Looking forward to learning WordPress development, you may be wondering, “How long does it take to learn WordPress development?“
After all, you want to make sure you’ll be able to manage your projects and meet deadlines.
The answer to that question depends on several factors, such as your current skill level, how much time you’re willing to dedicate to learning, and the resources you have available.
In this article, we’ll discuss the different steps involved in mastering WordPress development and how long it typically takes to become an expert in the field.
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Quick Summary
- For beginners with basic computer skills, it will take 10 days to learn the basics of WordPress.
- It will take you about six months to reach the intermediate level, where you can perform tasks like blog posting, installing plugins, and modifying templates.
- It will take more than two years to reach the expert level, where you can modify the WordPress source code and develop plugins and themes.
Now, let’s look at the details:
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a software we call a content management system (CMS). There are numerous CMSs out there, such as Magento, Joomla, Drupal, TYPO3, etc., but WordPress is the most popular of them all, managing over 40% of the world’s websites.
The platform began as a blogging platform but later developed into a full-fledged CMS that can be used to create complete websites.
Due to its popularity, there is an abundance of resources to help you in your journey to becoming a WordPress developer.
As a beginner, you can’t help but wonder: “How Long Does It Take to Learn WordPress Development?“
Read More: How to Install WordPress on Xampp for Windows 10 (Step-By-Step Tutorial)
How Long Does It Take To Learn WordPress Development?
Now, let’s make a few things clear: the duration it will take purely depends on these factors:
- Your current skill level like computer skills and basic knowledge will speed up your learning process.
- How much time are you willing to dedicate to learning? The learning process will be sped up by setting aside several hours each week.
- Resources you have available. The resources you have at your disposal will also affect how long it takes you to learn WordPress. For instance, if you have the money, taking a professional course will help accelerate your learning.
Beginners Level
This is the level of the newbies; this is where we start when we venture into any new software.
These are people who have just started to use WordPress for their small websites or blog.
As a beginner, you should be able to:
- Install WordPress on an online server or local server.
- Update WordPress
- Install plugins
- Create pages and blog posts.
- Use categories and tags.
WordPress is user-friendly for beginners, and using the admin dashboard to complete all of these tasks is simple.
You can learn all these skills within 10 days; there are numerous tutorials, both free and paid, to get you started.
Which we will talk about later.
Intermediate Level
At this level of your WordPress journey, you are building professional websites for yourself and your clients.
At this point in your WordPress journey, you can begin to monetize your skills by creating simple, professional websites for businesses and individuals.
As is obvious, you need more in-depth skills than those of a beginner.
At the intermediate level, you should be able to:
- Configure plugins
- Use a web page builder like Elementor or Divi.
- Backup website
- Perform basic on-page SEO.
- Speed up your website.
- Redirection
- Configure WordPress
As you can see, you require more expertise, which calls for more time.
You will need to learn continuously for more than six months to reach this level.
You might be wondering if you need coding skills at this level. NO!
At this level, your knowledge of plugins will suffice because you will be building your website with them.
Expert Level
The third and final level as a WordPress developer is the expert level, where you learn how to code rather than just customizing themes and relying on plugins for everything.
There are four languages on which WordPress is built: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP.
As a WordPress expert, you should have in-depth knowledge of these languages.
These help you manage the WordPress platform as a professional.
At the expert level, you should know:
- How to build WordPress themes
- How to build WordPress plugins
- How to add additional functionalities to a WordPress site without plugins
- WordPress Security
WordPress experts will be able to create more complex websites.
Professional WordPress developers normally work for agencies or as freelancers on a project basis.
It will take on average two years of continuous learning to become an expert WordPress developer.
Read More: Where to Find Web Designer And The 7 Best Tips You Need to Know Before Hiring
Is WordPress Development Difficult to Learn?
Now that we’ve seen “How long does it take to learn WordPress development?”
You may also be wondering how difficult it is to learn WordPress development.
The simple answer is that it depends on your skill level and how far you want to go.
At the basic and intermediate levels, it is easy to learn the platform because most of the features can be done using plugins.
However, the expert level requires in-depth skills in programming, which are difficult to learn.
But don’t let that stop you from trying; you can do it if you want to be an expert WordPress developer.
