2 – First step, whose hosting?

• Bluehost, for now.

One of my first big (and slightly painful) lessons on this WordPress journey was signing up with Bluehost for hosting. It seemed like the obvious choice at the time — they’re everywhere online and even branded as the “official” WordPress host. But as I’ve since discovered, just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s the best fit.

Honestly, I didn’t do enough research. I saw a lot of marketing, clicked a few buttons, and thought I was off to a solid start. But that’s the whole point of this blog — documenting the real ups and downs of learning on the job.

After spending some time dealing with their platform (and more importantly, their customer support), I started to realise why Bluehost gets a lot of negative reviews. The support wasn’t great, and that’s one of the most important things when you’re just starting out and constantly needing help.

Since then, I’ve taken a step back and done more digging into other hosting providers that better align with what I actually need. Some names that keep popping up as solid alternatives are: KnownHost, SiteGround, Nixihost, Hostinger, and Setrahost. These seem to be favourites in the community, especially among beginners and freelancers like me.I’m not here to tell you which one to choose — everyone’s needs are different — but I am saying it’s worth taking the time to read real user reviews and think about what matters most to you (for me: support and reliability). Check out the links above if you’re weighing your options.

3 – Migrating from .com to .org

• A popular lesson learnt, for many and me.

If you’re just starting out in the world of WordPress design and development, let me save you some hassle: don’t do what I did.

Early on, I made what I now call my “£100 lesson.” I jumped in enthusiastically and signed up for a domain and a WordPress.com Premium plan — thinking I was heading in the right direction to build pages, design sites, and get my portfolio off the ground. Spoiler: I wasn’t.

It turns out I had signed up for the wrong kind of WordPress. Yep — there’s a difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. At the time, I had no idea. I just picked what looked official, paid the annual bill, and felt productive. It wasn’t until two weeks later (classic timing!) that I realised I actually needed the .org version to have full control, flexibility, and proper access to plugins — all the stuff that matters if you want to be a designer or developer. And yep… this all happened months before I started this blog.

Thankfully, the fix wasn’t too painful. I cancelled the WordPress.com renewal (pro tip: if you do it within 14 days, you can get a full refund — wish I’d known that sooner!), and I migrated over to WordPress.org. I used Bluehost for hosting at the time because it came with WordPress pre-installed, making the move much easier.

It was definitely a costly misstep, but in hindsight, it was one of those valuable mistakes that really kickstarts your learning. I had to dig deeper, ask more questions, and start building a proper foundation — which is exactly what I needed for where I want to go: becoming a capable WordPress designer and developer.

4 – Hello WP Reset

• Reset already?

So here’s how it went down: I came up with my site name, picked a theme, installed Elementor (because, well, the internet told me to), verified my account so I could publish posts, added Jetpack, enabled post sharing, and hit launch!

Sounds productive, right? Except… I had no idea what I was doing.

I rushed through it all, ticking boxes without really understanding the purpose behind each step. I was just excited to get started — but in the process, I completely skipped over learning about things like site staging (which, by the way, I highly recommend now that I know what it is).

The result? A jumbled mess. My site looked cluttered, lacked focus, and definitely didn’t reflect what I wanted to build. That’s when I made the tough but necessary call: reset everything.

And honestly? It was the best move I could’ve made.

Starting fresh gave me exactly what I needed — a blank canvas. That clean slate feeling, where you can see the potential and start piecing together something purposeful. This time around, I slowed down. I took the time to learn, make thoughtful decisions, and start building a blog that reflects not just my WordPress journey, but a bit of me too.

I’m still figuring it out — but that’s the whole point, isn’t it?

• Staging site migration.

After getting everything set up and feeling ready to share my blog with the world, I hit a wall — the kind you only really discover when you’re deep into the build and ready to launch. I’d been working in the staging environment provided by Bluehost, assuming I’d just hit a handy “Push to Live” button when the time came.

Well… there was no button.

Cue confusion. I started digging around the internet thinking, “Surely this can’t be that complicated?” Turns out, the staging setup I had originally created wasn’t the “right kind” anymore — for reasons I still don’t fully understand (and Bluehost didn’t exactly help clear up). So I needed a new plan.

That’s when I found Migrate Guru — a plugin specifically designed to help move staging sites to live environments. I chose it because my site’s file size had already hit 250MB, which is over the 128MB limit that tools like All-in-One WP Migration allow for free. Migrate Guru could handle the larger size without issue.

So I installed it, followed the steps, and hit “go.” I left my laptop to do its thing — and a couple of hours later, boom — I had a clean, fully migrated, live version of ryansdesign.co.uk.

Finally. It was one of those moments where I sat back and thought: This is actually happening.

• Wait, why a staging site?

A staging site is honestly one of those things I wish I knew about from day one. It’s basically a private sandbox — a place where you can test out themes, plugins, layouts, and updates without risking your actual live website. Trust me, when you’re learning on the job (like I am), being able to break things safely is a total lifesaver. It gives you room to experiment, make mistakes, and fix them — all before anyone else sees the mess.

5 – WordPress course learning

• WordPress Courses

After diving in headfirst and hitting a few bumps (okay, faceplants), I decided it was time to slow down and actually learn WordPress properly. That’s when I found the official WordPress courses — and honestly, they’ve been a game changer.

The plan? Work through everything from beginner to advanced, take proper notes, and apply what I learn directly into building something I’m proud of — maybe even this very site you’re reading now.

• Beginner WordPress User – Completed!

The first course took me two weeks of solid evening sessions after work. I filled nine pages of notes in my A4 notebook (yes, I’m that guy now), but it was worth every scribble. It covers the essentials like how blocks work, using the editor for headers and footers, intro to SEO, and navigating WordPress tools and settings. It’s a proper deep dive, but if you’re serious about learning, it’s the best place to start.

• Intermediate WordPress User — Done and Dusted!

This one was quicker — fewer topics, but still packed with useful stuff. I managed to get through it faster, but still took another nine pages of notes. The content is clear, but don’t let the pop quizzes fool you — they’re worded in that classic “trip-you-up” school exam way. Keep your focus (and maybe a pair of glasses nearby).

Slowly but surely, I’m turning my trial-and-error mess into something structured — and that’s half the battle when you’re teaching yourself on the fly.

• You Get the Idea — It’s Time Well Spent.

By now, you probably get the picture: these courses take time and effort, but they’re 100% worth it. For anyone like me who’s learning on the job — evenings, weekends, whenever there’s a free window — this kind of structured, bite-sized learning has been a real anchor. It’s not just about understanding how WordPress works; it’s about building the confidence to actually use it with intention and purpose.

I’ll be honest — there are moments it feels like a mountain. Especially after a long workday when my brain is already fried. But each section completed, each quiz passed, and each new thing I try out on this site brings me one step closer to the bigger goal: becoming a capable WordPress designer and developer.

Over the coming months, I’ll keep dipping into the course library, pushing through each level, and documenting what I learn here on the blog. Not just to keep track of my own progress, but also in case someone out there stumbles across this and needs a reminder that yes — it is possible to start from scratch and build something real.

It’s not about shortcuts. It’s about showing up, learning from your mistakes, and sticking with it long enough to surprise yourself. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.