A full house of attendees gathered in Portland, Oregon, for WordCamp US 2025, with thousands more tuning in online. Over four days, the flagship WordPress event brought together contributors, innovators, and community members for collaboration, inspiration, and discovery.

The WordPress event began with a dedicated Contributor Day and continued with a Showcase Day and two days of sessions filled with talks, panels, workshops, and community celebrations. WordPress Cofounder Matt Mullenweg joined a diverse lineup of speakers, panelists, and workshop leaders who brought fresh perspectives to the open web from across the globe.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Portland — with its iconic bridges, coffee culture, and creative energy — the Sponsor Hall buzzed as companies across the WordPress ecosystem demoed new products, shared insights, and connected with attendees. Each day offered opportunities to refuel with local flavors and international favorites, turning mealtimes into lively hubs of networking and idea-sharing.

A Global Gathering in Portland

WordCamp US is the annual gathering point for the WordPress community — where collaboration, creativity, and innovation intersect. This year in Portland, the event delivered an expansive program that reached every corner of the ecosystem.

Here’s what attendees experienced:

• Engaging Sessions Across Tracks – Keynotes, presentations, and discussions explored the evolving web and the role of open source in shaping it.
• A Global Speaker Lineup – Voices from across continents brought local stories and global visions to the stage.
• Wide-Ranging Topics – From AI in WordPress development to accessibility, design systems, content strategy, education, and case studies of WordPress at scale.
• Hands-On Learning Opportunities – Workshops provided practical takeaways, empowering attendees to apply new skills immediately.
• A Community Built on Collaboration – Whether contributing code, exploring business strategies, or sharing creative projects, attendees found space to learn, grow, and celebrate open source together.

New contributors took their first steps into open source, seasoned developers explored cutting-edge AI integrations, and agencies and product teams shared strategies for scaling WordPress to meet modern needs. Beyond the technical, conversations around inclusivity, sustainability, and education underscored WordPress’s role as a tool for empowerment and positive change.

In hallways, coffee lines, and evening meetups, attendees found the “hallway track” alive and well, spontaneous moments of connection that often became the most memorable part of the experience. Whether reconnecting with longtime collaborators or meeting someone new, these small interactions reinforced the heart of WordCamp US: a community that thrives on openness, generosity, and shared purpose.

Contributor Day: Collaboration at the Core

The conference opened on Tuesday, August 26, with a vibrant Contributor Day. Nearly 300 contributors filled the space, including more than 120 first-time participants who were onboarded across 19 teams. Developers, designers, translators, marketers, and community organizers worked side by side, representing WordPress expertise.

Throughout the day, contributors tackled everything from improving accessibility and performance to refining documentation to enhancing translation tools. Beyond technical contributions, teams like Marketing and Community focused on outreach, mentoring, and shaping future-facing initiatives. Remote participants joined via dedicated channels, reinforcing the inclusive nature of WordPress’s global community. By day’s end, the collective energy was clear: WordPress continues to be built by and for everyone.

The mix of experience in the room made this year especially notable. First-time contributors were paired with seasoned table leads who guided them through their first steps into open source contribution. Longtime contributors reconnected with their teams and advanced ongoing initiatives, while new voices added fresh perspectives and momentum. The spirit of mentorship was woven throughout, ensuring that Contributor Day was productive and welcoming.

The results spoke for themselves:

• Polyglots translated more than 12,000 strings, expanding WordPress’s accessibility worldwide.
• The Community team celebrated the approval of two brand-new local meetups.
• The Training team achieved its objective of updating outdated course thumbnails.
• The Core team worked through a live bug scrub, with 9 committers and 16 contributors collaborating on improvements.
• The Documentation team completed numerous content updates to keep resources fresh and reliable.

Momentum carried through every table, with participants reporting measurable progress and a renewed sense of shared purpose. Contributor Day once again highlighted the unique power of collaboration in shaping the open web, proving that every contribution matters through code, translations, training, or community building.

