Best WordPress Books

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By Sina Nasiri

WordPress is considered one of the simplest and popular means for creating an attractive website or a blog! With almost one in four websites that one visits is being powered by WordPress, it is an open-source system of content management licensed under GPLv2, which gives it the ability to be used or modified by anyone for free. Without being acquainted with programming, one can easily manage the various aspects of a website through WordPress. In short, WordPress is the easiest and most flexible blogging and website content management system.

Being one of the most popular web publishing platforms after its release in 2003, WordPress allows one to build and manage his/her website using nothing but a web browser and no necessary coding. Even if one has used text editors like Microsoft Word, he/she will be good to go! Apart from the display of websites, it also keeps an eye on running it effectively, editing its content, creating posts and blogs, etc.

With no knowledge of programming languages like HTML, CSS, JAVA, and other technical acronyms, one can use thousands of free WordPress site designs and pre-made templates to create a professional website.

Characteristics of WordPress

  • WordPress is modern and versatile. Business websites, blogs, photo websites, wedding sites, fitness, e-commerce, or any website can be easily created and managed through WordPress.
  • It works on all types and sizes of screens and devices, such as a mobile, tablet, laptop, PC, etc.
  • It is free and can be downloaded, installed, used, or modified anywhere, anytime, with no money to fulfil the user’s needs.
  • WordPress contains thousands of beautifully free and premium design themes to install with a single click. It is SEO-friendly and easy to operate.
  • It is an open-source community project produced by volunteers from all across the globe and involves a large amount of participation. Any and everyone can perform upon WordPress and help in the growth and expansion of the platform.
  • While being easily accessible and user-friendly, it is extensible and enables users to add custom features through plugins.
  • It is a very safe and secure platform to run a website and can handle different media types.

Features of WordPress

As a CMS and a platform for building websites, WordPress showcases an excellent set of features, a few of them are:

  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Speed
  • Easy-to-use interface for users
  • Mobile friendly
  • Custom links and menus
  • Built-in media library file and blog
  • New in the WordPress block editor: WordPress 5.0

Users and uses of WordPress

WordPress is accessed by large businesses, individuals, and every person today. Any site you visit or are looking at right now too is powered by WordPress. Some famous entities that use WordPress are:

  • Whitehouse.gov
  • Rolling stones
  • Microsoft

WordPress earlier was just a tool for the creation of blogs, but with such development and a massive ecosystem of themes and plugins, one can create any type of website through WordPress. It can be used to create:

  • Business websites
  • Blogs
  • Resumes and forums
  • E-Commerce stores
  • Portfolios
  • Membership sites
  • E-learning websites
  • Wedding websites
  • Social networks and pretty much anything one can think and dream of.

WordPress can be learned through various ways, from books to online courses, video tutorials, and training sessions, and in no time, a person can create web pages like a pro.

How to use WordPress?

WordPress is a 100% free platform. One can get started with making up of WordPress website simply with:

  • A domain name
  • A quality web hosting
  • WordPress software installed on your website is handled by web hosts for you.

And if you have an eye on using the hosted version of WordPress available on WordPress.com, all you need to do is create a WordPress.com account and get a head start.

Making money through WordPress

Various ways through which one can earn money with WordPress are:

  • Running an online store to build websites for clients
  • WordPress maintenance and consulting
  • WordPress SEO Services
  • Content writing

Best WordPress books

Books have proved out to be very helpful for learning and acquiring knowledge from experts. When considering WordPress, there are thousands of potential books to choose from in the market. Following are the best WordPress books that, while increasing your skills, will bring out the most on the table.

1. Head First WordPress

An exceptional book authored by Jeff Siarto, this book focuses on website or blog customization. Head First WordPress is known to share tips and techniques for designing a blog for user engagement, attention, and retention. With suggestions of prominent WordPress themes for a website’s template, this book covers subjects such as the conversion of HTML or CSS designs into a professionalized WordPress theme, setting up of databases, an extension of the functionality of plugins, etc. It also talks about topics like tags, categories, templates, etc. Not only does it aid in making up a beautiful, attractive blog, but it also provides a deep insight into the world of complex functionalities on WordPress.

2. WordPress all-in-one for Dummies

It is one of the very popular books with an inclusion of 8 books within an offer pack that provides easy-to-understand information on topics related to WordPress. It offers an overview of WordPress and includes multiple topics like SEO, Social Media, Multi-site networks, WordPress plugin development, etc. It proves out to be a great book for beginners who need a hand to hold and walk along the path of learning WordPress. Apart from this, it is also an informative read for advanced or intermediate readers for brushing their skills and knowledge of diverse areas. Originally written by Lisa Sabin Wilson and Michal Torbert, Cory Miller, Kevin Palmer, and Andrea Rennick, the book has an interesting sprinkle of humour to ensure retention and easiness. While reading, one can learn tips, advice, and techniques to use WordPress the correct way.

