Are you unsure of what actions to take before to switching WordPress themes?
There are a few crucial procedures you must follow when changing your WordPress theme to make sure everything goes smoothly and you don't lose any crucial information.We'll go over the most important tasks you need to complete before switching WordPress themes in this checklist.
Every website owner should consider changing their theme at least once every few years.
Naturally, you must choose a theme that meets all of your requirements and determine why you are switching.
If you're seeking for suggestions, you may check out our list of the top WordPress blog themes and multi-purpose themes.
It's crucial that you adhere to the criteria below after selecting the theme you want to change in order to prevent losing any data or content.
Naturally, you must choose a theme that meets all of your requirements and determine why you are switching.
If you're seeking for suggestions, you may check out our list of the top WordPress blog themes and multi-purpose themes.
It's crucial that you adhere to the criteria below after selecting the theme you want to change in order to prevent losing any data or content.
1. Make Note of Any WordPress Theme Customizations
Some owners of WordPress websites will add code snippets straight to their theme files to alter their WordPress themes. Adding new features to your website that aren't included in the base theme can be accomplished with code snippets.
However, it can be simple to forget about those snippets if you're placing them straight into your theme files.
Make sure you review your current theme files and take note of all the extra code introduced, whether you or a web developer performed these changes.
We always advise using a code snippets plugin like WPCode for adding code snippets in the future. That way, if you decide to switch themes later, you can still preserve those excerpts. See our beginner's guide on pasting web snippets into WordPress for further information.
However, it can be simple to forget about those snippets if you're placing them straight into your theme files.
Make sure you review your current theme files and take note of all the extra code introduced, whether you or a web developer performed these changes.
We always advise using a code snippets plugin like WPCode for adding code snippets in the future. That way, if you decide to switch themes later, you can still preserve those excerpts. See our beginner's guide on pasting web snippets into WordPress for further information.
2. Get Current WordPress Theme Performance Metrics
You should assess the functionality and loading speed of your present website before making any theme changes. This allows you to assess any variations in the time it takes for a page to load when you change themes.
You must make sure the new theme is faster than the one you now use because WordPress speed and performance are crucial to both WordPress SEO and user experience.
With a WordPress speed testing tool like the free website speed testing tool from IsItWP, you can quickly check the speed metrics of your present website.
You must make sure the new theme is faster than the one you now use because WordPress speed and performance are crucial to both WordPress SEO and user experience.
With a WordPress speed testing tool like the free website speed testing tool from IsItWP, you can quickly check the speed metrics of your present website.
Check out our tutorial on doing a website speed test for further information.
3. Make Note of Current Theme Sidebars and Widget Areas
Widgets such as social media buttons, email newsletter subscription forms, popular posts, and more can be added to your website using sidebars.
If you switch themes, your widgets can unexpectedly relocate or disappear from your site because each theme has various widget spaces.
For this reason, before switching themes, it's crucial to take note of the widgets you have installed in your WordPress sidebars and any other widget locations of your website. After switching, you can just duplicate them.
In order to utilize this code with your new theme, make sure you copy any custom code or shortcodes you may have created and store it somewhere secure.
If you switch themes, your widgets can unexpectedly relocate or disappear from your site because each theme has various widget spaces.
For this reason, before switching themes, it's crucial to take note of the widgets you have installed in your WordPress sidebars and any other widget locations of your website. After switching, you can just duplicate them.
In order to utilize this code with your new theme, make sure you copy any custom code or shortcodes you may have created and store it somewhere secure.
4. Copy Existing WordPress Tracking Codes
A lot of people will just add analytics tracking code to their theme files. You can also integrate tracking codes straight into your theme options panel with certain WordPress themes.
It is a frequent error to ignore these crucial tracking codes.
To include your website tracking codes into your new one, make sure you duplicate all of the ones you use for analytics, advertising, and other purposes.
We advise installing Google Analytics in WordPress using a plugin such as MonsterInsights if you want to simplify the process for yourself.
You can be confident that there won't be any lost data or interruptions to your analytics when you use MonsterInsights. Bonus tracking will also be unlocked, including tracking of button and link clicks, statistics for WordPress categories and tags, tracking of authors, and much more.
It is a frequent error to ignore these crucial tracking codes.
To include your website tracking codes into your new one, make sure you duplicate all of the ones you use for analytics, advertising, and other purposes.
We advise installing Google Analytics in WordPress using a plugin such as MonsterInsights if you want to simplify the process for yourself.
You can be confident that there won't be any lost data or interruptions to your analytics when you use MonsterInsights. Bonus tracking will also be unlocked, including tracking of button and link clicks, statistics for WordPress categories and tags, tracking of authors, and much more.
You can use the free WPCode plugin for all other tracking codes. See our tutorial on adding header and footer code to WordPress for further information.
5. Back Up Your Current WordPress Website
Regularly backing up your website is always a smart idea. Make a comprehensive backup of your posts, pages, plugins, media, and databases before making any theme changes.
Making a backup of your entire website with a WordPress backup plugin is the simplest way to accomplish this.
Using the Duplicator plugin is advised. It makes it simple to set up scheduled, automated backups and save them on cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, Google Drive, and others.
Making a backup of your entire website with a WordPress backup plugin is the simplest way to accomplish this.
Using the Duplicator plugin is advised. It makes it simple to set up scheduled, automated backups and save them on cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, Google Drive, and others.
To get you started, Duplicator also has a free edition. Check out this guide on backing up a WordPress website for additional information.
This will make it easier for you to restore your website in the event that a theme change goes awry.
This will make it easier for you to restore your website in the event that a theme change goes awry.
6. Put Your WordPress Site Into Maintenance Mode
It's usually a good idea to put your website in maintenance mode while making adjustments. You can provide your visitors with an easily navigable notification by using the maintenance mode.
This helps keep people from viewing your website while it's still under development or incomplete.
We advise utilizing the SeedProd plugin to accomplish this. Over a million websites use the greatest drag-and-drop WordPress page builder available.
It makes it simple to make personalized landing pages, coming soon pages, 404 pages, maintenance mode sites, and more.
See our tutorial on putting your WordPress website in maintenance mode for further information.
We advise utilizing the SeedProd plugin to accomplish this. Over a million websites use the greatest drag-and-drop WordPress page builder available.
It makes it simple to make personalized landing pages, coming soon pages, 404 pages, maintenance mode sites, and more.
See our tutorial on putting your WordPress website in maintenance mode for further information.
7. Test All Functionality and Installed WordPress Plugins
After activating a new WordPress theme, make sure all of your previous plugins continue to function with the theme and that you have the same functionality as before.
Replacing the code snippets you copied from your previous WordPress theme files is a good place to start. See our beginner's guide to copying code snippets into WordPress for further information.
After then, take some time to explore the features on your website that WordPress plugins power. Check out our beginner's guide to WordPress error troubleshooting if you're currently encountering any issues.
Replacing the code snippets you copied from your previous WordPress theme files is a good place to start. See our beginner's guide to copying code snippets into WordPress for further information.
After then, take some time to explore the features on your website that WordPress plugins power. Check out our beginner's guide to WordPress error troubleshooting if you're currently encountering any issues.
8. Test New WordPress Theme Across Browsers and Devices
You can ensure that your new website appears excellent across a range of browsers, screen sizes, operating systems, and mobile devices by conducting cross-browser testing.
It's likely that the majority of your visitors will access your WordPress blog through Google Chrome. However, hundreds of millions of people still use alternative web browsers around the world, including Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and others.
You're losing out on traffic and visitors if your newly designed website isn't compatible with one of those browsers.
It's likely that the majority of your visitors will access your WordPress blog through Google Chrome. However, hundreds of millions of people still use alternative web browsers around the world, including Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and others.
You're losing out on traffic and visitors if your newly designed website isn't compatible with one of those browsers.
Fortunately, a variety of cross-browser testing tools are available to let you view how your website appears on various devices and browsers.
Check out our tutorial on testing a WordPress website across several browsers for further information.
9. Delete WordPress Plugins You No Longer Need
When you install some WordPress themes, plugins may be installed automatically. You might not need all of these at times, but some of them might be helpful.
To check if your theme has included any new plugins, just navigate to Plugins » Installed Plugins.
To check if your theme has included any new plugins, just navigate to Plugins » Installed Plugins.
You should also take this opportunity to go over your whole list of plugins and decide which ones you should remove.
See our selection of the best WordPress plugins if you're searching for premium add-ons to go with your new theme.
See our selection of the best WordPress plugins if you're searching for premium add-ons to go with your new theme.
10. Let Your Users Know Your New Website is Live
You can disable maintenance mode once you're prepared to launch your new WordPress theme.
Additionally, you want to inform your readers about your new website by getting in touch with them. This will help to keep your subscribers interested and coming back to your site to view the new design, as well as preparing your audience so that they are not taken aback by any significant changes to the layout.
This is an example of a post we made about our newly redesigned website on Facebook.
Additionally, you want to inform your readers about your new website by getting in touch with them. This will help to keep your subscribers interested and coming back to your site to view the new design, as well as preparing your audience so that they are not taken aback by any significant changes to the layout.
This is an example of a post we made about our newly redesigned website on Facebook.
We advise informing your audience using push alerts, social media, and your email newsletter.
See our tutorial on how to share your blog entries with readers if you're seeking for additional ways to advertise your website.
See our tutorial on how to share your blog entries with readers if you're seeking for additional ways to advertise your website.
11. Test Loading Speeds for Your New WordPress Theme
After completing the aforementioned steps and setting up your new theme, it's time for another speed test. Your new website should ideally load faster and receive higher results on your speed test.
Just compare the findings using the website speed tool you used previously to accomplish this.
If the new theme is less responsive than the previous one, make sure you conduct several tests, test from several locations, and look for any firewall or caching settings that might be the reason for the drop in performance.
Just compare the findings using the website speed tool you used previously to accomplish this.
If the new theme is less responsive than the previous one, make sure you conduct several tests, test from several locations, and look for any firewall or caching settings that might be the reason for the drop in performance.
12. Monitor Your WordPress Website Bounce Rate
The percentage of people that visit your website, land on it, and then leave without viewing more than one page is known as the bounce rate. A high bounce rate indicates that you were unable to persuade the user to remain on your website long enough to complete an action.
After changing themes, it's critical to keep an eye on your bounce rate. Certain designs are just easier for users to browse throughout your website.
You should make an effort to reduce your bounce rate if it has increased since you changed themes. This can be achieved by enhancing your menus for navigation, including a popular posts widget, increasing the number of internal connections, and more.
See our tutorial on how to lower the bounce rate and raise pageviews in WordPress for further information.
After changing themes, it's critical to keep an eye on your bounce rate. Certain designs are just easier for users to browse throughout your website.
You should make an effort to reduce your bounce rate if it has increased since you changed themes. This can be achieved by enhancing your menus for navigation, including a popular posts widget, increasing the number of internal connections, and more.
See our tutorial on how to lower the bounce rate and raise pageviews in WordPress for further information.
13. Listen to Reader Feedback to Improve Your WordPress Website
Finally, after you transition to a new theme, it's critical that you pay attention to reader comments. Some elements of your design could be adored or despised by some viewers.
It's not required of you to follow every reader's advice and implement their suggestions. If a number of people are having the same problem, though, it's definitely something to look into.
You can get feedback from visitors by including a contact form on your website or by conducting a survey to find out what readers think of your updated layout.
Using WPForms is the simplest way to accomplish this. With over 6 million websites using it, it's the greatest WordPress survey plugin available.
It's not required of you to follow every reader's advice and implement their suggestions. If a number of people are having the same problem, though, it's definitely something to look into.
You can get feedback from visitors by including a contact form on your website or by conducting a survey to find out what readers think of your updated layout.
Using WPForms is the simplest way to accomplish this. With over 6 million websites using it, it's the greatest WordPress survey plugin available.
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