How to Edit Content on Your WordPress Website

This guide explains how to update content on your WordPress website, built and managed by your website admin at Design4africa. As the site owner, you have a custom user account with the username Siteowner to make changes. We’ve sent you a temporary password via WhatsApp, and you can (and should) change it for security. Let’s walk through the process step-by-step so you can edit your site confidently!

Step 1: How to Log In to Your WordPress Website Back End

• Login Link: Open your browser and go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin (replace "yourdomain.com" with your actual website address). This takes you to the back end.
• Username: Enter Siteowner (all one word, not case-sensitive).
• Password: Use the temporary password we sent you via WhatsApp. If you’ve changed it, use your updated password instead.
• Changing Your Password: For security, change the temporary password immediately:
  1. On the login page, click Lost your password?
  2. Enter Siteowner or your contact email (the public email you gave us, e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook).
  3. Check your contact email for a reset link, then follow it to create a new password.
  4. Password Tip: Use a strong password (e.g., Johannesburg%375) with a capital letter, small letters, a symbol (like %), and at least two numbers. Avoid simple passwords like names or phone numbers—anyone with this password can edit your site instantly!
• Remember Me: Check this box if you’re on your personal computer (used only by you or trusted people) to stay logged in.
• Once logged in, you’ll arrive at the Dashboard, your control center for editing.

Step 2: Understanding the Content on Your Website

Your website is made up of web pages (e.g., Home, About Us, Contact Us and a page for each of your services or products). Each web page has three sections:

• Header Section: The top part (navigation menu, logo)—code-based and managed by your website admin at Design4africa.
• Footer Section: The bottom part (address, contacts)—editable by you via Footer Data.
• Main Content Section: The middle part between the header and footer, further divided into blocks of content.

The Footer and Main Content Section dynamically pull their content from posts which you can edit, and each piece of content includes at least 2 of the following content parts:

• A title (e.g., "Painting," "Generators," "Our Mission," "Our Address").
• A description (paragraphs explaining the title).
• An image or carousel (sometimes).
• Action buttons (e.g., "Chat via WhatsApp," "Contact Us," "Subscribe," "Inquire Now").

These pieces of content appear where needed across the website, pulled from posts you can edit. For example:

• "Painting" might show on the Home page.
• "Our Mission" might appear on both Home and About Us pages.
• "Our Address" is in the Footer section on every page.

Key Concept: You can’t edit an entire web page (e.g., Home or About Us) as a whole. Instead, you edit individual pieces of content by focusing on their titles. When browsing your site’s front end (yourdomain.com), note the title of any piece of content you want to change—it’s your guide to finding it in the back end.

Step 3: How to Navigate the WordPress Dashboard

Once logged in, you’re at the Dashboard:

• Left Sidebar: A black background with links: Dashboard, Posts, Comments, Services Data, About Us Data, Footer Data.
• Center Area: A white space where content appears based on what you click.

Decide what you want to edit in the WordPress Dashboard:

• Services or Products (e.g., "Painting," "Generators")? Click Services Data.
• About Us Content (e.g., "Our Mission," "Our Vision")? Click About Us Data.
• Footer Details (e.g., address, contacts)? Click Footer Data.
• Comments from visitors? Click Comments.

The sidebar is your map—click a link to start editing. To return to the Dashboard or switch sections, just click another link (e.g., from Services Data to Footer Data) without needing to backtrack.

Step 4: How to Locate Content to Edit in Your WordPress Dashboard

After clicking a link (e.g., Services Data, About Us Data, or Footer Data):

• You’ll see a list of posts, each with a title. Examples:
  • Services Data: "Painting," "High Voltage Wires," "Protective Clothing," "Bricklaying."
  • About Us Data: "Our Mission," "Our Vision," "Our History."
  • Footer Data: "Our Address," "Our Contacts."
• These titles are self-explanatory and match what you see on the front end. For example, if you want to update your address, look for "Our Address" in Footer Data.
• How to Select: Click directly on the title (e.g., "Painting"). Ignore small links (like "Edit" or "Trash") that appear when hovering—just click the title itself to open the editing area.

Step 5: How to Edit Your Site Content Through WordPress Posts

Now you’re in the editing area for a specific post:

• Main Title: At the very top, this is the post’s key title (e.g., "Painting," "Our Mission"). It’s professionally crafted by your website admin at Design4africa with SEO and copywriting strategies—don’t change it unless necessary (see below).
• Text Area: Below the title, a white space with subtitles, paragraphs, or bullet points (the description).
• Custom Fields: Scroll down past the text area to find:
  • Meta Title and Meta Description: Leave these alone—they’re for search engines.
  • Images: Custom image uploads (more on this below).

