Follow this step-by-step guide when creating new pages on WordPress sites.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating New Pages in WordPress
1. Confirm Whether This is a New or Existing Page:
- Check For Yourself: Don't take the Asana task details at face value. Sometimes they will say something is a new page but there is actually already a page created for this content that is set as draft or just excluded from the navigation while waiting for content. Always search for a page with the same name before creating a page from scratch.
- Check Custom Post Types: Sometimes they will refer to the content as a new "page" but in reality it is a new post for a custom post type. Often, when a site is especially large with multiple types of pages (for example, a recovery site with addiction types, treatments and conditions) we will create custom post types for those content groups. Be sure to check the custom post types both for an existing post with the same title, and to be sure if your new page should actually be a post in one of the custom post types.
1. Familiarize Yourself with the Site:
- Review Existing Content: Spend time browsing through different pages and posts to understand the overall structure, style, and tone of the content.
- Analyze Design: Pay attention to the layout, typography, and visual elements to ensure your updates align with the existing design.
- Find a Similar Page: Try to find a page covering a similar type of content so you can see where images were used, potential synced patterns, and other design cues. If you have confirmed that this is a new page then you can also duplicate a similar page to give you a jump start.
2. Plan Your Updates:
- Outline Changes: Review the content in the doc provided for the new page and compare it to the similar pages you found. Use this to map out how you could organize your content in a similar way. Also make note of any synced patterns. The doc may not call out these synced patterns, but if they are on all of the other pages in the same section you should assume they should be on yours as well, unless specifically called out.
3. Be Prepared:
- Full Site Backup: Before making any significant changes, create a complete backup of your WordPress site. This will serve as a safety net in case something goes wrong. This can be done through the website's hosting environment. If you do not have access to this ask Zach or Brett to make a backup for you.
- Staging Site: If the changes include large structural changes, such as URLs changing and menus being updated, set up a staging environment where you can make and test changes before they go live. This helps minimize risks and ensures a smooth update process.
4. Create Your Page/Post:
- Page/Post Content: If you duplicated a page, then start replacing the content throughout the page with the content from your content doc. Try to keep the content organized and grouped the same way it is in the doc. If you are starting with a fresh new blank page then remember you can also open a similar page, select blocks you need on your page, and then copy and paste them onto your page. No matter what, be sure you are following the design and flow of the website, i.e. including hero banners, adding imagery throughout, etc.
- Update Media: Replace or add images, videos, or other media files as needed. Most sites should have a good collection of images already to choose from, but if you need new imagery we can ask for that.
- Set SEO Title and Description: If the doc included an SEO Title and Description be sure to add those before publishing. You can find the SEO options by scrolling to the bottom of the page and finding the Yoast SEO section.
- Check URL: This is especially important if you duplicated another page to create your new page. This will automatically apply a URL like "/original-page-clone/". You will need to be sure to update the URL to either match what was requested in the doc if applicable, or at least to match the title of the page if not.
- Add Featured Image: Every page or post should always include a featured image. Some sites will automatically use the featured image in the hero block, so it will be obvious when it is missing, but many other sites will not, so you will need to be diligent about checking this before you publish your page. If you are unsure of which image to use for your new page ask us to provide guidance or reach out to the client.
5. Preview Changes:
- Preview Mode: Use the preview feature in WordPress to see how your updates will appear on the frontend.
- Test on Different Devices: Check how your content looks on different screen sizes and browsers. This can also be simulated with the Chrome Inspector.
7. Publish Changes:
- Publish Posts and Pages: Once you're satisfied with the preview, publish your updates.
- Schedule Publication: If you want to delay the publication, use the scheduling feature.
8. Clear Cache:
- Cache Clearing: After publishing your changes, clear your website's cache to ensure the updated content is visible to visitors. Most site will be using WP Rocket and you can hover over WP Rocket in the top menu of WP Admin and select the Clear and Preload Cache option.
9. Test Thoroughly:
- Functional Testing: Verify that all links, forms, and other elements are working correctly.
- Content Consistency: Ensure that your updated content is consistent with the rest of the site in terms of style and formatting.
- Incognito Testing: After publishing your updates visit the effected pages in an Incognito or Private browser window. If you are not seeing changes in these windows, or if styles or functionality are broken then try clearing the cache once more and doing a few hard refreshes on the page.
- Mobile Testing: Make sure to test your changes directly on a physical mobile device, or at least through the inspector window in chrome setup to simulate mobile browsing.
By following these steps, you can effectively create new Pages and Posts in WordPress while maintaining a high-quality user experience.