WordPress is an easy way to create a variety of websites. It is accessible for those with no programming background, but knowledge of coding enables you to create themes and plugins for WordPress websites and to construct websites from scratch.Once you’ve decided to learn WordPress, the next important question is deciding how it is you plan to learn these skills. Most students find that they learn better when they receive guided training and there is no shortage of available options for students to receive guidance in their WordPress training. To learn more about the different WordPress training options, and what advantages and disadvantages they carry with them, read on.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is the web’s most popular content management system (CMS) used to create blogs, websites, ecommerce platforms, and much more. It is estimated that about 43% of the websites on the internet use WordPress, so you are likely to have visited a WordPress website whether you realize it or not. WordPress is open-source software, meaning that not only is the software free but anyone can use, study, rewrite, and distribute its code for whatever purpose they desire. 

WordPress is a popular option for website creation because it is free to use and it is an easy and accessible way for those with no coding and programming experience to create professional websites and blogs. WordPress offers thousands of themes to choose from and plugins to download to customize the user experience for a website. Plugins on WordPress not only allow you to add different features to your WordPress website like ecommerce, email integration, discussion forums, and event calendars but there are data analytics plugins to help you run your business, manage the user experience, and optimize your website’s performance. With coding knowledge, you can customize and create themes and plugins to make a WordPress website even more unique and tailored to a person, business, or brand’s own needs. 

What Can You Do with WordPress Skills?

Learning WordPress skills can have a variety of uses. Whether you are creating a website of your own or creating one for a client, it is useful to become familiar with WordPress software given its popularity as the leading CMS. WordPress itself offers themes and plugins that you can utilize with no programming or coding experience, making it incredibly user-friendly for beginners. With a basic knowledge of how to utilize WordPress, you can begin creating personal websites or websites for other businesses and even learn SEO strategies to ensure your website ranks higher in search results. Knowing how to create and publish content and do some basic customization of themes and plugins allows you to simplify the process of creating your own blog or personal website, generating an online portfolio for your creative works or business, starting an ecommerce store, opening a membership site, and so much more. 

While your basic knowledge of WordPress can allow you to easily generate professional-looking websites, a knowledge of HTML and CSS will allow you to do more and customize more using WordPress. Once you know these basic programming languages, your WordPress skills will allow you to build websites from scratch. WordPress Developers, those whose career is WordPress website creation and maintenance, can create themes and develop plugins of their own for websites, optimize a website for the user’s experience, make sure everything is functional across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices, and work with Web Designers to make their prototype website designs into a reality. Learning how to use WordPress is a great option whether you are creating a website of your own or you are pursuing Web Development or Web Design as your career path. 

Why Training Format Matters

There are a variety of different ways that you can learn WordPress skills, from free online classes to those you need to attend in person at a physical location. Each format will have different factors you should consider, including cost, the amount of time you have to dedicate to the class, the temperament needed to take the class, course content, and mode and quality of instruction. Read on to learn more about the different types of training available to you and their advantages and disadvantages. 

Types of Training Formats

There are four basic types of training formats you need to consider: live in-person classes, live online classes, on-demand classes, and free courses. Both live in-person classes and live online classes will have you learn and practice course content at the same time as other students and under the guidance of an instructor whereas on-demand classes and free courses might not provide access to an expert instructor but are more cost-effective and let you go at your own pace through the course material. 

Live In-Person Classes

A live in-person class mirrors or fully replicates the classroom experience you will be most familiar with from previous high school or college and university classes. This class format asks you to regularly attend classes over a certain number of weeks or months at a physical location with other students. In terms of content, these classes are often taught by expert instructors who provide students with a well-structured course and up-to-date information, examples, and skills training. This format also works best for hands-on and project-based training, as you will have the ability to work on real projects during classtime and receive feedback from your instructor and the other students in the class. 

Though many in-person classes can be taken either part-time or full-time, in the day or the evening, or even on weekends, this type of class is the least flexible in terms of its scheduling. You cannot take the course around your schedule, unlike some of the other training formats discussed here. An additional drawback is the cost. Live in-person classes are often more expensive than other formats because of the need to furnish students with a physical space and live instructor. While lack of scheduling flexibility and cost are drawbacks to taking an in-person class, these classes are the best for those who want to receive comprehensive, guided instruction from experts, want to be able to ask direct questions from an instructor during the class time, who work best with more structured educational experiences, and who appreciate the ability to network and form bonds with other students in the class. 