How to Edit Titles on Your Website

• Main Title: If it’s simple (e.g., "Painting"), you can tweak it. If it’s a phrase (e.g., "Best Painting Contractors in Johannesburg"), discuss changes with your website admin at Design4africa. Why? We craft titles with SEO keywords and phrases to rank well and attract your audience—random changes might reduce effectiveness.

How to Edit Descriptions or Paragraphs on Your Website

• Place your cursor in the text area where you want to edit:
  • Word: Click at the end of a word, press Backspace, then type a new one.
  • Sentence: Click at the end of a sentence, press Backspace until it’s gone, then type a new one (keep it similar in length—same number of words).
  • Paragraph: Click and drag to select the whole paragraph, press Backspace once, then type a new one (match the original length—similar lines or words—to maintain design).
• Efficiency Tip: Make multiple changes (e.g., 3-5 edits) before saving. If you make a mistake, refresh the browser to revert to the original (if you haven’t saved yet). Save only when you’re sure everything’s correct—check the front end after each save to confirm it looks right.
• Caution: Don’t delete everything at once unless you’re replacing it carefully. Hidden formatting (e.g., spacing, alignment) is set by your website admin—over-deleting can break the design. If you mess up, click Undo at the top.

How to Edit Images on Your Website

• In the Text Area: Images mixed with text (e.g., in paragraphs) should be updated by your website admin. Send us the new image via WhatsApp.
• In Custom Fields: Scroll to the image section below the text area. To replace:
  1. Name images properly (e.g., "painting-service.jpg").
  2. Compress them (under 200KB) and ensure correct dimensions (ask us or check our website guides).
  3. Upload via the custom field.
• Best Practice: Send images to us via WhatsApp first—we’ll optimize and name them, or guide you on how to prepare them.

Important Notes on Editing

• Content Purpose: Your site’s content (titles, paragraphs) isn’t just for you—it’s created for your target audience (customers). We use professional copywriting skills and SEO strategies, choosing every word, sentence, and paragraph to drive actions (e.g., inquiries, WhatsApp chats). You might not like some content, but if it’s grammatically correct, factual, and doesn’t misrepresent you, it’s likely effective for your audience. Changing it based only on personal taste could reduce its impact.
• When to Change: Edit if content is wrong, outdated, or misrepresents your business. For big changes (e.g., whole paragraphs), tell us your intended message via WhatsApp—we’ll re-craft it with SEO and copywriting expertise, then you can update it.
• Collaboration: Discuss major edits (titles, paragraphs, images) with your website admin at Design4africa via WhatsApp. We ensure your changes add value while keeping the site optimized.

Step 6: How to Save and Navigate Your WordPress Dashboard

• Save Changes: After editing, click the blue Update button in the top-right corner. If you try to leave without saving, your browser will warn you—save first to avoid losing work.
• Navigate:
  • Return to the Dashboard: Click Dashboard in the sidebar.
  • Edit something else: Click another link (e.g., Footer Data) directly from the sidebar—no need to go back to the Dashboard first.
• The sidebar is your navigation tool—use it to move around easily.

Step 7: Quick Examples of Editing Content

• Updating a Service: On the Home page, "Roofing" needs a new description. Log in to your website back end, go to Services Data, click the "Roofing" title, edit the text, click Update, and check the front end.
• Changing About Us Content: On the About Us page, "Our Mission" is outdated. Log in, go to About Us Data, click "Our Mission," update the paragraph, save, and review.
• Fixing an Address: In the Footer, your address is wrong. Log in, go to Footer Data, click "Our Address," edit line-by-line (e.g., change one word or number at a time, not the whole thing), save, and confirm. Caution: Addresses have specific line breaks—edit carefully to preserve formatting.

What You Can’t Edit

• Header Section: Navigation, logo—code-based and managed by your website admin at Design4africa.
• Contact Us Page Form: Static and code-based—contact us via WhatsApp to update it.
• Overall Design: Layouts, colors—set by your website admin for consistency.

Final Tips for Editing Your Website Content

• Content Types: Forget editing "pages" like Home or About Us directly. Your content is split into three editable types:
  • Services Data: For services/products (e.g., "Painting," "Generators").
  • About Us Data: For About Us content (e.g., "Our Mission," "Our Vision").
  • Footer Data: For footer details (e.g., "Our Address," "Our Contacts").
• Start Small: Content is made of characters, words, sentences, and paragraphs. Begin with small edits (e.g., a word or sentence) before tackling whole paragraphs.
• Take Notes: When browsing your site, jot down titles of pieces you want to change (e.g., "Painting," "Our Address")—it speeds up locating them in the back end.
• Ask for Help: Unsure about edits (especially titles, big paragraphs, or images)? Contact your website admin at Design4africa via WhatsApp. Send a message like "Please call me—I need help with X" for a callback, or share your question directly. We’ll ensure your site stays effective for your customers.

That’s it! You’re ready to edit your website content through WordPress with confidence.