All of us have different abilities to learn new skills. When it comes to mastering technical skills, a range of factors come into play. In the case of WordPress, even a newbie can learn the basics and create a website in a few hours. However, it isn’t as easy to become a WordPress expert since it depends on your computer skills, coding knowledge, ability to troubleshoot and innovate, and most importantly, the inclination to study. So….
How long will it take to learn WordPress? You can learn to use WordPress in a day or two. With this knowledge, you should be able to build and operate a fully functional website. However, if you aim to become an entry-level or full-fledged WordPress developer, you will need more time to understand all the relevant details of WordPress. You may need a year or more to master WordPress and become a professional WordPress developer.
But…
Is WordPress Good For Basic-Level Users?
WordPress is simple to understand. So it is an excellent website building platform for beginners who wish to set up basic websites.
Before WordPress came, only tech-savvy website designers with knowledge of HTML, CSS, and PHP could build good-quality, functional websites. WordPress changed all this by making it possible to build whole websites using a simple point-and-click interface. WordPress already has the framework for the website. All you must do is customize it for your needs.
If you have decent computer skills, you can easily understand how it works. So, even without any coding knowledge, you can build and operate a WordPress powered website.
If you are new to this platform, here are the main concepts you should know about.
Recommended Further Reading: How To Make A Website Without Writing A Single Line Of Code
Important Aspects Of WordPress For Beginners
WordPress Admin Panel: All WordPress activities are carried out in a space called the WordPress Admin Panel. This is essentially your Website Administration Page where you carry out all website-related activity. So, you will use this space to upload new content, add widgets, schedule posts, rearrange website elements, change the appearance of your web pages, and everything else related to your website.
The changes you make in this area will be displayed on the front-end, which is the website that is visible to onlookers. Although it may initially seem daunting, it is very easy to use the WordPress Admin Panel.
Related Further Reading: WordPress Admin Panel – What Is It, How To Log In And Use It Properly
Themes: The design of your website is defined by WordPress Themes. Themes are templates that define the look of your website. They unify your website design. Both free themes and paid themes are available. You can choose and install a theme you like with just a few mouse-clicks. You also have the flexibility to customize the different elements of a theme, like the colors and images, so that it can make your website look as you want to.
Related Further Reading: What is WordPress Theme and How to Work With It?
Plugins: WordPress Plugins enhance the features of a website. They extend the behavior and functionality of a website. For instance, you can use plugins to add links to your social media channels on your website.
Plugins are one of the more challenging aspects of WordPress for beginners. WordPress has many plugins. Some are free, while some are paid.
Related Further Reading:
- Why WordPress Themes and Plugins Are Free? (The Real Reason)
- Can WordPress Plugins Contain Viruses? (Important Facts For You)
You can also build special plugins to perform specific functions. However, you must know to code or else hire the help of a website developer to create such plugins.
Most beginners with basic computer skills can create basic websites in less than ten hours. This time is usually enough to learn how to post content or updates using this platform. Once you gain a general understanding of how WordPress works, you should also be able to find and install suitable plugins. So, you should be able to have your website up and running in less than a day.
How Long Does It Take To Become A WordPress Expert?
You can achieve a lot with WordPress without touching a single line of code. However, this is not enough to become a WordPress professional. You must learn much more than just using the point-and-click interface.
WordPress has different levels. While you can use the point-and-click interface to develop a good website, back-end skills will allow you to pack more features into your website.
Professional WordPress developers should be able to dig into a website’s background code.
Playing with the back-end code will allow you to build and run any type of website you want. You will be able to edit, tweak, and customize the appearance, content, and functionality. Back-end knowledge will also allow you to add special features like a payment gateway to a website.
This is what WordPress developers do.
Interesting Further Reading:
- Here’s How WordPress Website Works [Explained In Simple English]
- Is WordPress Hard To Learn? (And Ways To Learn It Fast)
Basic WordPress Developer Skills
A basic entry-level WordPress developer should have essential coding skills and knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and CSS. You should be able to make simple changes to the code and play around with plugins to enhance a website’s functionality. Even efficient use of certain plugins requires skills since the documentation can be unclear or confusing.
Basic WordPress developers do not resort to trial and error to figure out how plugins work. They will understand the functionality of different plugins and tweak it if needed to achieve the intended goal.
You can learn basic WordPress development skills and coding on your own or with the help of a web development course. It can take between 6 to 12 months to acquire essential knowledge to handle basic WordPress development tasks.
Advanced WordPress Developer Skills
A full-fledged WordPress developer will be an expert in coding as well as the front-end elements of websites. You will have the expertise to build plugins for specific needs, like site migration, eCommerce functionality, membership forms, and setting up newsletter subscriptions.
Advanced WordPress skills are necessary to handle complex multi-page websites. The more experience you have in this field, the better you can perform. The time taken to get to this level can be two years or more. Apart from a professional PHP course, you should also have good UX design skills and enough hands-on practice to become an expert.
Recommended Further Reading: 11 Best WordPress Training Courses Of All Time
To Wrap It Up…
WordPress is widely chosen and used for its simplicity and flexibility. The beauty of this platform is that it allows you to do as much or as little as you want. Whether it is a one-page website with a contact form or a power-packed website with extensive features, WordPress lets you achieve your goal.
Since WordPress was originally designed for non-technical users, it is very easy to get started with. You can learn the fundamentals of WordPress in less than a day. And the longer you work on it, the more comfortable it becomes.
However, you can also go further into WordPress. There are plenty of resources and courses to help you achieve coding skills and the back-end knowledge necessary for WordPress. Nevertheless, it can take a while to master these skills and gain the necessary expertise to develop advanced WordPress websites, plugins, or themes. If you are unfamiliar with coding and web development, you can expect to spend at least a year to become a WordPress professional.
Even if you don’t intend to reach this level of mastery in WordPress, it is worth spending a few hours learning the basics of WordPress. It is a valuable tool that can be immensely helpful, whether you have one website or a bunch of them.
