Episode 90: Site Design & WordPress Themes

Posted on by Victoria

Wynne’s done it again.

Wynne has a knack for instilling confidence about all things technical. I think it’s her plain-spoken advice…tailored just for me (or so it seems) as she reminds me to stick to steps and a sequence when I’m unsure about a task or project. Especially if the project at hand involves tinkering with website design and WordPress themes! I’ll say it. I get drawn in by new bells, whistles, widgets and woozies. The pretty things.


Captivating. Alluring. New ways to present your content to readers.


WordPress regularly rolls out new options and as much as many of us are intrigued, the horror stories about adopting new designs and potentially losing or misplacing content are freakishly scary.


This week’s Heart of the Matter podcast focuses on debunking the fear factor, thanks to Wynne’s thoughtful advice and examples. You’ll love the visuals and thoughtful considerations from Wynne. A tutorial with legs…that will carry you forward with confidence as you go forth – improving and tweaking your website.


Along the way, we talk about the trepidation and the behaviors that get in our way. My foibles? When I’m flustered with technology I tend to scurry and try to fix everything at once. In doing so, I create a chaos trail making it harder than necessary to mend what’s wonky.


We’re grateful to viewers and listeners who enjoyed our recent chat about LinkedIn profiles (see link below). Think of this as a continuation of that convo – responding to input we’ve received about how difficult it can be to maintain our online “presence” on multiple platforms. With Wynne’s help, you’ll feel more confident. I know I do.


Join us!
Vicki and Wynne 😊

P.S. Here’s the link to a PDF presentation of the ideas and process presented in this podcast conversation.

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 90: Site Design and WordPress Themes

HoTM Episode 90 transcript

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Links for this Episode:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue

Wynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

31 thoughts on “Episode 90: Site Design & WordPress Themes”

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  5. Great topic! I’ve never been afraid to mix things up. I’ve changed themes at least a dozen times, URLs five or six times, and imported/exported blog posts without ever losing a single word or reader. Not that this hasn’t been stressful at times, but change is good!

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    1. You are such a good example of courage mixed with creativity and a healthy get ‘er done attitude, Mark. Maybe you should be up next to talk about your site overhaul. It’s looking pretty spiffy, I must say! 😎

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      1. Sure, I’d be down. No fewer than two bloggers have taken to calling me their mentor, lol…and come to me with questions about site changes. I’m no expert, but I have been doing this for a long time!

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  7. Your tips on theme changing, website appearance, functionality, etc., are very helpful. The most valuable hint for me is to only change one thing at a time and go back to your original theme before trying another. Thank you both! 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much, Nancy! I apologize for the slow reply. Your comment got lost altogether — just appeared in ‘spam’ today for some reason. Gah! Appreciate you for tuning in. xo! 🥰🥰🥰

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    1. Isn’t that the truth? I feel like there’s constant maintenance to be done and it’s not the fun stuff (for me). I’d put website updates in a category with cleaning the grout. LOL! But Wynne inspires confidence! 😁

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  9. Wynne to the rescue! Vicky, you were reading my mind with all that you wrote, I have exactly the same fears, and so have left my blog pretty much as is, for those same reasons. Tech is such a challenge for me, and I really need someone like Wynne walking me through it. Great post –

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  10. I’ve had the same them on my blog since I started 5 years ago. Maybe it’s time to switch it up but it works so I haven’t felt the need. I’m currently in WordPress hell with setting up my retirement coaching site. It’s more complicated because it’s more than just a blog. One step at a time!

    Thanks for this.

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    1. Oh my! I bet you’re…ummm…discovering…all sorts of things related to your new business and coaching role. You’ll have stories to tell us! Sending good wishes your way. Always!
      🥰🥰🥰

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  11. Very interesting ladies, I love the tip “one thing at a time”. For WP users, they have a fantastic team of happiness engineers, as they call them, ready to help you with re-designing your website. Don’t hesitate to ask their support, it’s included in your fee.

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  12. I enjoyed this great follow up to your LinkedIn tutorial. You both explained WP themes and updates in a friendly and plain language way. And fun to see the role reversal on this segment and the presentation file being made available is a nice touch!

    I don’t update my theme too often probably for the same reasons you’ve highlighted and also due to time. But I do agree with you both that it’s not just content that matters but also the visual presentation and the navigation experience. It’s all part of a larger package.

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    1. Thank you, Ab! We’re so grateful to you for tuning in and for letting us know the convo was helpful. I agree with you…the blending of good content in a pleasing format is the goal. Hope your weekend was wonderful. Xo! 🥰

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  13. You both have given us great tips and advice to think about! I’ve changed my theme a couple of times over the course of 13 years. But my tech knowledge only goes so far. What you include in this podcast makes sense and is very helpful. I’m happy with how things are right now, but change is good too. What I have trouble with is adding widgets to my sidebar (my books). When I do, an already existing widget disappears. Sigh. Anyway, thank you, Vicki and Wynne, for sharing your knowledge! xo

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    1. Thanks so much, Lauren. I’m with you about those wonky widgets. I can’t seem to figure out what I do wrong, but every time I try to update the sidebar…everything goes sideways in one way or another. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong, so I resist updating. Maybe we need a ‘sidebar class’ with Wynne, LOL. 😜🥰😜

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