The Complete WordPress Website Business Course from Udemy

0 version of this course is now live and ready. (as of March 14, 2022) If you're looking at this 1.0 version of the course, I'd advise that you to STOP. and enroll in the new version instead directly by finding The Complete WordPress Website Business Course 2.0 here on Udemy. If you are already enrolled and did it within 30 days, you can use Udemy's 30-day refund period to return this course and get the new one. Welcome.

[TLDR; Don't get this course - go the new 2.0 version instead]

OLD Course description:

No better time than now, and only increasing

With WordPress powering more than 25% of all websites in the world, there's never been a better time to build an income and a business around it.

You're here because you want to master WordPress, right? Good idea. You're in the right place. And, you can do it without learning any programming or coding.

While WordPress is open source, and because of that has thousands of developers building resources for it, it still takes quite a bit of learning to become a master at building and managing websites with it. It's not just learning the WordPress software, there's a small amount of graphic design knowledge needed, hosting and server management, troubleshooting broken sites or problems by hacking into the back end and server setup, and properly staging development environments around new sites or when performing updates and changes on existing sites.

"What a great course. Good explanation and a lot to learn, friendly and very quick support. I'm only at the beginning and I'll leave another review later after I finished this course. I'm sure there is much more to learn. " Adriene

Why am I qualified to teach you?

Through this course, I'll teach you everything I've learned and mastered through 10 years of building, managing, migrating, and hosting WordPress websites.

"He is concise and well spoken, without dumbing it down at all. As a total newbie to Wordpress, I'm thankful he's offering this. 3 lessons in and it's great so far." Jamie Rasmussen

My business lets me work on my own schedule, manage my home workspace without a boss or a manager, and gives me an unlimited ceiling for profit and income and time freedom.

Without learning to code or programming anything, I'm able to leverage what's already been done with WordPress to create modern, robust and functional websites for clients of all types.

I'm hoping you'll get to the same awesome place in your work life. Let this course give you the head start you need to increase your income fast.

"[Gregg] has covered more areas than what an average course would deliver, this is clear reflection of Greggs' experience in the subject. He has gone above and beyond to cover every aspect of WordPress for a clear and concise understanding for a beginner.

Gregg is probably one of the best instructors I have come across on Udemy and expert in the subject. Well done and Thank you for an amazing course."

Mohamed Fawmey Mohamed Vinodh

Many of my best and biggest clients have come from "abandoned" WordPress websites, where the client's website designer or developer has left the scene. My ability to get in and restore, fix, redesign, and continue to manage WordPress websites brings me lots of instant and recurring income.

You'll learn how to do all this in 20 hours of easy-to-follow video content, fun lessons and challenges.

During this course, you'll learn everything you need to know to start or improve your own WordPress website business.

The WordPress Ecosystem

"Straight forward and neat. Just what I need to step up the freelancing ladder. Highly recommended." Mr. Graciano Jose Reyes

It's probably no surprise to you that the WordPress community has thousands of really talented and creative developers, designers and technologists working within it. And you may know that much of their work is available as open-source resources that will enable you to build your own business.

The open-source philosophy doesn't mean that no one makes any money. On the contrary, by sharing much of what we, as a community, create, we all prosper much, much more, because we all share in expanding what's possible with WordPress.

By spending zero-to-little money, you can stand on the shoulders of those who came before you, to create your own business niche, by learning the skills and secrets presented in this course.

"Instructor explains everything very clearly, and in detail. So simple to learn and understand in this course. Looking forward to finishing all of the lessons with much excitement. An A instructor and course." Mekus

Summary of what you'll get

Over 20 hours of video teaching and training.
Learn to set up local development environments to play with Wordpress websites in private, on your own computer.
Evaluate and choose hosting for your own websites and client sites, with insights from 15 years of hosting client websites.
Free extended hosting trials at SiteGround and Flywheel for performing coursework and hosting your website experiments.
Premium Products WordPress Sandbox, where you can play with many premium WordPress resources, like Genesis Framework and Themes, WPMUDev Plugins, and other premium tools.
Your Website Sandbox lets you create an unlimited number of experimental learning environments.
Build more than 10 modern mobile-responsive websites, each with a different focus and learning purpose - each one could be re-purposed for a client website.
Active and helpful community and forum.
Direct access to your instructors for questions and help through the Udemy communications channels.
Lifetime access to the course, including all future updates.

