Before we look at the WordPress tools and skills you need to adopt and learn, first let’s see a brief recap of what WordPress itself is. WordPress is an open-source software that you can use in order to create your own blog or website. The best part about WordPress is that it is free and extremely convenient for beginners. If you’re someone who is very tech-savvy then you will view WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS). You can choose from different themes, widgets etc. to customize your website to your liking and the preferences of your users.
If you’re looking to create a website but have kept yourself in the dark as far as coding goes, then instead of spending a large portion of your time in learning coding and then applying it, you can just opt for WordPress. It is the ideal choice as it gives you the same output as codding but saves you from the actual hassle of coding. WordPress does the coding for you, in the background. Now that you’re familiar with what WordPress is all about, let’s explore a few tools you can use and skills that you can learn which will improve your game by leaps and bounds.
WORDPRESS TOOLS YOU MUST HAVE
WordPress isn’t some extremely basic web development software; it is a platform for developers to explore and apply different tools that will help them optimize the output on the site they’re working on. In order to break the barriers of limitations that exist, developers often opt for tools to help them customize their themes, plugins and apps. We have listed a few tools that will provide valuable assistance in development.
1. DUPLICATOR
Duplicator is an essential tool if you’re looking for a time-efficient way of moving or backing up your WordPress site. This tool also enables you to download productions sites and take them for a test and check if there are any errors or validations that are required. This tool works in two directions, it also helps you in uploading sites to production servers.
This tool has four versions; a free version and 3 paid ones. The free version is very basic and only permits you to backup different components of your website for instance your databases and its table filters, migration wizard and your directory filters. The paid versions, each having a different pricing plan.obviously come with additional features depending on the level of the version that has been purchased. The cheapest one gives you a personal license, followed by a freelancing license and a business license if you purchase the premium option.
2. MONSTER WIDGET
You might have experienced a lot of inconvenience in organizing and ensuring that your widgets are displayed correctly in accordance with your theme. However, monster widget is the solution you need; it tests all the core widgets that are available in your side bars.
3. THEME CHECK
It’s obvious that this tool has to do with keeping your theme intact. This tool rescues your theme from the risk of being turned down in the future or causing errors that could be detrimental for your site. Even if you’re an expert in the game of developing themes, you’re still prone to errors therefore this tool is a must have.
Other tools include Font Awesome, Trellis, Bedrock, Sage, Pictura, Fontella and several others.
WORDPRESS SKILLS YOU NEED TO LEARN
Just accessing tools is not enough, you also need to learn these skills in order to achieve maximum utility from these tools and other sources of developing your site. Here are a few skills that are a must have if you’re a WordPress developer and want your work to stand out.
1. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
As someone who is using WordPress, you won’t have to use coding if you’re looking for a basic approach to your website but if you want to dive into the background of where all the magic happens, then familiarizing yourself with different programming languages is an essential skill. These include JavaScript, HTML, PHP and CSS. There are several other languages too that you could learn depending on their compatibility with your website.
2. DIGITAL MARKETING AND SEO
Knowing the ins and outs of digital marketing and efficiently employing SEO tactics in your site are the key to boosting traffic and expanding your reach. Digital marketing includes making the best use of different platforms to promote your product. Your SEO knowledge is a fundamental part of your game, learning how to use UTM parameters to keep track of conversions, identifying issues related to crawling and indexing and using CDN to access multiple users are just three examples of SEO skills that you should learn for optimum utilization.
3. DATABASE MANAGEMENT
In order to ace database management, you will have to learn SQL and MySQL. They are both database management systems. SQL and MySQL will help you in organizing, storing and retrieving your data in a very efficient manner while simultaneously giving you information about things like your data storage, security practices and operations carried out by your Database Administrator. All of your data is gathered under one roof from where the various users can access whatever data meets their requirements.
The list doesn’t end here. There are several other skills you should learn which include web designing, plugin development and installation, learning how to use GitHub, BitBucket, page builders, Photoshop, business skills and several other skills related to the purpose of your website.
CONCLUSION
WordPress has kept up with the fast-paced nature of technology and thus evolvements are seen on a regular basis. If you want to not lag behind then your only option is to keep your skill set and tools
updated and in line with the latest trends. This will make your website seem less monotonous and dry as compared to other sites, giving you an edge over your competitors. Therefore, shying away from learning more will only have a downward impact on your site.
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