Learning Web Design - WordPress?

[DoubleSix]

To my detriment I know nothing about web design.

I often fantasize about leaving the corporate life behind me and having a little lifestyle business in a remote part of the UK.

The common theme of any such venture is the need for a website. To that end I would like to develop some basic skills in this area that will serve me well at such point that I say "enough" and walk out of this office never to return...

So, I am told Wordpress is the benchmark if there is such a thing and it seems there are a few council funded courses near me. I'm also tempted to pop out and get a fee books today.

My question is; is this the right platform to learn about?

I dont wish to invest what little time I have learning about the wrong thing...

Also, can I realistically get to an acceptable standard through self-study and local courses or will such a website always look amateur?

[DoubleSix]

Thanks for the response.

So it sounds like a small lifestyle business (Small Cheese Co Ltd, Rural Photography Ltd etc etc) would be adequately served by WordPress and a bit of knowledge here could save £££ paying someone else to put a site together?

[DoubleSix]

cornet said:

DoubleSix said:

Thanks for the response.

So it sounds like a small lifestyle business (Small Cheese Co Ltd, Rural Photography Ltd etc etc) would be adequately served by WordPress and a bit of knowledge here could save £££ paying someone else to put a site together?

If your business is photography then concentrate on that and use something like www.smugmug.com to sell them through.

If your business is making cheese then concentrate on making cheese and use something like www.etsy.co.uk to sell it through


However if your business is making websites then go learn web design

Ok, I understand what you're saying.

But what if your business is a service?(Campsite, Cattery, Coffee Shop etc)

You need description, photos, tariffs, contact details and stuff, surely something like WordPress is good for this?

[DoubleSix]

cluckcluck said:

it's not worth the learning curve. for a web dev it's straight forward to mildly challenging, to a non techie it's almost certainly going to have issues. pay to have it all set for you and then all you'll have to do is add/edit content, or use a monthly pay service something like shopify for a basic online shop with all the tech soted for you.

That would be my initial thought too. But a lot of the stuff I'm reading suggests the opposite. You don't want to be beholden to others or have to pay to make small changes etc

[DoubleSix]

Option 2 - I'm not a deluded div who thinks he can repackage basic websites and make a killing

Just thought some basic WP skills would serve me well.

[DoubleSix]

Thanks. I'll do the course and report back.