What will I learn that I can apply to creating a profitable business right away?

Download and configure free open-source software tools and use online services to build the resources you need to create and manage WordPress websites.
Master the ins-and-outs of hosting and development environments, including servers, files, and databases that WordPress uses.
Learn how to get into the WordPress files and database to manually manage installation and troubleshooting for WordPress websites.
Build a simple brochure website after installing and configuring WordPress manually.
Add contact forms, Google Maps embedded in the site, and Google Analytics integrations for tracking visitors and traffic.
Create a blog-style website, including category and tag navigation systems, and post formats for organizing content.

How about more advanced topics I'll need?

WordPress website migration and moving sites to different hosts and servers.
Hosting differences and migration services.
Using staging areas for website development and updating.
Working with Theme Frameworks and Child Themes.
Creating a Child Theme manually and using a plugin.
Customizing the WordPress Dashboard for clients.
Working with plugins, and vetting them for usability, reputation and longevity.
Website Speed and Performance testing.
Custom Post Types for customizing a website's functionality to match the needs of a client.
Working with and extending Genesis Child Themes.
Setting up email systems: transactional email sent by WordPress, marketing email sent to email lists in bulk, and specific email addresses at website domains.
ECommerce and WordPress: using WooCommerce to build a webstore, and using Custom Post Types within WooCommerce.
Customizing Account, Cart, and Checkout pages.
Shipping and Digital Delivery.
Updating WordPress, Themes and Plugins.
Managing multiple websites for recurring income.
Creating multiple backup and restore systems.
Using website security through https:// and SSL Certificates.

Landing, managing, and keeping great clients

Finding clients and building client proposals
Website care and management services for recurring income.
Client billing for flat-rate projects and recurring charges.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Create all kinds of commercial websites, using wordpress, to sell to clients
Master the inner workings of wordpress, for fixing, troubleshooting, and building websites
Set up server and hosting environments in the most economical and secure way
Build and edit websites within staging and development environments

Migrate and transfer wordpress websites from staging to live and vice-versa
Master the three types of email needed to support a wordpress website
Sell website care and maintenance plans to happy clients for recurring revenue

Create all kinds of commercial websites, using wordpress, to sell to clients
Master the inner workings of wordpress, for fixing, troubleshooting, and building websites
Set up server and hosting environments in the most economical and secure way
Build and edit websites within staging and development environments
Migrate and transfer wordpress websites from staging to live and vice-versa
Master the three types of email needed to support a wordpress website
Sell website care and maintenance plans to happy clients for recurring revenue

Syllabus

By the end of Chapter 1, you'll know what you need to complete this course, and you'll have downloaded all the free tools necessary to build your own WordPress website business.

The Student Sandbox Signup Code is:

Udemy20160607

In this lesson, we migrate a local WordPress website, and manually move the files and database over to a live server environment at SiteGround.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Develops advanced WordPress skills, such as email system management, custom content types, and theme child creation, making it relevant for professional web designers

Guided by expert instructors Gregg Davis and Codestars Byuddy, who have extensive experience in WordPress development and business building

Covers WordPress ecosystem, hosting, development environments, staging, and security, providing a comprehensive foundation for building and managing WordPress websites

Offers extensive hands-on practice through the creation of multiple real-world websites, fostering practical skills and project-based learning

Suitable for beginners with no programming experience who want to start or enhance their WordPress website business

Includes access to free hosting trials, sandbox environments, and premium WordPress resources, providing a rich learning experience

Reviews summary

Wordpress business course (older version)

According to learners, this course, titled "The Complete WordPress Website Business Course", is an older version (1.0) and the instructor explicitly advises enrolling in the newer 2.0 version instead. For those who did take this version, students note the instructor is often knowledgeable and clear, providing a strong foundation in using WordPress and understanding the business aspects of offering web services. However, many reviews reflect that the content is now outdated, mentioning older WordPress interfaces and tools that have changed, which can make following along challenging for current users. Despite the age, some found value in the fundamental concepts and business guidance.

