I had this same thought when I was in college studying web development. I found that I like making WordPress websites with little code needed much more than creating WordPress themes from scratch. I agree with Stefan, you don't need to be all in or all out here. However, I've made significantly more money by focusing on WordPress and making basic websites while learning things like SEO and marketing. You've got to figure out what you like to do and follow your interest at the end of the day IMO.
I can't say this clear enough. It is soooo valuable to learn to code for wordpress. As soon as you understand how wordpress works you can start to build specialized themes and plugins for your specific usecases and build your own specialized eco-system. It makes you more confident and your clients FEEL it.
@Peter Mortensen Back then when the GDPR-Laws were eintroduced in the EU a lot of my clients had different Tracking-Tools. I implemented Theme-Customizing Options to paste in the different tracking-IDs and a customized JS which loades the Tracking-Javascript-Libraries like google-analytics only if you accepted the Options in the GDPR-Popup. Additionally I implemented an exception handler for Admins so that the tracking data does not get scewed by pageviews of administrators. An other solution was an Implementation for Video and Image embedding in my sites. I had to crop Videos or Images on the fly resposively on client-side so they can fill specific spaces in the design. For Images I could have used background-size:cover; but this would not work with lazyloading so i had to make an filter in order to improve performance. It's small things that add up and make the life for a developer easier and improve the quality of your sites. ... Frameworkbuilding you know.
Thanks for your comment. I developed a hatred for WP because I like to code websites purely. But I am probably leaving a lot of money on the table, I will look into become a WP expert again - makes sense.
It sounds like he's more interested in sales, than software development. I would say follow where the money takes you if you enjoy it, but realize that it's good to know a bit about software development, even if you don't find the need to code. That way when you hire help to build custom themes/plugins, you'll have a good estimate of how long it will take to finish something so you don't get ripped off when you're being charged by the hour. It can also make small fixes something that you can accomplish quickly, which will make your customers happy.
I am a front-end developer with a couple years of experience and used to hate Wordpress with a passion. But once you start doing more work for clients there is no escaping it, it's everywhere. I am now forced to dive deep into WP development so that I can my client needs instead of passing WP projects. Plus it won't take away from your coding experience, you're just adding value and more recommendations.
Hi sir, i want to start learning front end web development cuz I need some financial security as a college student, what do you suggest I start with and is word press good enough to get me to 40K$ a year ?
Stumbled upon your video in my feed, I loved your answer to this question, and I appreciated it. I do freelance work for my friends as a hobby, I only really know the Adobe creative Cloud suite and really only Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. I can help them with basic stuff, but they seem to all be needing help with websites. Where could I get started with that, I don't know coding, but I'm open to learning. Hoping to hear from you, thanks! 😊
Very true ..let the market decide. I have been in WordPress development for years and I quickly learned that my experience in other languages is useful in WordPress development too. You cannot wish JS away if you want to be a solid WordPress developer.
As a person who also freelances mostly offering WordPress services to my clients, i can tell you. WordPress is so much more powerful if you know how to extend its functionality to fit your clients needs with your own code, instead of relying on someone elses plugins that may or may not be built for what your client needs. Also everyone who doesn't know to code, shouldn't call themselves a developer.
@@StefanMischook I already did. I can build websites from scratch with html, css, and a little js. But I want to jump to WordPress so whats a good path for that?
One thing you can do when a project is too much for you: outsource/subcontract. You can even pass the whole project to a studio and get a % for arranging the sale.
I am not a fan of this, Atleast the "outsourcing", Sure subcontract other local developers who could use the work. I have been offered remote employees for as little as $8/hr which i refused because it is IMO wrong, not only are you taking advantage of low cost workers; There are people out their with no coding skills whatsoever using developers and then taking credit as developers. When they are barely even page builders themselves. The work is worth more and being undervalued by this whole outsourcing situation.
