Since many of you asked, I’m sharing some practical technical blogging and coding advice. I’ll be honest: I’m still very much an amateur. Asking me for web design tips is a bit like asking your waiter to teach you how to cook. I can describe the basic ingredients and what’s worked for me, but building a full menu can get messy. Most of what I’ve learned has come from trial and error and a lot of Google searches. Note: yes, the visual below is a coding joke, hence the brackets.
That said, I’ve learned enough to design and run this blog (with Sherry’s input on look and function) with minimal outside help. Aside from occasional customer support calls and a friend or two when things crash, we manage most of it ourselves. So I must be doing something not totally wrong. If you’re a beginner, take this advice with a grain of salt. If you’re more advanced, please be gentle — and feel free to share improvements.
With that, let’s dive in.
MY BACKGROUND: This blog wasn’t my first encounter with code. My high school required Computer Science, so at 15 I learned C++ and a little HTML. I don’t remember C++ now, but those classes taught me how code works — and how fragile it can be when one bracket is missing. I used basic HTML to build small sites in high school (including an embarrassingly available Geocities page) but I never formally learned CSS or JavaScript. If you’re curious about learning, resources like W3Schools can help you get started.
THE CODE-FREE WAY: Blogging platforms like WordPress.com, Blogger, and Tumblr let you publish without knowing code. If you can write an email and upload a photo, you can blog. We began on a free WordPress.com account, where our “design” was limited to resizing a header photo. If you’re intimidated by code, starting on a hosted platform is a simple option.
FIND A GOOD HOST: In February 2008 we migrated to a self-hosted WordPress.org setup for more flexibility, which meant choosing our own hosting provider. We started on an inexpensive shared host, but as traffic grew we needed to move to a dedicated server to avoid frequent crashes. Choosing a reliable host with solid customer support is crucial — cheaper plans may work at first, but growth often requires a more robust hosting solution.
HOSTING IMAGES TOO: To reduce server load, many sites host images separately. We experimented with free services but eventually moved our images to a paid, reliable solution. As traffic and image counts grow, image hosting costs can rise significantly, but offloading media helps performance and ensures more people can access your photos reliably.
ESTABLISH A THEME: A theme controls your blog’s visual style — colors, layout, fonts, and more. WordPress offers many built-in themes and third-party options, free and paid. You can also create a custom theme if you’re ambitious. We used a free theme and heavily customized it. Start with a theme that closely matches the layout and features you want (columns, navigation style, magazine-style layout, etc.) so you can avoid building from scratch.
STYLING: Most themes rely on Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to control how pages look. CSS files tell the browser how to size and place elements, what fonts and colors to use, and how images behave. My initial approach was “change some code, see what happens.” That often produced odd results, but over time I learned cause and effect. If you want to learn intentionally, there are many good CSS tutorials online that explain selectors, box model, positioning, and responsive techniques.
AN IMAGE IS WORTH A THOUSAND CODES: Visual elements—headers, sidebar icons, and graphics—are vital to a site’s design. Use photo-editing software that lets you resize to pixel dimensions, adjust colors, and save in web-friendly formats such as optimized JPG, PNG, or GIF. Professional tools like Adobe Photoshop are popular, but there are simpler web-based editors that work well too. Also make sure you have a reliable way to upload files to your host, whether through built-in tools or FTP software.
TRIAL, ERROR, AND GOOGLE: My go-to method for troubleshooting is edit-and-observe. Change a bit of code, see the result, and keep backups so you can revert. When I’m stuck, I copy the problematic code into Google and search. That often leads to forum posts, documentation, or examples that explain the issue. WordPress has extensive documentation and a codex that explains its functions and how to modify them.
PLUG-INS: Plugins extend WordPress functionality and are easy to install from the dashboard. They can add widgets, speed up your site, and provide features you don’t want to build yourself. However, too many or poorly coded plugins can slow or destabilize a site. Where possible, hard-code essential functionality or choose well-supported, lightweight plugins. Keep only the plugins you truly need to avoid unexpected crashes and performance issues.
GET HELP: Everyone gets stuck — even experienced people — so have resources ready:
- Google — great for searching error messages and code snippets.
- Support Forums — WordPress forums and other communities can be helpful.
- Technical Support — rely on your host’s support for server-level issues.
- Twitter — useful for quick public requests for help from knowledgeable people.
- Other Bloggers — ask others how they implemented a feature you like; sometimes they’ll share code or advice.
- Paid Support — consider hiring professionals or paid services if an issue is beyond your comfort zone.
I hope this overview helps those interested in the technical side of blogging. There are a lot of specific questions I didn’t cover, but my general answer is: try changing some code and see what happens, and Google liberally. If you’re an expert, please add any tips for readers. And one last nostalgic question: who else rocked a Dilbert sweatshirt in middle school? I’m betting someone did — bowl cut and stonewashed jeans included.
Update – We’ve shared a detailed guide about how we started our blog, grew traffic, and turned blogging into a full-time job for anyone who wants a deeper look at the professional side of blogging.