When I first set up WP With Ben, a colleague challenged me with this thought-provoking question: Could you learn how to design and build your own website in WordPress without guidance from someone like me?
After a moment of reflection, my answer was a resounding yes! Of course you could. In fact, anyone with a desire to learn can instantly access a wealth of resources online. All the information is out there, freely available on blog posts, forums, step by step tutorials etc. On YouTube alone you will find countless videos dedicated to learning WordPress. And because WordPress itself is free, you could download it from WordPress.org right now and dive in headfirst.
How I learnt web design & development – taking the scenic route!
This is how I started my journey in web design and development. I have zero formal training. I do have a degree, but it’s in politics & history. And I also am a trained sound engineer. I changed course after few years of working in recording studies having discovered the emerging world wide web and deciding it was for me. The web only went online a few months after I graduated, which often strikes me as weird: I completed my entire formal education, before the career I ended up pursuing actually existed! But if you went back and told school boy me that I’d have a career working with computers, I’d have laughed in your face. Computers back then meant video games to me – and I wasn’t even really into that, to be honest.
Over the years, I’ve bought a load of books and completed the odd course on Udemy. But aside from that, everything I’ve learned has come from hands-on experience, trial and error, and a shed load of mistakes. If I wanted to know how to do something, I’d simply Google it. And if I encountered an error or hit a brick wall while building something, I’d research it, learn from it, then fix it. Even today, I continue to learn this way, always eager to tackle new challenges and discover how to achieve what my clients envision.
So that’s the good news. Everything you need to know is out there, often for free! If you prefer to learn this way, you’re all set. If that’s you, then go for it, it’s a great journey.
But for many people – most, I’d wager – there are a number of problems with this approach.
Overwhelm & frustration? No thanks!
Let’s be honest: not everyone feels comfortable learning on their own. WordPress is a hugely popular and very established platform. As of 2024, 43.4% of all websites are powered by WordPress. As a result there is an overwhelming amount of information available – where do you even begin? And who can you trust? And is their information up to date, are they advocating the correct approach? You don’t have to search very long to find a wide variety of approaches to using WordPress – some of it seemingly contradictory. And being honest, there is no single correct approach. WordPress is an inherently flexible platform. As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. As a cat lover, it’s just dawned on me what a horrible expression that is! But you take my point…
And it’s not just the number of approaches that are overwhelming. Take a look at the vast range of plugins and themes that are available for WordPress. Currently, there are over 59,000 free plugins and 12,000 free themes in the WordPress repository – leaving aside the huge number of paid options.
So again, where do you even begin?
Many solo business people have taken the plunge with WordPress, only to find themselves either in a mess, lost and frustrated or hitting a brick wall, ultimately giving up entirely. Some will muddle through, but end up unhappy with the result. Who wants to be that person?
It’s worth pointing out that it’s taken me 27 years to learn everything I currently know about web development in general and WordPress in particular. Do you have that kind of time? Surely, there must be a shortcut!
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A better way to learn WordPress
Here’s a little secret: you don’t need to know everything. I certainly don’t! I’ve always focused on learning just enough to accomplish specific tasks as they arise. I highly recommend this approach to learning WordPress – it’s a great way to minimise the risk of being overwhelmed. So you can do the same – going from a technical novice to someone who knows their way around WordPress and can put together a site with confidence – and without learning how to code!
That’s where I come in. I will be offering a comprehensive, guided approach to learning, drawing from years of personal experience. I’m here to help you sidestep common pitfalls and prevent you from getting stuck in the first place. When you’re set up correctly and fully understand what you’re doing, you’ll gain confidence quickly and see results you’ll love.
I’m currently building a system – and roadmapping an online course to teach non-techies how to use it. By following the system, with my guidance and support, you’ll finish up with a stunning, professional WordPress website of which you can be proud – without writing a single line of code.
If any of the above chimes with you, please download my free guide – 10 no brainer reasons to move your website to WordPress NOW – and then join my growing community – it’s full of people just like you!
