Any WordPress users here? Question: do I need to learn HTML and CSS to utilize it?

[katerlynn]

I'm a future webmaster who will soon start building my first website using WordPress. I have a burning question: I'm wondering if I'll need to learn HTML and CSS in order to perform basic maintenance and editing. In order to help answer that question, I'll describe the general purpose of my website:

I'm thinking about building one or maybe two different sites. The first one will be a basic blog. I would like to be able to add and remove videos, pictures, (and perhaps ads, too) to the blog whenever the need arises. The second site would be one where I sell a product or two, or an e-commerce site. I'll want to be able to add and remove images and videos and all the other stuff that needs tending to on both websites.

I've heard a lot of good things about WordPress. People say that it's pretty easy to set up and maintain. Me, I don't know 'cause I've never used WordPress before. In order to meet my objectives, do you guys think I'll need to learn HTML and CSS or can I hop right in, get busy and get going on my projects?

[JimOfferman]

You don't need to know HTML or CSS to get started - just pick a theme you like and start blogging!

I would recommend you learn some basic HTML/CSS before you move on to building your e-commerce site. Most of the e-commerce products I've seen come with pretty detailed explanations, but it helps to know what is going on exactly.

[PhilK]

Wordpress is not only a nice blog tool it is also very powerful CMS. I used to programm all of my sites from scratch. I tested Wordpress some time ago and started using it for almost all of my projects.

I'd say you can just start by downloading the latest version of Wordpress (there has just been a new release) and search for a theme you like. You will need to be familiar with uploading files to your server. You could download Filezilla to upload your files. Filezilla is free software and easy to use. Simply google a Filezilla download.

You will have your blog online in a matter of minutes.

If you want to style your blog to make it unique you will have to know some HTML and CSS. The good thing with Wordpress is that you don't have to know more than HTML and CSS. All the other stuff is packed into the plugins you can download. You'll only need HTML and CSS to make the plugins look the way you want them to.

Basically the same goes for the ecommerce site. If you are planning to set up a complete shop and actually make money with it I'd recommend to invest either some time in learning HTML and CSS (at least) or some money into someone setting your shop up for you or guiding you through the process. I'm not talking about a lot of money.

You'll get the desired results a lot faster that way.

I hope this little info helps. I'd be glad to help you by answering your questions if you have any. You can contact me by email through my website.

Have a great day,
Phil

[uberinquisitive]

If you want to customize templates, yes you do need to know some basic HTML/CSS.

However, it's quite easy. I bought a template and modified it to create 3 different wordpress powered websites in about 2 weeks. I started out knowing almost zero coding. I just googled whatever code I needed, and tested the end results on multiple computer browsers.

[Brutha]

You need a bit of html to get your own logo into your template and customize the theme.
But I think that it's best to learn what you need while you are actually doing the task of manipulating your theme by searching in google.

[Craig]

If you want to design for Wordpress, Chris Coyier of CSS-Tricks recently covered this issue in his podcast.

Designing for Wordpress: Part One
Designing for Wordpress: Part Two
Designing for Wordpress: Part Three

[rjani]

Hi, i think your blog is free to go if you can find a right theme where you don't want to modify anything.

But the others said it right, the e-commerce site can be more troublesome. First, it's much harder to find a perfect theme for a site like that, cause almost all free Wordpress templates are designed for blogs originally.
And if you may have any problems or money issues on such a site, it's better to know how you can handle it.

I think start out with the blog only, and you'll gain some HTML/CSS/PHP knowledge along the way anyway, so when you feel comfortable with these, you can launch the other site too.

[BlueCrane]

Originally Posted by katerlynn

I'm a future webmaster who will soon start building my first website using WordPress. I have a burning question: I'm wondering if I'll need to learn HTML and CSS in order to perform basic maintenance and editing. In order to help answer that question, I'll describe the general purpose of my website:

I'm thinking about building one or maybe two different sites. The first one will be a basic blog. I would like to be able to add and remove videos, pictures, (and perhaps ads, too) to the blog whenever the need arises. The second site would be one where I sell a product or two, or an e-commerce site. I'll want to be able to add and remove images and videos and all the other stuff that needs tending to on both websites.

I've heard a lot of good things about WordPress. People say that it's pretty easy to set up and maintain. Me, I don't know 'cause I've never used WordPress before. In order to meet my objectives, do you guys think I'll need to learn HTML and CSS or can I hop right in, get busy and get going on my projects?

I have built websites over the last 5 years, also run a Wordpress blog and I am not a techie - I have struggled with Dreamweaver, FTP-clients, Blogger, Wordpress and the whole lot because I don't find any of them easy to set up and run. I managed, but it was complicated and cumbersome.

That's the mean reason I have teamed up with a programmer who wrote SiteKist - a new program that gives you everything, including a blog and eCommerce ... free of charge.

It's still pretty new and being developed, but believe me it will have everything you need as an Internet marketer because that's my big dream and I am not letting go of that goal.

The SiteKist Website Management System is a single program that already gives you tremendous flexibility for functional and professional websites and once you are familiar with the program you'll find it easy to use.

Now this looks like an ad, sorry - but it isn't meant to be, honestly - just have a look at our SiteKist website.