TheGem Theme Review: TheGem is a multipurpose WordPress theme recently released by CodexThemes, an experienced development team. In our TheGem theme review, we will test this multipurpose theme to see exactly what it can do. By the end of this article, you’ll know if this theme lives up to its marketing materials.
If you’re looking for a theme that can be used to create a wide range of websites, from agency sites and creative portfolios to eCommerce stores and landing pages, read on to find out if this is the right choice in our TheGem theme review.
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TheGem Theme Review: Why Choose TheGem WordPress Theme?
As we’ve already mentioned, TheGem is a multipurpose WordPress theme. However, there are countless other multipurpose WordPress themes out there, so why choose TheGem over the competition? Let’s find out in this section of our TheGem review.
Creative Power
One of the reasons why you should consider TheGem along with other popular multipurpose themes is the creative freedom it offers.
TheGem has been created to help website owners who don’t consider themselves programmers or developers, but who want to create a modern, high-quality WordPress website. It’s also worth noting that, due to some of its features – which we’ll cover shortly – TheGem is also a good option for experienced developers looking for a faster way to produce professional websites for their clients.
One way TheGem accomplishes this is with its large number of website demos, or concepts, as they are called here. When setting up your new site with TheGem, you can choose from over 40 pre-built demos. The demo content can be imported into your WordPress website in just a few clicks once you’ve made a selection.
These demos cover many types of websites and we will cover them in more detail soon in this TheGem theme review. Suffice it to say, if you are looking for a true multipurpose theme that offers a good amount of creative power TheGem is a strong contender.
That’s not all that helps boost TheGem’s creative power. Other features include a detailed set of customization options, and a selection of pre-built page layouts and templates. A drag-and-drop page creation tool is also included.
Best Features of TheGem Theme
As we have already mentioned, the creative power of TheGem is one of the reasons why you should consider this theme. However, there are many more.
To help you decide if TheGem is right for you, let’s explore some of the other interesting features of this theme. After that, let’s walk through the process of building a website with TheGem so you can get a better understanding of how this theme works.
TheGem Website Demos
TheGem focuses on giving you creative freedom over your website. Even if you are new to website management and design TheGem certainly has many features that can help you build a website beyond your current capabilities and skills. TheGem website demos or concepts are at the heart of this approach and there are currently 48 of them to choose from.
These demos are not simple tweaks of a basic design. On the contrary, each one can be considered a unique web design in its own right. The demos span multiple categories, including:
There is also another miscellaneous category that is worth checking out if your project does not fall into any of the above categories. In this category, you will find demos of real estate, gyms, restaurants, etc.
TheGem developers have conducted research on leading websites in various industries. The team then applied the key features of those websites to their demos to ensure that any website created with this theme has every chance of success.
The team also collaborated with a group of senior web designers from the Behance creative portfolio repository. The goal was to ensure that the demo websites that makeup TheGem were of a high standard, as well as the latest design trends. In the process of creating the demos, special attention was paid to UX trends and best practices.
Overall, the demos included with the TheGem theme are all impressive. They really look like unique websites, rather than multiple demos that have been created with the same WordPress theme. It looks like the team has put a lot of work into making sure the demos are fit for purpose. In any case, the result is impressive.
Hopefully, there is a pre-built demo or concept that fits our project. But if not, thanks to the customization options and tools, TheGem could be the right theme for your website.
Customization Options & Tools
Despite the large selection of demos, there is a chance that you may not find the right one for your project. On the other hand, you may like aspects of several demos and want to combine them to create the perfect design for your site.
Thanks to the customization and configuration options, TheGem has more to offer than just its demos. With its mix-and-match approach to web design, you are free to choose which page templates your site uses.
In fact, TheGem includes over 150 pre-designed demo pages. You’ll also find that over 250 styles have been applied to those pages. Each of which can be adjusted to best suit your needs.
Page Builder Tool
If the amount of creative control offered by the customization and configuration options is not enough, then the powerful Visual Composer page builder is included with TheGem. Visual Composer is one of the most popular drag-and-drop page-building tools available for WordPress.
Through Visual Composer’s front-end and back-end user interfaces, you can customize any of the page templates that make up TheGem. Creating your own page layouts from scratch is also no problem. If you’re not a programmer or just want a faster way to produce custom page layouts in WordPress, this premium plugin can be of great help to you.
Slideshow Creation Tools
TheGem also includes two premium slider plugins. Slider Revolution and LayerSlider power the animated slideshows included in some of the theme’s demos. With Slider Revolution and LayerSlider at your disposal, you can also create advanced slideshows and presentations for your WordPress website.
Slider Revolution and LayerSlider are advanced tools. Figuring out how to use them to their full potential can take some work. However, if you’re going to build your theme around specific plugins, it makes sense that the CodexThemes team chose the most popular and feature-rich options. Although including two advanced slider plugins could be considered overkill.
Other Features of TheGem
CodexThemes has worked hard to ensure that websites created with TheGem load as fast as possible. Site speed is increasingly important, both in terms of search engine optimization and user experience.
TheGem development team has also focused on ensuring that this theme is as secure as possible. Only the most secure and efficient plugins were chosen to be part of the TheGem theme package. This not only helps your website load faster but also reduces dependency on third-party plugins and tools, especially those from unknown developers.