I think WordPress is definitley great for freelancing and getting people up and running as a base to improve upon your skills. The issue you have with pigeon holing yourself is that what happens if the market is flooded with people who can do the same because there isn't that much of a barrier to entry. I'd say start using WordPress as a stepping stone and create your own template/theme to improve development and save money. Start looking at making custom plugins and how you can upsell your current services to your clients. The good thing about freelancing is that you can not know that much and learn as you go. Often with jobs they want you to prove you can do it already which can be annyoing because you often learn whilst doing!.
A lot of people base their goal and vision based on what they know. That is backwards. You first decide what you want without considering what you currently know and then you learn the tools you need to get what you want. If you only set your projects/ goals/ visions based on only what you know and can do you are greatly limiting yourself.
Hi Stefan, I have this question that I have been wanted to ask you. I'm learning frontend and do have some clients already, but what scares me is all these new tools that are currently appearing in the market, like Editor X and webflow which requires zero programing experience. And that makes me to be demotivated fairing that I won't be able to get a job. Or a year from now, I won't be able to find clients anymore. Also there's tons of stuff that we developers have to learn and now especially if someone have just started out. It makes it very hard for us to earn some money and keep on learning the next peice of code. What is your take on this? , and what should we new developers do about this. and the things to keep in mind. Sorry for the long comment. I would love to hear your take on this. Thanks again! And greetings from the Netherlands!
even in CMS we're coding I have made multiple custom themes and I have gained a lot of experience in WordPress, at the same time I am a react developer so yah nothing wrong.
Hi Stefen, I have a question. I was a bit confused at first, thinking whether I should learn hand coding or wordpress could take take care of everything but I understand now. I will learn HTML and CSS, use wordpress and use my html/css skills to extend wordpress's functionality but one thing i was wondering is that I'm also gonna need to learn a backend language for web dev which most of the people suggest Java but wordpress doesn't use Java, i can use my html/css skills in wordpress but not the Java skills. Should I still learn Java or should i try for PHP?
Stefan - wow : don't know what to say...Just simple perfect video 👍👍👍👍 : Many thanks for this userful video. Its great 👑💓🕊! Keep up the awsome job - i look forward your next vids - eg. covering the WordPress version 6.1 or future Gutenberg - Topics. 👑💓🕊!
As a person who is yet to learn css and html course, especially for freelancing, creating websites. Should I learn those, then java or should I go for WordPress?
Side note for anyone who truly wants to customize WordPress. From WP 5.5 and onward, PHP and JS are going to be almost equal in terms of knowledge requirements for WordPress. Here's Matt... with his suggestion: "Learn Javascript, deeply" th-cam.com/video/KrZx4IY1IgU/w-d-xo.html Most all of the newer Block Editor (Gutenberg Builder) will certainly require more JS than PHP.
Can you actually get paid to install a bunch of themes and plugins? Does the client realise that there is no coding involved and they could do it themselves for free?
Respectfully, changing the oil, cutting your hair, and fundamental handyman tasks are also things someone can do for themselves but regularly pay for the service because it's overwhelming for people who aren't already into those things. Some people will want to do it for themselves, but that's typically the One Man Army business owner. They'll end up with a website that looks like they did it themselves and a bunch of unanswered questions also. I prefer to hire professionals and ask them questions so I understand how the pieces fit. Websites lead to a bunch of other concerns like logos, email, SEO, digital marketing, etc. Most people who intend to be successful will need to handle these things too and prefer to hire someone who understands it all.
@@busyrand exactly. There are people that value time the same as money, in a "cost vs. time" scenario. I call it "leveraging time", but I don't believe that's the technical term. (this part's more for the OP, or anyone new finding the thread) They'll happily pay someone $X to mow their yard (or another task, like change the oil, install a door, etc) per hour if that allows them to focus on what they're doing and make $X*1.5 (or more) in that same timeframe.
I don't see wordpress as a stable income for a long period of time. Coding opens many options for you in a long run and you can be assured to have a job be it freelance or in the office.
It is that the problem I am a new devs and dman near all of the entry level jobs I see are dominated by WP. So now just to make money I have detor and learn WP and DIVI now. I'm thinking of just hold out and pushing towards React.
But come on you can't just sell a WORDPRESS website with the same price as a website built with php or maybe laravel , so this is quite a problem for developrs , ??
