3 Ways to Make Money as a WordPress Website Designer in Nigeria

By the end of this guide, you will understand three simple ways to earn money with WordPress and have a practical seven-day plan for getting started—even if you are still learning.

Learning WordPress is not only about knowing how to install themes or arrange pages. It is a skill you can use to solve real problems for businesses, professionals, schools, churches, creators and online sellers. When you help someone look professional online, receive enquiries, sell a product or keep a website working, that service can become a source of income.

You do not need to know everything before you start. You need one useful skill, a small project you can show, and a clear offer that matches what a customer actually needs. If you are completely new, our WordPress learning roadmap explains how to build your skills step by step.

What do you need before you can make money with WordPress?

• A laptop and a reliable internet connection
• Basic knowledge of the WordPress dashboard
• The ability to create pages, menus and contact forms
• A simple understanding of mobile-friendly design
• One or two practice websites you can show people
• A willingness to communicate clearly and keep your promises

You do not need to be a programmer. WordPress lets beginners build useful websites with themes, blocks and visual page builders. Coding can help later, but it is not the first requirement for earning from basic website projects.

Way 1: Build new websites for small businesses

This is the most direct way to earn. Many small businesses have no proper website, while others rely only on Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp. Social media is useful, but a website gives a business a permanent place to explain its services, show proof, answer questions and receive enquiries.

You can help businesses such as:

• Fashion designers and beauty professionals
• Restaurants and food vendors
• Schools, tutors and training centres
• Real estate agents and property companies
• Churches and non-profit organisations
• Consultants, coaches and freelancers
• Logistics and cleaning companies
• Online stores and product sellers

What can you offer?

Start with a small, clear website package rather than promising every possible feature. A beginner-friendly business website can include:

• A home page that explains what the business does
• An About page that builds trust
• A Services or Products page
• A Contact page with a working form and WhatsApp button
• A mobile-friendly layout
• Basic security, backup and speed checks
• A short handover video showing the owner how to make simple changes

Simple example

Imagine a caterer in Abuja who receives all enquiries through WhatsApp. Customers repeatedly ask for the menu, delivery areas and booking process. You could build a simple website that displays those details, shows real food photographs, answers common questions and sends serious customers to a pre-filled WhatsApp conversation.

The value is not “five pages.” The value is saving the business time and making it easier for customers to place an enquiry.

How to get started

1. Choose one type of business you understand.
2. Build a demonstration website for an imaginary brand, clearly labelled as a practice project.
3. Ask three real business owners what customers commonly ask them.
4. Turn those answers into a small website package.
5. Show prospects the demonstration on your phone or send a short video walkthrough.

Never pretend a practice project is a paying client. Honest proof is better than a fake testimonial.

Way 2: Redesign, maintain and improve existing WordPress websites

You do not always need to build a website from the beginning. Many businesses already have one, but it may be slow, outdated, confusing on mobile or neglected. Improving an existing website can be easier to sell because the owner can already see the problem.

Services you can provide

• Updating WordPress, themes and plugins safely
• Creating backups and checking whether they can be restored
• Fixing broken contact forms and links
• Making important pages easier to use on mobile phones
• Compressing oversized images
• Adding new products, blog posts or team members
• Improving menus and calls to action
• Removing unused plugins and spam comments
• Checking basic security and user accounts

How recurring income can work

After completing a website, offer an optional monthly care service. Explain exactly what it covers: updates, backups, a set amount of content changes, uptime checks and a simple report. Also explain what is not included, such as a complete redesign or unlimited new pages.

Do not promise “24-hour support” if you cannot provide it. A clear response time and defined monthly tasks protect both you and the client.

Before-and-after example

A small school website may have old admission information, broken buttons and large photographs that take too long to load. Your job could be to back up the site, update the information, repair the buttons, reduce image sizes and test the enquiry form. You can show the owner a checklist of what changed and what should be reviewed next month.

If performance is one of your services, use our practical guide on how to speed up a WordPress website as a starting checklist.

Way 3: Create landing pages and online selling systems

A full website is not the only product you can sell. Some clients need one focused page for an advert, event, course, product, booking or lead form. A landing page has one main job: helping the visitor take the next step.

Examples of pages you can build

• A registration page for a webinar or training
• A product sales page connected to checkout
• A lead-generation page for a service business
• A booking page for a consultant or beauty professional
• A simple portfolio for a freelancer
• A course information and enrolment page
• A campaign page connected to email follow-up

What makes a useful landing page?

