Pages & Page Templates

Pages & Page Templates

Learn how to create, manage, and customize pages on your PremiumPress website. Pages are the foundation of your site's structure and content organization.

Reading time: 12 minutes


Overview of Pages

Pages are static content areas on your website, different from posts or listings. They typically contain information that doesn't change frequently.

Pages vs Posts vs Listings

Feature Pages Posts Listings
Purpose Static content Blog articles, news User-submitted items
Hierarchy Can have parent/child No hierarchy Categories only
Date Display Usually hidden Prominently shown Optional
RSS Feed Not included Included Optional
Categories/Tags No Yes Yes
Examples About, Contact, FAQ Blog posts, news Products, properties

Why Pages Are Important

  • Structure: Organize your site's core information
  • Navigation: Create clear pathways for users
  • SEO: Pages can rank for important keywords
  • Legal: Host terms, privacy policy, etc.
  • Conversion: Create landing pages for campaigns
  • Information: Share company info, services, etc.

Creating New Pages

Follow these steps to create a new page on your website.

Basic Page Creation

  1. Log into your WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Go to Pages > Add New in the left sidebar
  3. Enter your page title at the top
  4. Add content in the editor (see editing section below)
  5. Configure page settings in the right sidebar
  6. Click Publish when ready

Page Editor Options

When creating a page, you can choose how to edit it:

WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg)

  • Default WordPress editor
  • Uses blocks for different content types
  • Good for simple pages
  • Less design flexibility

Elementor (Recommended)

  • Visual drag-and-drop editor
  • Included with PremiumPress themes
  • Full design control
  • Click "Edit with Elementor" button

Classic Editor

  • Old-style WordPress editor
  • Simple text editor
  • No visual design options
  • Requires Classic Editor plugin

Quick Page Creation

For faster page creation:

  1. Hover over Pages in admin menu
  2. Click Add New
  3. Or use the +New button in admin bar at top
  4. Select Page from dropdown

Understanding Page Templates

Page templates control the layout and structure of your pages. PremiumPress themes include several pre-built templates.

Available Page Templates

Default Template

  • Standard page layout
  • Includes header, content area, sidebar (if enabled), footer
  • Good for most content pages

Full Width Template

  • No sidebar, content spans full width
  • Better for landing pages
  • More space for content and images
  • Professional look

Elementor Full Width

  • Removes all default styling
  • No header or footer (unless added manually)
  • Complete control with Elementor
  • Best for custom landing pages

Elementor Canvas

  • Blank canvas - no theme elements
  • Build everything from scratch
  • Perfect for sales pages, coming soon pages
  • Maximum design freedom

Homepage Template

  • Special template for your homepage
  • Often includes featured sections
  • Optimized for first impression
  • May include search, categories, featured listings

Contact Page Template

  • Pre-designed for contact information
  • Usually includes contact form
  • May include map, address, phone

Listings/Archive Template

  • Shows all listings or products
  • Grid or list layout
  • Includes filters and search
  • Pagination for multiple pages

Selecting a Page Template

  1. Open your page for editing
  2. Look in the right sidebar for Page Attributes
  3. Click the Template dropdown
  4. Select your desired template
  5. Update or publish the page
  6. View the page to see the new layout

Pro Tip: If using Elementor, choose "Elementor Full Width" or "Elementor Canvas" for maximum design flexibility.


Essential Pages for Your Site

Every website needs certain core pages. Here's what to create and why.

Homepage

Purpose: First impression, main entry point

Should include:

  • Clear headline explaining what your site does
  • Search functionality (for directory/classifieds)
  • Featured listings or categories
  • Call-to-action buttons
  • Trust indicators (testimonials, statistics)
  • Brief about section

Setup: Go to Settings > Reading and set as static homepage

About Us

Purpose: Build trust, explain your story

Should include:

  • Company history or personal story
  • Mission and values
  • Team photos and bios
  • Why users should trust you
  • Contact information

Contact

Purpose: Let users reach you

Should include:

  • Contact form
  • Email address
  • Phone number (if applicable)
  • Physical address (if applicable)
  • Map showing location
  • Business hours
  • Social media links

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Purpose: Answer common questions, reduce support

Should include:

  • Questions organized by category
  • Clear, concise answers
  • Search functionality (optional)
  • Link to contact if question not answered

Privacy Policy

Purpose: Legal requirement, explain data handling

Should include:

  • What data you collect
  • How you use it
  • Cookie policy
  • Third-party services
  • User rights (GDPR, CCPA)
  • Contact for privacy concerns

Template: Use WordPress privacy policy generator or legal template service

Terms of Service / Terms of Use

Purpose: Legal protection, user agreement

Should include:

  • User responsibilities
  • Prohibited activities
  • Liability limitations
  • Payment terms (if applicable)
  • Dispute resolution
  • Content ownership

How It Works / Getting Started

Purpose: Onboard new users

Should include:

  • Step-by-step guide
  • Screenshots or videos
  • Common use cases
  • Tips for success
  • Link to sign up or create listing

Pricing / Membership Plans

Purpose: Show pricing options

Should include:

  • Clear pricing table
  • Feature comparison
  • Billing options (monthly/yearly)
  • Free trial information (if available)
  • Call-to-action buttons
  • Money-back guarantee (if offered)

Blog

Purpose: Content marketing, SEO, updates

Setup:

  • Go to Settings > Reading
  • Set posts page to your blog page
  • Or use at yoursite.com/blog automatically

Page Settings & Options

Configure various settings for each page in the right sidebar when editing.

