WordPress development is a lucrative industry that draws businesses as well as independent freelancers due to the significant market share WordPress has in the CMS market as well as the enormous user base it draws. Forty three percent of all websites on the internet, according to a 2022 study by W3 Techs, utilize WordPress. Despite the fact that the software is open-source, many people hire skilled WordPress developers to create high-quality websites. We will discuss in the following article, the function of a WordPress developer and provide you all the knowledge you need to become a WordPress developer.
What is a WordPress developer?
A specialist in the ecology and infrastructure of the WordPress platform is known as a “WordPress developer. They can create both the front end and the back end of a website because they are full-stack developers. Simply, the WordPress software can be improved, or a client’s unique website can be created via hiring a WordPress developer. They might concentrate on developing new plugins and themes or enhancing the WordPress software itself. Additionally, they could assist clients in designing, modifying, and maintaining a WordPress site. Because WordPress development is such a large topic, this definition is broad.
By developing blocks, plugins, themes, and other tools that enhance the platform or by making contributions to the WordPress Core, some WordPress developers work directly on the platform itself. Others assist clients with site creation and maintenance. Many developers combine the two.
You might be wondering why so many people hire developers given one of the main factors causing the platform’s great success is the fact that users don’t require coding abilities to establish a WordPress website. Without writing a single line of code, users can quickly add plugins to the platform to enhance its functionality, apply a theme to change the way it looks, add multimedia, publish content, and more.
A complete lack of technical expertise, however, can result in issues later. Some users encounter difficulties with website security, data backup, fully customizing the theme, and website redevelopment. These are only a handful of the motives behind users’ requests for WordPress developers.
In other words, WordPress developers can handle the more complex aspects of building and maintaining a WordPress site that the common user simply lacks the knowledge or time to handle themselves.
To help you better understand the duties and job descriptions of WordPress developers, we’ve broken down the information below.
What companies employ WordPress developers?
A WordPress developer has the option of working for a business or working independently. WordPress developers can find freelancing opportunities on a number of job-searching websites. If you want to become a WordPress developer but are not interested in freelancing, you also have alternative possibilities. Software development firms, digital marketing agencies, and SaaS management corporations are a few examples of companies that hire WordPress developers.
We’ll go over the fundamental steps you may take to become a WordPress developer so that you can get started and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Job prospects for WordPress developers
For the past decade and more, WordPress has been the CMS with the fastest growth. WordPress developers are part of an employment industry that is expanding quickly.
What does a developer of WordPress do?
Typically, a WordPress developer is in charge of either the front-end or back-end development of WordPress sites (or both). This frequently include, but is not limited to developing original WordPress plugins and themes. WordPress developers can be engaged to generate these resources as well as sitemaps and wireframes for new websites, transfer existing websites to the WordPress platform, or rebuild websites to improve their SEO and conversion rates.
Or, WordPress engineers might examine and fix bugs in the official WordPress core rather than working with clients on their websites to improve the platform overall. The range of work that WordPress developers accomplish is much wider than what is covered here.
In such a case; it can be challenging to know where or how to start getting the knowledge and expertise required to create a career as a full-time professional or part-time freelancer in this industry given the diversity of WordPress developers.
A WordPress developer’s typical duties include:
- Designing and creating new features and capabilities
- Converting client needs into technological requirements
- Putting in place and maintaining a website’s architecture
- Coding, testing, and bug-fixing
Associated WordPress roles
There are numerous associated roles for WordPress developers. Several instances of comparable roles are as follows:
Software Developers: Software developers are programmers, just as web developers. Instead of (or in addition to) developing websites, they produce software and applications for computers.
User Experience (UX) Designers: The practice of enhancing user engagement with websites or other software products is known as user experience design (UX). Software developers that are UX designers concentrate on the user experience of a website or application.
Full Stack Developers: Any programmer who can independently produce a minimum viable product is regarded as a full-stack developer, regardless of their area of specialization. Developers that are proficient in both the front and backend can spot problems and fix them.
