Recently, several friends and visitors asked how I added the graphic banners to my WordPress Blog pages. Here are a few tips to help any interested reader in adding free graphic banners, text boxes or other special function boxes using WordPress widgets.

Keep in mind that self-hosted WP blogs can also be enhanced with WordPress Plugins; a topic for a later Hub ….

Each WordPress theme provides the blogger with a basic format that typically provides areas for Posts, Pages, as well as a few additional features included in the sidebar(s) such as a Calendar, Recent Posts, Archives, etc. These additional features are added as “Widgets” that either includes a “standalone” feature (Calendar, Search, etc.) or are “customizable” usually by adding and a “Text” widget then entering the appropriate text or HTML code. An excerpt from my blog is shown in the following figure that includes examples of how different types of widgets are displayed in the sidebar of my opening page.

As for adding the banners and other widgets to your pages, you need to access the appropriate areas of your Dashboard (“My Dashboard” selection on the top bar of the screen when first logged in).

Once the Dashboard page is open, you should note that there are three sections of menu options running down the left side of the Dashboard window. The top section is labeled “Dashboard” and has sub-headings like Blog Stats & Blog Surfer. The second has sub-headings like Posts, Media, etc. while the third has sections entitled Appearance, Users, etc. (which is where you go to add the banners).

In order to create a text box or banner (in the manner that I did) you have to add a “Text Widget” which is located as a sub-page under the “Appearance” tab. You can access the sub-pages (including widgets) by clicking the drop-down arrow to the right of the word “Appearance” (it’s lights-up when you run the cursor over it).

Open the drop down menu and then click on “Widgets” tab and a new window opens with a listing of the widgets that can be added and those already added to your post sheet and pages (see the annotated figure below).

You add a text message or banner graphic by:

1) adding a “Text” widget to your side bar;

2) clicking on Save Changes;

3) Opening the “Text” box by clicking on “Edit” in the Widget once it places it on the Sidebar;

4) Copying in the “Text” for the ext message or “HTML code” for the banner you want to display into the “Text” widget box;

5) after pasting the text or HTML into the text box, click the “Done” button on the lower left corner of the Text widget box; and

6) click the “Save Changes” button below the Widget you just closed and that should display the banner on the page.

Once you have saved the edits, click on the “Visit Site” button and examine the fruits of your labor.

You are also invited to a posting on one of my blogs that provides access to a screen capture video showing the steps to install text and HTML-based graphics using WordPress Widgets.

At the time I originally wrote and posted this Hub, I had a budding blog at WordPress.com.  As a matter of fact, the images above were captured from that very site.  Those images also show graphic banners associated with thrid party affiliate sites (in other words, if people went there and ended up purchasing anything from those sites, I stood to make a few dollars). 

It seems "Big Brother" at WordPress.com doesn't approve of such practices. 

Though those banners and a few other links existed on my former blog site, it is now a former blog since WordPress.com suspended it (aka killed it) for Terms of Service (TOS) violations this past weekend.

Understand that 90+% of the content on the blog was value or training oriented but that did not matter. 

It seems that if you conduct such activities on your blog, the "Big Brothers" at WordPress.com won't approve and kill the site without warning.  Be sure to read the TOS carefully and be conservative in your interpretation; if you think your post maybe selling something or trying to fool Google, don't add it! 

Jim was formerly an "old school" network marketer now helping home and small business owners to utilize attraction marketing and relationship building methods to grow their Internet presence. You can access additional information resources and tips to propel the growth of your business by visiting Jim's blog or my home business connection website.