If you have the impression WordPress is the leading content management platform … you’re right.
Rookie bloggers, eCommerce stores, big companies – each user can find an optimal way of writing and displaying their content. It’s about the responsivness, flexibility, and range of plugins that help you learn WordPress to improve your blogging workflow.
Now, you can use WordPress on two levels. Mind you, these are my own concepts, not an ultimate classification 😀 :
- WP neophyte – you just install WP, set up your initial settings, maybe get one or two plugins to help your content look and rank better.
- WP crackerjack – they’ll always be on the lookout for new plugins because they seek to really understand what happens behind the scenes and how they can use any resource to maximize their blog’s potential. Whenever they stumble upon an obstacle, they’re eager to do their research and use roadblocks as learning opportunities.
But where and how does one ‘learn WordPress’ in order to fit into the second category? In other words:
- Where do you start?
- What are the most trustworthy sources?
- Which are the starting points for someone who’s just launched their blog and is not really familiar with all the terminology?
Luckily, there’s plenty of material that helps you decipher WordPress on the go. And I’m not talking about courses or books in particular. You can hack your way around WordPress just by trying out some tools and guides.
Let’s see which ones.
1. WPbeginner
Try as one might, you won’t find a more comprehensive resource than this uber-tested one.
It’s designed to address main areas of WordPress blogging according to several levels of complexity:
- Installation
- Picking the best domain name
- Self-hosted vs. free
- Google Analytics integration
- WordPress themes selection
- WordPress plugins recommendations.
As you can see, the range of topics covers the needs of both absolute beginners and semi-knowledgeable users. Whichever category you find yourself into, make sure you check the Google Analytics and plugins best practices.
All in all, WP beginner is the best place to start in order to get a solid foundation and a good direction to your blogging performance.
2. WordPress Quick Start Guide
If we stay within the same realm of the WP beginners, we can’t overlook this guide provided by WordPress.org.
It is aimed at offering users a seamless initiation phase that saves them time with navigating the WordPress features. Among the main topics addressed, you’ll find:
- Creating posts
- Managing pages
- Making categories for different post types
- Tags introduction
- Editing pages or posts.
Yeah, it sounds kind of basic if you’ve dealt with blogging before, but if you’re an absolute newcomer, it is essential that you get the grasp of WordPress as soon as possible, so as not to get discouraged by all the new information out there.
3. EnvatoTuts
Even for seasoned programmers who’ve never worked with it before, WordPress can pose quite some challenges.
Fortunately enough, Tuts is an excellent knowledge base with its Coffee Break Courses centered around issues like:
- templates
- widgets
- navigation menus
- functions
- content types
- creating WordPress themes
- custom admin
- Woocommerce themes
On top of all these, Tuts also helps you learn WordPress with all the current changes, as it offers insight into what lead influencers are communicating.
Just one more thing: if you’re not a developer, you can still benefit from this courses once you’ve completed the first stages of WordPress usage.
Getting an idea of what goes on in the backend is key to broadening your understanding of WordPress.
4. WPKube
Once you realize the importance of having a solid theme and the right plugin for your freshly launched blog, you can delve deeper into these topics.
For this, WPKube comes to your help with great compilations of plugins and themes. If you need curated recommendations on these resources, WPKube’s page is one to bookmark.
5. Udemy Course: WordPress for Beginners – Learn WordPress in No Time
If you’re into online learning, this WordPress-related course will fit like a glove into your schedule.
You can check the series of video tutorials before or after launching the blog. It’s best if you choose the latter since you’ll have a platform to apply the knowledge while you get it.
What can you expect from this course?
- 74 lectures
- around 8 hours of video material
- complete suite of data regarding WordPress site building
6. CodeInWP
WordPress hosting and design are quite abstract topics to get the grasp of.
So if you’re adamant about understanding the ins-and-outs of hosting on WP, this is a resource you should always have at hand after launching your blog.
