I have been doing WordPress development for about 10 years now. I started when people were using shortcodes and making custom themes, way before Gutenberg and page builders became popular. I recently lost my job and now I am wondering about the state of the industry.
Lately I have been seeing some changes that worry me. I get fewer project requests than before. Clients take longer to reply to my messages. More people seem to want drag and drop website builders or AI tools instead of custom WordPress sites.
I am good at several things:
Working with Gutenberg blocks and Elementor to make websites that are easy to maintain
Using Bricks Builder (still learning but have made some fast loading sites with it)
Setting up WooCommerce stores, fixing checkout pages, making them load faster
Making websites that score high on Google PageSpeed tests
Doing technical SEO and writing clean code
I keep asking myself if this is just a bad time right now or if WordPress work is really going away. Maybe clients want simple website builders or software services instead of custom development.
Has anyone else noticed these changes? What are you doing to keep getting work? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Ten years in WordPress too, and yeah the landscape’s gotten tougher but not hopeless. Small businesses are definitely going the Squarespace route, but there’s still decent work if you position yourself right. My bread and butter now? Fixing what DIY builders and inexperienced devs mess up. Clients try the cheap route first, then come to experienced devs when their site breaks or doesn’t convert. I’ve built a solid referral network with marketing agencies who need someone reliable for their WordPress projects. The key shift I made was getting more involved in the business side. Instead of just coding what clients ask for, I audit their existing sites and propose specific improvements that impact their bottom line. Conversion optimization, proper analytics setup, membership functionality - stuff that actually moves the needle. Also found success specializing in specific industries. I focus heavily on professional services firms now because I understand their needs and can charge accordingly. Generic WordPress development is commoditized, but niche expertise still commands good rates.
the industry’s def oversaturated, but WordPress ain’t going nowhere. freelanced for 6 yrs, clients want it all for nothing. it’s wild how they think they can DIY until they can’t. I’ve moved to maintenance contracts instead of just building sites. that recurring income is a lifesaver when new proj’s dry up.
WordPress development isn’t dying, but the market’s definitely consolidating. After 8 years doing this, I’ve seen clients get way more selective about hiring. The easy money from basic brochure sites? Gone. DIY builders killed that. But demand’s shifting to complex projects that need real expertise. Enterprise WordPress is still solid - big organizations need custom solutions, advanced security, and complex integrations that page builders can’t touch. I’ve pivoted to headless WordPress and API development. Companies want WordPress managing content while running modern frontend frameworks. Position yourself as a WordPress engineer, not just someone who tweaks themes. Focus on performance optimization, security hardening, and custom functionality that actually requires coding skills. Sure, there’s more competition and pickier clients, but the remaining projects pay better since they need genuine technical chops.
WordPress dev work isn’t disappearing, but the game’s changing fast. I’ve seen this shift too.
Clients don’t just want websites anymore. They need their WordPress sites talking to CRMs, email tools, payment systems, and tons of other apps. Most developers still think “build a theme and you’re done.”
Learned this the hard way when a client wanted their WooCommerce store syncing with inventory AND sending data to three marketing platforms. Custom coding every integration would’ve taken weeks.
Then I found automation platforms. Now I connect WordPress to anything without writing integration code. E-commerce stores updating inventory across channels. Contact forms triggering workflows. Membership sites managing user access across tools.
This made me way more valuable. Instead of just building websites, I solve entire business workflow problems. My project values went up 3x because I’m not just delivering a site.
Your technical skills are solid, but add workflow automation. Clients pay premium rates when you make their WordPress site the center of their business operation.