If you’ve ever wanted to build or manage a website, but felt overwhelmed by the technical aspects involved, you’re not alone! In fact, it’s one of the most common sore spots for clients of our Langley website design agency. That’s where Gutenberg, WordPress’s innovative content editor, comes in! Imagine Gutenberg as your website’s interior designer, ready to help you arrange and present everything beautifully – without needing to know how to build the furniture yourself (aka: coding).
Here, we’re sharing our top five tips for adding content to your WordPress website while leveraging this smart, simple-to-use editing tool. But first, let’s explore what it’s all about.
what exactly is Gutenberg?
Gutenberg is a block-based editor that was introduced by WordPress in December 2018 to replace the classic text-based editor. Before Gutenberg, adding content to a WordPress site meant dealing with clunky tools that felt a bit like typing in a Word document. Adding an image, a video, or some text involved switching between different tabs, embedding codes, then crossing your fingers to make sure everything looked good.
Enter Gutenberg, a game-changing editor that gives users more control over their content, empowering them to create and modify it in ways that were previously out of reach. Instead of writing and coding, you now work with blocks, and each one can be a paragraph of text, an image, a video, a quote, a button, and more. Now adding, editing, reordering, and removing content is faster, friendlier, and more flexible than ever—no coding experience required.
Now that we’ve uncovered what Gutenberg is, let’s dive into some tips for using it to manage your website like a seasoned pro.
1. start with blocks
Gutenberg is all about blocks, which you can think of like LEGO pieces that build your page. Each piece of content, whether it’s text, an image, a heading, or a video, goes into its own block. Want to add a photo? Just choose an image block. Want to write a paragraph? Choose a text block. This gives you flexibility to arrange things how you want while saving you time (and major frustration) along the way.
Hot tip: Start by nailing down basic blocks like paragraphs and images, then work your way up to more advanced ones like columns or galleries to make your content more dynamic.
2. create a visual hierarchy
Once you’ve added your blocks, Gutenberg lets you move them around as you see fit. Rearranging is as easy as clicking and dragging your blocks to the exact spot you want. When doing this, aim to structure your content in a way that naturally leads the eye. Use larger headings, bold fonts, and strategically placed call-to-actions (CTAs) up top to highlight the most important information, then continue on with supporting details and storytelling elements (in smaller text) that curious customers can learn about when they stick around. This is known as a visual hierarchy, which helps create a smooth visitor experience that guides users where they need to go. With Gutenberg’s clean, user-friendly interface, editing feels as natural as rearranging your living room–minus the sore muscles you’ll get from all the heavy lifting!
Hot tip: Use relevant keywords and search terms in prominent positions like your headlines, subheadings, and opening phrases in your body copy. Doing this will signal to search engines what your page is about right from the start, making it easier to attract targeted traffic (ie: people who are on the lookout for products/services like yours).
3. make it your own
Having a website that truly captures the essence of your brand is key in leaving a lasting impression on your visitors and creating a loyal fanbase. This means ensuring your fonts, colour choices, visual assets (logos, graphics, and images) and messaging shine through thoughtfully and consistently on the web. Luckily, White Canvas Design Agency eliminates the guesswork in this regard, with custom-built WordPress website designs that satisfy your business objectives without compromising the integrity of your brand. When the project’s all wrapped up, we’ll provide you with a full library of branded, stylized blocks to make managing your website fun and straightforward.
Still in the early stages of establishing your brand identity, or ready for a refresh? White Canvas Design Agency is here for you! Our Langley design agency offers brand strategy and design services to help you create a strong and memorable brand identity.
4. preview as you go
One of our favourite perks of using Gutenberg is that it allows you to preview your page as it’s being built, giving you the chance to see how it will look to visitors in real-time. To do this, click the “Preview” button, and your site will show up just as it would live on the web.
Hot tip: Preview regularly while building your pages to catch any tweaks you want to make before publishing. For an extra layer of copyediting, try running your messaging through AI before publishing to double-check for spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Trust us, a fresh set of eyes is never a bad thing, especially after looking at the same thing for too long!
5. save and reuse your favourite blocks
You know that saying “work smarter, not harder?” Gutenberg makes it possible to do just that, with the reusable blocks feature. Once you’ve perfected a block layout that works for you (like a great testimonial section or a contact form), you can save it to use again later. This saves you time and makes sure your pages are consistent. To save a block, click the three-dot menu and select “Add to Reusable Blocks.” The next time you want to use it, it’s right there waiting for you. This is super handy for unifying your website so that it looks cohesive and professional.
custom website development and design services in Vancouver
In the process of building or reimagining your WordPress website? White Canvas Design Agency is proud to offer custom WordPress website design and development services to help you create a digital presence that’s uniquely yours. With personalized front and backend features, we will bring your vision to life seamlessly while ensuring the management of your site is a walk in the park post-launch.
Get in touch to book a consultation with our Langley website design agency and find the option that is right for you!