Live Online Classes

Live online classes are similar to live in-person classes in that they will both occur over a set number of weeks and months and you will be expected to attend regularly scheduled classes with other students. Unlike in-person classes, you will attend classes through a shared video-based digital platform, like Zoom, and you can join the class from any location. For a live online class, you should expect a similar level of expert guidance and well-structured course material as with an in-person class. Live online classes can also offer additional online course content (including quizzes, video presentations for PowerPoints, discussion forums, and so on) that you might have access to in addition to your weekly online classes and lectures. 

Cost and flexibility are the biggest advantages of this style of training. Many people choose to take these classes from home, making this format a good option for those with busy schedules or those unable to commute to a physical location to take a class. Additionally, while these classes can still be more expensive compared to on-demand classes or free courses, they can be cheaper than in-person class options. A drawback to taking a live online class is that it can require more self-motivation to remain engaged in the course, as some people find it hard to pay attention when learning from home or to remain engaged in course content when not in a classroom. You can overcome this drawback by exerting effort to remain engaged in the course material and with the other students and by creating a designated space in your home (or another quiet environment) from which to take the class. 

On-Demand Classes

On-demand classes are self-paced classes. Instead of attending classes with other students, on-demand classes will usually be online and divide topics or skills into modules that you can move through at your own speed. Thus, you can move quickly through material you already know or that you find easy and slow down, study, and even repeat material that you find more difficult to master. You can find both free and paid on-demand classes and the paid ones will often be designed by one expert or a small group of experts and you will be receiving mostly similar course material--readings, lectures, videos, quizzes--as you would in an in-person or live online class. 

On-demand classes are best for self-motivated, highly engaged learners. A drawback to this style of class is that there is no external force--a schedule, an instructor, or classmates--to force you to continue to learn the material. If you have a hard time forcing yourself to study or learn course content, this might not be the right format of training for you. Additionally, these classes might not offer the hands-on or project-based training of other in-person or live online courses. Because this type of class is self-paced, you might be unable to ask questions or receive feedback on what you are doing in the way that you would with direct access to a live expert instructor.

Free Courses

Free courses are classes, certification programs, or other materials you can access for no cost. Often, especially for a more specialized set of skills like WordPress, these will be digital classes and certificate programs offered by various education providers and companies online. If you look for them, you can find comprehensive classes, webinars (a web-based seminar, usually comprised of video lectures), or even more specialized training videos and materials aiming to teach you how to use WordPress or how to learn different aspects of WordPress, like SEO strategies or HTML and CSS. You should do some vetting of the provider before taking a free course to make sure that they are reputable and are offering a quality training program. 

Cost is the biggest advantage of taking a free course. Many educational providers as well as tech companies want you to have training to learn tech skills, like programming languages, or to maximize the use of their products and so they offer courses and learning materials for free online. Similar to taking an on-demand class, you do need to be very self-motivated to learn WordPress skills only from free courses. Often, you will not have access to an instructor and the kinds of training these courses offer might be limited to a skills-check quiz. Not only is the lack of an instructor a drawback, but if you take multiple free courses you might find they offer conflicting information about a topic or how to do something. Misinformation, conflicting information, or an overwhelming amount of information can often be issues you will have to deal with alone if you are only taking free online courses. 

Depth of Training Formats

Not only are there different modes of instruction--in-person or online, live or on-demand, free or paid--but classes can impart different depths of knowledge about a topic. In other words, some classes aim to teach a comprehensive knowledge of a topic, like a certificate program, and others like a bootcamp are targeted to teaching one specific skill or knowledge of a certain software program or service. 

Certificate Programs

Certificate programs are often comprehensive courses of study that teach the relevant information and skills necessary for a specific career. These programs usually happen over multiple weeks or even months, and you can find them in-person, live online, and on-demand. They are often hands-on and project-based, aiming to teach about that topic as well as provide ways for you to practice the necessary skills to make sure you can accomplish it satisfactorily. These courses are mostly career-specific, as they are designed to teach and test your abilities to perform the skills necessary for a career and “certify” that you do have a specific knowledge and skillset. Legitimate certificate programs will provide you with a paper or digital certificate that you can show employers to attest to your skill level. 

There is no official certificate program to learn WordPress, but there are certificate programs that will teach you the skills necessary to code WordPress websites or that explicitly include teaching how to utilize WordPress as part of the certificate program. You can find certificate programs that will teach you how to use HTML, CSS, and/or JavaScript, which you will need to code and program websites from scratch and make them fully interactive for the user. For certificate programs that will teach you WordPress along with other career skills, look for web development or web design certificate programs, which will often teach you how to use WordPress given its popularity and accessibility for website creation. Noble Desktop offers certificate programs of this sort, with the Front-End Web Development Certificate and the Web Design Certificate. 