1. A clear headline: Say what the visitor can achieve.
2. A simple explanation: Show who the offer is for and how it works.
3. Real proof: Use genuine examples, credentials or demonstrations.
4. One main action: Register, buy, book or request information.
5. Mobile testing: Make sure the page works on common phone sizes.
6. A working follow-up: Test the confirmation page, email or WhatsApp message.

Practical example

A trainer wants to promote a weekend class. Instead of sending people to a crowded home page, you create one focused page that explains the class, who should attend, what students need, the schedule and the registration process. You then test the form and confirmation email. The trainer is paying for a smoother registration system, not just attractive colours.

How should a beginner decide what to charge?

There is no single correct price for every website. Your price should reflect the work, responsibility and expenses involved. Before sending a quote, estimate:

• Discovery and planning time
• Number and complexity of pages
• Content preparation
• Design and building time
• Forms, payments or other integrations
• Mobile and browser testing
• Revisions and meetings
• Hosting, domain or paid licences
• Training, handover and support

State what the client will supply, what you will supply, the payment stages and how many revision rounds are included. Do not hide third-party costs or offer unlimited changes.

A simple message for finding your first client

Hello [Name], I looked at how your business currently presents [service/product] online. I noticed customers may find it difficult to [specific problem]. I build simple WordPress websites that help [type of business] explain their services and receive enquiries more easily. I have one idea that may help. May I send you a short example?

Personalise the message. Contact businesses you can genuinely help, respect their response and do not send bulk spam. If they agree, show the relevant idea—not a long speech about every tool you know.

Your beginner portfolio checklist

• One complete business website
• One focused landing page
• Phone and desktop screenshots
• A short explanation of the problem you solved
• A list of features you personally built
• A working contact method
• No fake clients, testimonials or results

Practice projects count when you describe them honestly. Quality matters more than having twenty unfinished examples.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting until you know everything before starting a project
• Promising features you cannot build or support
• Copying another designer’s price without calculating your work
• Starting without a written scope or payment agreement
• Using pirated themes and plugins
• Ignoring mobile visitors
• Forgetting backups before changing a live website
• Focusing on design while forms and buttons do not work
• Using fake testimonials or guaranteeing sales

What if something goes wrong?

The client keeps adding new requests: Return to the approved scope. Quote extra work separately before doing it.

You do not know how to build a requested feature: Be honest. Research it on a practice site, partner with someone experienced or remove it from the project.

The website breaks after an update: Restore the tested backup, identify the conflict on staging and only return the fix to the live site after testing.

No one responds to your messages: Improve your targeting. Mention one real business problem and ask permission to share one useful idea.

You are afraid to show your work: Record a two-minute screen video explaining the problem, your decisions and how the visitor uses the site.

Your seven-day action plan

1. Day 1: Choose one business type you want to help.
2. Day 2: List the five questions its customers commonly ask.
3. Day 3: Plan a small demonstration website that answers those questions.
4. Days 4–5: Build and test the website on phone and desktop.
5. Day 6: Create a one-page portfolio explanation and a short video.
6. Day 7: Contact three carefully selected businesses with a personal message.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know coding?

No. You can begin with WordPress, themes, blocks and visual builders. Learn basic HTML and CSS later to improve your flexibility, but do not postpone every practical project until you become a programmer.

Can I start while I am still learning?

Yes, but keep the project within your ability. Practice first, be honest about your experience and never accept responsibility for a system you cannot safely deliver.

Which way should I start with?

Start with small business websites if you enjoy complete projects, maintenance if you enjoy troubleshooting, or landing pages if you enjoy focused marketing pages. You can combine them after you have a reliable process.

How quickly can I make money?

There is no guaranteed timeline. Your progress depends on your skill, proof, communication, market, consistency and ability to solve a real problem. Focus first on completing one useful project and having genuine client conversations.

Ready to learn WordPress properly?

If you want guided practice, the verified WordPress for Beginners: Build Professional Websites from Scratch course is designed for complete beginners. It covers installing WordPress, understanding the dashboard, using Elementor and building real-world websites—including an e-commerce store. It can help you move from watching tutorials to completing projects you can confidently show.

You can also explore The Script Boss when you are ready to practise building a wider variety of websites with step-by-step guidance. Whatever path you choose, begin with one honest project, solve one real problem and improve from there.