PHP allows you to pivot, even if you're developing WP without code and this is making you good money. Would it then be fair to say that not being able to pivot ( not having some PHP skills) may actually endanger your future good income?
I mean, there is the obvious point that if you can't do it, your client will sooner or later shop around to find someone who can. But even a basic grasp of PHP can go a long way towards avoiding that.
Wordpress is only for basic solutions tho, you wont create SAAS or anything custom with it. Anyways I prefer to just buy html theme and customize it by coding. Getting things fast and html themes are 3x cheaper than wordpress ones. Would definitely use wordpress for blog and shopify for e-commerce, xenforo for forum software and it goes on and on.. But for custom solutions there is no better thing than handcoding.
Hi Stefan, You might like to listen to this video with wired headphones or earbuds; your voice is not distorted, but there is a consistent mid to low frequency noise (perhaps the mic or its connection playing up) that degrades the audio experience. Thank you for the helpful videos!
I acknowledge WordPress as a tool. And I acknowledge the fact that WordPress is ruling the majority of the market. But I have this really weird tendency to avoid WordPress at all cost. I don't know. Something that is too easy isn't worthwhile. Of course, you're free to think of me as an arrogant, but I'm kinda helpless here. I just want to avoid WordPress.
You'd be surprised how easy it is to convert a static website into a wordpress theme. Also you can implement as much or as little of the wordpress machinery in your theme as you want. Then it enables customers to manage their own website and they dont keep inconveniencing you to make tiny changes that it feels bad to charge them for.
But Stefan, you can only have so much skillset. You gotta focus on few things as your expertise. If you try to learn everything, you won't be good at any of them.
Im from Poland this guy ancestors probably come from Poland. There is a surname in Poland "Miszczuk" is pronounced identically to word "Mischook" in english. Sorry for language mistakes
Yes WordPress is nice untill the client wants something too custom that you can't find a plugin for to adapt and then wellcome to hell, the codebase starts looking like shit
Moreover when the client has this weird bias of making a website to be easy, and they can ask ridiculously advanced stuff to be added to their website for pennies. Well, you know, because building a website is all about drag and dropping.
Thanks to you Stefan and your freelancer course. I got my first client (I have fullstack webdev background) and making theme with wordpress.
Congrats! Glad to hear my freelance course did the job! school.studioweb.com/store/course/complete_freelancer
I had this same thought when I was in college studying web development. I found that I like making WordPress websites with little code needed much more than creating WordPress themes from scratch. I agree with Stefan, you don't need to be all in or all out here. However, I've made significantly more money by focusing on WordPress and making basic websites while learning things like SEO and marketing. You've got to figure out what you like to do and follow your interest at the end of the day IMO.
to save time deploying apps.. use wordpress as main apps.. then use your knowledge in coding to customize your wordpress.
I can't say this clear enough. It is soooo valuable to learn to code for wordpress. As soon as you understand how wordpress works you can start to build specialized themes and plugins for your specific usecases and build your own specialized eco-system.
It makes you more confident and your clients FEEL it.
@Peter Mortensen Back then when the GDPR-Laws were eintroduced in the EU a lot of my clients had different Tracking-Tools. I implemented Theme-Customizing Options to paste in the different tracking-IDs and a customized JS which loades the Tracking-Javascript-Libraries like google-analytics only if you accepted the Options in the GDPR-Popup. Additionally I implemented an exception handler for Admins so that the tracking data does not get scewed by pageviews of administrators.
An other solution was an Implementation for Video and Image embedding in my sites. I had to crop Videos or Images on the fly resposively on client-side so they can fill specific spaces in the design. For Images I could have used background-size:cover; but this would not work with lazyloading so i had to make an filter in order to improve performance.
It's small things that add up and make the life for a developer easier and improve the quality of your sites. ... Frameworkbuilding you know.
Thanks for your comment. I developed a hatred for WP because I like to code websites purely. But I am probably leaving a lot of money on the table, I will look into become a WP expert again - makes sense.
