We’ve seen WordPress grow immensely in popularity over the years. And many of our readers often ask if it could eventually take over the role of web developers.
WordPress indeed makes it easy to build websites without coding. This convenience can make it seem like web developers are no longer needed.
In this article, we will draw from our experience to clear up this misconception. Based on our observations over the years, we will also discuss the crucial role web developers still play in the WordPress ecosystem.
We will cover a few different topics in this article, and you can use the quick links below to jump to the section you want to read:
The Rise of WordPress
WordPress is the world’s most popular website builder, powering more than 43% of all websites on the internet. We’ve seen how it has grown into a versatile platform used by individuals and businesses alike.
Its incredible success comes from the balance between ease of use and the flexibility to customize. Users find it intuitive yet powerful enough to create unique websites.
It started as a simple blogging tool in 2003 and quickly evolved into a robust content management system. This transformation opened up new possibilities for website creation.
WordPress introduced plugins, which are like apps for your WordPress website. These plugins allow users to add more features to their websites. The options seem almost endless, with over 59,000+ free plugins in WordPress.org’s plugin directory alone.
WordPress also lets you customize the appearance of your site using themes. A typical WordPress theme contains web design templates that enable users to have a professional-looking website within minutes. This has significantly impacted how people approach web design.
Then came the WordPress page builders. These powerful drag-and-drop design tools enable you to create custom layouts, choose colors, use background images, and more. We’ve observed how these tools have simplified the design process for many users.
WordPress then introduced the block editor and full site editing features, providing users with even more tools to create beautiful websites without needing to learn web development. These features have truly democratized website creation.
All these tools make it easy for users to create websites without hiring a developer, leading some users to believe that WordPress will eventually replace web developers.
Learn more:
- The complete history of WordPress
- Ultimate WordPress review (pros and cons)
- Evolution of WordPress user interface (2003 till now)
The Role of Web Developers
Web developers are like the builders of the internet. They play a very important role in creating and maintaining websites, ensuring they work smoothly and look great.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what web developers do:
1. Design
Designing a website requires more work than adding colors and making it look pretty. Web developers design websites to serve a specific business purpose.
This involves wireframing and designing in advanced tools such as Figma or creating graphics and logos using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Designers decide where the buttons go, which colors to use, and how the information is displayed to reach the goals that the website is trying to achieve.
2. Coding
Developers write code to make a website function. This code may not be available as a built-in feature in WordPress, or the design may require additional coding.
To achieve this, developers may choose a WordPress theme framework and create a custom WordPress theme on top of it.
They give websites superpowers to perform additional tasks, display things dynamically, store custom data, and enhance a website’s usability and user experience.
3. Maintenance
One of the crucial tasks of a web developer is website maintenance for an existing site. This includes:
- Ensuring that the code doesn’t become outdated or cause conflicts with WordPress or other installed plugins and themes.
- Creating backups and restore points in case of an emergency or disaster.
- Ensuring that security best practices are followed. This might include deploying a website application firewall and securing website and user data.
- Installing updates and maintaining the software stack up-to-date.
The Popularity of Web Development
We remember the earlier days of the Internet when businesses needed to hire web developers to create smaller websites. These were professional technicians who were fluent in writing code.
Due to high demand, many people joined the profession, and the industry grew exponentially.
Then came WordPress and the era of blogs. This made it easier for hobbyists to make their sites without hiring developers.
This trend grew, and even small businesses and eCommerce stores became easier for non-developers to create and maintain.
However, as WordPress and other no-code solutions changed the web, web developers also broadened their skills. This includes everything from simple HTML / CSS page developers to multi-stack programmers and engineers.
And then, over time, the things that worked with WordPress began spilling into mainstream web development and vice versa. This includes the use of JavaScript and libraries like React, which gave overlap between WordPress and other development, as well as page builders becoming the norm on non-WP platforms like Squarespace and Weebly.
That’s why when you are browsing freelancer websites like Upwork, you will commonly see tens of thousands of jobs listed for web developers.
