Your website’s design is coming together — now it’s time to add navigation, some useful features, and (if you want) a blog.
In this lesson, we’ll cover:
- Creating menus to help users find content
- Using widgets to add features to your sidebar or footer
- Setting up a blog section with posts and categories
These are the small details that make your website easy to use and professional.
🧭 1. Creating Menus in WordPress
Menus are how visitors navigate your website. They usually appear at the top (header), in the footer, or in mobile drop-downs.
✅ How to Create a Menu:
- Go to your WordPress Dashboard
- Click Appearance > Menus
- Click “Create a new menu”
- Give it a name like Main Menu
- Select the pages you want to include (Home, About, Services, Contact)
- Click “Add to Menu”
- Drag and drop to arrange the order
- Select “Primary Menu” or “Header Menu” for display location
- Save
💡 You can also add custom links (e.g., to external sites) or post categories to your menu.
🧱 2. Using Widgets in WordPress
Widgets are blocks of content you can add to sidebars, footers, or other widget-ready areas on your site.
✅ Where to find them:
- Go to Appearance > Widgets
- Or use Appearance > Customize > Widgets for live preview
🧰 Common Widgets You Can Use:
| Widget Type | What It Does |
| Search Bar | Adds a search box to help users find content |
| Recent Posts | Shows your latest blog posts |
| Categories | Displays blog categories in the sidebar |
| Social Icons | Links to your social media pages |
| Text or HTML | Add custom messages or embedded content |
| Newsletter Signup | Connects with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc. |
🧠 Tip: Keep it clean. Use only the widgets that truly help your visitors.
✍️ 3. Setting Up a Blog in WordPress
Adding a blog to your website is one of the best ways to:
- Share updates
- Boost SEO
- Build trust with helpful content
- Drive traffic to your services or products
✅ Step-by-Step Setup:
1. Create a “Blog” page
- Go to Pages > Add New
- Name it Blog
- Leave it blank and publish
2. Set it as your Posts page
- Go to Settings > Reading
- Under “Posts Page,” choose your Blog page
- Save changes
3. Write your first post
- Go to Posts > Add New
- Add a title, content, image, and assign a category
- Hit Publish
🧠 Tip: Use categories like “Tips,” “News,” or “Case Studies” to organize your posts.
📌 Task for Today
- Create a main menu with your key pages
- Add 2–3 widgets to your sidebar or footer
- Create a blank page called Blog
- Write and publish your first blog post