Whether you are new to WordPress, or are a seasoned expert, there is always going to be more to learn. With product updates, new software creations, and advanced technology biting at everyone’s heels saying “Buy me!”, “Use me!”, and “Learn about me!”, it can be hard to keep up.
The more your learn about WordPress, and the deeper your understanding of the world’s most popular content management system is, the easier it is going to be to tackle building your own website and become successful, regardless of your niche. That’s why enlisting the help of a reliable, trustworthy, and high-quality WordPress tutorial website is helpful.
Today we are going to examine what it takes to be considered a solid WordPress tutorial authority. After all, anyone can create a website and YouTube channel, create some WordPress tutorials, and call themselves an expert.
And, with so many options out there to choose from, even if they all had decent qualities, you simply don’t have enough time to wade through every website and every tutorial channel everyday learning new things.
From there, I will zero in on one WordPress tutorial expert, Darrel Wilson, and see what his website and YouTube channel offers those looking to expand their knowledge of WordPress. And in the end, we’ll see just how he matches up and whether his content is worth bookmarking and frequenting on a regular basis.
What Makes for a Good WordPress eCourse?
WordPress tutorials are designed to make a difficult task easier by presenting understandable instructions, often in a step-by-step format, to those looking to learn something new. Before jumping head first into a tutorial website, know what to look for to ensure it is of the quality you want.
Traits of a Good WordPress Tutorial Website
- Ratings and Reviews. I like to look at the ratings and reviews of the website as a whole, and at individual eCourses if possible, to get an idea of what other people that have actually viewed the tutorials think.
- Q&A. If there is a question and answer section, I want to see what level of involvement the instructor has. Are answers given on a regular basis? Do students seem satisfied with the answers? Are there others that interact on the forum or, showing a high level of site visitor engagement?
- Course Material. I like to ensure that the material aims for the target audience, is in-depth enough to give site visitors a full understanding of the topic, and is interesting enough for someone to stick around and watch.
In the end, you should also consider things such as cost, navigation, site performance, use of multi-media content types, and overall user experience when it comes to deciding whether to learn about WordPress from a particular tutorial website.
So, let’s look at what Darrel Wilson has for WordPress users…
darrelwilson.com: An Overview
darrelwilson.com is the home base for learning about WordPress from WordPress expert, Darrel Wilson. Here, Darrel explains what it is he does and how you can get started right away.
For example, Darrel provides WordPress tutorials designed to help complete beginners create beautiful websites. In addition, he helps guide you in making your WordPress website fully responsive and mobile-friendly. This way you can cater to all device types and screen sizes, without sacrificing your site’s content or visual appeal.
He also provides very cool special discounts for those looking to invest in Elegant Themes’ popular Divi theme and related child themes and layouts. Additionally, he directs those looking for extra help via a freelancer to FreeLancer.com, a well-known place for getting highly-qualified experts in a wide range of fields to work for you at competitive rates.
Lastly, Darrel provides a number of WordPress resources, a regularly updated blog, and a unique approach to reviewing WordPress hosting providers that I think many WordPress users will benefit from.
Resources
New WordPress users rely heavily on what experts in the industry recommend when it comes to everything WordPress related. And, as a self-proclaimed WordPress expert, Darrel does just that for his site visitors:
- Themes. Darrel recommends a minimal amount of WordPress themes for users to pick from. He seems to favor Divi themes, as can be seen throughout his website and tutorials. And, while Divi is by far one of the most exceptional themes on the market today, it may be useful to broaden his recommendations, especially for those that are truly WordPress beginners.
- Hosting. Hosting is important to all WordPress website owners, no matter their skill level. Darrel initially offers 3 prominent hosting providers, though he does go into further detail (which I will look at shortly) in the Hosting section of his website.
- Services. For those who need a little boost when it comes to their site creation, Darrel takes the time to recommend the Divi Custom Header, Fiverr.com services, and FreeLancer.com.
Blog
I love the fact that Darrel keeps an updated blog for those that enjoy reading rather than watching video tutorials. Of course, a written blog may not be able to go into quite as much detail as a video tutorial, however, for people that learn better with written instructions, clear imagery, and step-by-step instructions they can follow at their own pace, this is extremely helpful.