Provides a solid base for understanding WordPress concepts.

"Even though it's older, the course provides a solid foundation in understanding WordPress architecture and hosting."

"He has covered more areas than what an average course would deliver... gone above and beyond..."

"I learned how to get into the WordPress files and database to manually manage installation and troubleshooting..."

"It really helped me grasp the core concepts even with the outdated interface examples."

Strong emphasis on building a WordPress service business.

"This course goes beyond just building websites; it teaches you how to create a business around WordPress."

"Straight forward and neat. Just what I need to step up the freelancing ladder."

"I appreciated the sections on finding clients and managing recurring revenue."

Instructor demonstrates expertise in WordPress and business.

"The instructor clearly knows a lot about WordPress and running a web business."

"Gregg is probably one of the best instructors I have come across on Udemy and expert in the subject."

"He is concise and well spoken... I'm thankful he's offering this."

"Instructor explains everything very clearly, and in detail. So simple to learn and understand..."

Specific software versions and interfaces are no longer current.

"Much of the content, especially concerning specific plugins and the WordPress dashboard interface, is quite outdated."

"Some of the recommended tools and hosting setups shown in the videos are older versions, which can be confusing."

"Following along was difficult at times because the screens and steps didn't match the current WordPress version."

"I found myself constantly searching for updated information because the course material is not current."

Explicitly noted as an older version; 2.0 is recommended.

"The course description clearly states this is the 1.0 version and recommends taking the 2.0 version instead."

"It's important to note this is the older course. The instructor points you to the new one."

"The explicit warning about this being an older version is helpful, directing learners to the more current content."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in The Complete WordPress Website Business Course with these activities:

Follow online tutorials on WordPress development

Show steps

Expand your knowledge by following structured tutorials that guide you through specific WordPress development tasks, such as creating custom themes or implementing plugins.

Show steps

Search for reputable WordPress tutorial websites or YouTube channels
Choose a tutorial that aligns with your learning goals
Follow the tutorial step-by-step, taking notes and experimenting with the code

Develop a WordPress maintenance plan

Show steps

Create a comprehensive plan outlining regular maintenance tasks and security measures for a WordPress website. This will help you ensure the website's stability, performance, and protection against potential threats.

Show steps

Research and gather information on WordPress maintenance best practices
Create a checklist of tasks, including updates, backups, security scans, and performance optimization
Document the maintenance plan clearly and provide instructions for implementation

Show all two activities

Career center

Learners who complete The Complete WordPress Website Business Course will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Web Developer

As a Web Developer, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining websites and web applications. This course provides a comprehensive foundation in WordPress, one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world. By learning how to use WordPress effectively, you will gain valuable skills that can help you succeed in this field. For example, you will learn how to create and customize websites, add plugins and widgets, and troubleshoot common problems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

WordPress Developer

As a WordPress Developer, you will specialize in creating and managing websites using WordPress. This course provides a comprehensive overview of WordPress, including its architecture, functionality, and best practices. You will learn how to install and configure WordPress, create custom themes and plugins, and optimize WordPress websites for performance and security. This knowledge will make you highly sought-after in the job market.

See salaries and explore the career path for WordPress Developer

Web Designer

As a Web Designer, you will be responsible for the visual appearance and user experience of websites and web applications. This course provides a solid foundation in WordPress, which is a popular CMS widely used for creating visually appealing and user-friendly websites. You will learn how to use WordPress to create custom themes, add widgets and plugins, and optimize website performance. This knowledge will help you create websites that are both visually appealing and effective.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

E-commerce Manager

As an E-commerce Manager, you will be responsible for the planning, development, and execution of e-commerce strategies. This course provides a comprehensive overview of WordPress, including its functionality, plugins, and best practices for e-commerce. You will learn how to create and manage an online store, process orders, and track sales. This knowledge will help you succeed in the growing field of e-commerce.

