WordPress is definitely awesome since it brings in a huge degree of customizability thanks to the addition of a practically endless number of themes that can be used. The problem is that some of the themes are paid and not all people can actually afford to pay for such an addition to WordPress. However, there are cases when this is a necessity.
In order to help you make a really good choice and end up with pages looking as suitable as this one for Prosper Lending, here are the facts that have to be considered as you choose between free and paid.
What Customizability Level You Want?
Most people choose WordPress because it is really easy to use. That is quite obvious. The problem is that there are various problems you will come across in the event that you want to use a free theme. For instance, you will not be able to easily customize some elements. With this in mind, you may want to consider the paid option since it allows you to customize more, without needing to know much about professional design or coding.
The Footer Copyright
Look at this page created with the WordPress platform for OptionsXPress. There is no footer mention about who created the theme and the site does run on this CMS. The reason why it does not appear is that the theme is paid. When you opt for a free theme, there will be a developer link that is included in the footer. While in most cases this link will lead towards the site of the person that created the theme, in some cases it will go to an ad, which is a really bad idea as it can lead towards SEO problems and penalties.
Security And Updates
While many of the free themes are updated constantly, some of them are not. There are many sites out there that use a WordPress theme that has not been updated for around 1 year, which is totally unacceptable. It practically guarantees that after some time there will be a way for hackers to get in.
Make sure that the site is always updated in the past few months and that there are no known security issues that are associated with it. That is always a necessity when you opt for a free theme. With the paid themes you do get really high security and constant updates.
Personal Or Business Use
This is also a factor that will have a huge impact on the choice you will make. If you use a theme for personal use like a blog where you talk about your life, it is not really a necessity to opt for the paid theme. However, if you design a site that is based on a business and that would represent a brand, it is a really good idea that you opt for a paid theme. This is what will help you out a lot at the end of the day since the site will look a lot more professional. You want that when you have a business presence.