WordPress Widgets: Using Widgets to Customize Your WordPress Blog
Many people use a WordPress blog as a content publishing platform because it is easily customized with widgets and plugins along with the fact that search engines love them. Even though customizing a WordPress blog with widgets is a fairly straight-forward process, many people are unfamiliar with the steps to add widgets to their WordPress blog.
The following video provides click by click instruction showing the steps required to add three text widgets (a straight text widget; a contact form widget and a banner graphic widget) to the sidebar of a “widgetized” WordPress theme.
If you are the type of person who would prefer to read about the steps to customize your WordPress blog with widgets, I have an older article on Hub Pages that also contains a link to an older version of the video provided above.
Click on the following link to access my Hub Page profile with the link to the Hub:
If you found the post and video helpful, please let me know by adding your comments in the box below.
I will also be adding another WordPress-oriented post with video within the next few days showing the steps to embed the video provided above. The video for the forthcoming post was created as this post was being readied for publication.
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Reader Comments
Hi five Jim … great post I loved the video info the best seeing you do this makes reading plans obsolete Ive struggled for years getting down to this kind of implementation of HTML tasks such as you have shown the way to here … once seen this done it makes these tasks look like a child can do it … yeh I know they are doing this kind of stuff from the age of six up … duhhh
All my best to you and your kids stuff
Phillip Skinner
Hi Phillip … you’re very welcome. I know that many people have issues with some of these tasks but when they get to actually see it done via a video they realize it is more than doable
Even better, since this is something most of us only do on occasion, they can always re-visit for a refresher. Thanks for the support!
Hi Jim – Thank you for the easy to understand information. I was wondering if we can add a photo in the side bar. I was trying to do a sort of “about me” in the side bar and couldn’t figure out how to insert a photo. Many thanks.
Pam Mosqueda
Hi Pam,
Thanks for stopping and commenting; I’m glad you found the info helpful.
I know there is a Flickr plugin (available here: Flickr Plugin ) that you can add to your WP site.
This plugin then enables the Flickr widget which you can add you your side bar (McLaren (see email) has a video about how to set-up the Flickr widget once the plugin is activated.
This only provides the ability to add images (up to 20 I believe) so you would then have to add a regular text widget immediately under it to complete the “About Me”.
I hope that helps … let me know if you have any questions.
Jim H.