Building and Managing Pages in WordPress: A Beginner-Friendly Tutorial

 
   Creating and managing pages in WordPress is essential for anyone building a website. Whether starting a blog, business site, or online store, understanding how to create and customize pages is crucial for building an engaging user experience.

    In this guide, I'll walk you through step-by-step instructions on creating and managing pages in WordPress, using easy-to-understand language suitable for both novices and those looking to brush up on their WordPress skills.

What is a page in WordPress?

    Before we dive into the details, let’s understand what a page is. A page is a type of content that doesn’t change often, which makes it different from blog posts that are organized by the date they were published. Pages usually contain important information like your About Us section, contact details, services offered, or even your homepage.

Practical Example:

Think of a page as a permanent part of your website, like the entrance of a house or the structure that holds everything together. The posts (blog entries) are like furniture—frequent updates, but the structure (pages) remains consistent.

How to Create a Page in WordPress

Creating a page in WordPress is simple and can be done in just a few steps.

Step 1: Log into Your WordPress Dashboard

    First, you'll need to log into your WordPress admin panel. You can access this by going to your website URL followed by /wp-admin. For example, www.yourwebsite.com/wp-admin

    Once you enter your login credentials, you'll be taken to the WordPress dashboard, where you can manage everything.

Step 2: Navigate to the "Pages" Section.

    In the WordPress dashboard, find the "Pages" option on the left-hand menu. Hover over it, and you'll see options for "All Pages" and "Add New.".

• All Pages: This shows you a list of every page on your website.
• Add New: This lets you make a brand new page.
• Click on "Add New" to start creating your new page.

Step 3: Add a Title and Content

    Once you click "Add New," you’ll be taken to the WordPress editor, where you can create your page. You’ll see fields for adding the page’s title and the content.

1. Page Title:
        This is the name of your page. For example, if you're creating an "About Us" page, simply enter "About Us" as the title.
   
   
2. Page Content:
        Below the title, you’ll find a content block editor where you can start writing your content. WordPress uses the Gutenberg block editor, which makes it easy to add different content types like text, images, videos, and even widgets.
   
   

Example: Creating an "About Us" Page

Let’s say you're building an About Us page. Add "About Us" in the title box, and in the content section, write a brief description of your business, company history, or personal background. Add an image of your team or office to make it more engaging.

Step 4: Add Images, Videos, and Media (Optional)

    To add media like images or videos, click the "+" icon to insert a block. You can choose to add:

• Text blocks for headings and paragraphs.
• Image blocks to upload or select images from your media library.
• Video blocks to upload videos or embed links from YouTube.

Step 5: Change Up Your Page Layout 

    With WordPress, you can change how your page looks by using ready-made block designs. You can pick from various column styles, add spacers, and even include buttons to make your calls-to-action stand out. 

    If you’re aiming for a unique look on your homepage, check out page builder plugins like WPBakery. They let you drag and drop elements, so you can create cool-looking pages without needing to know any coding.

Step 6: Get Your Page Out There 

    When you feel good about your page, it’s time to share it with everyone! Look to the right side of the screen, and you’ll find the "Publish" button. You have a few choices: 

• You can publish the page right away. 
• If you want to make more changes later, you can save it as a draft. 
• Or, you can set a specific date and time for it to be published. 

Managing Pages in WordPress

    After creating a few pages, you’ll need to manage them effectively. WordPress makes this simple with a variety of options available.

Managing Pages in WordPress

Once you've made some pages, it's important to manage them well. WordPress offers easy ways to do this with different options.

Step 1: Changing Current Pages

    To change a page you've already created, go to Pages > All Pages in the dashboard. You'll find a list of all your site's pages.

    Just hover over the page you want to change and click "Edit" to start making updates. You can also find other quick options like Trash (to delete the page), Quick Edit (for small changes like the title and URL), or View to see how the page looks to visitors.

Step 2: Organizing Pages with Parent-Child Hierarchies

    WordPress allows you to create a page hierarchy using parent and child pages. This is useful for websites that have a lot of related content, such as service pages.

• Parent Page: The main page.
• Child Page: A subpage that falls under the parent page.

Example:

Let’s say you run a business offering multiple services. Your parent page could be “Services,” and under that, you can create child pages like “Web Design” or “SEO Services.”

Step 3: Setting a Static Homepage

    If you want to set a specific page as your homepage (for example, if you’ve designed a custom landing page), you can do that easily.

• Navigate to Settings > Reading.
• Under "Your homepage displays,"  select "A static page.".
• Choose the page you want to set as your homepage from the dropdown menu.

Step 4: Reordering Pages

    While WordPress doesn’t have a built-in drag-and-drop option to reorder pages, you can use plugins like Simple Page Ordering to easily rearrange your pages by dragging and dropping.

Step 5: Deleting a Page

    If you don’t need a page anymore, you can get rid of it.

1. First, go to Pages and then click on All Pages.
2. Next, move your mouse over the page you want to remove and hit "Trash."
3. If you delete a page by mistake, don’t panic! You can bring it back by going to "Trash," locating the page, and clicking "Restore."

SEO Tips for Your WordPress Pages

If you want your pages to rank on Google, follow these simple SEO tips:

1. Use SEO plugins:
    plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math can help optimize your content. These plugins will give you suggestions on how to improve your page's SEO, such as adding meta descriptions and optimizing for keywords.

2. Incorporate Keywords:
    It's important to integrate relevant keywords into your page titles, headings, and overall content. For instance, if you're developing a service page focused on web design, consider using phrases such as "Web Design Services" and "Budget-Friendly Web Design."

3. Create Internal Links:
    Connect different pages on your website to make it easier for visitors to navigate and for search engines to explore your site better. For instance, you can link your homepage to the page that lists your services.

Conclusion

    Knowing how to create and handle pages in WordPress is super important for making a great website. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or a pro trying to improve your site; learning these steps will help you feel more in charge and sure of yourself when managing your WordPress site.

    By following these instructions, you'll be able to create professional-looking pages, improve site organization, and boost your search engine visibility. With practice, creating and managing pages will become second nature. Happy building!