Yes, it’s a bit more ‘technical’, but it covers first notions you should understand when you want to learn WordPress.
7. WordPress SEO
Search Engine Optimization – Getting your WordPress page to actually be found on Google – the one thing website owners would pay their weight in gold to master.
But how does a rookie blogger get the hang of it given that they’ve just launched their website and notions like ‘custom types’, ‘canonical link’ or ‘meta description’ could soon pile up into an overwhelming bunch of headaches?
The antidote is to be found among SEO plugins – ones for those that have little SEO knowledge, that is.
One that does an excellent job at this is Squirrly SEO Plugin. Squirrly helps you learn everything about the tools it provides, as you’re using the tools. I’ve never got lost with working on search engine optimization because of it. In the past, when I was using Yoast or All in One SEO I always got lost in the process. The squirrel makes sure I know how to handle my WordPress.
To be more specific, this won’t just help you with optimizing your content for search engines, but will soon prove to be a comprehensive SEO toolkit including:
- rank checker (tracking changes to your rankings on Google for all your pages)
- proficient keyword research tool (with MarketIntelligence, it helps you find keywords you can be #1 on Google for)
- writing and research tool (they call it Inspiration Box)
- live content optimization assistant with your posts. Helps you optimize for Humans and search engines.
- live snippet editor
- audits for: blogging, SEO, traffic, social media, web authority
- handy social media settings (Open Graph settings).
8. WP Lift
If you were promised you’re going to ‘learn WordPress at the speed of light’, would you be in?
We’re asking because the quoted words are WP Lift’s slogan – and they sure keep close to it.
With their fun and inviting visuals, they make learning a breeze. You can use their blog section for tips, tricks and advice, but also check their dedicated section on hosting.
Plus, they offer a carefully crafted selection of free WP themes. Enjoy!
9. WP Apprentice
In the world of WordPress site management, everyone is an apprentice because in this environment things will always change. You always have to make sure you’re on top of your game.
This is exactly what WP Apprentice is good at, by making available a suite of resources like:
- step-by-step video tutorials (their number varies according to the pricing plans )
- updated material according to the latest WordPress updates
- support forum
- WooCommerce dedicated plan
If you want to take matters into your own hands and don’t want to depend on webmasters, this guide is worth your time.
10. Udemy Course: Build eCommerce Site with WordPress
Online businesses have their own set of requirements in the WordPress realm.
If you aim at growing a business, you’ll need to understand notions like ‘traffic’, ‘conversions’ or ‘landing page’ right off the bat.
You’ll have different SEO needs than a regular blog, so it’s best if you know what’s worth trying out.
This course will set you on the right path. Not to mention, they’re offering Skype support to make sure you’re right on track with gaining WordPress eCommerce skills.
11. Matt Report Podcast
Maybe you’ve been reading this whole article while also getting excited about the educational prospects the mentioned resources present.
It may have been all fun and games … until you realized you don’t quite have the time to sit down and really make the best out of them. Or maybe you’re not a visual learner necessarily.
Good news is, the World Wide Web has a bit of everything for everyone and Matt Report Podcast is a top resource for anyone building a business and looking for more convenient learning solutions.
The material Matt offers is structured into seasons (the podcast is currently at its 5th) covering all things business, with emphasis on WordPress insights.
Start on The Right Foot
If you were not sure what you should do right after launching your WordPress website, I hope it’s quite clear by now: learn, research, take that course, be a student.
You can try shaping your mindset on the key takeaways from this article:
- Take matters into your own hands and don’t rely entirely on webmasters.
- Get the grasp of WordPress as soon as possible, so as not to get discouraged by all the new information out there.
- The key to broadening your understanding of WordPress is approaching basic WordPress code language.
- Check the Google Analytics best practices.
The advantage of WordPress is that there are countless handy resources you can try out, provided that you’re decided on doing whatever it takes in order to get your site to the top.
Build a solid knowledge base and the results will show.
How about your WordPress learning curve? What did it take for you to master this content management system?