Although the CodexThemes team has not included additional plugins in this theme to increase the list of features, they have made sure that any website created with TheGem is compatible with the best WordPress plugins. This means that you will be able to choose the plugins you want to use, rather than having specific options forced upon you.
TheGem User Experience
Creating a quality website is not easy. However, WordPress and themes like TheGem have the potential to simplify the process considerably. Let’s find out how easy it is to create a professional website in the user experience section of our TheGem theme review.
TheGem: Getting Started
After uploading the theme files and activating TheGem on your WordPress website, you will be prompted to install and activate the necessary and recommended plugins. This includes the aforementioned premium tools such as Visual Composer and Slider Revolution, as well as free plugins such as Google Analytics and MailChimp for WordPress.
Fortunately, installing and activating these plugins only requires a few clicks. Next, it’s time to choose from the selection of website demos. This step is optional and you can simply start adding content to your site. However, since demos are one of the best features of TheGem, you will most likely want to use one for your website.
Import Demo Content
Many WordPress themes feature a one-click demo content import process. However, depending on the theme, actually getting your website to look like the demo can be tricky. Luckily, TheGem has one of the easiest and most flexible demo content importers out there.
Through the options, you can choose to import all demo content, including images and videos. As this will import a large amount of content that could potentially slow down your site and make it more difficult to manage, this option is probably best for those who want to see exactly what TheGem has to offer on a test site.
Those working on what will be their live website will probably be better off importing just one of the individual demo concepts. The import tool makes it very easy to see which demo you are going to import. Some themes simply provide a list of titles to choose from, so having a visual guide makes things much easier.
A final option is to perform a partial import of the demo. This allows you to import the demo content without the media files, or only import the media files. Once you have completed the process of importing the chosen demo content, the foundation of your site will have been laid.
Having this amount of control over the process of importing demo content is great. Especially when combined with a very easy-to-use interface. It really makes setting up your new website a breeze.
Theme Customization Options
Once you have imported some or all of the demo content, you can start adding your own content to your site or customizing its look and feel. The theme has a detailed set of options, covering everything including:
The back-end theme customization settings give you a good amount of control over your website. Unfortunately, the support for the WordPress Customizer interface is not that impressive.
Thanks to the real-time information you get from the Customizer, it’s a shame that TheGem doesn’t use it anymore. However, you can still customize many of your website settings through the back-end theme options panel – you just don’t get that live preview of your changes as you make them that you would with the Customizer.
Content Publishing
Since TheGem uses WordPress custom post types, to add content to your new WordPress website you must first select the appropriate post type. This makes managing and publishing different types of content on your site much more efficient.
You can add new content to your site through the traditional WordPress editor. You can also use the Visual Composer page builder tool. The latter allows you to create custom layouts for your content and populate them with a number of useful elements.
Once you’ve imported the demo content, customized the theme options, and added some content, your website should be on its way to taking shape.
TheGem Theme Pricing Options
TheGem is available on the ThemeForest marketplace for $59. This price includes all premium plugins included in the package, as well as lifetime access to theme updates. Six months of support is also included. However, for only an additional $17.70, this period can be extended an additional 6 months up to 12.
FAQs
Are the included slider plugins in TheGem easy to use, and can I create advanced slideshows for my website?
TheGem includes two premium slider plugins, Slider Revolution, and LayerSlider. While these tools offer advanced features, they might require some learning to fully utilize their potential. With these plugins, you can create captivating and interactive slideshows to engage your website visitors and present your content in a visually striking manner.
Is TheGem optimized for website speed, and how does it enhance website security?
TheGem development team has put in efforts to ensure the theme loads quickly, benefiting both search engine optimization and user experience. The selection of efficient and secure plugins minimizes dependencies on third-party tools from unknown developers, reducing the risk of potential vulnerabilities.
Can I use my preferred WordPress plugins with TheGem, or are there specific ones I must use?
TheGem is designed to be compatible with various WordPress plugins, allowing you to choose the ones that best suit your website’s requirements. Unlike some themes that force specific plugin options, TheGem offers broader plugin compatibility, giving you the flexibility to add functionalities according to your needs.
How does TheGem’s user support stand out, and in which languages is it available?
TheGem’s user support is exceptional, with the CodexThemes team providing assistance in English, German, and Russian. Their dedication to helping users has earned them positive ratings based on their support for previous themes, ensuring you’ll have expert guidance throughout your website-building journey.
Is TheGem recommended for beginners, and what types of projects is it most suitable for?
TheGem is highly recommended for beginners and experienced developers alike. Its user-friendly interface, extensive customization options, and pre-built demos make it an ideal choice for anyone looking to create modern, high-quality WordPress websites. Whether you’re building an agency site, creative portfolio, online shop, or other projects, TheGem’s versatility caters to a wide range of website needs.
Mike DaVinci HighTechBlogging.com
Mike DaVinci is a skilled content writer with a talent for storytelling. He specializes in creating captivating narratives that engage readers and leave them feeling inspired. His writing has been featured in various publications, including magazines, blogs, and business websites. Mike’s particular interest in human interest stories allows him to uncover the heart of any story and convey it to his readers in an emotional and authentic way. He believes that storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting with people and inspiring positive change in the world.
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