Should you learn how to program if you so desire to create a website? My answer is this: If your desire is to build something that can not be powered by the WordPress content management system you should learn how to program, or at the very least learn how to hire and manage good programmers. A good example of needing an understanding how to code is if you wanted to build a mobile application for a smart phone or a game for the Facebook application platform.
These kinds of projects do require you to know how to program, specifically HTML and PHP for the back end and CSS for the front end. For content driven websites that can be powered by WordPress however, it's not entirely necessary to learn how to program so well you could build a Facebook or IPhone application. Your skill set would be overkill for your needs with WordPress.
To get the most out of WordPress learn first lean CSS and then HTML. CSS trumps HTML in regards to usefulness with WordPress because the WordPress CMS, WordPress Themes and WordPress plug-ins already have sufficient quality HTML code written. If you wish to make changes to your site you're normally going to want to be changing visual things you see on your website. CSS handles this for the most part as well as WordPress plug-ins. Now, if you wish to add some function to WordPress this would require additional HTML. But for practically any functionality you could wish too add to a content site, there probably is a WordPress plug-in for that.
When I help people build successful websites I make the guarantee that they don't need to become a programming "guru" as I like to call. That is, someone who spent years learning how to program. Instead, most people simply want to have the skill set to understand what is going on, why, and how to change things and troubleshoot problems. It's for this reason that makes having a base knowledge of HTML and CSS helpful as any problem you have, be it something simple like you trying to imbed a video and your HTML is off a bit. You can figure out why without get frustrated.
Frustration, code comes off as intimidating. Like looking at the motor of a car for the first time. But once you spend a little time each week understanding the fundamentals of programing language it become less scary and more interesting and eventually useful as you no longer need to fight technology to behave as you wish.
Programming is a necessary skill if you wish to build a technology start-up, mobile applications, Facebook games, or a website that is not powered by WordPress on the back-end. If you wish to build a content website, a blog, or something in-between that can be powered with WordPress then it's best to have enough programing chops to at the very least not be intimidated by code, not be clueless as to what error messages mean, and to be able to ask intelligent support questions in any number of support forum (and then to be able to follow the directions you are given to solve your problem).
Programing and you. Yes, depending on your online goals you should learn some skills to familiarize yourself with how the underpinnings of websites work. You don't need to be an expert, you just need enough to be dangerous. It's akin to driving a sports car or motorcycle. Just like how you don't need to be a mechanic and know how to build a motorcycle, you just need to know what to do with it and how to manage it when things go wrong because with websites, things will go wrong every so often. But you will be ready when they do if know how code works to some degree.
David is the founder of Website Buddha, an online business that helps smart people build beautiful websites. If you want to go deeper into website design, checkout our tutorial on HTML and CSS.
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