Really basic wordpress help please! Images, unwanted text on pages, SEO etc

[Lorna Doone]

I posted a few days ago about whether to opt for Wordpress or find a cheap web designer. Well I took the advice I was given on my thread and decided to have a quick go on Wordpress to see how I found it (bearing in mind I have no website development experience whatsoever, and my IT skills are pretty basic - I can surf the net, send emails and that's about it!).

Anyway, a few days on and I've managed to set myself up on Wordpress, hurrah! I'm still tinkering with it and trying to find a template that suits me. If anyone can recommend one, by the way, that would be great! I want it to look like a website, not a blog, so don't want all the additional blog options on the page. Ideally I'd like a left hand side column with the page names (eg Home, About Us, Contact Us, Gallery etc), possibly a right hand column in which I can highlight seasonal 'special offers' and the likes, and other than that, lots of white space, nice and fresh and simple.

My main issue, however, concerns images. I've finally worked out how to upload images/photos WITHIN the pages - I can't do it perfectly by any means, but I'm getting there and working it out. But what I can't seem to work out is how I can change the header banners - I am trying to pick templates that claim to be fully customisable in that respect, but I can't work out how to upload my own banner/logo to replace what is already there. Can anyone talk me through this (in layman's terms!)? I don't yet have the particular banner I'm going to be using (my sister is currently designing one for me) but have a bog-standard one I can play around with to test it.

I also have lots of unwanted text/options on the page that I don't want or need - is there any way I can get rid of them? eg comments are closed, Meta, Site admin, Log out, Links, Categories, No Categories.

And lastly (sorry!), is there any basic advice or information on how to improve SEO on a Wordpress website? I know what SEO means and the implications of it, but I've no idea how to help my website bounce up to the top of a search engine search!

Any help in real layman's terms greatly, greatly appreciated! This forum has been a Godsend so far, so thank you all very much!

 

[OldWelshGuy]

Have you installed wordpress on your own domain, or have you signed up for a free wordpress account?

Hopefully it is your own hosting etc otherwise it is really difficult.

 

[Zeal]

I want it to look like a website, not a blog, so don't want all the additional blog options on the page. Ideally I'd like a left hand side column with the page names (eg Home, About Us, Contact Us, Gallery etc), possibly a right hand column in which I can highlight seasonal 'special offers' and the likes, and other than that, lots of white space, nice and fresh and simple.

To stop the blog:

On your admin panel. Look at the left hand side, scroll down until you see: "settings". Click on 'Reading'. Change the 'Front page display' to a Static page. And the posts page... don't select one.

For the column, you need to search for a "3 column theme". Check Theme Forest Out. Plenty of excellent themes on there for £10 - £25.

My main issue, however, concerns images. I've finally worked out how to upload images/photos WITHIN the pages - I can't do it perfectly by any means, but I'm getting there and working it out. But what I can't seem to work out is how I can change the header banners - I am trying to pick templates that claim to be fully customisable in that respect, but I can't work out how to upload my own banner/logo to replace what is already there. Can anyone talk me through this (in layman's terms!)? I don't yet have the particular banner I'm going to be using (my sister is currently designing one for me) but have a bog-standard one I can play around with to test it.

Have you got a link to your site? Send it via PM if you want - I'll tell you what file to look for then

I also have lots of unwanted text/options on the page that I don't want or need - is there any way I can get rid of them? eg comments are closed, Meta, Site admin, Log out, Links, Categories, No Categories.

Again, without looking at the link, it's hard to tell what this might be?

And lastly (sorry!), is there any basic advice or information on how to improve SEO on a Wordpress website? I know what SEO means and the implications of it, but I've no idea how to help my website bounce up to the top of a search engine search!

Click on the plugins tab in the admin panel. Choose "Add New". Search for "All In One SEO".


Anything else, feel free to message

 

[Lorna Doone]

Thank you both! Yes, it's my own domain. I'm having to log off for tonight, but I'll have a read through in the morning and PM the relevant people! Huge thanks again!