How to freshen up your homepage in 10 minutes
Oh hey, it’s December 9th already, and if you’re at all like me, you’re wondering where the hell the time went. Due to a successful soft launch of my website starter kit (now launching in February 2015), I have spent the last three months with my head in my computer, hand in a bowl of popcorn, and personal style in a perpetual state of “sweatsuit-chic.” That’s right – it’s been busy. And when it’s busy (as I’m sure you know,) it’s difficult to take the time to update your own website.
We get so overwhelmed with lists of items that need be updated, that the whole update process becomes this big, scary, dark cloud that looms over us like the spaceship in Independence Day. And instead of organizing the list into realistic action-items that we could complete in say, four or five hours on a Monday morning, we ditch the whole update-project all together, and just say SCREW IT.
I have news for you: it doesn’t have to be like this. In an effort to help you out in this crazy time of year, I’ve outlined one super easy update you can do on your own, right now, that will add significant value to your WordPress website.
Ready? Let’s go.
If you’re trying to run an end-of-year/holiday promotion for your services or products, you probably want to announce that promotion front and center on your homepage, right? Here is an easy way to add a new slide or image to your homepage that will fit seamlessly with the slideshow or welcome image that is currently there:
1. Find out what your dimensions need to be:
In the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress site, go to “Media” and scroll through the images until you find an image that is in your current slideshow. To the right of the image, you’ll see the dimensions listed. Write those down, you’ll need them.
2. Create a clear and compelling graphic:
To create the graphic for your slideshow, choose a background image and write out your copy. You’ll want a clear and compelling line of copy that will draw the attention of your website visitors, followed by an informational line of copy that explains what exactly you’re offering, and a call-to-action button that tells them exactly what they need to do to get your offer. Use your brand’s fonts and colors to position the copy on top of the background image, and make sure the graphic fits the same dimensions that you wrote down earlier.
Note: I personally recommend using Adobe Illustrator to create web graphics, but I understand that not everyone has access to that. For a really simple design program alternative, I suggest using Canva.
3. Add your new graphic to your slideshow:
This part will differ slightly with each site, but I’ll guide you through how I personally like to navigate sites that I’m unfamiliar with.
In most WordPress sites, slideshows are either built directly onto the homepage (sites with drag and drop visual editors – mainly in newer themes), or they are contained in a plugin that you should be able to see in the left hand sidebar of your dashboard.
Once you figure out which one your site has, you can go into that widget (on the page) or plugin (in the sidebar) and add, delete, or add, edit or delete the slides currently in there. That is where you “add” your new graphic!
4. Save, Update, and open an Incognito Window to check it out:
How does it look? (fun fact: opening an Incognito Window allows you to browse the web in private and view your website with a fresh perspective – no cookies from past browsing and a cleared cache. All-in-all, it gives you the perspective of your website that someone, who say – is not sitting on it all day, might have.)
Need help with a last minute WordPress site update this holiday season? Reach out to me at design@emilybelyea.com or send me a message through here as soon as possible, so we can get you on the calendar!