Showcase Day: WordPress in Action

Wednesday, August 27, was the popular Showcase Day, spotlighting real-world innovation in WordPress. Initially expected to draw about 250 participants, Showcase Day welcomed more than 800 attendees — a powerful sign of how much energy and curiosity the community brought to Portland. The sessions demonstrated how WordPress powers meaningful work across industries from nonprofits to newsrooms, agencies to global enterprises, while staying true to open source values.

The day opened with a keynote by Amy Sample Ward: The Tech That Comes Next. Drawing from their co-authored book with Afua Bruce, Amy highlighted the inequities embedded in today’s technologies — from dataset bias to accessibility gaps — and challenged attendees to rethink how tools are funded, built, and deployed. Their talk invited technologists, funders, and community leaders to imagine a more equitable digital future, rooted in collaboration and shared responsibility.

From there, Joeleen Kennedy of Human Made shared how Full Site Editing (FSE) shapes the refresh of Wikimedia’s ongoing user experience. Her session Modernizing at Scale detailed how FSE is simplifying workflows, improving accessibility, and making the multilingual platform more sustainable for the long term. Attendees gained a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s largest open knowledge platforms is leveraging WordPress innovation.

Josh Bryant took the stage to explore what happens when Gutenberg leaves the WP-Admin dashboard. His talk, Reimagining WordPress Editing, walked through embedding the block editor into a standalone React application to support Dow Jones’s newsroom workflows. From decoupling Gutenberg to managing custom data stores, the session showcased advanced techniques for scaling editorial tools while maintaining the flexibility of the WordPress ecosystem.

Hands-on learning was a hallmark of Showcase Day, with Jamie Marsland’s workshop leading participants through building and launching their own professional portfolio sites — no coding required. Attendees left with a fully functioning site, demonstrating WordPress’s continued ability to empower anyone, anywhere, to publish online.

In the afternoon, Jeffrey Paul’s session Scalable, Ethical AI addressed one of the most pressing topics in today’s digital world: how to integrate AI without sacrificing ownership, privacy, or open standards. Walking participants through practical use cases with ClassifAI and local LLMs, Paul emphasized how WordPress can help content creators harness AI while maintaining autonomy over their data.

The day closed with a forward-looking community highlight: WordPress Campus Connect. Panelists Destiny Kanno, Andrés Parra, Javier Montes de Blas, Mauricio Barrantes, and Elineth Morera Campos shared how this initiative brings WordPress into classrooms and universities worldwide. Student Andrés Parra received a scholarship to attend WordCamp. During the panel, Elineth also announced that Fidélitas University will begin offering its students a WordPress Credits program starting in October 2025, making it a mandatory addition sometime in 2026, enabling them to contribute directly to WordPress as part of their studies.

By connecting students and educators with the open web, Campus Connect is building the next generation of contributors and innovators, ensuring that WordPress remains both a learning tool and a pathway to opportunity.

Taken together, Showcase Day affirmed that WordPress is more than just a CMS — it is a platform for equitable technology, global collaboration, cutting-edge enterprise solutions, and the future of digital education. WordPress has the power to be both a platform and a community tool for education, equity, and innovation.

Presentation Days: Learning, Inspiration, and Connection

The first full day of sessions at WordCamp US 2025 opened with warm remarks from the organizing team, who reminded attendees: “The most important thanks goes to all of you. The mix of new energy and veteran experience is what makes WordCamp so special, so thank you for being here.” That spirit of gratitude and community carried throughout the event.

The Sponsor Hall became a hub of activity, complete with raffles, the return of Career Corner, and even a Voodoo Donut Truck parked outside. Attendees lined up to test their luck at a claw machine stuffed with plush Wapuus, while others sought guidance at the Happiness Bar — a hands-on help desk for WordPress questions big and small. Between these activities, the steady buzz of conversations made it clear: the “hallway track” remained one of WordCamp’s most valuable experiences.