But you can create themes too with the help of plugins in wp such as elementor.
It sounds like he's more interested in sales, than software development. I would say follow where the money takes you if you enjoy it, but realize that it's good to know a bit about software development, even if you don't find the need to code. That way when you hire help to build custom themes/plugins, you'll have a good estimate of how long it will take to finish something so you don't get ripped off when you're being charged by the hour. It can also make small fixes something that you can accomplish quickly, which will make your customers happy.
Love these short clips!
I am a front-end developer with a couple years of experience and used to hate Wordpress with a passion. But once you start doing more work for clients there is no escaping it, it's everywhere. I am now forced to dive deep into WP development so that I can my client needs instead of passing WP projects. Plus it won't take away from your coding experience, you're just adding value and more recommendations.
Hi sir, i want to start learning front end web development cuz I need some financial security as a college student, what do you suggest I start with and is word press good enough to get me to 40K$ a year ?
great advice Stefan! Right tool for the right job, and never be attached to a particular technology
As usual, Stefan is on point with this!!!
If a CMS becomes vastly more used, you get vastly increased branching factor for differing needs, which requires more developers.
It hurts seeing your most favorite Teck TH-camr getting old. Man, I have been seeing this Chanel since 2013.
Age gets us all. But I am working on an Ai that will rejuvenate our cells. :)
Stumbled upon your video in my feed, I loved your answer to this question, and I appreciated it.
I do freelance work for my friends as a hobby, I only really know the Adobe creative Cloud suite and really only Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. I can help them with basic stuff, but they seem to all be needing help with websites. Where could I get started with that, I don't know coding, but I'm open to learning. Hoping to hear from you, thanks! 😊
Very true ..let the market decide. I have been in WordPress development for years and I quickly learned that my experience in other languages is useful in WordPress development too. You cannot wish JS away if you want to be a solid WordPress developer.
I wonder how many people stopped writing code or at least code much less due to Webflow and page builder plugins like Elementor and Beaver Builder.
As a person who also freelances mostly offering WordPress services to my clients, i can tell you. WordPress is so much more powerful if you know how to extend its functionality to fit your clients needs with your own code, instead of relying on someone elses plugins that may or may not be built for what your client needs.
Also everyone who doesn't know to code, shouldn't call themselves a developer.
any resources where i can learn wordpress development? TH-cam creators I should be following or Udemy courses?
@@kevyyar Learn your foundation code skills first.
@@StefanMischook I already did. I can build websites from scratch with html, css, and a little js. But I want to jump to WordPress so whats a good path for that?
I'm sorry if that offends you but there are probably developers out there making more money than you who don't know how to code. Have a nice day!
@@kevyyardid you later learn it cuz I need the same help
One thing you can do when a project is too much for you: outsource/subcontract. You can even pass the whole project to a studio and get a % for arranging the sale.
I am not a fan of this, Atleast the "outsourcing", Sure subcontract other local developers who could use the work.
I have been offered remote employees for as little as $8/hr which i refused because it is IMO wrong, not only are you taking advantage of low cost workers; There are people out their with no coding skills whatsoever using developers and then taking credit as developers.
When they are barely even page builders themselves.
The work is worth more and being undervalued by this whole outsourcing situation.
I think WordPress is definitley great for freelancing and getting people up and running as a base to improve upon your skills. The issue you have with pigeon holing yourself is that what happens if the market is flooded with people who can do the same because there isn't that much of a barrier to entry. I'd say start using WordPress as a stepping stone and create your own template/theme to improve development and save money. Start looking at making custom plugins and how you can upsell your current services to your clients. The good thing about freelancing is that you can not know that much and learn as you go. Often with jobs they want you to prove you can do it already which can be annyoing because you often learn whilst doing!.
A lot of people base their goal and vision based on what they know. That is backwards. You first decide what you want without considering what you currently know and then you learn the tools you need to get what you want. If you only set your projects/ goals/ visions based on only what you know and can do you are greatly limiting yourself.
Very well said, my friend..
great insight
Hi Stefan, I have this question that I have been wanted to ask you.
