If you have a WordPress blog, as I have recommended, you have virtually an unlimited number of customization options! You can change the look and feel of your blog on a whim without knowing how to do any programming or anything like that.
The biggest thing you can do to change the look of your blog is by changing the theme that you are using. The theme is what gives your blog it’s general look. For instance, this blog is using a theme that is kind of a basic look with a black header, lots of white space, etc. the theme also dictates that there is the main area where the blog post is located and there are two sidebars on the right. Other templates may have only one sidebar. Others may have the one sidebar on each side of the post. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!
When you install WordPress, you can go into the Administrative area and click on “Presentation” in the light blue bar at the top of the screen. From there, you will see a selection of 2 or 3 themes that come with WordPress. Just click on the one that you like best. But, there are hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of WordPress blogs out there, surely there must be more than only 2 or 3 themes available, right? Well, not to worry! There are thousands of free themes to choose from. If you are into computer programming, you can even write your own theme that is custom, only for your use. If you aren’t a programmer and still want a custom theme, you can always hire somebody to do the job for you.
For most people, they will go to a repository site that has many themes to choose from and choose one that they like. Perhaps the most comprehensive site for WordPress Themes can be found here. Just go through the thousands of themes available, choose the one you like best and download it. Next, you will need to upload it to your web hosting account, under the /wp-content/themes folder. Once you have it uploaded, you can go back to the Presentation area of the WordPress Admin panel and select the new theme that you just uploaded! It’s that simple!
Certainly, there are lots of other ways to customize your blog by adding widgets, your own photos and other things to spruce up the blog a bit. As you can see on this blog, I have a little cartoon caricature of myself up on the upper right column. You can basically make your blog anyway that you choose! The key is that you need to install the blog and play around with it. You may not be an expert but just play with trying different things. If they don’t work just as you hoped, delete them and start fresh. You can do it, just don’t be afraid to try!
Hi Bob, to tell you, I am really enjoying doing my blog now!. However, may I know how to add pictures..?
Thank you!
Hi NKG – I’m glad that you are having fun with your blog! That’s the first step in being successful, to enjoy what you are doing! In the next few days or week, I will do a post about how to add a photo to your wordpress blog! Watch for it.