General
I want to start a website or blog. Where do I begin?
First, congrats on starting your own website! How exciting!
We would LOVE to teach you how to get started on WordPress. Hop over to our Getting Started page and we’ll walk you through every step. 🙂
What happens after I purchase a theme?
After you purchase a theme, you will receive an email containing a download link so you can access your theme. You can also log into your account and download your theme from the Downloads page.
What platforms are your themes for?
Our themes are designed for self-hosted WordPress.org. Scroll down on this page for more information about WordPress.org. We also have a select number of Blogger templates available in our Etsy shop.
We don’t offer themes for WordPress.com, Wix, Weebly, Shopify, Showit, or Squarespace and we do not have plans to expand to other platforms.
WordPress
What’s the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
WordPress.com and WordPress.org are similar in a lot of ways, so it’s easy to get them confused. Our themes are only compatible with WordPress.org.
WordPress.com is a free, hosted blogging service run by a company called Automattic. You’ll get a domain that looks something like this: http://yourname.wordpress.com. WordPress.com does not any allow themes, plugins, or advertising. You have limited control over what you can do/add to your blog. It’s possible to purchase a custom domain through WordPress.com, but that still doesn’t give you the ability to upload themes.
WordPress.org is open source software that gives you complete control of your site and allows you to use themes and plugins – the best parts of WordPress! WordPress.org is often referred to as “self-hosted WordPress.” Self-hosted means that you host your domain with a third party hosting company, like Bluehost (the host we use).
Do your themes only work on ‘.org’ sites?
No. It’s a common misconception that to use WordPress.org, you to have a domain ending in ‘.org.’ Absolutely not! With WordPress.org, you can use any domain extension: .com, .net, .co – the possibilities are endless. 🙂
How can I tell if I’m using WordPress.com or WordPress.org?
There are a couple of ways.
- The easiest way to determine if you’re using WordPress.org or WordPress.com is to ask yourself this: did I purchase third-party hosting (i.e. through GoDaddy or Bluehost) or did I sign up directly on WordPress.com? If you purchased hosting, you’re using WordPress.org. If you signed up on WordPress.com, then you’re using WordPress.com.
- Another way to tell is to add /wp-admin to your domain. For example, if your domain is mywebsite.com, go to mywebsite.com/wp-admin. Once on the login page, hover your cursor over the WordPress logo. Look at the bottom left corner of your browser. It will say either WordPress.org or WordPress.com, which will let you know which one you’re using.
If you’re still not sure which one you’re using, contact us and we can help!
Are your themes compatible with WordPress.com?
No. Even if you have an upgraded WordPress.com account, you cannot upload third-party themes to a WordPress.com site. Our WordPress themes will only work on Wordpress.org, also known as self-hosted WordPress.
2018 Update: WordPress.com just came out with a new “Business Plan” that allows themes. Our themes will work on the Business Plan, with one major caveat: we cannot provide support or installation services for sites using the WordPress.com Business Plan. WordPress.com does not allow backend hosting access, making it incredibly risky to troubleshoot issues or perform theme installation. If you choose to install a 17th Avenue theme on the Business Plan, please do so at your own risk. It’s also worth noting that WordPress.com’s Business Plan is significantly more expensive than hosting for a WordPress.org site, so if you’re considering purchasing the Business Plan, we would recommend switching to WordPress.org instead!
Installation
What is theme installation?
Theme installation is an optional service we offer for our WordPress themes. Instead of you setting up and configuring your 17th Avenue theme on your website, our team takes care of everything for you!
Installation is especially helpful if:
- You’re new to WordPress and aren’t confident working in the WordPress dashboard.
- You don’t have time to dedicate to properly set up your theme.
- You prefer that your theme is set up correctly from the get-go.
What’s the difference between Premium and Simple installation?
We offer two different “types” of WordPress themes in our shop. They are:
Each type of theme has its own corresponding installation package. So that means:
- If you purchased a Premium WordPress Theme, you need Premium WordPress Installation.
- If you purchased a Simple WordPress Theme, you need Simple WordPress Installation.
To clarify, Simple Installation is NOT available for our Premium WordPress Themes. Vice versa, Premium Installation is NOT available for our Simple WordPress Themes.
Installation for our Premium Themes costs more because those themes have tons of features and require much more extensive setup. Our Simple Themes are just that – simple – and don’t require as much setup. 🙂
How does theme installation work?