Training Bootcamps

A training bootcamp is often a shorter class that is targeted toward teaching a specific skill. Bootcamps are great as a quick way to learn a necessary skill like knowledge of HTML and CSS or to upskill quickly if your career requires further advanced training. Bootcamps can also be geared towards using specific tools, programs, or services, like data visualization software Tableau or Google’s service Google Analytics. A bootcamp can usually be taken in as little as a few hours or as long as a few weeks, part-time or full-time, depending on how intensive it is or what you are learning. 

In a bootcamp, you should still expect to receive expert instruction and hands-on training in your skill. You can find training bootcamps that will teach you the necessary WordPress skills, whether you’re a complete beginner or you already have some programming skills. Some bootcamps will teach you how to get started with WordPress if you have no programming knowledge and only need an introduction to installation, publication, and using themes and plugins created by others. If you already know the basics of HTML and CSS, you can take a class like Noble Desktop’s WordPress Bootcamp, which goes into detail on what WordPress is, how to use it, and how to do more advanced forms of customization and theme creation for WordPress. 

Introductory Courses

An introduction course will often provide you with an overview of a topic or teach you some of the basic skills you will need to know. Introductory courses are great for beginners and WordPress introductory courses will often not require any programming knowledge. These courses can vary in length, cost, and quality and some are targeted towards those who want to figure out whether to take a full certificate program or training bootcamp or those who want to get started right away with learning about and practicing the skills discussed. Thus, you should consider what you want from an introductory course: are you just trying to learn about WordPress, for instance, or do you want step-by-step directions on how to get started using WordPress to create a blog or website? 

A WordPress introductory course will often include information about what WordPress is, how it is used, and by whom, and provide important details about the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. Additionally, an introductory course will often walk you through how to install and set up WordPress, get started using themes and plugs, and begin publishing content on WordPress. An example of this type of introductory course on WordPress is Noble Desktop’s Intro to WordPress free seminar. This short seminar provides an overview of WordPress, how to get started with it, what features and services to know, and more.

Learn WordPress Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a variety of affordable in-person and live online classes for those looking to learn how to use WordPress. A great bootcamp option is Noble Desktop’s 18-hour WordPress Bootcamp. Knowledge of HTML and CSS is a prerequisite to taking this bootcamp as it is designed for those who want not only an introduction to WordPress but who want to learn more advanced and specialized ways to code and develop customized WordPress websites and themes. This prerequisite can be fulfilled by taking Noble’s Web Development with HMTL & CSS class or equivalent knowledge and training in HTML and CSS. Students taking this bootcamp can expect to receive expert instruction and hands-on guidance as they learn the ins and outs of WordPress from installing WordPress, publishing posts, adding text, images, and video, and utilizing themes and plugins, to learning about more advanced customization options, downloading WordPress onto your own computer, and creating your own custom theme for WordPress. 

Additionally, you can consider taking a longer, more comprehensive certificate program to learn multiple skill sets and tools throughout one class. The WordPress Bootcamp is included as part of two useful certificate programs offered by Noble Desktop, the Front-End Web Development Certificate and the Web Design Certificate. Both certificate programs are geared towards teaching WordPress website development and are for those looking to follow career pathways to become Web Developers, Web Designers, or WordPress Developers. Front-end web development focuses on coding the part of a website or application that users will see and interact with and this is usually the part of web development that you’ll need to know to become a WordPress Developer. The Front End Web Development Certificate offers hands-on training from experts and taking this program will provide all of the skills necessary to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for front end web development and WordPress website creation. The Web Design Certificate will be more useful if you are interested in not only learning to code, for WordPress and other websites, but also learning important principles of design and getting hands-on experience creating clickable prototypes of websites to add to your portfolio. WordPress Developers often do not need to design websites themselves but will need to know how to turn a design team’s prototypes into reality. Thus, it can be useful to know the design side of website creation. 

Key Takeaways

• WordPress is a popular and easy way to create websites, blogs, newsletters, membership sites, ecommerce sites, and more
• You can receive training in WordPress through different formats including live in-person classes, live online classes, on-demand classes, or free courses
• Each training format has benefits and drawbacks related to cost, scheduling, temperament, and course requirements
• How detailed a training format is also matters when learning WordPress and you should consider whether to enroll in a comprehensive certificate program, take a shorter, targeted training bootcamp, or pursue an introductory course
• Noble Desktop offers both targeting WordPress bootcamps and more comprehensive WordPress training in certificate programs on web design and web development