Even big-name brands using WordPress are employing developers to design, develop, and maintain their websites.
In fact, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 16% growth in web developer jobs from 2022 to 2032. This is especially impressive, considering that the average projected growth for most professions is 3%.
Importance of Coding Skills in WordPress
While WordPress does not require coding skills or any programming knowledge, having these skills gives you incredible powers.
Understanding code allows web developers to add unique features to a site. They can customize the existing code to do different things or write fresh code to facilitate that.
Coding skills also give users enhanced WordPress troubleshooting skills. Developers are likely to know where a problem may occur and will be able to find efficient solutions to fix that.
It can be argued that a non-developer or a DIY user with no coding skills can also troubleshoot issues, fix common WordPress errors, and add new features using plugins.
However, to do this efficiently and without breaking your website requires some understanding of the code behind it.
For example, DIY users can install a plugin to add a new feature, while a web developer can do the same thing with a smaller code snippet or custom CSS.
DIY WordPress Users vs. Professional Web Developers
The core WordPress mission is to democratize publishing, and it has been incredibly successful in this mission by making WordPress so easy that even non-developer users can create websites.
DIY WordPress users are bloggers, publishers, small business owners, and online stores. These users can build their websites without hiring a web developer to write custom code for them.
But does that mean they don’t need to hire professional web developers?
They actually do. Most of the code they use is written by professional web developers and made available to them as WordPress core or WordPress themes and plugins.
As their businesses grow, many DIY users want to hire developers to design a custom WordPress theme or outsource development for smaller features their business needs.
On the other hand, WordPress provides more jobs to independent web developers than any other website builder on the market.
Due to its immense popularity, there are always plenty of jobs posted on freelancing websites for WordPress web developers.
Apart from these jobs, most top WordPress companies like Awesome Motive are always looking for talented web developers as full-time employees with excellent perks and competitive salaries.
Many web development agencies worldwide work specifically on WordPress and offer many job opportunities for developers.
Plus, many DIY WordPress users often develop enough skills to start exploring WordPress career options for their full-time livelihood.
Note: Want to hire a developer? Take a look at our premium WordPress Website Design service. You can hire our expert WordPress developers to set up a custom design for your business for a small fee.
Conclusion: Is WordPress Going to Replace Web Developers?
No. WordPress is not going to replace web developers. Instead, WordPress is creating more jobs and business opportunities for web developers than any other platform.
Even DIY WordPress users rely on free and paid solutions created by independent web developers. Many WordPress development jobs are also available, both as freelancers and full-time employees.
In fact, interest in WordPress developer searches has steadily grown during the last ten years, showing no signs of decline. That’s why we think that both WordPress and web developer jobs will continue to be very popular in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress and Web Development
You may still have some questions about whether WordPress will replace web developers. We will answer them here.
1. Will WordPress kill web development?
No. WordPress is not going to replace web development. Instead, WordPress offers web developers another platform they can develop for.
2. Is knowing WordPress enough to be a web developer?
Learning to use WordPress to make websites is not the same as being a web developer. Web developers can plan, design, extend, maintain, and secure a website. This involves knowledge and expertise in several programming languages, web servers, design tools, and more.
3. Do real web developers use WordPress?
Yes. All the time. As the world’s most popular website builder, WordPress provides an excellent platform to use as a solid code base upon which to build. This cuts web development time for developers, which they can use to implement their projects more efficiently.
4. Are WordPress developers still in demand?
Yes. More than ever, WordPress developers are in demand. They are needed for everything from small gigs like fixing bugs on a website to big projects like creating entire websites for medium to large businesses. Countless web development agencies, software companies, and businesses are hiring WordPress developers full-time.
