Enhance your WordPress site with a striking two-column layout
Are you interested in bringing a fresh, visually appealing design to your WordPress website? A minimalist, corporate-style two-column layout might just be the perfect way to mesmerise your audience and communicate your key messages effectively.
Original design overview
The original design of this layout features a classic two-column structure, providing a sophisticated and engaging user experience. The left side is filled with informative text, while the right showcases a compelling image that adds visual interest. This setup not only makes your content dynamic but also helps it stand out.
Key highlights of the design
Layout analysis
- Overall structure: With one row and two distinct columns, this arrangement offers a balanced yet vibrant design.
- Asymmetry: Differences between the text and imagery provide an appealing visual contrast, capturing attention effortlessly.
Element and feature description
- Headers: Use bold headers to clearly present your key messages.
- Text blocks: Include several text blocks for detailing your services or achievements.
- Visual appeal: Eye-catching images in the right column elevate engagement.
- Statistical data: Highlight your success with standout figures alongside relevant icons, such as “230 Satisfied Clients”.
- Typography: Use modern fonts with varying sizes for clarity and readability.
- Graphical elements: Simple numeric icons can emphasise important statistics and details.
Unique design aspects
- Striking visual contrast: A dark background enhances text legibility and makes your images pop.
- Responsive design: There’s adaptability across different devices, ensuring an optimal viewing experience for all users.
- Accessibility considerations: Clear text hierarchy and layout ease reading but ensure colour contrast for accessibility compliance.
Overall design style
- Minimalist and corporate: Professionalism and clarity are key to this specific style, fitting an array of businesses.
- Visual hierarchy: Guide attention from main messages to additional statistics seamlessly.
- Effective use of white space: Maintain balance and readability, allowing elements room to breathe and avoid clutter.
Ten ways to organise content in WordPress
1. Categories and tags
Categories and tags are tools that help efficiently organise your content. They classify and group related posts, making it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Categories act as broad labels, while tags are more specific. Together, they structure your blog or website’s content so users can navigate without hassle. Using categories and tags well enhances user experience and boosts your SEO by better defining your content in search engine results.
2. Custom post types
Sometimes the default post and page types WordPress provides aren’t enough. Custom post types are the answer. They help create more flexibility by allowing different types of content, like portfolios, products, and testimonials. This means you can tailor your website structure beyond just blog posts and standard pages, creating a more dynamic and customised experience for visitors. Custom post types ensure your content can be organised and presented exactly how you want.
3. Page templates
Page templates let you change the look and structure of specific pages on your WordPress website. By using different templates, you can consistently maintain a unique style across pages or differentiate specific ones. This is particularly useful for landing pages or other special sections requiring unique layouts. Having bespoke templates means adapting your design to suit the content more directly, enhancing visitor engagement.
4. Menus and navigation
Your website’s navigation menu is key to a smooth user journey. A well-structured menu system helps users quickly find what they need. Using parent menus and drop-downs, you can create an organised ambit for your various content sections. This not only guides visitors efficiently but also ensures every part of your site is just a few clicks away, improving overall usability and convenience.
5. Widgets
Widgets enable adding more functions and features to your WordPress website’s sidebar or other widget-ready areas. By using widgets, you can display recent posts, social media feeds, or important links, adding value to the user experience. Widgets can be customised, arranged, and used to display a blend of useful information, which keeps your visitors engaged and informed.
6. Shortcodes
Shortcodes simplify adding special content to your pages or posts without needing extensive coding knowledge. They act as shortcuts for inserting elements like galleries, forms, or audio playlists. These handy tools help maintain a cleaner editing interface while allowing you to enhance the content’s richness with complex elements quickly and easily.
7. Custom fields
For those needing more flexibility, custom fields let you add extra data to your website’s posts and pages. This feature allows for deep customisation, helping differentiate various content without cluttering standard fields. Custom fields can include details such as product pricing, client testimonials, or additional attributes, making your website content more informative and tailored to specific needs.
8. Taxonomies
While categories and tags are default taxonomies, custom taxonomies can further improve content organisation. They offer a way to group content more intuitively, especially for websites with broad and varied content. Custom taxonomies help in creating structured relationships between different types of posts, organising your website in a way that aligns with its specific needs.
9. Content scheduling
Scheduling your content can ensure a steady flow of updates to your site without having to be online 24/7. This useful feature allows setting future publish dates, enabling you to manage time effectively and maintain audience engagement by consistently providing fresh content. It’s a time-efficient strategy for managing a content-rich website.
10. Built-in media library
The media library in WordPress is your go-to for managing images, videos, and other files efficiently. By having all media assets in one place, you can easily organise, edit, and insert them into pages and posts as needed. This tool streamlines content management, making it easier to maintain a visually rich site with seamless media integration.
Ten different types of content in WordPress
1. Blog posts
Blog posts are a staple content type in WordPress, providing a platform for sharing news, articles, and insights. Displayed typically in reverse chronological order, they allow readers to stay updated with your latest content. Blog posts are versatile, letting you incorporate multimedia, comments, and engage directly with your audience.
2. Pages
Unlike posts, pages are static and timeless, used for content like “About Us” or “Contact” sections. Pages provide the backbone to important information about a business or organisation. They’re usually part of the main website structure and remain unchanged over time, offering users relevant, evergreen information.
3. Portfolios
For creatives and freelancers, portfolio content allows showcasing work samples. Whether for art, photography, or projects, portfolios present work attractively. Having a dedicated portfolio page ensures potential clients or employers can easily explore your skills and achievements, creating a professional impression.
4. Testimonials
Testimonials provide an outlet to share customer feedback and reinforce credibility. On a WordPress site, including a testimonials section can draw trust from prospective clients. It’s an effective way to document satisfaction and maintain positive reputation, which is often a deciding factor for new users.
5. Videos
Videos are a dynamic type of content that easily capture attention and engage users. Thanks to WordPress’s embedded media features, you can easily add video content directly into posts or pages. Videos are effective for tutorials, stories, and conveying complex ideas more engagingly compared to text.
6. Galleries
With the ability to create image galleries, WordPress empowers users to display multiple images in one go. Perfect for photographers, designers, or anyone wanting to showcase visual content comprehensively, galleries enrich a webpage, allowing visitors to view content more vividly and informed.
7. E-commerce products
Transforming your WordPress into an online shop is possible with e-commerce content. Through plugins like WooCommerce, you can add product listings, descriptions, and facilitate transactions. E-commerce content enables expanding your business reach, offering products or services directly through your website.
8. Event listings
For those managing events, keeping track with event listings is vital. This content type allows displaying important details such as dates, locations, and registrant forms. Adding a calendar feature or event plugin easily transforms your site into a reliable information hub for upcoming happenings.
9. Educational content
Educational content is ideal for teaching and informing site visitors. Whether through online courses, blogs, or tutorials, WordPress supports diverse educational materials, catering both to professionals and enthusiasts. This content type promotes skill development and knowledge sharing across a wide audience.
10. Forums and discussion boards
For active community engagement, forums or discussion boards contribute greatly. WordPress supports such interactions, allowing users to discuss topics or ask questions, fostering a community atmosphere. Forums enable two-way communication and delegate a space to participants for sharing experiences or information.
Conclusion
Adopting a two-column layout for your WordPress website can significantly enhance its aesthetic while delivering your brand’s message effectively. The blend of imagery, clear typography, and strategic use of space offers a visually engaging experience that resonates well with visitors. Embracing this minimalist and corporate style may just provide the fresh update your site needs. Don’t miss the chance for a design overhaul-opt for this layout in your next WordPress website design project!
