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Whether you’re a new blogger or you’ve had your site for a while, chances are you’ve felt overwhelmed at the thought of redesigning your WordPress.com site. Maybe it feels cluttered. Maybe it feels outdated. Or maybe it just doesn’t work the way you need it to anymore. And then the overwhelm hits, because redesigning your site feels like a huge, complicated project you don’t have time for (especially if you are a busy mom blogger). You are not alone. In this blog post I will show you how to refresh your site in just 5 simple steps.
In this post…
Maybe you’ve tried to DIY it… or maybe you even considered hiring help… and then life got busy, and it just stayed the same.
Here’s the thing, as we grow, our blogs grow with us. They are a reflection of who we are. And sometimes we look at our pages and posts, and realize what we’ve created just doesn’t feel aligned anymore. Or maybe we just want a refresh to improve viewer experience and monetization capabilities.
And now, there’s something major that makes this easier than ever. WordPress.com now includes themes and plugins on all paid plans.
That means you can redesign your blog anytime, fully customize your site, and install powerful tools without needing to upgrade, learn how to code, or hire a developer.
For the first time, having a beautiful, aligned, and professional looking website is fully accessible and easier than ever for busy moms and bloggers.
The 5 Simple Steps to Refresh Your WordPress.com Site (Plus How-To’s)
Step 1: Clear Visual Clutter
Your website should feel like a calm, welcoming space, and your message should be clear. A cluttered site:
- makes it harder for readers to find what they need
- increases bounce rate (people leave quickly)
- reduces trust
Less is more! I have heard bloggers say the simpler they kept their homepage, the higher their engagement was. This is because clear messaging and easy navigation will confirm to viewers that they are in the right place… somewhere they belong, and where they want to stay.
What Your Homepage Should Include
Keep it simple and intentional:
- Clear headline (site name)
- About block (photo, who you help and how)
- Featured posts or categories
- Email opt-in
- Navigation menus (top and side bar)
Your homepage is like an introduction to your viewers about who you are, how you will serve them, and a map to show them where they need to go. Because of this, simplicity and function matter more than aesthetics (that matters too though, keep scrolling to see!).
How to Edit Your Homepage
If You Are Using a Theme
- Go to Appearance → Customize
- Remove blocks you don’t need (columns, widgets, etc.)
- Add blocks you want to add to your homepage (widgets and blocks like HTML, photos, and featured pages/posts)
You should be able to see a preview of your changes as you make them. Once you are happy, hit publish!
If You Built From Scratch
- Open your homepage in the block editor
- Use:
- Heading blocks
- Image blocks
- Buttons
- Columns
This route may be a little more time consuming but you have more control over the appearance of your site.
How To Update Your Navigation Menu
- Go to Appearance → Customize → Menus
- Add your main categories and pages (keep reading to Step 3 for more tips on categories)
- Keep it to 4–6 max for ease
Step 2: Refresh Your Site Wide Design
This is where you will see the biggest change and where your site will actually feel new again. This updates your entire site instantly and polishes it into one cohesive brand.
First: Pick 3-4 colours you want for your blog. I would suggest one darker accent colour, one lighter accent colour, a neutral colour, and a dark colour (for text). These should reflect your theme, message, and how you want your viewers to feel. These colours will also help with brand recognition.
When you decide on your colours, save the RGB and HEX codes for future designs. I like to find these in Canva.
What I did that was the most effective to update the look of my whole WordPress.com site and make it look professional was updated the font to be black or dark in colour and an easy font and size to read. I used to have a beautiful dark orange text font to go with my theme but I had to sacrifice aesthetics for readability. It doesn’t matter how pretty your posts are if nobody can read them. Another thing I updated was link colours. I changed my links to go with my colour scheme instead of just the automatic black and/or blue.
When updating your WordPress.com site fonts, focus on:
- Avoiding script or decorative fonts
- Dark, high-contrast text
- Increasing line spacing for readability
How To Update Your Site Design in WordPress
If you are using a theme:
- Go to Appearance → Customize
- Update:
- typography
- colors
- spacing
- CSS coding
WordPress.com Plugins To Add To Your Site To Your Site To Improve Appearance And Functionality
These are examples of plugins you can add to improve the appearance and functionality of your site wide design.
- PinIt – Adds a “Pin It” ribbon on all your images for easy sharing to Pinterest
- WP Post Author – Adds an author box with a photo and bio at the end of your pages and posts (totally customizable). Also allows for guest authors which is huge!
- Kit – Adds customizable email opt-in boxes and forms so you can build your mail list and get to know your audience
- Simple Social Share – Shows small social media icons throughout your WordPress.com site so viewers can easily find your social media
Step 3: Reorganize Content
Over time your categories and tags can get cluttered. Just a few weeks ago I realized I had 421 empty tags on my site… which meant 421 empty or thin pages. Having empty or unused tags creates:
- thin pages (bad for SEO and ad network approval)
- poor indexing
- diluted site authority
Google is more likely to show your content when your site is clearly organized and easy to understand, and they know exactly who your audience is.
Think of your categories like rooms and the tags are what the people in it have in common.
- Focus on 3–6 core categories
- Delete empty tags
- Combine similar categories into one larger ones
Step 4: Clean Up Plugins
Clean up unused plugins that are not being used and slow your site down. Try to focus on plugins that do multiple jobs like Jetpack. Monetize your site with an online store using plugins like WooCommerce. Allow your plugins to update automatically so your site keeps running smoothly.
Choose plugins that:
- do multiple jobs
- reduce manual work
- support growth
You will love these valuable resources:
- 5 Essential Jetpack Features for Your New Blog (Mom-Approved)
- How To Monetize Your Blog With An Online Store (And 7 Reasons To Choose WooCommerce)
A lot of bloggers don’t realize that too many plugins can actually slow down your site in the background, which affects both your SEO and your reader experience. This was me just a few months ago.
Step 5: Refresh Top Content
This is one of the highest-return things you can do as a blogger. Updating old content often brings in more traffic than creating new posts.
You can check on your WordPress or Jetpack stats for your latest post views or if you have Google analytics, check your engagement dashboard. Take the top 3 posts and update them.
How to check Google Analytics for top posts: Engagement → Pages and Screens → Views by page title and screen name
What to Update
- Titles
- Headings
- Add internal links
- Add table of contents
- Update images
- Add alt text
Optimize the titles and content and add a table of contents for SEO using plugins like AIOSEO. Mark any affiliate links using plugins like Affiliate Link Marker. Enable rich pins on Pinterest so your new blog content is shared to Pinterest. This ensures your blog title and metadata show automatically.
The Benefits Of A Spring Site Refresh
A simple site refresh with WordPress.com themes and plugins can:
- Help your posts show up more in search
- Keep readers on your site longer
- Make your content easier to navigate
- Turn more readers into subscribers or income
Improved SEO will improve your site rank on Google and improve visibility, and the improved site appearance and navigation will improve viewer experience and result in increased conversions. To read my full list of plugins I’ve used and love, read this post here.
Resetting can be overwhelming, choose one area to do this week and explore the plugins and themes that will work for you.
With WordPress.com now offering plugins and themes on all paid plans, this kind of reset is more accessible than ever… no tech overwhelm required.
And if you’re building your blog alongside motherhood, routines, and real life, that’s exactly what I share here at Let’s Glow.
If you enjoyed this blog post, subscribe to Let’s Glow for more content on building your blog alongside motherhood routines and daily rhythms.
Do you have a favourite plugin you swear by? Let me know in the comments!
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