In the previous Tumblr theme tutorial about free Tumblr themes vs. Premium Tumblr themes, I explained the differences between premium themes on Tumblr and free themes on Tumblr.
I received many responses to that post on social media, asking why I should use a premium Tumblr theme rather than a free Tumblr theme for my blog, are premium Tumblr themes worth it, and what benefits I receive from using a paid Tumblr theme for my blog, etc.
Why exactly should you use Premium Tumblr themes for your blog than free Tumblr themes? Today I will list a few points that are very important for your blog.
Tumblr is not just a micro-blogging platform. It’s also a social network where people can interact with each other easily. You already know it. I have seen that many professional photographers, musicians, and artists use Tumblr more regularly than other blogging platforms.
There are a few reasons why people create Photoblogs and music blogs on Tumblr. One reason is compatible tools in the Tumblr dashboard to upload photos and music files easily.
Another thing is Tumblr provides free hosting for your content so photographers can upload their photos to their private (or public) blogs worldwide.
As there are different types of people who use Tumblr, we should always look at the important aspects a Tumblr theme provides.
If you are a freelancer, you’d probably don’t want a grid theme for your Tumblr blog. You may want a portfolio theme.
I already have shared a resource of premium Themes for Tumblr. You can check it and choose a beautiful theme for your Tumblr website.
#1. Features
One of the primary reasons why each theme differs from the other is the features. If every Tumblr theme has the same features, so no one will change their Tumblr themes and stand out from their competitors.
Tumblr premium theme creators provide more features and widgets for Tumblr. They think about creating a different theme that is not yet on the market.
Ex: If no Tumblr theme is integrated with Facebook and Disqus, one can create a Tumblr theme including these comment widgets. And then sell them to people who want one or more of these comment systems on their blogs. It’s one feature that free Tumblr themes don’t have.
You can find such creative Tumblr themes on Themeforest. Hundreds of premium Tumblr themes have at least a single specific feature than others.
You can find free Tumblr themes with different features. But no one can beat Tumblr premium themes.
#2. Updates
No need to tell you that theme updating is a crucial service every theme maker must provide. Unfortunately, if you’re a free Tumblr theme user, you might not be able to receive free updates on the theme.
Free Tumblr theme creators don’t have enough time to update their themes and notify you whenever a newer version exists.
Using a free Tumblr theme will give you the same design, features, and tools after one or two years. But if you purchase Tumblr themes from Themeforest or any other reliable resource, you will receive theme updates for FREE.
#3. Tools & Customizations
The theme industry is very competitive. Tumblr theme creators tend to add more tools and customizations to themes. You can find them under the features and tools section. When they invent any specific tool, they update the Tumblr theme code and publicize it as a newer update. Ex: Core Web Vitals, AMP, Structured Data, etc.
There are many customizations as well with every specific plugin or tool. For example, Facebook comments plugin for Tumblr. I have created a Facebook comment plugin for Tumblr with various customizations.
It’s a notification-enabled comment plugin. You can change its skin, colors, CTA font, comment box width, and comment order with a few clicks. Watch this YouTube video to see how Facebook comments plugin works.
#4. SEO
Most Premium Themes are well SEO optimized. Tumblr premium themes load fast and don’t have chunky JavaScript codes, which case increases page loading time and sometimes links to malicious and adult websites.
But some free Tumblr themes have encrypted links, and they can add any amount of links to your website. If they’re links that search engine bots are allowed to follow, your website will be the next victim of any Google algorithm update.
Many Tumblr themes have tools to add Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and Baidu Webmaster Tools verification codes. Also, they have SEO meta tags that help search engines identify your website content and rank it higher.
In search engine optimization, On-page SEO is very crucial. Because proper on-page SEO strategies can increase your website traffic even if you don’t have enough backlinks, therefore, when choosing a theme for the Tumblr blog, ensure it has at least basic SEO implementations.
Learn: How to Do SEO for Tumblr Blogs
#5. Security
It is no matter how good your content is. If someone can control your website presence remotely, you’re in trouble.
You should always check out your website’s source code. If there is a link to an external JavaScript file, ensure it’s secure and reliable.
If you can’t identify the proper JavaScript codes (ex: encoded codes), then theme creators are trying to hide something from you. They may want to retain encrypted links on the footer and want to control your website.
Remember, one JavaScript file hosted externally can ruin your website.
Tumblr premium themes in Themeforest are approved only by checking their source code and web compatibility by Themeforest experts.
So, all themes in the Themeforest theme directory are well secured. If you have any questions regarding theme security or theme coding, you can contact the Tumblr theme creator or Themeforest team anytime.
Conclusion
Choosing a relevant theme for the Tumblr blog is the foremost consideration you must consider thrice. If you have installed an irrelevant theme, you cannot get the highest benefits for your complex works.
Choose a premium theme when deciding what theme you should use for your Tumblr blog.
Because it’s not only premium themes that are well SEO optimized, have unique features, and receive free updates.
But also, those themes cannot be seen on many websites on the Internet. That gives your website a unique and stunning look.
So what Tumblr theme do you use for your blog?