Category: WordPress & Theme Customisation
Audience: Clients of Thomas McKee Website Design & SEO Solutions who want to understand how themes work, how to make safe appearance changes, and when to ask for professional help.
Goal: Teach clients to make responsible visual customisations without breaking site layout, performance, or SEO.
Your website’s theme defines how your brand appears online — it controls colors, typography, page templates, and overall layout.
At Thomas McKee Website Design & SEO Solutions, we select and configure themes that align with your brand identity, work efficiently with your chosen page builder (Elementor or WPBakery), and deliver consistent performance.
Changing or modifying a theme can dramatically alter your website’s structure. This guide explains what you can do safely, what to avoid, and how to request assistance when deeper customization is needed.
A WordPress theme determines:
Page layouts (headers, footers, sidebars)
Fonts and color schemes
Button styles, menus, and icons
Blog and archive designs
It separates content (your text and images) from presentation (how that content looks).
Parent Theme: The main theme installed and updated by the developer.
Child Theme: A lightweight copy used for modifications so updates don’t overwrite your changes.
At Thomas McKee Website Design & SEO Solutions, we always use a child theme for customizations. This ensures safe updates and long-term maintainability.
Changing themes is a major event — like replacing the foundation of a house while keeping the furniture inside.
Moving to a new design layout as part of a site refresh
Adopting a faster, more secure theme framework
Upgrading to better mobile responsiveness
Just to “try out” a new look temporarily
Because a plugin suggested a theme
Installing third-party themes without checking compatibility
Recommendation: Never change your active theme without first creating a staging copy of your site.
Before any change:
Confirm Builder Support: Make sure the theme supports Elementor or WPBakery.
Check PHP & WordPress Version: Outdated themes may not support the latest PHP 8.x or WordPress core.
Verify Licensing: Premium themes often require activation keys for updates.
Review Mobile Responsiveness: Test demo sites on multiple screen sizes.
If any of these are uncertain, contact us for evaluation before activating a new theme.
A staging site is a private copy of your website used for testing.
This ensures your live website remains unaffected during experimentation.
Use your hosting control panel’s Staging Tool (if available).
Or ask our support team — we can clone your site to a secure testing area.
Once changes are approved, we’ll push them live safely.
Most cosmetic changes can be made without replacing the entire theme.
Navigate to Appearance → Customise (or Customize).
From there, you can:
Change site title and tagline
Upload or replace the logo
Modify header and footer colors
Adjust typography and global fonts
Update button shapes and color palettes
Set the homepage layout
The Customiser shows real-time previews. Nothing is published until you click Publish in the top left corner.
Go to Appearance → Menus.
Add, remove, or reorder links.
Assign your menu to a display location (Header, Footer).
Click Save Menu.
Widgets appear in sidebars or footers.
Go to Appearance → Widgets or, in newer themes, Appearance → Editor to edit block-based widget areas.
Typical widgets include:
Contact info
Business hours
Social media icons
Recent blog posts
Avoid removing widgets that contain shortcodes or forms — these may be part of theme functionality.
Most modern themes and builders use Global Settings.
To adjust colors:
Go to Appearance → Customise → Colors.
Update global palette values — not individual elements.
Maintain brand consistency by using your approved HEX codes (e.g., #064867).
To change typography:
Navigate to Appearance → Customise → Typography.
Choose from the approved fonts in your style guide.
Adjust line height and letter spacing cautiously.
If your theme integrates with Elementor, use Site Settings → Global Fonts / Colors within Elementor instead.
Before installing:
Back up your entire website.
Verify plugin compatibility.
Test the theme on a staging site first.
Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New.
Click Upload Theme (if it’s a ZIP file).
Click Install Now.
Once installed, click Live Preview first.
If satisfied, click Activate.
Warning: Activating a new theme immediately on your live site can break layouts. Always preview first.
After activation, review:
Menus: They may need to be re-assigned to locations.
Widgets: Some widget areas may disappear; you can re-add them.
Homepage: Go to Settings → Reading to ensure your homepage is set correctly.
Logo: Upload your logo again if it doesn’t appear automatically.
Our team can assist with re-mapping menus, sidebars, and global sections to ensure full consistency.
Custom CSS allows minor visual tweaks without altering the theme files.
Go to Appearance → Customise → Additional CSS.
Paste the code provided by our team.
Click Publish.
Edit theme files directly in Appearance → Theme File Editor.
Modify style.css or PHP files — changes will be lost after updates.
We recommend contacting us for any custom CSS adjustments. We maintain your child theme’s stylesheet for you.
Keeping your theme updated ensures:
Security patches are applied
Compatibility with newer plugins
Faster load speeds
Fewer layout bugs
Go to Dashboard → Updates.
Check the box beside your theme.
Click Update Themes.
If your theme requires a license key, contact us so we can verify and apply updates properly.
Update during peak traffic hours.
Modify files directly after updating.
We handle all updates for clients on active maintenance plans.
After any customization:
Test your site on mobile and tablet devices.
Check color contrast ratios for readability.
Ensure text isn’t too small on smaller screens.
Confirm buttons and links are finger-friendly.
Our design standards always meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 accessibility guidelines. Contact us if something feels off after customization.
If a new theme causes issues:
Log in to cPanel → File Manager or use your hosting backups.
Restore the previous theme folder or contact us to roll back.
Alternatively, go to Appearance → Themes and re-activate your former theme.
If you’re on one of our hosting plans, we can restore your last working backup within minutes.
Your website should reflect your business identity across every element.
Keep the following consistent after any customization:
| Element | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Colors | Use approved palette (primary, secondary, accent) |
| Fonts | Match established headings/body fonts |
| Logo | Maintain proportions and clear spacing |
| Buttons | Same shape, hover effect, and wording style |
| Spacing | Use existing padding and margin structure |
If you’re unsure, request our Brand Style Sheet — it outlines every design standard for your business site.
Reach out to Thomas McKee Website Design & SEO Solutions if you plan to:
Install a new premium theme
Adjust template files (PHP or JSON)
Migrate to Elementor or another builder
Fix layout or responsiveness issues
Add new site-wide fonts or styles
We’ll safely test your changes in staging and ensure your site remains optimized, secure, and brand-consistent.
Q: Can I switch themes myself?
Technically yes, but we strongly advise doing so only in a staging environment.
Q: What happens to my content when I switch themes?
Your pages and posts remain, but their layout and styling may change dramatically.
Q: Do I need to re-enter my logo and menus after changing themes?
Often yes — different themes use unique layout areas.
Q: Can I create my own child theme?
Yes, but contact us first. We can generate one pre-configured to your brand’s standards.
Q: Will changing my theme affect SEO?
Potentially. Drastic layout changes can influence page structure and speed. We review SEO impact before any redesign.
Your WordPress theme defines how visitors experience your brand.
While WordPress allows you to change themes easily, doing so without planning can cause major issues.
At Thomas McKee Website Design & SEO Solutions, we ensure every theme is properly tested, branded, and optimized before it ever goes live.
If you’re ready for a new design or simply want to adjust your site’s appearance safely, contact us — we’ll guide the process and protect your investment.