WordPress has grown to become the most popular website builder on the web, powering over 30% of all websites. With so many WordPress sites, businesses are desperate to hire dedicated WordPress developers who can build and customize WordPress sites. They need experts who can take on WordPress projects, fix site issues, and add enhanced features to their WordPress websites.
Booming demand for skilled WordPress developers
Let’s look at the numbers – there are over 810 million WordPress websites as of October 2023, which is 43.1% of all websites on the internet. At the same time, job posts for WordPress developers have increased by over 300% since 2014. As more businesses switch to WordPress for its user-friendliness and flexibility, demand for WordPress developers will skyrocket.
With the huge demand for WordPress developers, these skills can be super lucrative for web pros to add to their toolkits. This article will help you navigate the wide range of WordPress developer courses online to find the best fit based on your experience level, learning style, and budget. We’ll share recommendations on choosing a course that will turn you into a hireable WordPress developer. Stay tuned!
Top Picks: Best WordPress Developer Courses
If you want to know how to become a WordPress developer, you’ll want to check out our top picks. These courses are designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge necessary to become an expert in the field. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, there’s a course for you.
If you’re just starting, you should start by taking courses in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These will help you understand WordPress better and help you customize it. A course about themes and plugins is a good place for intermediate developers, while a course about server-side scripting and database administration is better for advanced developers.
Here are more details about online and certificated WordPress developers:
WordPress developer course online
WordPress developer courses online are designed to cover the basics of the platform, as well as more advanced topics such as themes, plugins, server-side scripting, and database administration. Beginners should take courses in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to help them understand how the platform works. In contrast, intermediate and advanced developers should take courses that can help them customize and troubleshoot the platform.
1: Coursera.Org
Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding specialization offered by the University of Michigan on Coursera.
This course covers the fundamentals of web development, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WordPress theming. You will learn how to create responsive and interactive websites using WordPress as a content management system.
Level and quality:
The course is suitable for beginners and has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from over 34,000 reviews.
2: Udemy.com
Become a WordPress Developer: Learn how to unlock power with code with Brad Schiff’s Unlocking Power With Code course on Udemy. This course teaches you how to use PHP, JavaScript, and the WordPress REST API to create custom and dynamic WordPress websites. You will learn how to build your themes and plugins, as well as how to integrate with external APIs and services.
Level and quality:
The course is designed for intermediate learners and has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 15,000 reviews.
3: LinkedIn Learning WordPress Essential Training
This course from LinkedIn Learning provides a comprehensive introduction to WordPress development. It covers themes, plugins, custom post types, custom fields, taxonomy, and navigation menus.
Level and quality:
- Level: It’s great for beginners looking to learn WordPress development.
- Rating: 4.6/5 stars (1,800+ ratings)
4: Treehouse WordPress Development Track
Treehouse’s WordPress Development Track features step-by-step video courses that teach you how to build and customize WordPress sites.
Level and quality:
- Level: Ideal for beginners and intermediates.
- Rating: 4.7/5 stars
5: Eduonix WordPress for Beginners
This course focuses on core WordPress fundamentals like installation, theming, plugins, and SEO.
The course also covers more advanced topics, such as creating custom post types, custom fields, and taxonomy. It also includes topics such as creating custom themes and plugins as well as developing custom navigation menus.
Level and quality:
- Level: Tailored for complete beginners.
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars
WordPress courses with certificates
A comprehensive introduction to the platform is provided in these courses, which show you how to create and manage themes, plugins, and navigation menus. Upon completion, you will also receive a certificate that can serve as proof of your expertise.
1: IBM Front-End Developer
For WordPress courses with certificates, one of the best choices is the IBM Front-End Developer professional certificate offered by IBM on Coursera. This certificate program consists of nine courses that cover various aspects of front-end development, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, WordPress, cloud computing, and DevOps. You will learn how to build modern and responsive web applications using WordPress and other technologies.
Level and quality:
The certificate program is ideal for learners who want to pursue a career in web development and has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 2,000 reviews.
2: IIDE.CO
Another excellent WordPress course with a certificate is the #1 Online WordPress Course with Certifications by IIDE.
This course teaches you how to create a website on WordPress from scratch using a step-by-step approach. You will learn how to install, configure, and customize WordPress, as well as how to optimize your site for SEO, performance, and security. The course also provides you with one-on-one mentoring sessions to clear your doubts and feedback on your assignments.
Level and quality:
The course is suitable for beginners and has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from over 500 reviews.
3: WordPress Web Development – Acadium
Earn a certificate by completing project-based WordPress modules on Acadium. The course covers topics such as creating a website, installing plugins, customizing themes and menus, and managing content. It also provides personalized feedback from mentors.
