(and no, I don't mean my natural hair colour!)
I'm feeling very nostalgic this week for HTML and Notepad! It feels like just yesterday when a few lines of code were enough to bring a website to life. My career began as a self-taught developer, building websites with the simplest tools at my disposal. It wasn't long though before I upskilled to ASP, leading me to create more sophisticated sites with custom CMS backends, before moving into the era of ASP.NET and Visual Studio.
Yet, as I moved over into account management thinking that my developer days were behind me, I stumbled upon PHP in a twist of fate. Who would've thought that helping the dev team on a project for none other than the European Commission would add a new string to my bow? But then, as life would have it, my coding adventures took a backseat as I developed further as a strategist... until now.
Back to the frontlines
Fast forward to the present, and here I am, dusting off my PHP and WordPress skills to build not one, but two websites for a client. It's been so nice to lose myself in design and coding, although there has been a bit of frustration too (hello, browser compatibility issues!). But the joy of building something from scratch, of translating a vision into digital reality, is something I still get a buzz from.
For those of you new to this world, fear not. WordPress can be your ally, a powerful tool that, with a bit of guidance, can turn your website dreams into reality. Here are a few of my tips to make the most out of WordPress.
Your WordPress toolkit
Embrace Themes: WordPress themes are your best friend. They provide a foundation, a starting point from which you can build and customise. Pick one that resonates with your vision and tweak it to perfection.
Plugins, Plugins, Plugins: These little gems add functionality to your site without the need for complex coding. From SEO to social media integration, there's a plugin for almost everything.
Content is King: Focus on your message. A beautiful site means nothing if it doesn't communicate effectively. Engage your audience with compelling content that resonates.
Test, Test, and Test Again: The bane of every web developer – browser compatibility. What looks beautiful in Chrome might break in Edge. Test your site across browsers and mobile devices to ensure a seamless user experience.
Stay Updated: WordPress evolves, and so should your site. Keep your themes and plugins updated to harness new features and maintain security.
Seek Community Wisdom: The WordPress community is vast and supportive. Don't hesitate to seek advice, tutorials, or tips from forums and fellow WordPress developers.
Learn by Doing: The best way to master WordPress is through hands-on experience. Experiment, make mistakes, learn, and grow.
In the end, your journey with WordPress is about transformation - transforming blank canvases into vibrant websites that tell your story or showcase your business. It's about the satisfaction of building something impactful, one click, one line of code, and one post at a time.
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