Since WordPress is currently powering over 40% of all websites, it’s understandable that you want to jump on the WordPress train and get a piece of the pie.
But being such a big and profitable niche, it also means that the competition is huge and fierce. So, your WordPress journey as a WordPress developer is going to be long, hard, and without any guarantees. Nonetheless, you owe it to yourself to try. You never know!
So, in this guide, I’ll help you get started by showing you different places where to learn WordPress development.
Prerequisites for WordPress Development
If you’re planning to create commercial WordPress themes and plugins, then you should have some strong knowledge of the below web development languages before starting a WordPress development course.
If you don’t create a good product, you won’t last much in the WordPress industry. Or, you won’t be as profitable as you could.
So, here are the web development languages that you should definitely learn before taking a WordPress development course:
- HTML;
- CSS, even if you plan on using a framework, such as Bootstrap or Tailwind.
- PHP – This is WordPress’ main programming language;
- JavaScript.
Where to Learn WordPress Development
By learning WordPress development, I mean development, not setup.
There are plenty of articles on this subject that recommend blogs with tutorials on how to use WordPress as an average user, not as a developer.
Installing WordPress, a theme, and plugins doesn’t make you a WordPress developer. A professional, yes, if you have a lot of experience and do it right.
And one more thing before I get started. When choosing a WordPress development course, make sure it’s up to date. Some can be seriously outdated, and you don’t want to lose time learning deprecated code and practices, right?
1. Official WordPress Developer Resources
If you know from previous development courses that you’re a quick learner with a sharp mind, who understands coding logic easily, then you could simply go to the WordPress Developer Resources to learn from the official source.
You can learn:
- How to start developing WordPress themes and plugins;
- How to build blocks for the Gutenberg editor;
- How to work with REST API and other APIs;
- How to speed up your workflow with the WP-CLI;
- Coding standards.
2. Udemy
If you learn better with visual and verbal guidance, then you should try one of the thousands of WordPress development courses from Udemy.
Udemy was my go-to platform when I took courses for HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, PHP, Laravel, and JavaScript. So, I do recommend it.
They offer big discounts constantly, so you can get good courses at very affordable prices – around $14, usually.
Some courses can be outdated, though. Keep an eye out.
3. Lynda.com
Lynda.com, which is now LinkedIn Learning, is another well-known platform where you can learn WordPress development.
It offers video courses on a multitude of topics, from basics to building a headless WordPress app with REST API.
What I can’t see are complete courses that will take you from 0 through different levels of WordPress development. If you’re looking for something like that, Lynda.com might not be the place for you.
4. WPSessions
WPSessions offers 197+ hours of exclusive videos and presentations from 180+ industry-leading experts from around the world.
You can learn more than WordPress development on WPSessions because it tackles different topics that will help you with your WordPress business.
5. WPMU DEV WordPress Academy
WPMU DEV is usually known for creating themes and plugins, but they also created an Academy, where you can learn WordPress development and more from entrepreneurs, authors, and developers.
They offer WordPress courses for beginners, intermediate, and advanced users. So, you have all the levels covered.
Each course is fully assessed by the Academy staff, and you’ll receive a full certification after completion.
And some good news if you happen to be a WPMU DEV member. You’ll get the courses for free! If you’re not a member, then you get a free 7-day trial.
6. Envato Tuts+
Envato is known for ThemeForest, a marketplace where you can sell your WordPress theme, and CodeCanyon, a marketplace where you can sell your plugins.
Envato also offers WordPress development courses on Envato Tuts+. The video courses will take you from beginner to advanced level. You’ll learn how to develop themes, eCommerce features, plugins, and apps.
To access the 1200+ courses and ebooks, you’ll have to subscribe to Envato Elements, which is $16.50/mo. But with that subscription, you also get access to a huge amount of stuff that Envato offers, such as themes, plugins, video, audio, graphics, and more.
7. SuperHi
With the SuperHi course, you’ll learn how to create your own WordPress theme, customize it with advanced data and features, and integrate eCommerce and payment systems using WooCommerce and Stripe.
The WordPress development course will start from scratch, so it’s suitable for beginners.
It’s a bit pricey compared to the other options, but it does sound promising. It costs $499.
8. Know the Code
Know the Code is something to keep in mind for when you’re ready to master your WordPress development skills. So, at the very least, you’ll need to know well all the basics before taking these courses.
The courses will allow you to dive into modern WordPress development, learning how to build themes and plugins using the latest approaches, fundamentals, methodologies, software principles, and practices.
Sell Your WordPress Theme on ReadyShip
After you’ve learned WordPress development and created an awesome theme, sell it on ReadyShip to earn recurring revenue as a WordPress developer.
ReadyShip is a WordPress marketplace that allows developers (and professionals) to offer their customers turnkey WordPress websites, by providing them with:
- Pre-installed WordPress, theme, and plugins;
- Managed AWS hosting;
- Free SSL;
- Free CDN;
- Backups;
- Support.
How it works
ReadyShip is one of a kind SaaS platform, and it works in a very simple way.
What you have to do:
- Create your pricing and plans;
- Create your product by deploying WordPress on a development subdomain hosted by ReadyShip;
- Install your WordPress theme along with whatever plugins you know are useful and compatible with it;
- Edit your product page by adding a title, description, tags, screenshots, etc.;
- Once ready, push the product live on the marketplace and wait for customers.
What will the buyers do:
- They choose the ready-made site or blog that they like from the WordPress marketplace. Hopefully, it will be yours; 😀
- The site or blog will get cloned on their domain, on the AWS hosting, with WordPress, your theme, and plugins (if you added any) pre-installed;
- They start editing the content without worrying about the whole WordPress installation process.
Perks for you
Selling your WordPress theme on the ReadyShip marketplace comes with some sweet perks that you won’t find on other marketplaces:
- You don’t have to spend money buying a domain and hosting to upload your theme;
- ReadyShip doesn’t take a commission. The plans start with a certain price. On top of that, you add your asking price per month between $24 and $1065. Those combined make up the final price for the product;
- There’s no withdrawal threshold. Whatever you make comes to your PayPal account.
- You can offer your customers an all-in-one WordPress solution, increasing your conversion rates. They won’t have to worry about choosing a hosting, how to install WordPress, the theme, plugins, etc.;
- You have more control over the environment. Customers will be less likely to mess something up or make poor choices, thus blaming your theme when something goes wrong. The hosting is good, the theme is pre-installed, and you get to choose good plugins that are compatible with your theme.
The End
I hope that the resources I provided were useful, and you’ll become an awesome WordPress developer! And I also hope that you’ll sell your WordPress theme on ReadyShip. 😀
If you have questions or thoughts, or you know other places where to learn WordPress development, feel free to leave a comment.