Publish Settings

  • Save Draft: Save without publishing
  • Preview: See how it looks before publishing
  • Status: Draft, Pending Review, or Published
  • Visibility: Public, Password Protected, or Private
  • Publish Date: Schedule for future publication
  • Move to Trash: Delete the page

Page Attributes

Parent Page

  • Create page hierarchy
  • Select a parent page from dropdown
  • Creates URLs like: yoursite.com/parent/child
  • Useful for organizing related pages

Template

  • Choose page layout (see templates section above)

Order

  • Set page order (0 = first, 1 = second, etc.)
  • Affects menu order if sorting by page order
  • Lower numbers appear first

Featured Image

  • Set a main image for the page
  • May appear at top of page (depends on template)
  • Used in social media sharing
  • Shows in page listings/archives

Discussion Settings

  • Allow comments: Enable/disable comments on page
  • Allow pingbacks: Technical feature, usually keep off

Custom Fields

  • Add extra data to pages
  • Requires Custom Fields plugin or ACF
  • Used for advanced customization

SEO Settings (Yoast or RankMath)

  • SEO Title: Custom title for search engines
  • Meta Description: Description in search results
  • Focus Keyword: Main keyword for page
  • Social Preview: How it looks when shared

Editing Pages with Elementor

Elementor is the recommended way to design pages in PremiumPress themes.

Opening Elementor

  1. Go to Pages in WordPress admin
  2. Hover over the page you want to edit
  3. Click "Edit with Elementor"
  4. Or open the page and click the "Edit with Elementor" button at top

Elementor Interface

  • Left Panel: Widgets and settings
  • Center: Live preview of your page
  • Bottom: Responsive preview options (desktop/tablet/mobile)
  • Top: Save, preview, settings, exit buttons

Basic Editing Steps

  1. Add Section: Click the + icon to add new section
  2. Choose Column Layout: Select 1, 2, 3, or more columns
  3. Add Widgets: Drag widgets from left panel to page
  4. Edit Content: Click any element to edit it
  5. Style Elements: Switch to Style tab for colors, fonts, spacing
  6. Adjust Layout: Use Advanced tab for margins, padding, custom CSS
  7. Save: Click Update button at bottom left

Common Widgets

  • Heading: Titles and headings (H1-H6)
  • Text Editor: Paragraphs and formatted text
  • Image: Add photos and graphics
  • Button: Call-to-action buttons
  • Icon Box: Icon with text (great for features)
  • Video: Embed YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
  • Google Maps: Embed maps
  • Form: Contact forms and other forms
  • Gallery: Image galleries
  • Testimonial: Customer reviews

Using Templates

  1. Click the folder icon at bottom left
  2. Browse Blocks, Pages, or My Templates
  3. Preview templates
  4. Click Insert to add to your page
  5. Customize the template to your needs

Responsive Design

  1. Click responsive mode icons at bottom of screen
  2. Switch between Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile views
  3. Adjust settings for each device size
  4. Hide elements on specific devices if needed
  5. Test on real devices before publishing

Pro Tip: Save your designs as templates for reuse. Go to the up arrow icon at bottom left, then Save as Template.


Setting Up Your Homepage

Your homepage is the most important page. Here's how to configure it.

Set a Static Homepage

  1. Create a new page called "Home" or "Homepage"
  2. Design it with Elementor (add search, categories, featured listings, etc.)
  3. Publish the page
  4. Go to Settings > Reading
  5. Under "Your homepage displays", select "A static page"
  6. Choose your Home page from the "Homepage" dropdown
  7. Optionally set a Posts page for your blog
  8. Click Save Changes

Homepage Best Practices

  • Clear Value Proposition: Tell visitors what your site does immediately
  • Search Functionality: Make it easy to find listings
  • Featured Content: Showcase best listings or categories
  • Trust Signals: Reviews, testimonials, user count
  • Call-to-Action: Clear buttons ("Browse Listings", "Sign Up", etc.)
  • Fast Loading: Optimize images, minimize widgets
  • Mobile-Friendly: Test on phones and tablets
  • Easy Navigation: Clear menu structure

Homepage Elements to Include

  1. Hero Section: Large banner with headline and search
  2. Category Showcase: Browse by category with icons/images
  3. Featured Listings: Highlight popular or premium items
  4. How It Works: 3-step guide with icons
  5. Statistics: Number of listings, users, transactions
  6. Testimonials: User reviews and success stories
  7. Recent Listings: Latest additions to the site
  8. Call-to-Action: Encourage sign-ups or listing creation

Creating Page Hierarchy

Organize related pages with parent-child relationships.

