WordPress is an open source blogging tool, and by recent studies, the most popular one online. It is thus no surprise that there are a number of opportunities around the domain, in publishing, promoting content and even in development.
What do WordPress developers do? What skills do you need to be a WordPress developer? What is the pay-grade of a WordPress developer? If these questions have been hanging over your head, then leave them hanging no longer.
WordPress development is like other similar fields. Many of you can easily freelance as a WordPress developer as well. The reasons for opting for the latter path vary though. Extra income, work from home, be able to take on multiple tasks, independence; the list continues. Whatever your preferences, you can be assured that WordPress development from home is a good career option.
Freelance WordPress Developer Jobs
As a Freelance WordPress designer, you must have demonstrated experience and an intimate working knowledge of languages like PHP and MySQL. However, you must fulfil other duties as a WordPress developer.
Some of the important ones include:
- WordPress development, theme and individual template development, plugin tweaks, new feature development
- Extension, management, improvement, and debugging of any legacy code
- WordPress setup, plug-in installation and configuration
- PHP and HTML development excluding WordPress for landing pages, microsites, etc.
- Development within a multiple server configuration including development, staging and production servers
- Incorporating all necessary HTML and CSS into WordPress themes, templates and additional PHP and HTML pages
Skills
WordPress Developers share common traits and skills with other developers. To be successful in the field to learn WordPress development you must have certain skills and some of them are listed here:
- Expert knowledge of WordPress (Plugin / theme development / API)
- Strong PHP development skills
- HTML, HTML5, JavaScript, JQuery, and CSS skills
- Good working experience in MySQL including the use of efficient SQL commands
- Strong experience building HTML/CSS across the major browsers
- Experience with XML
- Experience with modern source control (Git, Beanstalk)
- Strong written and verbal communication in English
- Strong organizational skills, structured thinking and development methodology
- Detail-oriented, and can get the job done
- Ability to work quickly and patiently as part of a remote team
These are, but some of the major skill sets that recruiters look for while signing on potential WordPress developers. Lynda, Team Treehouse, WordPress TV, WP Beginner and Udemy offer free and paid-for options to widen and hone your WordPress development skills.
Being Successful As A Freelance WordPress Developer
As a Freelance WordPress Developer, you should always aim to be recognised and successful one. Of course, the sentiment holds true for any undertaking of our life, and why be average is often a way to egg ourselves on, and take the extra pain.
You can assure moderate and even huge success in this field through many ways. You should follow certain guidelines and be up-to-date with aspects pertaining to WordPress Development.
Some ways you can do so, include:
- Interacting with Html developers
- Enrolling in WordPress University
- Follow other WordPress developers, read blogs, follow them on Twitter.
- Read material at WordPress Codex, a repository of reference notes and programs on WordPress, books like ‘WordPress for Dummies’, and follow blogs like Bavotasan
- Learn PHP and MySQL
- Acclimatise yourself with WordPress APIs, Ajax in WordPress and WordPress PHP Classes
- Contribute to the WordPress Codex, participate in forums and present at Word Camps
Freelance WordPress Developer Salary
WordPress Development is one of the most important jobs in the internet today, with just less than 1/5 of all online content hosted on WordPress, the demand for developers who have a working knowledge of and expertise in WordPress has increased.
Usually freelance portals offer two generic kinds of payment models to freelancers. Fixed-price, where the price is usually pre-determined and a budget is sanctioned which you can bid for, and the hourly payment model where the employer decides on an hourly pay.
Usually a fixed price model may range from $50-500 upwards, while you have to pitch for hourly projects, which usually range from $5-30 an hour, with average payments at $19 per hour.
Finding Work
Finding work as a freelance WordPress developer is not difficult and there are many portals where you can advertise your services. It is a reasonably well paid job and there are thousands of opportunities for prospective work-at-home developers like you.
WordPress development is no longer a niche skill, as the market for people who have these skills has widened and the opportunities have increased. It can safely be assessed as a crucial skill, which is essential to the digital market, and there is no shortage of websites offering work.
Many portals and websites like Elance, Odesk, Peopleperhour, Freelancer and Guru offers many job opportunities for WordPress development and you can start working immediately.
Resources:
Many resources can help you hone your WordPress development skills. Websites, YouTube channels, blogs and even online forums and repositories can help you learn the ins and outs of WordPress development.
Some of the popular choices for WordPress developers remain Lynda, Team Treehouse, WordPress TV, WP Beginner and Udemy offer free and paid-for options to widen and hone your WordPress development skills.
For more information on Freelance Resource please visit www.careerlancer.net
