Tactical Execution

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The theme you select for your website determines the layout of the pages, many of the design elements and the color scheme your website has. This Tactical Execution website & blog package is built on the exact same theme as our own website, but you can select any theme you like.

Visit the WordPress Theme Directory to see all the different themes available. They’re all free and offer an incredible opportunity to customize the look and feel of your website. You can also visit 100 WordPress Themes for additional resources. When you find the theme that best suites your objectives, download the ZIP file and unzip it on your computer.

Once you have unzipped the files, you’ll need to FTP them onto your server. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. Don’t worry. It’s not that complicated. It basically just gives you access to the back door of your hosting server. But in order to do it, you’ll need an FTP client and your FTP settings.

You’ll find tons of FTP clients you can use on Google. Many are free and others cost a few dollars. Personally, we use IPSwitch WS_FTP but there are many others. Download one and install it on your computer. Your FTP settings consist of a URL, a username and a password. The company you use to host your site can tell you what your FTP settings are.

Once connected, you’ll be able to see all the folders that make up your website. For most WordPress platforms, you’ll see three primary folders: WP-Admin, WP-Content and WP-Includes. If you click on WP-Content, you’ll see three more folders (maybe more): Plugins, Themes and Uploads. Simply transfer the downloaded theme files into the Theme Folder and then log back into your Dashboard.

Once at your Dashboard, click [Design] and select the theme you just uploaded. It will replace the existing theme with the new one. You can then visit your new site and see the differences.

Some themes are better than others. You’ll have to play around with your new theme to see what you like and what is more cumbersome. For example, the header graphic is easier to change with some themes than with others. Likewise, the widgets on the sidebar(s) are not always easy to change. Check it out and see if it works for what you’re trying to accomplish.

Keep in mind that you can always modify your theme manually. This may sound a bit intimidating but you’d be surprised how quickly you get the hang of it. In particular, we recomment you click [Design] and then [Theme Editor] and select the CSS Style Sheet. Just by scrolling down through the code, you’ll quickly see things you could change or play around with.

There are always new themes coming out and we recommend checking back on a regular basis to see if there’s a theme that would improve your website or make it closer to the vision you have in your head. Eventually, you’ll find just the right one and everything else will fall into place.

Review more detailed WordPress Instructions to help you build out your new website.

If you know someone who could benefit from a complete WordPress installation, please direct them to our website & blog package. They’ll get an incredible value and we’d appreciate the business!