Read More: How to Get a Job as a WordPress Developer: Get Your Dream Job in 2023
Is WordPress Worth Learning in 2023?
The answer is yes.
WordPress is used by 43.1% of websites on the internet, making it the most popular content management system in the world, according to W3Techs.
WordPress powered 43.1% of the world’s websites as of November 14, 2022, followed by:
- Shopify: 4.1%.
- Wix: 2.3%.
- Squarespace: 2.0%
- Joomla: 1.6%
And as more businesses and individuals move online, WordPress is going to be their preferred choice because of its user-friendly nature.
As the demand for WordPress rises, so does the demand for WordPress developers.
Is WordPress OK for Beginners?
WordPress is absolutely okay for beginners, mostly because of its easy installation and use.
Most web hosting providers have integrated WordPress into their platforms. which you can install with just a click.
WordPress has an easy-to-use interface and an easy-to-navigate dashboard, and all you need to build your website is a theme and a template, both of which WordPress has plenty of.
You can personalize these themes with your logo and colors to match your brand, and you can have your website up and running in a matter of minutes.
Is Coding Required for WordPress?
This depends on what you want to achieve on the platform.
If you want to build a website by using themes and templates, then you don’t need a single line of code.
However, if you want to develop on the platform, where you develop the core code, themes, plugins, and APIs, you must have coding skills.
Read More: Are WordPress Developers in Demand? The Job Prospects in 2023
What Coding Should I Learn for WordPress?
As previously stated, if you want to be a WordPress developer or reach the expert level, you must code.
You can’t learn all the coding languages on the internet, so what coding skills do you need to become a WordPress developer?
- Hypertext Markup Language (HTML): This is a markup language used to structure websites. Basically, it is used to build the skeleton of the website.
- Cascading Style Sheets (CSS): As the name implies, this language is used to style websites, making them more presentable to users.
- JavaScript: This language runs on the client browser; it makes websites dynamic and interactive.
- PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP): This language runs on a web server, and PHP can perform a variety of dynamic operations before displaying content to the client’s browser.
PHP is the core programming language on which the WordPress platform is built. Learn this language, and you will be on your way to becoming a WordPress developer.
Read More: Is WordPress Good For Professional Websites?
What is the Best Way to Learn WordPress Development?
What is the best way you can learn WordPress development? What are the resources available to help you on this journey?
First, define your objective. If you only want to create a basic website, then a few beginner’s courses will be ideal.
However, if you want to be a WordPress developer in order to develop themes and plugins, you can begin with the beginner’s course and progress to the advanced courses.
If your objective is to become a WordPress developer, then you also need to choose your focus area.
Why so?
Because the WordPress platform is so large, attempting to develop all aspects of it is not a good idea.
The areas you choose to focus on are:
- The core development
- Theme development
- Plugin development
- API development
Choose an area based on your skills and desires.
After choosing your focus area, it is time to acquire the necessary skills.
Where can you acquire these skills?
Read More: Will WordPress Replace Web Developers?
Where to Learn WordPress
Youtube: This platform has great free video content on WordPress that can help you get familiar with the WordPress platform. A lot of self-taught programmers started on this platform.
WordPress Codex: This platform is the collection of all WordPress resources for both new and experienced WordPress developers.
WordPress Developer Resources: This is the official WordPress developer’s code references and guides, APIs, block editor, plugin and theme development, and more.
Know the Code: As the name implies, know the code behind WordPress, not just customizing themes and templates. This is another video platform to learn WordPress development, starting at the beginner level.
Udemy: This is a platform that allows professionals to create and sell their own courses, and WordPress courses are available. It is a well-structured platform where you can learn WordPress and also earn a certificate to prove your skills.
Conclusion: How Long Does It Take To Learn WordPress Development?
The beginning of everything is hard, but it gets easier eventually.
A very long and hard journey for WordPress developers, but also rewarding.
It would be wise to choose this career path because web developers and those who work with WordPress are in demand.
But note It will take you more than two years to become a skilled WordPress developer.
I will recommend you start your own website at the beginning of your journey to share knowledge with others and establish your online presence.
You don’t need to be skilled to develop your website.
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