User Interface (UI) Developers: To create the visual components of a website or application, UI developers mix technical expertise with creative design.
Three steps to becoming a WordPress developer
1. Become familiar with WordPress
Before you have mastered front-end and back-end development, you can start utilizing WordPress. WordPress is a popular alternative for people who wish to create their own website but don’t have any coding skills because it is user-friendly for beginners. It’s comparable to the likelihood that a prospective photographer will buy a camera before finishing a photography course. While learning how to oversee more complex development, you can gain knowledge of the fundamentals and establish a solid basis for the product.
2. Acquire the necessary abilities
WordPress is well-liked in part because it requires just little technical knowledge from users. Professional WordPress developers, however, need to be proficient in both web development and site design. The most crucial areas of study for a WordPress developer are outlined in the list below.
Programming languages. You must become proficient in four main languages if you want to work as a WordPress developer.
- First, you can build a website by arranging material into headers, footers, and sidebars using the hypertext markup language (HTML).
- Next, you can add stylistic components to your HTML structure using cascading style sheets (CSS), such as font color, border thickness, and picture alignment.
- The following language you should master if you want to work as a WordPress developer is PHP: hypertext preprocessor. The majority of websites (where the language is known) and WordPress both use it as their back-end scripting language [4].
- In addition to being an essential ability for WordPress developers, JavaScript is also the most widely used programming language globally [5]. WordPress developer makes full use of it to provide dynamic functionalities.
WordPress is well-known for being a content management system that doesn’t require users to know how to code or even to write any code, as was already noted. But for developers, being familiar with the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, Javascript, and PHP is crucial for troubleshooting, debugging, and extending the platform’s functionality.
To put up WordPress error logs on a client’s website, for instance, you’ll need to have a working knowledge of PHP. The same applies if you wish to have a list of random posts in your WordPress site’s sidebar. If you want external links on a WordPress site to open in a new tab automatically, JavaScript will be necessary. You’ll need to be familiar with HTML and CSS to modify a WordPress starter theme if you or a client wants a truly distinctive design for their website.
Plugin Development: Plugins are packaged additions of the WordPress code that improve its features and operation. WordPress programmers produce unique plugins in response to client requests.
Database Management: Users are able to save, maintain, and manage access to relevant data thanks to database management. WordPress makes use of MySQL, a database management program.
Digital Marketing: To enhance site traffic and quality, WordPress developers frequently use search engine optimization (SEO) and other digital marketing strategies.
Web Development and Design: WordPress developers require good web design and development skills because they focus heavily on UX and UI. It is the duty of a WordPress developer to make sure the website they create is usable, responsive, appealing to the eye, and open to all users.
3. Improve your resume
In order to be considered for a job, you must demonstrate your competitiveness, regardless of how popular your preferred profession may be. WordPress developers’ educational backgrounds range from a high school diploma to a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. The ability to succeed in an entry-level position can be acquired through higher education. It’s not the only approach, though, to gain knowledge and demonstrate your skills to potential employers.
Earn a certificate of professional status.
Employers can also be convinced of your professional experience by your applicable credentials. If you’re not sure where to start, look through job postings to find desirable skills. For instance, a WordPress developer looking to improve their UX abilities could pursue a Professional Certificate from a leader in the field like Google:
Construct a Portfolio.
Your best work is compiled in a portfolio. If you have knowledge of WordPress or web development, think about gathering the projects that most effectively showcase your technical proficiency. Then you can send your portfolio and resume to potential employers. If you haven’t yet produced anything for your professional portfolio, that’s okay. Start by enrolling in an online course like Introduction to Accessible Web Development, which includes a Guided Project that walks you through the creation of an accessible custom component using ARIA.
Launching a New Career
It can be a rewarding and enjoyable career decision to work as a WordPress developer. WordPress development can provide the revenue and freedom you need, but it will demand that you commit time and money in learning and experimenting. If you are thinking of becoming a WordPress developer, or are an intermediate developer looking for escalating in your career. Feel free to contact us!