Building a B2B Business Blog - Step 17: Widgets for Your Blog

Building a B2B Business Blog – Step 17: Widgets for Your Blog

Widgets WordPress uses widgets to enable bloggers without HTML or CSS knowledge to modify the design and content of their blogs using a simple drag-and-drop system through widgets. Simply put, widgets allow you to add different functionality and features to your WordPress sidebars without writing any code.

How are Widgets Used?

Widgets are most frequently used to customize blog sidebars. Check out any blog with a left sidebar and you will probably see ads, lists, images and other items there. These are created by using widgets. Each widget represents an area of content. Instead of having to edit the CSS in the blog’s theme to add or change content in the blog’s sidebar, the blogger can simply modify the placement and content of the widgets in the sidebar by dragging-and-dropping or pointing-and-clicking.

For beginners, this is an easy way to add things like galleries, quotes, popular posts, facebook like boxes, and other dynamic items on their WordPress site.

Widgets can also be added to the bottom of your blog.

Where Are Widgets Located?

Widgets can be found under Appearance on the left-hand side of the dashboard and then select Widgets. You will see the widgets that you can add under the list of available widgets.

On the right-hand side, you will find the areas on your WordPress site where you can place widgets. These areas are defined by your WordPress theme.

They widgets available and the area to use them are different for each theme.

How to Add a Widget

There are multiple ways to add widgets to sidebars available in your WordPress theme. The easiest one is to simply drag and drop them to your sidebar.

To use the WordPress Text Widget:

Go to Appearance > Customize in the WordPress administration screens and click the Widget menu in the Theme Customizer.
Open the sidebar to which you wish to add the Text Widget.
Find the Text Widget in the list.
Drag and drop the Widget in the spot you wish it to appear.

Using widgets is an easy way to spice up your B2B business blog and create interest and engagement.