We hope this article helped debunk the myth that WordPress is going to replace web developers. You may also want to see our article on how to learn WordPress basics for free or look at our pick of the best WordPress training courses.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Olaf
I believe that web developers will always have plenty of work. First, WordPress powers nearly half of the internet, and someone has to take care of the other half. Second, even WordPress itself requires development, just as its users need plugins. It’s possible that developers may shift to other areas of their work, such as developing plugins. However, a content management system will never fully replace the role of a developer. Many things in WordPress need to be fine-tuned manually, programmed with snippets, and more. I’m not worried about developers in this regard. WordPress always provides opportunities for skilled PHP coders to make a living.
Suman Sourabh
True!! When I was learning web dev, this question came to me as well. But then I realized that a web developer must have made WordPress, and a lot of people use it as well. But then there are a lot of people who are learning web dev and it is not going out of market anytime soon. Afterall, web developers power the whole web.
Achraf Hebboul
Yes, WordPress won’t replace Web Developers, because simply WordPress is powered by Web Developers, and people should keep in mind that Web Developers complete the ecosystem of WordPress since almost all WordPress plugins and themes are made by web developers. For me, WordPress opens a road of opportunities, with local businesses and international businesses, from simple WordPress website creation to complex WordPress tasks such as creating custom themes and plugins.
Kzain
Very needed discussion about the future of WordPress and web development! I completely agree that WordPress won’t entirely replace web developers. For complex functionalities, customization, or unique design elements, developers remain crucial. I don’t want to maintain all my websites myself there is always something to do In fact, I see WordPress more as a tool that expand web development opportunities. It allows developers to focus on custom coding for specific needs while leveraging WordPress’s core functionality for efficient website creation and management.
Jiří Vaněk
I don’t believe that a platform like WordPress will replace web developers. WordPress is great in that it allows regular people to build simple and basic websites or personal portfolios. However, more complex websites or e-commerce sites require certain skills that developers have. Knowledge of code allows WordPress to be fine-tuned to the exact needs of the website owner, and no somewhat complex website can do without it. In my opinion, WordPress is just a tool that significantly eases the work of developers, but it certainly does not replace them (nor is that the goal of WordPress).
Mrteesurez
This is incredible.
You have nailed it out. For me I don’t believe WordPress will in anyway replace web developer as there are many tasks in WordPress that you can not do unless you know atleast little codding like HTML, CSS or JS.
Also, WordPress created many opportunities for web developer and broaden their career opportunities, because WordPress itself (core) is maintain by developers, themes and plugins are created by developers and also maintained and updated by them, and amount many others.
Thanks for bringing out this topic.
Moinuddin Waheed
The main cause for this fear is the usability and easy to use and make websites with wordpress.
Sometimes the fear seems true seeing the market in my country for websites agencies.
No one is willing to pay high amount or deserving amount to the developers as they get the cheapest solution in the form of wordpress. you will be surprised to know that clients are paying even fifty dollars for a website and there are people who give website in this meagre amount.
This is a harsh reality of the market today.
Dennis Muthomi
yeah, even though WordPress makes website building more accessible, as you noted, customizations and advanced functionality often require knowledge ofprogramming.
I think it’s great that WordPress has created so many opportunities for web developers to apply their talents, whether building plugins&themes, or implementing custom solutions for clients.
Moinuddin Waheed
I think having development knowledge and tach stacks of the core web technologies always gives an edge over the general populace using wordpres for powering up their businesses.
But seeing the fierce competition in wordpress arena and agencies giving websites in meagre amounts, at times in exchange of hosting purchase on affiliate links make the situation vulnerable.
When we see the shiny aspect, we see only the top performing developers and fail to realise the masses.
Jiří Vaněk
Exactly. It’s the same as with the fear surrounding artificial intelligence. WordPress is the foundation but has created business opportunities for developers of quality plugins. And these plugins are often far from cheap. The same goes for theme templates. There is also a high demand for quality templates, which often cost 50-100 dollars. So, there will still be plenty of opportunities for developers here. Additionally, not everyone has the time to manage their website, keep track of updates, and many other tasks, so there will still be a chance to at least perform website management, SEO audits, and much more. SEO is another thing that will offer developers the opportunity to find employment. And we all know how expensive SEO agencies can be.