You probably understand the importance of WordPress in the 21st century. After all, it is by far the most popular content management system (CMS) worldwide with a market share of over 60%.
In such circumstances, it is not a surprise that so many webmasters want to become WordPress specialists. The benefits of learning WordPress are substantial:
- You can design a beautiful website for your business
- You can launch a website creation business
- You can become a WordPress community influencer
The benefits of figuring out WordPress sound incredible, but how can you achieve the goal without spending too much time in the process? Keep reading as we are about to show you six simple steps to become a genuine WordPress expert.
1. Learn the Basic Programs
The thing that makes WordPress so incredibly popular is that almost anyone can learn how to use it within hours. However, that only applies to fundamentals such as installing plugins and downloading a theme to design a website.
If you wish to become a true WordPress master — and you certainly do — you must also learn the basic programs that run the whole system. Jake Gardner, an IT specialist at the custom essay papers agency, names the basic tools for WordPress:
- HTML as it is the language of the Internet.
- CSS as it is the main tool for content management.
- PHP because it makes websites fully functional.
- MySQL as it provides you with data storage and management abilities.
2. Figure Out the Key Components of WordPress
Another important step is to figure out the key components of WordPress and how they synchronize to ensure the flawless functioning of the CMS. Of course, we are talking about WordPress core development, themes, and plugins. If you figure it out on time, the next step on our list will be a lot easier for you.
3. Choose a Niche You’re Interested In
The time of all-around players is long gone. If you play soccer, you stick to one or two positions such as the sweeper or attacking midfielder. Guess what? The same logic applies to WordPress, too. The general principle is to pick one of the following three directions:
- Core development. In this case, you are entirely focused on the “behind the scene” work to ensure uninterrupted functionality of the core.
- Theme development could be a profitable niche because clients constantly search for attractive WordPress themes.
- Plugin development is also a good idea because you can create tools that significantly improve user experience.
4. Get Acquainted with the WordPress Customizer
The Customizer is a powerful WordPress tool that allows you to control a plethora of website features and functions such as:
- Arranging website title and tagline
- Setting up the homepage
- Adding widgets
- Designing custom menus
- Changing colors and backgrounds
Just like the name suggests, the Customizer gives you the chance to tailor a WordPress website and rearrange themes in a way that suits your client the most. In case you learn how to handle the tool properly, rest assured clients will be glad to let you design their websites.
5. Respect the Power of Troubleshooting
WordPress gives users a very clear troubleshooting path that every expert has to respect and follow in their work. Troubleshooting tips are not too complex, but they can certainly speed up your work and prevent time-waste. The majority of WordPress developers will use four troubleshooting mechanisms:
- Review recent changes and revert them in order to fix the latest issues
- Utilize a built-in debugging tool to pinpoint bugs and errors
- Disable a plugin to see whether the website can function properly without it
- Sometimes the problem lies in your WordPress theme, so you can go back to the default theme to see whether it solves the issue
Engage with the WordPress Community and Learn From It
WordPress is built as an open-source platform and it gathers a broad community of experts from all over the globe. In such circumstances, it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity to interact with your colleagues and learn from their experiences.
The best thing about the WordPress community is that its members are highly engaged and eager to help each other, so you can consult with someone around the clock. Besides that, your peers will show you online learning libraries and resources that you can use to further expand the knowledge of WordPress.
The Bottom Line
WordPress is the most frequently used CMS in the world, so it certainly pays off to figure out how the platform works and learn all of its secrets. In this post, we showed you a step by step guide on how to become a genuine WordPress expert. Do you think you can handle it?
AUTHOR BIO
John Peterson is a blogger who works for some of the best college paper writing services. He is interested in topics such as web design, IT, digital marketing, business, and finance. Apart from writing, John enjoys traveling and long-distance running.