Web development skill is the need of the hour. Conventional businesses are moving online while new startups are entering marketing using the latest web technologies. WordPress is among the commonly used technologies and platforms for setting up websites and eCommerce stores.
Computer science graduates or enthusiasts who were confined to IT services and software development can now hone their skills to offer Ecommerce Development Toronto. WordPress was once limited to a blogging platform has now engulfed the global e-commerce ecosystem with its easiest user experience and exceptional scalability.
One has to become a top WordPress developer to make the most out of the most popular Content Management System (CMS) around the world. Kinsta reports WordPress has a huge market share as it is powering 43% of all websites on the internet. To help you start a journey to success, follow the 10 important steps to becoming a top WordPress developer discussed below.
1. Keep Exploring WordPress:
Becoming the best of all WordPress developers may require you to put in the extra effort. WordPress has a massive community of developers, contributors, and agencies. If you have to pursue a competitive environment, you need to keep yourself up to date. Keep exploring more about the platform. Start reading about it and explore more resources.
Interact with the seniors, find top developers in the skill you aim to acquire and gain expertise in, and outreach for valuable tips. Follow blogs from the experts like WPTavern, Matt Mullenweg, WPDeveloper, and WPExplorer.
Add more useful resources and subscribe to their email newsletters so that every day you get to learn something new from the experts.
2. Meet WordPress Experts:
Build a social bank of WordPress experts. It can be online as well as offline. First of all, find seasoned developers near you. Find them in your friends, social circles, and local gatherings. They may be working in offices, outsourcing services to clients, or offering courses and boot camps.
Associate with experts, show your interest in getting WordPress expertise, ask for an internship, or seek advice on career progression.
In addition to the local community, you can reach out to the massive community of WordPress developers around the globe. It can be a consortium of experts on Facebook, Stack Exchange, or a WordPress subreddit. Some of the noteworthy FB groups include:
- WPLearningLab
- WP Community By Darrel Wilson
- WP for Business
- WP Basics & Beyond
3. Hone Your Skills:
The striking feature of WordPress is that it is developed in the most commonly used programming language and that’s PHP. Learning it is mandatory. However, to prove your skills and expertise, you need to learn more languages that include CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.
To know the platform better, you need to study WordPress Coding Standards and get familiarized with the coding structure by logging into The WordPress Codex.
Covering the basics can lead you to find clients and get hands-on experience. it will give you endless opportunities to hone your web development skills. Working with clients will give you exposure to several issues.
Inspecting and fixing issues will sharpen your skills and increase networking with fellow developers for help and assistance.
4. Acquire Practical Exposure:
As soon as you hone your web development skills, rush for job openings or freelance gigs. Find roles that involve coding responsibilities specifically in WordPress. Some companies and agencies are dedicated to developing and customizing websites in WordPress or its eCommerce version called WooCommerce.
During learning and improving the skills, you might have worked as an internee where you are kept limited to the company’s operations and simple familiarity with their web assets.
Working at a WordPress development agency can get you global exposure. They have famous brands, international clients, and SaaS products. Become a team member to have the vibes of working in a professional and practical environment.
5. Work with a Client:
Now that you know more about WordPress and secured practical exposure, it is time to work with a client. Until now, you are counted among the thousands of other developers who are doing the same, getting instructions from a team lead or a project head. Staying in such a position for longer will put you in a comfort zone.
To be a top WordPress developer, it is mandatory to work with a client. Get an opportunity to understand things from the perspective of a project head or product owner. If you have been provided with a summarized set of instructions, now you have to read the client’s mind. Acquire raw information; jot it down to ensure you get exactly what the clients ask for.
It will help you know more about the client’s perception and requirements in different regions, languages, traditions, and markets. For example, a project WordPress development in Toronto may require features, layout, design, and color combinations specific to the locals who have different behavior, understanding, and perception from other regions.
Get exposure to working with clients as they will come with issues you have never dealt with before. It will help you develop several skills. You come to know finding the issue, its causes, and possible solutions.
6. Build a Product:
Working with a WordPress agency, a partner company, or a client is great. Getting involved in such roles may somehow restrict you to a set of tasks that are repeated for every project or client. Like every website you may build will ultimately offer the same functionality.
To get yourself recognized as a top WordPress developer, you must go out of the way to build a product. If you are short of product ideas, start looking for problems. Get into discussions with the business community; research the WordPress official marketplace of plugins, ask website owners for their problems in different forums, etc.
There are thousands of ideas for developing a software product. It can be a live chatbot, customer survey app, orders, and delivery management, booking and reservations, or auction sales.
7. Contribute to WP Community:
WordPress is an open-source content management system that is available free of cost to people to build blogs and websites. it is free to use and customize. For the same reason, it relies on its community to make changes, add features, test or debug, and offer support to fellow users.
You can start contributing to the WordPress core code to learn, practice, and refine your knowledge. Combine your efforts to help and give back to the community what you learn and know.
It will help you acquire expertise in WordPress and explore lots of other opportunities in web design and development. Start helping beginners and get recognized as a top performer in your field.
8. Acquire Debugging Expertise:
Developing a WordPress website, theme, or plugin is half of the job, while the rest depends on debugging. Before you become an expert, you must ensure to write accurate codes. Know the basics of WordPress and other programming tools you will use.
Every coding language and platform has its strength and weaknesses. It is better to know the common errors you may face while writing code. Knowing errors and the tools well may help you easily find mistakes and debug issues.
Aside from perfecting your code writing, you must work on acquiring advanced debugging expertise. If you are new to it, be vigilant and closely observe seniors or debugging experts. Watch the different techniques they use. Ask a peer to assist you, and find a seasoned developer on Twitter, Slack, StackFlow, or any other platform.
9. Be a Role Model:
Remember the good old days when you were unable to write a single line of code in WordPress? With time, you have come so far and acquired an expertise that a beginner can take benefit from. You are an expert now, start to share the knowledge with fresh IT and CS graduates and be a role model.
Start your journey towards a top WordPress developer with a blog. It can be tips about design and development, mobile friendliness, speed or conversion optimization, user interface, user experience, or any of your expertise.
You can write tutorials to help beginners follow with step-by-step posts. Promote your blog or profile by contributing helpful posts to other WP blogs. Craft helpful blog posts for beginners, which are duly endorsed by experts for usefulness and credibility.
10. Conduct Q/A sessions:
Despite contributing helpful codes, tutorials, tips and techniques, strategies, and personal experiences WordPress community may still have questions to ask. So if you are regular in assisting fellow developers, do follow your contributions with question and answer sessions as well.
Use social media networks or video streaming platforms to connect with WordPress beginners, learners, and enthusiasts. They often follow you for the expert tips you share. They do have ambiguities about the process you follow so they can clarify it in Q/A sessions.
Build an audience around your expertise either on a Facebook page or a YouTube channel, or try webinars on Google Meet or Zoom. It can help you stand out from other developers as it shows you stand by what you share.
Conclusion:
A professional is known by his or her continuous learning experiences. As a WordPress developer, you can also be recognized as a top professional for earning to learn more. Keep exploring and learning about WordPress, and meeting experts.
Keep honing your skills and be the master of your art. Acquire practical exposure by working with brands and clients with diverse requirements and specifications. You can showcase your expertise by building a WordPress product like a theme, a plugin, or a tool that integrates easily with the platform.
Be a debugging expert and interact with the community with helpful tips and question/answers sessions.
About The Author
Stephanie Braga
Hi, I am Stephanie Braga. A professional blogger and content community manager on this platform. I love to write and post content on different niche. Contact me, if you need any help related to digital marketing or content marketing.
