Creating a Menu in WordPress

You may want to setup a menu on your WordPress blog or perhaps you have setup your website using WordPress.  Having a menu is a good idea for organizing your content and making navigating your site easy for your visitors.

Here are a few tips on organizing to create a menu

Your Plan

When you are designing your website or blog – think of how the content should be organized. What are the main headings – what topics would fit under these main headings. As your website grows having an organized structure is a real help to the visitors so they can find information easily.   It also helps you as you add new pages and posts to know where you will put them.

Using Pages and Sub Pages

When you create a new page in WordPress you can assign it as a main page or a sub page.

Using Categories

Assigning a category is a first step in being able to create a menu item from your POSTS. Think about your categories and how they relate to the major topics of your blog or website. For example on the Out and About Nova Scotia website – PLACES is a category. Any new post that has to do with a PLACE is assigned this category and a place name is assigned as a sub-category. See the PLACES menu with its sub categories.

Managing Categories

If you wish to rename, delete of change a category you will find this under POSTS – CATEGORIES on your dashboard.   This is also a good place to see the overview of all your categories and the number of POSTS assigned to each category and the hierarchy.

Manage categories

Managing your Menu

The Menu manager is found under Appearances on your dashboard. On the left you see a list of all the PAGES you have created. Click the check box(es) next to the pages you want to add to the menu and drag them onto the menu on the right. Then reorder the pages according to your plan. You can make sub pages by indenting a page under another page.

If you wish to add a CATEGORY as a menu item – select the category from the list that you see when you click on “Categories” on the bottom left section. Then select the category you want and add it to the menu on the right.

Be sure to SAVE your menu.

You can select to add your pages automatically when you create them – or each time you want a new page on the menu go through the steps above. You can rearrange pages and posts as your site grows.

menu managae

Categories Widget

Use the CATEGORIES widget to add a categories drop down list with number of posts on your sidebar. This works well if you have a lot of categories and gives a good overview for the website visitor

Categories widget

Places category

menu outandabout

Examples

 

 

 

Tips to Using WordPress to Create a Website

Your website a key piece to your communications strategy
Your website a key piece to your communications strategy

Your website a key piece to your communications strategy.  Designing your website, getting it setup and then managing updates all need to be considered when planning how to create and manage this key piece to your communications strategy.

You can use WordPress to create your website.

Here are a few tips to do this:

  1. First – plan your website.  What is the outline of main sections that you need?
  2. Select a THEME that includes MENUS.  The Twenty Ten / 11 / 12
  3. Use PAGES for content that is relatively static.  For example your ABOUT page, Contact page, services.
  4. Use POSTS for sections that you want to have as blog posts.  Assign a category to similar posts and you can select to show those posts on a menu item
  5. Add widgets to add functionality to the structure
  6. Research, select and register your domain name  e.g. www.yourdomain.com
  7. Register your blog/website with Google webmaster, Bing, Networked Blogs and other search engines
  8. Add tags, categories and SEO meta tags to increase your search engine visibility.

Advantages of using a blog for your website:

  • Flexibility – you can add new pages, rearrange your menu, create sub pages to build sections, use posts for updates.
  • Blogs are search engine friendly
  • Add photos and videos for interest
  • Create links and resources for your readers
  • Build an audience and add subscribers
  • Build and manage content on your website

More information

Have you created a website using WordPress or other blogging platforms?  What pros and cons do you see?

 

If I Have a Facebook Page Do I Need a Website?

 

The WEB of website + Social Media

No doubt there are many people using Facebook – as of October 2011 Facebook reported 800 million users with over 50% logging in daily.

With Facebook having a Business Page is an excellent idea – it gives a method to update fans and those who have “Liked” your page quick updates.  Also if your Facebook fans comment or share your postings – this gets multiplied out to their friends.

However a business does require one central location to have their basic product and service information.  This might be your product catalog for a business, menus for a restaurant, and services offered by a consultant.   These should be readily available to anyone who is searching on the Internet by using search optimized web pages.   In addition on a regular basis in Facebook you should have your POSTS link back to your website for more information.  This helps to build your website traffic and integrate your Facebook page activity with your website.

Pros and Cons

Comparison Facebook Business Page Website
Pros

Lots of people using it

Easy to make postings

Can link back to your website

Can setup individual pages – but people don’t often browse the additional tabs

Easy to setup

Can create a branded professional look

Can create organized and easy to use navigation

More control on layout and how the message is presented

Can integrate your FaceBook page

Cons

Need to build up your fan base

Information on your wall shows most recent posts – but people may not scroll down to see previous posts

No obvious hierarchy and way to organize your information

Need to post regularly

May require technical expertise to update your information (depends on type of website)

May have to pay for hosting and domain name

May take time to build the website

Need to check that pages are found on search engines

Conclusion

There are advantages to having a Facebook Business Page – but to really benefit from having a presence on the Internet a business should still have a well designed website.