3. Professional WordPress: Design and Development

This book will undoubtedly help you in learning development processes. While covering almost every latest development and coding technique, the book considers the primary aspects and real illustrations while accessing WordPress actively. Authored by Brad Williams, David Damstra, and Hal Stern, the book engages people with facts about the migration of websites to WordPress. It also deliberates about tools and techniques one can use to build a website with WordPress.

4. WordPress to Go

Authored by Sarah McHarry, WordPress To Go is a book explaining the building up of websites or blogs with WordPress. Apart from sharing the creation of e-commerce stores, the book covers the basic concepts concerned with purchasing domain names, getting WordPress hosting accounts, installing WordPress, etc. It also provides help with how to start with the addition of content and images in a professionalized manner in a website. It also includes relevant and effective WordPress plugins, themes, and other crucial tools.

5. WordPress: The Missing Manual

The book, WordPress: The Missing Manual is a marvellous book authored by Matthew MacDonald. It provides methods and instructions regarding the creation of varied websites, blogs, and E-commerce stores. Also, it talks about widgets for websites, additional features, and the process of designing professional-looking websites. The book shares convenient tips regarding SEO optimization and website responsiveness and helps in learning the process of creating galleries, slideshows, videos, and possibly many more.

6. WordPress in Easy Steps

WordPress in Easy Steps is a thoroughgoing guide on setting and starting up one’s own WordPress website. It includes various topics such as management of WordPress dashboard, new content, changing of appearance of a website, comments, plugins, and many more on the line. It also debates the usage of settings and tools provided within WordPress. The book is a great read for bloggers, developers, and other users of WordPress. Written by Darryl Bartlett, the book provides insight into tips and tricks on how to improve a website’s performance. It is a good read if one is going to start his journey on the road of WordPress.

7. WordPress for Beginners: A visual guide to building your WordPress site

As the title suggests, the book ‘WordPress for Beginners: A visual guide to building your WordPress site’ talks about the process one has to follow to build a WordPress website easily. Authored by Nathan George, the book is based on creating professional and responsive WordPress websites. To explain all the steps involved in website development with WordPress, the book is known to take an exciting visual approach to gather the attention of its readers. It talks about creating new websites, registration of a domain name, getting web hosting, and installation of WordPress. The book also shares various potential tools for discovering resources required on various WordPress websites and talks about the process of creating backups and restoring a website in WordPress.

8. Building Web Apps with WordPress

WordPress as an Application framework revolves around a modernized way of comparing WordPress core with renowned app development frameworks. With the action of sharing knowledge about using themes for appearance and plugins for app functionality, it is no mistake to consider it an advanced WordPress book. Without technical jargon, the blog elucidates on the creation of powerful and scalable applications on the web, web services, applications on mobile phones, and multi-site networks of WordPress. This book was written by Brian Messenlehner and Jason Coleman for advanced users and developers.

9. WordPress: Pushing the Limits

Written by Rachel McCollin, the book ‘WordPress: Pushing the Limits’ elaborates various unique approaches for creating WordPress websites that are beautiful, creative, and professional. The book involves and covers theme development, web hosting, planning of contingencies, etc. Rachel McCollin has shared certain interesting insights into programming languages such as PHP, Java, HTML, Python, and many more. It is fully packed with experiences from famous veteran WordPress developers and elucidates how one can be successful with his/her projects.

10. WordPress Websites for Business

‘WordPress Websites for Business’ is a book that focuses on ways and strategies to maximize a website’s performance and results. It is an excellently resourceful book authored by Michael Cordova and provides tips and tricks for building professional websites. This book carries numerous ideas and easy ways on simple WordPress settings, which undoubtedly help to make a major difference concerning the performance of a website. The book is an excellent guide and leaves no stone unturned in providing the readers with a path to walk on towards perfectly perfect WordPress themes and plugins for fulfilling one’s needs. While reading the book, the reader is sure to discover several content creation hacks. It elucidates and tells the best practices for the creation of child themes in WordPress. For all types of WordPress users, this book serves as a treat for beginners and advanced WordPress developers. It is also a perfect pick for big businesses or brands utilizing WordPress.

Conclusion

WordPress can be called one of the most prominently famous blogging software in the market. Today, WordPress has reached heights by becoming the content management software for non-blogging websites too! With a free and easy-to-use interface, apart from users, search engines too love WordPress. A book, as a matter of fact, never fails to provide knowledge to a person! WordPress books help make a WordPress-effective society today with one’s control and reach to thousands of users worldwide. Choosing the perfect book from the plethora of options available can be a tedious task, but once you pick a good read for yourself, trust me, you will never regret choosing it. Which is your personal favourite? Do let us know!

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