If you’re working with a limited budget (or just don’t want to sink wads of cash into your website when you don’t have to!), these premium themes may be exactly what you need.
Every one of these themes will lend you credibility and inspire confidence—without breaking the bank.
Each theme is well under $100, has a five-star rating (which isn’t the be-all-end-all but does usually mean it’s relatively straightforward to set up and use), and looks good from a design perspective (good, readable fonts, that kind of thing).
Once you have your theme…
If you go this route, here’s what I’d recommend you spend the rest of your website budget on (in order of priority):
- Photography. When the “product” is you (and your experience and advice), you can go a long way by looking the part. Consider the image you want to project, dress accordingly, and get a combination of white-background shots and “real world” action shots.
- Copywriting. Most of us are downright lousy at writing about ourselves, let alone talking ourselves up. Start by writing out the content of the site yourself, and then bring in a pro to fine-tune it. (You’ll save money by giving them something to work with.)
- Website tweaks. These themes will get you 90% of the way there. For that last 10%, if you have the budget for it, you can hire someone like me to make it “just so.”
- A logo. Though many people consider this an essential, I see it as a “nice to have.” Many of these themes show a text-only or basic icon-plus-text logo, and that’s a good enough model for looking professional. But as your client base grows, you may want to work with a professional to get exactly what you want.
The themes
I’ve selected a wide variety of styles to give you an idea of what’s out there. They’re divided into rough categories below, with a short description of what might be appealing.
Many of these themes feature motion and neat effects, so when you see one you like, click through and go to the “Live Preview” to really get a feel for it.
Conservative and solid
If you work with really conservative companies, or you simply prefer solid, tried, and true, these themes will emphasize stability and reliability.
Innovative and fresh
If you or your clients are distinctly out-of-the-box, you’ll appreciate the clever design approaches and fun feelings.
Clean and minimalist
Somewhere between the last two categories, these themes embrace modern design sensibilities while drawing deeply on classic whitespace and grid-based design.
Conventional with a twist
These themes all almost make it into the “Conservative and Solid” category, but each of them brings something a little unconventional to the table.
