I’m teaching myself how to build an effective website at the same time I’m figuring out how to produce useful content and distribute it to grow an audience. I’d like to take you behind the scenes into what it takes to build up this business as I go along. Here’s my first foray. I’ll tell you all about making website buttons.

But first, some background.

My Content Management System of Choice

I’m hosting my site on WordPress. I chose WordPress over competitors like SquareSpace or Wix because I was familiar with WordPress. It was the first CMS (Content Management System) that I used to create my own website online. It’s grown up a lot since I first used it, but it’s retained a lot of “easy to use” “easy to navigate” features.

My Blog’s Theme

So, the theme I selected to run my blog on is called “Peony” it’s by Magee Theme. Peony’s preview shows a fancy pants site with buttons and beautiful images. Like any theme, you “install” it and then discover you’re not literally taking that perfectly designed preview site and clicking and changing a few things. I managed to figure out headers, and footers, and sidebar widgets. These are all things I can nerd out to in later posts if you’re now like “ALL OF THIS IS OVER MY HEAD.”

On to Buttons, Finally

I wrote this post on how referral links could potentially be a good side hustle income. I had so many links in it, it was screaming for buttons. I spent a good 30+ minutes bumbling around the WordPress Admin dashboard trying to figure out if my theme already had predesigned buttons that I just click on or click and drag into place or something. I nearly gave up on figuring out making website buttons.

Then, I googled. And I found. And I successfully conquered. I wasted very little time researching or quibbling with the first result of “best wordpress button plugin.” MaxButtons got great reviews. The next on the list got like 3 stars. I debated using something else out of my own penchant for “not going with the obvious choice” but demurred.

And, lo, MaxButtons is awesome.

MaxButtons is Idiot Proof, Perfect for Amateur DIY Web Builders

I’m just using the free version. It’s fairly idiot proof. It appears on the left sidebar, once you click on it, it’s instantly in the “create button” screen, showing you a preview of a button that can easily be yours with a few clicks of customization.

Not really knowing what the different tags meant, I easily managed to make a button, save it, then slap it in my post. After I made all 5, I of course realized I capitalized some, didn’t on others, and forgot to change font on at least one. It was simple to pop MaxButtons back open again, change the colors, change the font and refresh my page to see that in fact, it instantly updates my site with the changes.

Instantly Edit and Push Button Changes with One Click

I’m not sure what the limitations of free are, but I’m pretty stoked with my new found button powers. Also, going Pro is only $19.