The program itself set a high bar. Danny Sullivan’s keynote shed light on how search has evolved to meet the needs of new generations, from 24/7 demand and mobile expectations to short-form video and AI. His session gave attendees a deeper understanding of how search intersects with publishing today and sparked conversations about how WordPress can continue adapting in an era where AI shapes discovery and content.

From there, the schedule unfolded across multiple tracks. The Core AI panel — featuring James LePage, Felix Arntz, Jeffrey Paul, and Matías Ventura — offered a look into how AI tools are woven into WordPress core. Emphasizing ethics, transparency, and user empowerment, the panel painted a roadmap for how WordPress can adopt new technologies without compromising its open-source values.

Hands-on learning played a significant role throughout the conference. Ryan Welcher’s interactive Block Developer Cookbook drew a packed room as participants worked through community-selected code recipes built on the latest WordPress APIs. By the end, attendees left with working examples and practical strategies they could bring back to their projects.

The program also highlighted diverse technical perspectives. Jemima Abu’s session, A PHP Developer’s Guide to ReactJS, bridged the gap between classic and modern web development. At the same time, Adam Gazzaley’s keynote, A New Era of Experiential Medicine – AI and the Brain, invited attendees to consider the human side of technology, exploring how digital tools can advance health and well-being.

The second day of presentations, Friday, August 29, opened with creativity and imagination. John Maeda’s keynote, Cozy AI Cooking: WordCamp Edition, used the metaphor of a kitchen to demystify AI, blending storytelling with technical insight to show how curiosity and care can guide builders in integrating AI into their work.

Later in the day, Tammie Lister’s The System is the Strategy illustrated how design systems provide structure and scalability for growing WordPress projects. At the same time, Adam Silverstein’s Unlock Developer Superpowers with AI showcased new ways developers can use emerging tools to speed up workflows and problem-solving.

Community stories also took center stage. In Creators around a Campfire, Anne McCarthy, Jamie Marsland, Christian Taylor, Mark Szymanski, and Michael Cunningham reflected on how YouTubers and content creators shape the WordPress ecosystem. Their session highlighted the role of storytelling and education in expanding WordPress’s reach to new audiences worldwide.

The Sponsor Hall remained lively between sessions — with attendees meeting companies, testing demos, and swapping ideas that extended far beyond the conference halls. They also shared moments together at the arcade built for the event and added smiles, hugs, and laughter, which underscored the atmosphere: WordCamp US was as much about connection as code.

Together Into the Future

As the event drew to a close, WordPress Cofounder Matt Mullenweg took the stage to share the current state of WordPress and a vision for its future. He highlighted the growth in social media for WordPress with 124,726 new followers since last WCUS — and the WordPress.org website growing over 10% in users along with almost 20% in new users.

Matt also spotlighted community initiatives shaping the future of open source education and diversity: WordPress Campus Connect, which has already reached 570 students across 11 events. Combined with the growth in overall events (77) which is a 32.76% increase over 2024. Each effort reinforced the message that WordPress is more than software; it is a global movement driven by people.

He concluded with a live Q&A, fielding questions from the audience on the direction of WordPress, its role in an AI-driven web, and the importance of keeping the project open, inclusive, and adaptable. The final notes of the keynote carried into a closing party in downtown Portland, where attendees capped off the week with music, conversation, and the unmistakable joy of a community coming together.

Closing

WordCamp US 2025 once again demonstrated what makes the WordPress ecosystem extraordinary: a community committed to building tools, resources, and opportunities that empower people everywhere.

This year also marked the debut of the Open Horizons Scholarship, which funded six recipients — two organizers, three volunteers, and one speaker — from five countries. A total of $14,670 supported their journeys to WCUS. The scholarship, which also supports participation at WordCamp Asia and WordCamp Europe, is designed to make flagship events more accessible to contributors worldwide.

A heartfelt thank you goes to the organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and speakers who brought the Portland edition to life — and to every attendee who joined us in person or followed along online. We hope you leave with fresh ideas, meaningful connections, and renewed energy to help shape the future of the open web.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the next global gatherings: WordCamp Asia 2026  in Mumbai, India, WordCamp Europe 2026  in Kraków, Poland, and WordCamp US 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. We can’t wait to see you at the next chapter of the WordPress story.