See salaries and explore the career path for E-commerce Manager

Content Manager

As a Content Manager, you will be responsible for the creation, editing, and management of website content. This course provides a solid foundation in WordPress, which is a popular CMS widely used for managing and publishing content. You will learn how to create and edit posts and pages, add images and videos, and optimize content for SEO. This knowledge will help you create and manage websites that are both informative and engaging.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Manager

SEO Specialist

As an SEO Specialist, you will be responsible for optimizing websites and web pages to improve their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). This course provides a comprehensive overview of WordPress, including its functionality, plugins, and best practices for SEO. You will learn how to optimize WordPress websites for keywords, create backlinks, and track website traffic. This knowledge will help you succeed in the growing field of SEO.

See salaries and explore the career path for SEO Specialist

Digital Marketing Manager

As a Digital Marketing Manager, you will be responsible for planning and executing digital marketing campaigns. This course provides a comprehensive overview of WordPress, including its functionality, plugins, and best practices for digital marketing. You will learn how to create and manage WordPress websites, create and manage content, and track website traffic. This knowledge will help you succeed in the growing field of digital marketing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Manager

Freelance Writer

As a Freelance Writer, you will be responsible for creating written content for a variety of clients. This course provides a solid foundation in WordPress, which is a popular CMS widely used for creating and managing content. You will learn how to create and edit posts and pages, add images and videos, and optimize content for SEO. This knowledge will help you create and manage websites that are both informative and engaging.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Writer

Technical Writer

As a Technical Writer, you will be responsible for creating and editing technical documentation. This course provides a solid foundation in WordPress, which is a popular CMS widely used for creating and managing content. You will learn how to create and edit posts and pages, add images and videos, and optimize content for SEO. This knowledge will help you create and manage technical documentation that is both clear and concise.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Web Content Manager

As a Web Content Manager, you will be responsible for creating, managing, and publishing content on websites and web applications. This course provides a solid foundation in WordPress, which is a popular CMS widely used for managing and publishing content. You will learn how to create and edit posts and pages, add images and videos, and optimize content for SEO. This knowledge will help you create and manage websites that are both informative and engaging.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Content Manager

Information Architect

As an Information Architect, you will be responsible for designing and organizing the structure and content of websites and web applications. This course provides a solid foundation in WordPress, which is a popular CMS widely used for creating and managing content. You will learn how to create and edit posts and pages, add images and videos, and optimize content for SEO. This knowledge will help you create and manage websites that are both user-friendly and effective.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

User Experience Designer

As a User Experience Designer, you will be responsible for designing and improving the user experience of websites and web applications. This course provides a solid foundation in WordPress, which is a popular CMS widely used for creating and managing content. You will learn how to create and edit posts and pages, add images and videos, and optimize content for SEO. This knowledge will help you create and manage websites that are both user-friendly and effective.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

Graphic Designer

As a Graphic Designer, you will be responsible for creating visual elements for websites and web applications. This course provides a solid foundation in WordPress, which is a popular CMS widely used for creating and managing websites. You will learn how to use WordPress to create custom themes, add widgets and plugins, and optimize website performance. This knowledge will help you create visually appealing and effective websites.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Designer

Project Manager

As a Project Manager, you will be responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. This course provides a comprehensive overview of WordPress, including its functionality, plugins, and best practices for project management. You will learn how to create and manage WordPress websites, create and manage content, and track website traffic. This knowledge will help you succeed in the growing field of project management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Business Analyst

As a Business Analyst, you will be responsible for analyzing business needs and developing solutions. This course provides a comprehensive overview of WordPress, including its functionality, plugins, and best practices for business analysis. You will learn how to create and manage WordPress websites, create and manage content, and track website traffic. This knowledge will help you succeed in the growing field of business analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst