Wordpress is Impossible to use!!! Why???

[ivey]

I purchased a wordpress template from themeForest for a portfolio site. I installed the theme successfully unto wordpress along with the required plugins. But when I preview the template/theme, it looks nothing like what I bought. I understand that it wouldn''t come with the pictures, etc but it still looks different, even when i added images. Why can't wordpress work simple like a website script, where you have an admin panel and when you add an image etc it falls into place and looks just like it was intended.

Wordpress is affordable, that's why i'm giving it a try.
Maybe I should use Godaddy website builder and drop stuff on a page..

I am going to have to find someone to sit down with me and guide through setting up a theme.

Is there anyone who can setup this theme for me to where all I have to do is add images/logos +info and it falls into place.

 

[N-A]

All templates should come with the files to make the WordPress theme look as if it were just purchased. From there, you should be able to easily edit it.

If not, it was a poorly released theme because it leaves a lot of people in the dust on how to configure it to look like the finished product they have on display as a demo (which you thought you were purchasing).

Try and Google the theme and how to set it up like the demo or locate a tutorial within the zip files. There has to be something out there. From there, it's a couple minutes of reading and configuring step by step and then modifying it for your site. The original photos should be included as well.

Good luck!

 

[enlytend]

They may not have a license to sell the theme with the images used for the demo if they used stock photos - license to resell is usually a lot more. But they should at least include placeholder images and some instructions.

Why can't wordpress work simple like a website script, where you have an admin panel and when you add an image etc it falls into place and looks just like it was intended.

Because its a very complex and flexible platform. That's why there are website builders (like Godaddy's and others) - you trade control and versatility for ease of use.

 

[Rob84]

When you install a wp theme, it will be be pure without any garbage (sample pictures, sample posts, etc).
If you would like to fill it with sample content and set it up like you saw it when you bought it, you have to import those settings (and content).
Check your template. If you can find a sample data files, then tools->import->wordpress->install the import plugin -> use it ->voila!

(not every theme comes with sample content+settings. pm me if you want me to help to check it)

 

[DU]

If only there was a button I could press that would print me money......... like if I could be my own private FRB.

 

[Tushar Batra]

why no hire someone to install the theme for you with full settings or why not you contact the seller with the problems you faced.. If you need any help drop a private message.

 

[Rob84]

yup, hire me :3

 

[Jeeps]

If you're importing demo pages / content, make sure your homepage et al. is noindex, nofollow until you're ready to launch.

Else, all of the demo pages will get indexed, you'll look like a noob, and have to manually de-index via Webmaster Tools. Or at least that was my experience.

 

[Rob84]

...or you can use a 'coming soon' plugin, so nobody can see the page until it is ready to go...

 

[Jeeps]

Yeah, when this happened to me in the past I used a "Coming Soon" page, but somehow the content still got indexed. Just throwin' it out there.

 

[Soofi]

When you install a wp theme, it will be be pure without any garbage (sample pictures, sample posts, etc).
If you would like to fill it with sample content and set it up like you saw it when you bought it, you have to import those settings (and content).
Check your template. If you can find a sample data files, then tools->import->wordpress->install the import plugin -> use it ->voila!

(not every theme comes with sample content+settings. pm me if you want me to help to check it)

on point advise.. use demo content to make your website look exactly the way you thought it would look.

I HEART WORDPRESS!!!

 

[jdab]

If it's from Theme Forest, chances are it's going to be a fairly modern theme.

Modern WordPress themes have much more capabilities than you'd expect, and have various layout settings. I would expect the demo site you viewed when buying the theme was fully set up, and to get it to look like that you'll just need to work with the theme settings, appearance and layout settings.

I'd recommend getting someone who knows WordPress inside and out to match the design brief. If you need some help, let me know - I work with WordPress on a daily basis and run multiple WordPress sites of my own.

 

[Goncalo]

Don't blame wordpress for a random theme mishap.
I use the new default twentyfifteen, it's very simple and modern.
Some years ago there was this real premium free theme/framework named Thematic, by Ian Stewart that was very flexible and extendable - and lots of tutorials and a thriving community. But Automaticc got Ian to their ranks and the project was abandoned.

wordpress.org/themes/thematic

 

[mhdoc]

In my opinion WP is a LOT more difficult to use than usually assumed. If you are not comfortable with html, css, and perhaps some javascript you will not be able to make it look the way you want. I have moved my simple sites to Weebly.com.

 

[iowadawg]

Geesh...those that think wordpress is hard?
Then leave it alone.
Myself, it is the easiest damn way there is to go live with a domain!
So simple, so easy.
Now themes?
Different matter.
Whether free or paid, I have found a lot of themes that just do not work right.

So your problem is not with wordpress, but with the theme you bought.
Contact the seller and see what they say.
Sure a lot easier than to go into a forum and beat up on wordpress!

 

[jdab]

In my opinion WP is a LOT more difficult to use than usually assumed. If you are not comfortable with html, css, and perhaps some javascript you will not be able to make it look the way you want. I have moved my simple sites to Weebly.com.

Not true at all. I had very basic knowledge of HTML, and little to no knowledge of CSS and JavaScript, yet I have been successfully running and setting up WordPress websites for years.

 

[ulterios]

WordPress in the beginning can seem intimidating for some people who have never used anything like it. Try Joomla or better yet Drupal and then compare them to WP. WordPress is way easier, not that the others are harder but WP is the easiest of the bunch to learn.

As for themes, I have tried A LOT , and not all will look like the samples without doing a lot of work. Some give good representations while others don't.

If you are new to WP then I would recommend using a free theme to get the feel of things first before putting out money for a paid theme. After you get the hang of it, then go for the paid themes. There are some real good free themes that are very versatile.

 

[Soofi]

This thread is over 2 months old.. guys relax! :P

 

[ramkumaritrvs]

You can ask your theme developer (themeforest) to install just for $39 or similar...

read tutorials included in your theme file.

there is a file called demo.xml

Import it & see the difference in your template.

it will take maximum of 30 mins for noobs...

hope it helps

 

[nomen]

Don't blame wordpress for a random theme mishap.
I use the new default twentyfifteen, it's very simple and modern.
Some years ago there was this real premium free theme/framework named Thematic, by Ian Stewart that was very flexible and extendable - and lots of tutorials and a thriving community. But Automaticc got Ian to their ranks and the project was abandoned.

wordpress.org/themes/thematic

Hmm... I remember reading some time ago that responsive thematic 2.0 is in the works.

 

[Goncalo]

I was a big fan of TextPattern, it is way easier to work with than wordpress php based gibberish.
In TextPattern you don't have the visual allure of the admin area wordpress has achieved, but it's waaaaaaay more easy to use.
But I think it lost it's momentum and the community lost some key developers to other platforms.
One of these days I'll get back and give it a try.
There was this time they where neck a neck:
www. flickr.com / photos / 90155880@N00 / 104050690

 

[johnfsander]

You need to hire WordPress professional developers to fix your problems you are facing. I personally hate theme forest because you have to compromise on quality. The best idea to create a reliable and better website is to hire professional web development agency.