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There it is again: the tug on your heart, the yearning in your soul, the little lump that forms in your throat every time you daydream about quitting your job, starting a business, and finally living the way you want to.

It’s never been easier to strike out on your own, and one of the most accessible ways to do it is to start your own web design business.

Think about it: As more of our lives move online, the demand for high-quality websites is only increasing, as is the need for people who can build them.

Web design is a job you can do from anywhere, with minimal setup, and for clients in almost any industry. You don’t even need to know how to code (at least not to get started). Your journey starts here.

Why start a web design business?

Your reasons for starting a web design business will carry you forward when times get tough. Here are some powerful reminders for those moments:

• Work for yourself. When you’re the boss, you get to choose your projects and clients, and how to fill your time.
• Leave a dead-end job. No more cubicles, commutes, office politics, mandatory meetings, or deadlines you didn’t choose.
• Gain more freedom. Web design is a remote-friendly career. Whether you’re on a beach, in a mountain cabin, or exploring a new city, your work goes where you go.
• Set your own hours. Work when you’re most productive and take breaks when you need them.
• Learn new skills. Web design includes many aspects, from wireframes to user experience design to CSS. Learning new skills makes you more valuable and versatile.
• Do something meaningful. Contribute to projects you care about and create work you’re proud of.
• You can start lean. You don’t need inventory, an office, or expensive equipment to start a web design business.
• Scale your income. Your salary has a ceiling, but your business doesn’t. As your skills grow, so can your rates, your client base, and your income.

What do you need for a web design business?

Although overhead is minimal, there are some requirements for building websites for a living.

Relevant skills

Running a web design business is mostly a matter of acquiring the right skills and knowledge. For starters, you need to:

• Understand web hosting and domains
• Know the different types of websites, parts of websites, and layouts
• Learn how to create a website and the stages of the web design process
• Pick up basic business skills such as invoicing and doing taxes

To make sure the sites you build can compete on the web, you’ll also have to:

• Study how to improve site speed with techniques like image optimization
• Be able to implement security measures like user roles, SSL, and software updates to combat malware and DDoS attacks
• Familiarize yourself with search engine optimization (SEO) to rank for relevant topics

Finally, while it’s absolutely possible to build websites for a living without coding, having at least a basic understanding of programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or PHP allows you to make more significant changes and build more advanced features.

Thankfully, you don’t need to master all of these at the start; you just need to know more than your clients. You’ll learn many of these as you go.

Plus, you can outsource some of them with a managed hosting provider like WordPress.com. We take care of security, performance, software updates, and more, so you can concentrate fully on designing websites.

Tip: Gain access to the WordPress.com agency partner program with discounted pricing, referral earnings, and extra tools. You can also easily move your sites to WordPress.com.

Reliable equipment

Another thing you need is the right hardware and software. At the minimum, you should have:

• Laptop or desktop computer
• Reliable internet connection
• Headset or earbuds with microphone
• Code editor (e.g., VS Code)
• Local development tool (like WordPress Studio)
• Some sort of backup solution

Additional nice-to-haves include:

• Second screen
• Printer/scanner
• Project management software
• Time-tracking software (like Toggl)

• Accounting and invoicing software
• Tools to create contracts/proposals
• A customer relations management (CRM) solution

Keep in mind that buying business equipment can lower your tax burden or even give you back VAT.

14 steps to start your own web design business

Once you have the necessary skills and equipment, follow these easy steps to create your web design company:

1. Pick your web design niche

Defining exactly who you’d like to work with helps you create a better offer. For example, “I design websites for yoga instructors who want to sell online classes” immediately makes your services more relevant to that targeted group than a generic “I’m a web designer.”