I'm learning frontend and do have some clients already, but what scares me is all these new tools that are currently appearing in the market, like Editor X and webflow which requires zero programing experience. And that makes me to be demotivated fairing that I won't be able to get a job. Or a year from now, I won't be able to find clients anymore.
Also there's tons of stuff that we developers have to learn and now especially if someone have just started out. It makes it very hard for us to earn some money and keep on learning the next peice of code.
What is your take on this? , and what should we new developers do about this. and the things to keep in mind.
Sorry for the long comment. I would love to hear your take on this. Thanks again! And greetings from the Netherlands!
Have you found an answer to this yet? I was wondering the same thing
Words of wisdom always. Thank you very much.
even in CMS we're coding I have made multiple custom themes and I have gained a lot of experience in WordPress, at the same time I am a react developer so yah nothing wrong.
I am very flexible, I use both Wordpress and PHP Laravel. It just depends on the clients.
Love your videos very much. Very enlightening.....
Stefan, you rock 🤘
Yes , money 💸 is the end result of your work. Work more efficient and effective 💪. Learning how to code in WordPress makes you have superpower
I need a better job bad but lord I feel like I would be stepping back to learn Divi and Wordpress one of those jobs.
For static websites you don't need coding too much. But if you are a WordPress Developer coding is a must.
Nice video :) it's great to learn from other people's experience.
Hi Stefen,
I have a question. I was a bit confused at first, thinking whether I should learn hand coding or wordpress could take take care of everything but I understand now.
I will learn HTML and CSS, use wordpress and use my html/css skills to extend wordpress's functionality but one thing i was wondering is that I'm also gonna need to learn a backend language for web dev which most of the people suggest Java but wordpress doesn't use Java, i can use my html/css skills in wordpress but not the Java skills.
Should I still learn Java or should i try for PHP?
Stefan - wow : don't know what to say...Just simple perfect video 👍👍👍👍 : Many thanks for this userful video. Its great 👑💓🕊!
Keep up the awsome job - i look forward your next vids - eg. covering the WordPress version 6.1 or future Gutenberg - Topics. 👑💓🕊!
Glad you liked it!
As a person who is yet to learn css and html course, especially for freelancing, creating websites. Should I learn those, then java or should I go for WordPress?
HTML -> CSS -> JavaScript -> PHP -> Web Hosting
Side note for anyone who truly wants to customize WordPress. From WP 5.5 and onward, PHP and JS are going to be almost equal in terms of knowledge requirements for WordPress. Here's Matt... with his suggestion: "Learn Javascript, deeply" th-cam.com/video/KrZx4IY1IgU/w-d-xo.html Most all of the newer Block Editor (Gutenberg Builder) will certainly require more JS than PHP.
Awesome video👍
Thank you 👍
Thanks alot for these great videos❤
Thanks for your very helpful tips.
Can you actually get paid to install a bunch of themes and plugins? Does the client realise that there is no coding involved and they could do it themselves for free?
Respectfully, changing the oil, cutting your hair, and fundamental handyman tasks are also things someone can do for themselves but regularly pay for the service because it's overwhelming for people who aren't already into those things. Some people will want to do it for themselves, but that's typically the One Man Army business owner. They'll end up with a website that looks like they did it themselves and a bunch of unanswered questions also. I prefer to hire professionals and ask them questions so I understand how the pieces fit. Websites lead to a bunch of other concerns like logos, email, SEO, digital marketing, etc. Most people who intend to be successful will need to handle these things too and prefer to hire someone who understands it all.
Big time.
That's just because you have poor mindset.
@@busyrand exactly. There are people that value time the same as money, in a "cost vs. time" scenario. I call it "leveraging time", but I don't believe that's the technical term.
(this part's more for the OP, or anyone new finding the thread) They'll happily pay someone $X to mow their yard (or another task, like change the oil, install a door, etc) per hour if that allows them to focus on what they're doing and make $X*1.5 (or more) in that same timeframe.
I don't see wordpress as a stable income for a long period of time.
Coding opens many options for you in a long run and you can be assured to have a job be it freelance or in the office.