Level and quality:
- Level: Best for intermediate learners.
- Rating: 4.8/5 stars (1,500+ ratings)
4: WordPress Developer – Udacity
Become job-ready by learning WordPress theme and plugin development. This course provides an in-depth overview of the WordPress platform, including topics such as creating and editing themes, creating content, and managing menus. It also provides personalized feedback from mentors and hands-on learning experiences.
Level and quality:
- Level: For intermediate to advanced developers.
- Rating: 4.6/5 stars
WordPress courses for advanced developers
The following are some of the most popular and highly rated WordPress courses for advanced developers online.
In this course, you’ll learn how to build custom WordPress themes and plugins so you can be hirable. Learn PHP for WordPress, how to work with child and starter themes, template hierarchy, how to enqueue JavaScript and CSS, how to use action and filter hooks, and more.
The course was created by Zac Gordon, one of the most recognized educators in the WordPress world.
This course covers WordPress theme development from scratch, including custom WordPress functions, page templates, tags, sidebars, widgets, menus, custom post types, custom fields, and more. You will also learn how to integrate Bootstrap 4 and Font Awesome into your themes.
This course shows you how to build modern WordPress themes from scratch using Bootstrap 5.
The course will teach you how to integrate Bootstrap 5 into a WordPress theme, optimize your theme for maximum speed and load time, create a custom logo for your theme, build an optimized search engine, and more.
In light of all that you have read thus far, here is a question you might find interesting:
How long does it take to learn WordPress theme development?
If you wonder how long does it take to learn WordPress theme development? Here are some estimates:
For a complete beginner:
It can take 2-3 months of consistent practice and study to get comfortable with basic WordPress theming. In addition to learning core languages, such as HTML, CSS, and PHP, you will also learn theme basics, such as templates, hooks, and functions.
For someone with some development experience:
If you already know HTML CSS and have worked with other CMS platforms, you could pick up custom WordPress theme development in 1-2 months by focusing on WordPress-specific theming functions and best practices.
To gain professional-level theme development skills:
It takes most people 4-6 months to get to an intermediate WordPress theme developer level where they can build custom designs, integrate plugins, optimize performance, etc. Expect to put in at least 10 hours a week of coding practice.
To become an advanced theme developer :
After 6-12 months of consistent theming work, you can gain advanced skills like building themes from scratch, releasing commercial themes, using advanced WordPress features, etc. The learning curve keeps going beyond a year as well.
Some key factors that affect learning time are:
- Your existing coding knowledge
- How many hours per week you can dedicate
- Using structured courses vs self-guided learning
- Building lots of practice themes to get experience
- Getting feedback from professional developers
The more time you can invest and the more hands-on practice you get, the faster you’ll be able to master custom WordPress theme development. Be patient, keep coding, and your skills will grow steadily.
Tips for Success in WordPress Development Courses
Setting realistic goals
- Expect to become an expert after a while. Break the learning down into manageable pieces.
- Focus on core concepts before tackling advanced techniques. Get the basics down first.
- Prioritize quality over quantity. It is better to understand key ideas vs rushing through the material fully.
Creating a consistent study schedule
- Set aside dedicated time each day/week to focus just on the course.
- Avoid long gaps between study sessions to maintain momentum.
- Balance coursework with other responsibilities and avoid burnout.
Engaging with the community
- Leverage course forums to discuss challenges and get advice.
- Follow WordPress pros on social media for inspiration and insights.
- Attend local WordPress meetups to connect with fellow developers.
Building a portfolio of projects
- Apply your skills by creating new themes and plugins.
- Use code samples from courses to build real-world examples.
- Get feedback from the community on your projects.
- Showcase your work on GitHub and your portfolio site.
The Deets on WordPress Development Courses
All right, we’ve covered a ton of ground here! Let’s recap the key deets.
WordPress is hands-down the most popular website builder out there. So, learning WordPress development skills can unlock major opportunities for your career or freelancing biz.
We looked at some recommended courses for every experience level – from total newbie to seasoned pro. Whether you want to build simple sites or complex web apps with WordPress, there’s a course that’s got you covered.
Are you just starting? Go for a WordPress course for beginners to get the core fundamentals down. Do you already know some WordPress? Look for an intermediate course that expands your skills. And if you’re a WordPress pro, consider an advanced certification to take it to the next level.
Most importantly, be patient with yourself! Rome was built a day ago. Give yourself time to digest each lesson before racing ahead. And remember to add some real-world projects to your WordPress portfolio.
So give one of these stellar courses a spin, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a bonafide WordPress developer! The job market and freelance gigs are ripe for the taking. It’s time to skill up and start whipping up some awesome WordPress sites. You got this!