WordPress is a great skill to have, even for a technical developer. It is very easy to pick up and is a fun way to flex your know-how a little. To a non-software guy, a WordPress site with a good theme looks like a very artistic and technical creation.

As most software people should already know, WordPress is a free, website creation tool. It is the quickest and easiest way to setup an engaging blog or website. It was originally created purely as a blogging platform but it can easily be leveraged to create other types of sites like simple product landing pages to more complex e-commerce sites with financial transactions.

You don’t need a very technical background to learn WordPress. WordPress “development” is done by tweaking settings and adding content (like text and media) via the dashboard.  However, to be effective, it helps to have at least a basic working knowledge of CSS and Javascript. These skills come in handy when you want to customize the look of your site.

So how do you setup a WordPress site?

I learned to setup WordPress sites using the following short, video tutorial series called How to Start a Blog in 15 Minutes. Like the instructor in the videos, I also use Bluehost.com for hosting my WordPress sites. However, you can use another hosting provider if you find their process easier or their prices better.

Where to learn how to use WordPress?

There are many resources that teach you how to use WordPress. You can find free Youtube video tutorials or full paid courses. One course I found particularly helpful in coming up to speed is the bestselling Udemy course WordPress for Beginners (Master WordPress Quickly).

What are themes and where to find good ones?

The main key that will make or break your WordPress site is the WordPress theme you use. A WordPress theme provides all of the front end style of your WordPress site.

The theme provides:

• the overall layout and design of your site
• colors and font stylings
• widget locations
• additional stylistic details

While some themes are free, the premium ones are by far the best 🙂 One site I love for finding WordPress themes is Theme Forest.

To install a theme all you have to do is download the zip for it, upload the zip to your site using the dashboard, then click the activate button. It couldn’t be easier. Also, most premium themes provide a way to import the demo content. This is essential to getting your site to look like the attractive demo which prompted you to buy the theme in the first place.

Final thoughts

While WordPress probably won’t be the deciding factor for why you land your next job, it is a skill you can pick up quickly and apply it to a building a personal blog, a website for your start up, or simple random sites for your portfolio or to flex for your friends and co-workers!