- Purchase the installation package that corresponds to the type of theme you purchased (either Premium or Simple).
- After placing your order, fill out the Premium Installation Form or Simple Installation Form with all of your details and preferences.
- Once we receive your form, your installation will be booked into our schedule. Standard installation is completed in 5-7 business days, and 24-hour installation is completed within 24 hours.
- After we install your theme, you’ll receive an email letting you know installation is complete. Then you’ll be ready to launch your beautiful new website!
How long does installation take?
Once we receive your form, your theme will be installed on your site in 5 to 7 business days. Installation typically takes place in the afternoon (PST).
If you purchased 24-hour installation, your theme will be installed within 24 hours of receiving your form.
Please note that if we receive the incorrect login information on your form, installation will be delayed.
Can I purchase installation later?
Absolutely! You can come back anytime and purchase theme installation – you don’t have to purchase it with your theme. In fact, we recommend that you try to install your theme yourself first following our detailed setup guides. If you’re having trouble or finding that the theme setup is beyond your comfort/skill level, you can always come back and purchase installation at a later time.
Does installation include customizations?
No, theme customizations are not included with installation (colors, fonts, layout changes, etc).
However, we can usually accommodate SMALL changes/requests when doing your installation. Examples would be removing a widget or moving a widget to a different location. Please put any requests on your installation form. Anything requested beyond minor changes will cost extra.
If you’d like us to customize your theme, please see our Theme Customizations page.
Themes
How does buying a theme work?
- Once you have a domain and hosting, choose a theme you love and purchase it.
- After placing your order, you will receive an email with a link to download your new theme.
- Unzip the file to access the theme files and instructions inside.
- Follow the included Installation Instructions and Theme Documentation to set up the theme on your site. If you need help, our support team is always happy to answer your questions.
- Launch your beautiful new website!
Are your themes mobile responsive?
Yes! All of our themes are fully mobile responsive and designed to display & function beautifully on all mobile screens. Feel free to open the demo site on your mobile device to test it out, or visit Responsinator.com.
Is the Genesis Framework included?
Our themes are child themes of the Genesis Framework. The Genesis Framework provides a secure, search engine optimized foundation for your website.
Genesis is included complimentary with each of our themes, so you are not required to purchase it separately (unless you’d like to). Some of our clients choose to purchase Genesis for the perks of having a StudioPress membership – access to framework support, child theme discounts, etc. But it’s certainly not required to purchase and either way, you’ll always have access to Genesis updates right from inside your WordPress dashboard.
Can I use my own logo?
Of course! Every theme comes with instructions that explains how to upload your own custom logo into the theme.
Can I change colors & fonts?
In our Premium WordPress Themes, the colors can easily be changed in the WordPress Customizer panel (no coding required!) In our Simple WordPress Themes, colors can be modified in the style.css file.
Fonts can easily be changed in all of our themes. Visit this page for more details.
What happens to my content when installing a new theme?
Your existing content is 100% safe when you switch to a new theme – nothing will be deleted. Your posts, comments, photos, pages, and widgets will all remain intact.
Can you set up my theme for me?
Absolutely! Learn more about our installation packages here.
Can I use a theme on multiple websites?
Once you purchase a theme, it’s yours forever! You can use it on an unlimited number of websites for personal or client use.
Can I use a website-style theme as just a blog?
For sure. Even though many of our WordPress theme demos are set up as a website, you can easily use any theme as a normal blog. You would simply need to remove all the “Home” widgets on your Widgets page, and then your blog posts will display on the front page!
Support
How/where do you provide support?
We offer support through our Support Center. In the Support Center you can find Theme Documentation, Troubleshooting, and lots of helpful WordPress Tutorials. If you get stuck somewhere, we’re always happy to help, just submit a support ticket.
What does support include?
Our support team is happy to help answer any questions pertaining to the installation and setup of your 17th Avenue theme. Any further customizations beyond what is shown in the demo (fonts, colors, layout changes, etc) is not covered under support.
Do you have tutorials available?
We do! View our growing library of WordPress tutorials here.
Sales
What is your refund policy?
Since our themes are digital and can’t be “returned,” we do not offer any refunds for our Wordpress or Blogger themes.
If you purchased product that is not instant download (such as installation or a bundle), you can request a refund so long as work has not yet been started.
What payment methods are accepted?
We accept PayPal and all major credit cards.
Is a theme purchase a one-time payment?
Yes, when you purchase a theme, it is a one-time payment. You will not be charged again.