It is that the problem I am a new devs and dman near all of the entry level jobs I see are dominated by WP. So now just to make money I have detor and learn WP and DIVI now. I'm thinking of just hold out and pushing towards React.
I like your videos... You're the best.
Coding and wordpress absolutely go hand in hand. Clients often want customizations that require you to customize their theme
This is Real talk no Bullshit.
But come on you can't just sell a WORDPRESS website with the same price as a website built with php or maybe laravel , so this is quite a problem for developrs , ??
0:01 haha I thought you're Rick Grimes at first glance
PHP allows you to pivot, even if you're developing WP without code and this is making you good money. Would it then be fair to say that not being able to pivot ( not having some PHP skills) may actually endanger your future good income?
I mean, there is the obvious point that if you can't do it, your client will sooner or later shop around to find someone who can. But even a basic grasp of PHP can go a long way towards avoiding that.
Wordpress is only for basic solutions tho, you wont create SAAS or anything custom with it. Anyways I prefer to just buy html theme and customize it by coding. Getting things fast and html themes are 3x cheaper than wordpress ones. Would definitely use wordpress for blog and shopify for e-commerce, xenforo for forum software and it goes on and on.. But for custom solutions there is no better thing than handcoding.
yeah dude, wdym by html themes? The only frontend solutions that ik of are Themeforest, wordpress/blogger, WebFlow and static site generators
Hi Stefan, You might like to listen to this video with wired headphones or earbuds; your voice is not distorted, but there is a consistent mid to low frequency noise (perhaps the mic or its connection playing up) that degrades the audio experience. Thank you for the helpful videos!
I acknowledge WordPress as a tool. And I acknowledge the fact that WordPress is ruling the majority of the market. But I have this really weird tendency to avoid WordPress at all cost. I don't know. Something that is too easy isn't worthwhile. Of course, you're free to think of me as an arrogant, but I'm kinda helpless here. I just want to avoid WordPress.
You'd be surprised how easy it is to convert a static website into a wordpress theme. Also you can implement as much or as little of the wordpress machinery in your theme as you want. Then it enables customers to manage their own website and they dont keep inconveniencing you to make tiny changes that it feels bad to charge them for.
I feel the exact same way as you, it's weird. Twins 😄😄😄
Then freelance web design is not for you.
Nice video!!! What you think about webflow?
If it meets your needs .... why not.
It's just as fast too build with Gatsby/Bridgtown and pull API's... Idk I want to be a dev not just make websites.
what is VW stand for?
Volks Wagen
WordPress logo
This is very nasty for devs. People without knowledge how just know wordpress take developers jobs. I wish wordpres somehow could dissapear
If you stick with this attitude, you'll be one of the few people still driving by themselves while everyone else cruises past on autopilot.
All these agency only hire wordpress devs, gee I just spent all this time learning.....
"Let the market dictate." Indeed!
Hi,
What kind of email can I write to you for cooperation?
You can email info@studioweb.com
@@StefanMischook answer us
I make a solid living coding custom solutions for Wordpress users.
But Stefan, you can only have so much skillset. You gotta focus on few things as your expertise. If you try to learn everything, you won't be good at any of them.
Im from Poland this guy ancestors probably come from Poland.
There is a surname in Poland "Miszczuk" is pronounced identically to word "Mischook" in english. Sorry for language mistakes
Or just drop WordPress entirely? 🎶✌🏻👀
I’ve come to the conclusion that I very well just may be shit at all of this.
Don't give up!
Yes WordPress is nice untill the client wants something too custom that you can't find a plugin for to adapt and then wellcome to hell, the codebase starts looking like shit
That's where the web dev skills shine !
@@shuttereff3ct593 or where you start swearing a lot more
Moreover when the client has this weird bias of making a website to be easy, and they can ask ridiculously advanced stuff to be added to their website for pennies. Well, you know, because building a website is all about drag and dropping.
damn, you are handsome.
nice video, btw
Wordpress freelancers are broke...for the most part.
Dude, just get to the point.
No can do.