Why Use Page Hierarchy?

  • Better site organization
  • Cleaner URLs (parent/child structure)
  • Easier navigation
  • Better SEO (shows content relationship)
  • Logical information architecture

Creating Child Pages

  1. Create or edit a page
  2. In the right sidebar, find Page Attributes
  3. Under Parent, select the parent page
  4. Publish or update the page
  5. The URL will now be: yoursite.com/parent/child

Example Hierarchy

About Us (parent)
    ├── Our Team (child)
    ├── Our Story (child)
    └── Careers (child)

Services (parent)
    ├── Web Design (child)
    ├── SEO Services (child)
    └── Hosting (child)

Help (parent)
    ├── FAQ (child)
    ├── Getting Started (child)
    └── Contact Support (child)

Displaying Child Pages

On a parent page, show links to all child pages:

  1. Use the [child-pages] shortcode
  2. Or use a "Child Pages" widget in sidebar
  3. Or manually add links in Elementor
  4. Automatically generates list of child pages

Breadcrumbs

Show navigation path at top of page:

  • Example: Home > Services > Web Design
  • Enable in: Appearance > Customize > Breadcrumbs
  • Or use Yoast SEO breadcrumbs
  • Helps users understand site structure

Using Custom Templates

Create reusable page designs for consistency across your site.

Saving an Elementor Template

  1. Design your page in Elementor
  2. Click the up arrow icon at bottom left
  3. Select "Save as Template"
  4. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Service Page Layout")
  5. Click Save
  6. Template is now available for other pages

Applying a Template to a Page

  1. Create a new page or edit existing
  2. Click "Edit with Elementor"
  3. Click the folder icon at bottom left
  4. Go to "My Templates" tab
  5. Find your saved template
  6. Click Insert
  7. Customize the content

Creating Page Templates for Different Purposes

Landing Page Template

  • Full-width design
  • No sidebar or distractions
  • Strong headline and CTA
  • Testimonials and trust signals
  • Contact form or sign-up

Service Page Template

  • Service description
  • Benefits and features
  • Pricing information
  • Call-to-action
  • Related services

Team Member Template

  • Photo
  • Name and title
  • Bio
  • Contact info
  • Social links

Global Templates

Changes to global templates update all pages using them:

  1. In Elementor, check "Apply template to all instances"
  2. Any edit to the template updates everywhere
  3. Great for consistent headers, footers, sections

Troubleshooting Page Issues

Problem: Page Showing 404 Error

Solutions:

  • Ensure page is published (not draft)
  • Go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes
  • Check page isn't set to Private
  • Clear browser cache and WordPress cache
  • Verify page slug doesn't conflict with category or post

Problem: Page Layout Broken

Solutions:

  • Check correct template is selected
  • In Elementor, go to Tools > Regenerate CSS
  • Clear all caches
  • Deactivate plugins one by one to find conflicts
  • Check for JavaScript errors in browser console

Problem: Elementor Not Loading

Solutions:

  • Increase PHP memory limit (256MB recommended)
  • Increase PHP max_execution_time (300 seconds)
  • Deactivate other page builders
  • Update Elementor to latest version
  • Regenerate CSS and data in Elementor > Tools

Problem: Changes Not Showing

Solutions:

  • Click Update in Elementor (bottom left)
  • Clear WordPress cache
  • Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete)
  • Disable caching plugins temporarily
  • Check in Incognito/Private browsing mode
  • Purge CDN cache if using one

Problem: Page Loading Slowly

Solutions:

  • Optimize images (use WebP format, compress)
  • Reduce number of widgets on page
  • Minimize custom CSS and JavaScript
  • Enable caching plugin
  • Use lazy loading for images
  • Minimize external resources

Problem: Mobile View Broken

Solutions:

  • Edit in Elementor mobile view and adjust
  • Check responsive settings for each element
  • Reduce padding and margins on mobile
  • Hide large images or replace with mobile versions
  • Test on actual mobile devices

Page Best Practices

Content Best Practices

  • Clear Headlines: Use descriptive, compelling titles
  • Scannable Content: Break text into short paragraphs
  • Visual Hierarchy: Use headings (H2, H3) to organize
  • Images: Add relevant, high-quality images
  • Call-to-Action: Every page should have a clear next step
  • White Space: Don't crowd content, give room to breathe
  • Consistent Branding: Use same colors, fonts, style