If you are thinking of building your career as a WordPress developer, it could prove to be a smart choice.
Why? Only one reason is enough to answer why WordPress development is the right choice to make a career — it powers more than 26% of all websites on the internet, and accounts for more than 50% market share among all the content management system (CMS) platforms.
Because of its simplicity and easier functionalities for building a website, more and more people are using it. Hence, the popularity of WordPress won’t go south in near future.
This means that WordPress developers are in high-demand today, and with the right set of skills, tools, and qualities, you can make the best out of WordPress. Whether you choose to go for freelancing or remote work, or become a full-time WordPress developer, the path won’t disappoint.
If you have decided to become a WordPress developer, and wondering how to do it, then this article is for you. Below are the necessary skills, tools, and characteristics to help you achieve your goals as a WordPress developer.
You might have been using WordPress for a while now, but chances are that you have only scratched the surface of its capability. But to ace your game as a WordPress developer, you should pay attention to every detail of the platform.
You should know about all the functionalities and most essential plugins and tools to enhance a website. You need to observe that dot in the ‘i’, and that dash in the ‘t’. That’s the kind of observation you need about WordPress. Consider this a basic step, because you might need to work on any aspect of the platform.
If you are choosing something as your career path, it becomes extremely important for you to be passionate about that thing. The same goes with WordPress.
For that, you should have a natural curiosity to learn more about what’s new in WordPress. Keep yourself updated about the latest in WordPress software, its interface, security updates, etc. For example, if you are a WordPress developer, you should be aware what changes the new Gutenberg editor will bring to authors and bloggers when they update to WordPress 5.0.
When you are curious and passionate about it, you will be able to easily dig into your client’s website and find what’s wrong or if there are any glitches. Also, if you are not passionate, things will start to become boring for you in the future.
Regardless of whatever job you are performing in your life, you need to own your art to make an influence. Just like a photographer should be familiar with image composition, and a writer with creating catchy headlines, the same goes for WordPress developers.
Technical skills are the core part of becoming a WordPress developer. Whether you are choosing to become a WordPress website developer, WordPress theme or plugin developer, you need to be comfortable and familiar with what you do.
A WordPress developer needs proficiency in PHP, HTML, CSS, etc. Other than these, you should also learn JavaScript and SQL/MySQL for additional benefits.
Regardless of the best security practices, attackers find ways to enter a website. If any client, for whom you have developed a website, faces any security concerns related to the site, theme, plugin or any other aspect, he/she will turn to you for help.
You should know about the basic website security tools and have the right skills to boost the security of a WordPress site. Basic security skills may include knowledge about SSL certificates, enabling CAPTCHAs for login panels, updating plugins and themes regularly, choosing the right web hosting options, as well as keeping the website updated.
Search engine optimization (SEO) has become critical for every business that has established a presence online. It is another area where you should possess some basic skills for the benefit of your clients and for your own business.
Also, if you learn the right SEO skills for WordPress, you can generate additional income from your clients by working on the SEO aspects of the websites that you have developed.
To present yourself and your services to the people in need, you need to have some basic marketing skills. These skills include finding the people who might be interested in your services, understanding their requirements, and reaching and communicating with them in a way that impresses them.
This is especially a must-have skill if you are selling WordPress themes or plugins. If you have the right marketing skills, you will do a lot better than your competition.
Your clients might not know much about the website hosting and other technical aspects. They will need support from you if their site faces downtime, the theme behaves suspiciously, or the plugin doesn’t work as described. In all these scenarios, you have to be calm and helpful.
Time management is the key to finish projects on time. You might have a lot of work but if you don’t meet deadlines, the clients won’t like it.
Sometimes, there are obstacles or complexities that consume more of your time. In such cases, inform your client about it, so that they know what is taking time. Also, if you are not sure if you will be able to finish the work at a given time, then be open about it. Taking on unnecessary work will stress you out.
WordPress development is in demand nowadays and it is expected that demand will grow exponentially with time. If you are a WordPress enthusiast, becoming a WordPress developer will prove to be fruitful for you. With the skills, traits, and tools mentioned in the article, you can ace your game as a WordPress developer.
Know of more things that can help in becoming a WordPress developer? Let us know in the comments section below.
Madan Pariyar is a blogger at WebPrecious and a digital marketing strategist helping clients to resolve their website woes. When not busy with all these things, you may find Madan occasionally watching movies, traveling and spending time with family.
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