When choosing your niche, consider the following:

• Select an industry you’re experienced in. That way you already know your customers. It might be the industry you’re currently working in, a hobby, or some other niche you belong to.
• Pick something you’re passionate about. You’ll likely work in this area for a long time, so pick a sector that interests you.
• Consider targeting a particular location. While the internet makes it possible to work with anyone, geographically limiting your clientele can also have its benefits. For example, it may allow you to meet them in person, which is often beneficial in building close business relationships.
• Choose a niche with available budgets. Ensure that potential clients have the means to pay for your websites.

2. Set your goals

Setting goals gives you a direction to work toward. To know where you want to move, ask yourself questions like:

• What am I trying to achieve with my business?
• Which problems am I solving?
• Who do I want to be for my clients?
• How do I want to be different from the competition?
• Ideally, how much do I want to earn?
• What do I want my everyday life to look like?
• How many clients do I want to work with at any given time?
• What’s my long-term plan?

Consider writing a mission statement that summarizes your answer to these questions, as a way to keep you on track when you feel directionless.

3. Decide on your products and services

Web design is a wide field, allowing you to provide a number of different services, such as:

• Logo design
• Branding
• UX design
• Programming
• Website content
• Visuals
• SEO
• Web accessibility
• Website management
• Maintenance

Decide what you want to do and can provide. While you can always branch out later, deciding on a baseline allows you to figure out your pricing.

Don’t think only about the immediate needs of your customers (such as a website), but also future requirements they’ll have, like content changes, design refreshes, or software updates. In addition, decide whether you want to offer pre-defined bundles, individual services, or both.

Finally, do market research to gauge demand for your planned services. Check competitor websites for their pricing, services, reviews, and positioning. Look at relevant job postings on job boards like Upwork or Toptal and analyze what clients are in the market for. You can also research relevant keywords in Google Trends or SEO tools like Ubersuggest, Semrush, and Ahrefs.

4. Figure out your pricing and rates

Your pricing model depends on your offerings. For example, you might charge a project fee for website design, but a monthly recurring retainer for site management and maintenance. To make things easier, base your prices on concrete deliverables, like the number of web pages.

When deciding your rates, factor in the following:

• What your competition is charging: This can give you a way to differentiate yourself and also avoids severely undercharging for your services.
• Your cost of living, fixed costs, and business expenses: Divide required costs by the number of hours you plan on working (including time off and vacations) to get the rate you need to continue operating your business. You’ll need to add a percentage in order to make a profit.
• Your clientele and the value of your services: To a high-ticket business, a new website could mean a huge increase in revenue, so price accordingly.

5. Settle on a name for your business

A fun part of striking on your own is finding a name for your business. You’ll want to pick something that’s:

• Easy to remember and pronounce
• Appropriate for your industry, location, services, and goals
• Short and attention-grabbing
• Not already in use by someone else

Before making a decision, check whether your desired domain and social handles are available. Also, consider your long-term goals — if you plan on building a team, naming your business “Kevin Jones Web Design” might not be the best choice.

6. Handle the legal stuff

Depending on where you reside, there will be some bureaucratic hoops to jump through. Find out what licenses, permits, insurance, and other requirements you need in order to operate your business. If necessary, seek legal advice.

An important step is choosing your business structure, which affects your taxes, liability, and legal requirements. The most common options are:

• Sole proprietorship: This is simple and easy to set up, but offers no personal liability protection.
• LLC or equivalent: This involves more setup and paperwork, but protects your personal assets if your business fails.

It’s not the most fun aspect of starting your own web design business, but don’t neglect it — you’ll thank yourself later.

7. Create your branding

Branding is your company’s identity. It usually consists of the following elements:

• Logo
• Color palette
• Fonts
• Voice/personality

Compile these elements into a style guide for easy future reference. This is great practice to prepare you for how to approach client projects.

8. Register your domain and build your website

You can’t start a web design business without your own website. It’s part of your portfolio and directly shows what you can do for others, so build something clients would be happy to pay money for. Below is a great example of one designer’s cohesive and high-quality web presence that’s sure to impress potential clients.

