Ever more people are stepping away from their free Joomla template and purchase premium Joomla templates instead. There are clear advantages to this, such as increased support, more organized code, better designs etc. Finding the right template provider for your needs can be a challenge though.

There are literally hundreds of different providers offering premium Joomla templates online, each with (sometimes subtle) differences in their products, support and licenses. Below you will find a checklist that you can use to judge the quality of a Joomla template provider. We have used this checklist internally in our usability tests to ensure ThemePartner provides all information necessary to purchase a Joomla template online.

Photo credits: Horia Varlan

Can I trust this template provider?

• Is there any negative information about this company shown on Google? When a company doesn't treat its customers well, this information is commonly shared through social media and indexed by Google.
• Does the website look 'trustworthy'? Research has shown that our subconscious is surprisingly able to separate trustworthy companies from untrustworthy ones.

Can I make a secure purchase on this website?

• Does this website use a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection for transactions? A secure connection is usually characterized by a web address starting with https:// and badges from companies as 'VeriSign' or 'PayPal'.
• Does the website display badges such as 'Hacker Safe', 'McAfee Secure' or 'Verisign Secured'? You can commonly click on them for more security information.
• Are any security warnings shown when browsing to the website using FireFox? Some security information is not displayed properly by Internet Explorer.

What payment methods are supported?

• Are any credit card, 2CheckOut or PayPal icons shown? These icons are usually found in the footer, right column or in the shopping cart.

What happens to the personal data I submit?

• Look or search for the 'Privacy Policy' or 'Privacy statement'. All information regarding your personal data should be displayed there.

Do I have to create an account to buy a template?

• If you are purchasing from any of the so called template clubs: yes.
• For providers offering single purchases you can simply add a product to your shopping cart and start the checkout process to find out.

Are there any recurring payments?

• This information is usually displayed during the checkout process, in the FAQ or in the terms of use.

How do I stay posted on product updates?

• Try search for an RSS feed, Twitter account or e-mail subscription about product updates.

Which version(s) of Joomla is this template compatible with?

• Look for the following icons: 
• Find in page (CTRL + F) for the term 'Joomla 1.0', 'Joomla 1.5', 'Joomla 1.6', 'Native' or 'Legacy'

What will I receive after payment?

• Are the images from the template demo included?
• Is there a quick installer available?
• Are .psd source files included in the download?

How is the code for the template structured?

• Search the product pages or FAQ for terms as 'MVC', 'Model', 'View', 'Controller' or 'Single file'
• If the code is structured according to the prescribed MVC structure, it allows template overrides and custom routing for example.

Which browsers are supported?

• Look for icons or messages signaling compatibility with the major browsers: Internet Explorer 7 and 8, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Google Chrome.

Where can I ask support questions?

• Look for a 'Frequently Answered Questions' (FAQ) to see if you question was answered already.
• Find a page named 'Contact', 'Support' or 'Ask a question'.
• See if there is an 'Instant chat', 'Live support' or 'Support forum' option.
• Search for a (toll free) telephone number.

On how many domains may I use the template?

• This is usually displayed in the FAQ, on the product pages or in a (proprietary) license.

Can I request a refund when I am not satisfied with my purchase?

• Look for badges or pages displaying information about a 'Money back guarantee'.

Using this checklist you should be able to purchase a Joomla template with all the required knowledge.

If you know any other criteria to judge a template provider by, please let us know in the comments!