Resources for Learning WordPress

Posted on by Lindsey Miller
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The two main reasons many of us start using WordPress are that it is free and easy. My husband and I have teased for years that WordPress is so easy even our mothers can use it. Which is evident in my mother-in-law’s website for her high school reunion every year and my mother’s site which she now actively uses to blog. But WordPress is a much more robust platform that you can maximize beyond just a basic site. Once you start wanting to improve your skills and do more with WordPress, what resources do you use? I have outlined my favorite resources for learning WordPress that will take your skills to the next level. 

WordPress is so easy anyone can use it, but then what?

Where to go to learn WordPress

Multiple Tutorials at Lynda.com

There are several different ways to teach yourself WordPress depending on the type of learner you are. Are you a self-starter and can you watch tutorials and dive into education and go along with videos? Then you might enjoy many of the opportunities on Lynda.com. Experts like Morten Rand-Henrikson, Carrie Dils and Patrick Rauland all have excellent courses on WordPress and WooCommerce respectively. 

WordPress courses on Lynda.com vary on complexity and cover anything from installing and deploying WordPress using MAMP, covering analytics in WordPress or even showing users how to build using specific themes or plugins like Easy Digital Downloads

 

Liquid Web - WordPress Courses on Lynda.com

 

Not a member of Lynda.com yet? No need to worry they have a free trial so you can see if it is for you or not. But even if you are purchasing it, for $29.99/month it is still a bargain to help you take your WordPress site to the next level.

WordPress Basics from a Professional

Another option that also utilizes tutorials, but also provides much more support and education is WP101. It is perfect for beginning WordPress users and covers a full gamut of WordPress technology. WP101 even offers courses on some of my favorite WordPress products: WooCommerce, iThemes SecurityYoast SEO and coming soon Beaver Builder.

 

Liquid Web - Think about who this WordPress site is for

 

There are several factors that to me, put WP101 above Lynda.com.

  • Closed Captioning. I personally prefer to read instead of just watching a video. It helps me learn and retain the information better. 
  • Members Forum.always have questions when I am learning something new. WP101 offers a Q&A forum for members only.
  • Smart Pricing. For $48 you can access all WP101’s courses for an entire year. 

Free WordPress Training

Looking for something that still includes tutorials like Lynda.com but not as costly? Or as in-depth as WP101 but without the forum? Then there is an option for free training. iThemes Training used to come at a premium, but about a year ago they changed their model and moved most of their training to be free of cost. There are still some premium pieces of training sprinkled in over the course of a month, and you would have the option to purchase or not, depending on what skills you want to improve.  

 

Liquid Web - iThemes Training

 

What I like about these WordPress training courses is that again, there is no cost to them, so a good option for the frugal among us. Plus, the teachers of these courses are some of the same experts that are featured at Lynda.com and WP101. Some of the types of training available for free on the iThemes Training Home include classes on security, SEO for WooCommerce or WooCommerce and Gutenberg among others. 

Learning WordPress by Reading More Your Style?

We all know there are different types of learning styles, and fortunately, there is a little something in the WordPress community for everyone. One of my dearest friends Lisa Sabin-Wilson has been writing books for WordPress for years and in many ways is one of the top WordPress experts, in my mind at least. 

Liquid Web - WordPress for Dummies

 

The newest WordPress for Dummies and all of the earlier editions were written by Lisa and can be purchased on Amazon. Her business partner at WebDev Studios, Brad Williams, has also written several books on WordPress more for the professional side. They have many resources available for learners who prefer to read. Just visit their site to see their large portfolio. 

All of these resources for learning WordPress are incredibly helpful for bringing your skills up to par. If you are more for in-person learning, then don’t miss out on the thousands of WordPress meetups groups around the world or even a local WordCamp!

 

 

Whatever your learning style may be, there is a WordPress resource out there for you if you want to hone in your skillset and unleash the potential of your WordPress site. All you need is to set aside some time, a great attitude, and some enthusiasm for how much you can do with all of the resources for learning WordPress.

Another great resource for WordPress is our Managed WordPress Hosting Solution. We will focus on the hosting infrastructure, and you can focus on growing your site.
About the Author

Lindsey Miller

Lindsey Miller is the former Partner Manager for Nexcess Managed WordPress Hosting. She's been involved in various aspects in the WordPress community for over 7 years and helped start a non-profit teaching kids to code, The Div.

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