Go through the same steps you would if working with someone else. Take copious notes to document your process. At the very least, your site should have:

• A homepage with a call to action
• Service and pricing information
• Contact information and/or a contact form
• Your portfolio of past work
• An about page
• Social proof, such as testimonials from happy clients

Publish it under your own domain, so you can set up a professional email address.

Tip: If you’re building websites for clients, you shouldn’t need too much advice from us. If you do need some guidance on building a site for yourself, follow this guide.

9. Start building a portfolio

Your past work is one of the best ways to convince people to work with you. It’s living proof that you have the skills you claim to possess.

But how can you create one if you never had a client?

• Do personal projects. Design a web presence for a fake company or redesign an existing site with your own ideas.
• Reach out to your network. See if anyone you know needs web work or can refer you to someone who does. Consider offering a special rate to fill your portfolio.
• Use freelance websites. Services like Upwork are not known for their great earning potential, but it can be worth doing a few projects to create a showcase.

Be sure you do an absolutely stellar job for your portfolio pieces and make sure to collect testimonials for your website.

10. Establish processes and workflows

Formalizing your web design process makes it much easier to repeat it later on. It also makes you look professional and provides a streamlined client experience.

This typically consists of these steps:

1. Goal-setting
2. Scoping
3. Resourcing
4. Project management
5. Sitemap/wireframes
6. Content creation
7. Staging site setup
8. Visual design
9. Testing
10. Launch
11. Site maintenance

To put yourself in the best position, plan them out beforehand and document them as you go along. You can use our customizable checklist template, which includes more details on each step.

11. Create proposal and contract templates

Formalizing templates for work proposals and contracts helps you standardize your process, set expectations, and agree on terms, such as:

• Scope
• Timelines
• Deliverables
• Deposits and payment schedule
• Penalties for late payments
• Cancellation policy
• Copyright

This assures both you and your client agree on the important aspects of the project and avoids unpleasant surprises. Always be sure to protect your income stream by getting a deposit (usually 25–50%) before starting work, and hand over the finished site or files before being paid in full.

AI can help you create first drafts or you can use service providers like PandaDoc, Proposify, The Contract Shop, or Contract Killer. You may also wish to consult a lawyer.

12. Promote your business

After putting the important pieces in place, you need to work on being seen. This starts with SEO to promote your website, which can include writing blog posts that address and solve issues common to your target group.

In addition, claim and fill out your Google Business Profile, Bing Places, and business directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and/or local alternatives. This ensures you’re visible to local clients.

Social media should also play a role in your promotion. Pick one or two platforms that make sense for you, create a simple content strategy, and start publishing. It may also make sense to create a YouTube channel and/or podcast to share your insights and promote your offerings.

13. Approach clients

Relying solely on inbound marketing isn’t always enough to find web design clients. You also need to play an active role with outreach.

If you’ve picked your niche well, it shouldn’t be hard to find relevant companies in your area who may need your services. Make a list of them and pitch your services to their marketing team. The more concrete and tailored your proposal, the higher your chances of being hired. You can also offer something with actionable value for free, like a consultation on how to improve their homepage.

Your personal network is also a good place to look for clients; job boards and Facebook groups are also worth trying.

Find ways to network with potential clients in person. Attend business functions, chamber of commerce events, industry meetups, and similar gatherings. Focus on understanding business problems and providing your expertise as a solution to them. Stay in contact and follow up so you can build relationships before pitching your work.

Once you have clients, ask them for referrals — it’s often easier to land a new client through an existing one.

14. Keep learning

Web design is constantly evolving. Trends come and go, requirements change, and new technologies emerge often. If you want to stay competitive, you need to stay informed.

Developing new skills, learning additional tools, and acquiring more knowledge enables you to better serve your clients, which in turn allows you to offer more services and charge higher fees.

Start your web design business today

A web design business can be an amazing vehicle to build a fulfilling and flexible career. The barriers to start and the risks are low, though it takes effort and patience.

Need high-quality managed WordPress hosting for your clients? Consider WordPress.com. See what our hosting services have to offer.

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