And the best part is, the blog content seemingly ranges from super simple for those that are beginners, to more advanced for those that are already established with their WordPress website but are seeking ways to improve.
Hosting
As I mentioned earlier, Darrel goes to the extreme when it comes to reviewing WordPress hosting providers. In fact, he invested in a shared hosting plan for every hosting provider on a cloned website, monitored each provider for 30 days, and gathered his results, ranking each provider based on speed.
If you click on the button labeled Watch the Test, you will see Darrel’s YouTube channel where he explains how he decided which hosting providers are the very best on the market today.
Here are some of the things that struck me as impressive about this hosting provider roundup:
- He evaluates a variety of hosting providers in terms of features and cost for people with all budget sizes
- There are discount coupons to some of the industry’s best hosting providers available for anyone to use
- Nearly 60,000 people have seen this video
- The majority of people giving it a rating gave the video a thumbs up
If this any indication of how Darrel approaches all of his WordPress tutorials, viewers are in luck.
Platforms
Although YouTube is the focus of Darrel’s tutorial videos, it is worth noting that he also uses a few other platforms for learning all about WordPress:
- Patreon. Doubling as a place to collect donations to support his free video tutorial creations, Darrel utilizes the Patreon platform to further expose viewers to his YouTube channel, as well as provide exclusive content only available to those that agree to donate on a regular basis.
- Skillshare Premium. Sign up for a premium membership and access all of Darrel’s classes, plus thousands of others taught by skilled professionals from all over the world.
- Udemy. Darrel, with his 10 available tutorials, has an impressive 4.6 star rating, nearly 3,000 student reviews, 10 available courses, and 39,850 students that have locked into his Udemy tutorials, which are free by the way.
Altogether, Darrel’s diverse platforms are impressive. However, his Udemy tutorials seem to cover only three subjects – Divi, WooCommerce, and Elementor.
And, while Elementor and WooCommerce are free to use (less you go pro or invest in any add-ons), Divi is far from free. This runs the risk of cornering people into using a very specific type of WordPress theme. Worse yet, Darrel runs the risk of alienating a group of users that don’t’ want to purchase Divi.
Darrel Wilson: YouTube Channel
Darrel’s YouTube channel is the main course when it comes to his WordPress tutorials. The videos created are to help WordPress users create websites, learn SEO skills, and of course, master using WordPress.
And, with an impressive 3,208,461 views, along with 42,000 subscribers, it is safe to say something is going well here.
Variety
Here Darrel really expands the topic of WordPress and provides viewers a lot of variety. For example, look at some of the topics you can learn about:
- How to use his favorite products – Elementor, WooCommerce, and Divi – including the basics and advance use of add-ons, additional plugins, and how to make personal customizations
- Which WordPress themes and plugins are the best for running an eCommerce shop
- Step-by-step instructions for creating a WordPress website
- Better advertising strategies for building your online business
Discussions
On YouTube, there is a section where people can pose discussions for others to see and comment on. What is really great to see is that Darrel interacts with his users and answers questions. Some as early as even a week ago.
While it can be difficult to personally answer or comment on every single comment, I think it’s important that Darrel establishes himself as an authority, answers to those questioning him, and guides users when they need help.
Final Recommendations
In the end, Darrel Wilson has a tremendous amount of WordPress knowledge to share with WordPress users of all skill levels. Between his website, Udemy material, and YouTube channel, there is a lot of really great resources available, free of charge, to get you started in the right direction.
I think it’s tough to establish yourself as the number one WordPress tutorial authority. With free and premium options such as WPBeginner, Lynda.com, Tuts Plus, and iThemes out there competing for WordPress users both novice and advanced, it is going to take a lot of work to make it to the front of the pack.
That said, anyone looking for high-quality, detailed WordPress tutorials regarding Divi should definitely give Darrel Wilson’s video tutorials a look. They are extremely professional, easy to follow along, and really break difficult tasks down into smaller, easier to digest sections. Just like a solid WordPress video tutorial should.
Have you ever viewed any of Darrel Wilson’s WordPress tutorial videos? What did you get out of them? I would love to hear all about it in them comments below!
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