No one can disagree the web is changing quickly and we need to keep ourselves up to date with the trends. Bloggers need to know how to utilize the new tools, content marketing strategies, social platforms, etc so they can stay ahead of the competition. New tools are introduced everyday and knowing how to use them will make your life much easier. For example, Website Magazine will introduce new products circulating the internet every month when they publish a release and it’s amazing how each month has around 7-10 new products. Personally, I think it’s important to stay active within the community knowing what’s available and how it can help you going forward. However, we run into another problem which is the element of education. What do I mean? Let’s start from the top…
In order for you to utilize these tools you need the right education outlets available. I’m so surprised how many people simply don’t know where to go when they need to learn how to use a product. It’s NOT a matter of how many resources you have available, but how many quality resources will provide you the knowledge you need. When I first started using WordPress I was very limited on tutorials, etc. I relied on simple books to walk me through the basics however things rapidly changed in recent years. I want to discuss some of the best ways to learn how to use WordPress providing resources which are NOT only FREE, but thorough.
Introduction
Before continuing it’s important to understand WordPress is changing each year as they update their platform. The resources discussed below are perfect if you want to quickly learn how to make use of the changes so you don’t get confused in the transition.
YouTube
The best source of free WordPress tutorials is YouTube.com and you can precisely target what your looking for. If you need to install a theme, do a quick search for “Wordpress theme installation”, and if your looking for plug-in installations then search for “Install Plugins in WordPress”. YouTube.com is owned by Google so the search functionality is awesome providing you with EXACTLY what you need. If your just starting out with WordPress and/or need to improve your skills then utilize YouTube and it’s FREE tutorial resources.
To understand the power, head over to YouTube.com and do a quick search for “Wordpress” and start skimming through the results.
Google Search
Why not start where things are easy so head over to Google and do a quick search. You can be broad by typing in “Wordpress” or specific depending on the solution your looking for. In the example below I’ve done a quick search for “Customize WordPress Theme” and here are the results…
You’ll notice Google displayed results containing customizable themes, guides and video on your search query. Both Google and YouTube are a great place to start because how precise they are in the results. Remember, you don’t have to be a beginner because even experts can use both to find what their looking for. For example, WordPress recently introduced responsive theme’s perfect for mobile browsing. When performing a quick search for “Wordpress responsive themes”, here are the results…
WPBeginner.com
One of the best websites for tutorials perfect for beginners and experts providing content, videos, etc. Syed Balkhi is the founder of this site and it went live in 2009 with a mission to provide everyone with quality tutorials on how to effectively boost your WordPress skills. As he states on his website:
“At the time, most WordPress tutorials were written by developers for developers.
That’s why I launched WPBeginner on July 4th, 2009 as a resource targeted for WordPress beginners and DIY users.”
I’m on the WPBeginner.com mailing list and get frequent updates and am impressed with the content being published. If your looking for advanced techniques on how to customize your WordPress website, Syed does a great job keeping the trending information in front of his users.
In the end, you have an awesome resource available to you and will be able to easily find the information you need in an organized fashion.
General Literature
Personally I like doing all my research online because I’m just use to the control it gives me. It’s easy for me to go back and forth throughout different windows applying what I’ve learned to my site. However, there are people who prefer reading tutorial books to improve their WordPress skills. I think it’s amazing and WordPress is always publishing new books and magazines with updated information on trends, theme’s, customizations, etc. I believe how you learn is about preference and if you prefer to read while following through that’s awesome.