tutorials page, or elsewhere in the documentation. No matter what question that one may have, there is a guarantee to find a helpful answer somewhere on the iThemes site.

Final Thoughts

For anyone who is interested in sprucing up the look and feel of one’s website, iThemes is a perfect way to easily control the layout of their pages. The iThemes Builder framework is hard to beat. It gives users an enormous amount of control including easy control over fonts, borders, and colors.

That said, apart from a few exceptions, the out-of-the-box themes do seem slightly plain and a little boring. Some can also appear a little dated, but this is something the company is looking to expand upon and improve.

iThemes seems especially appropriate for those developing business and corporate sites, or for those who like that style of theme. The software is easy enough to use for beginners and includes enough advanced features for the more experienced web designer.