When someone acquires a starter website, the next step is deciding how they want to develop it further.

Different buyers approach website ownership differently. Some focus on managing and monetizing the site with minimal technical changes, while others may want to expand the platform with additional features or use it as the foundation for a larger project.

Broadly speaking, buyers of starter websites often fall into two categories.

Understanding these paths can help new owners decide what skills they may want to learn next.

---

Category 1: Website Operators and Digital Entrepreneurs

The first group includes buyers who primarily want to operate the website rather than build complex technical features.

These owners typically focus on activities such as:

• Managing WordPress content
• Publishing blog posts
• Applying for advertising networks such as Google AdSense
• Integrating affiliate programs
• Improving SEO
• Growing traffic and monetization

In many cases, this path requires basic web administration skills rather than software development knowledge.

Skills to Learn

Some useful skills for this category include:

1. WordPress Administration

Learning how to manage a WordPress website is essential.

Topics to understand include:

• Creating and editing posts
• Managing plugins
• Updating themes
• Moderating comments
• Basic website settings

Useful resources:

• WordPress
  https://wordpress.org/support/
• WordPress beginner tutorials
  https://learn.wordpress.org/

---

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO helps websites appear in search engine results.

Key concepts include:

• Keyword research
• On-page optimization
• Internal linking
• Content strategy

Beginner-friendly resources:

• https://developers.google.com/search/docs
• https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

---

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing allows website owners to earn commissions by recommending products or services.

Common affiliate marketplaces include:

• Impact.com
  https://impact.com/
• CJ Affiliate
  https://www.cj.com/
• PartnerStack
  https://partnerstack.com/

---

4. Display Advertising

Many website owners monetize their traffic through advertising networks.

One common option is:

• Google AdSense
  https://www.google.com/adsense/start/

Before applying, it is usually helpful to ensure the website has adequate content and policy pages.

---

5. Basic Analytics

Understanding visitor behavior helps website owners make informed decisions.

Useful tools include:

• Google Analytics
  https://analytics.google.com/
• Google Search Console
  https://search.google.com/search-console/

---

Category 2: Developers and Builders

The second group includes buyers who want to extend the website with additional features or integrate it into a larger project.

These buyers may:

• Develop custom WordPress functionality
• Build software tools or APIs
• Offer developer services
• Create SaaS products
• Use the website as a project landing page

In some cases, a live website with real content may also serve as an early-stage Minimum Viable Product (MVP) when applying to startup programs.

Examples of startup initiatives that sometimes offer cloud infrastructure credits include:

• AWS Activate
  https://aws.amazon.com/activate/
• Google for Startups Cloud Program
  https://cloud.google.com/startup

Acceptance into these programs depends entirely on each provider’s evaluation criteria.

---

Skills to Learn

Developers expanding a website may benefit from learning several technical areas.

1. Web Development Fundamentals

Core technologies include:

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript

A well-known learning resource is:

• freeCodeCamp
  https://www.freecodecamp.org/

---

2. Python and Backend Development

Python is widely used for automation, data processing, and web applications.

Learning resources include:

• https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/
• https://cs50.harvard.edu/python/

---

3. WordPress Development

Developers can extend WordPress through:

• Custom plugins
• Theme customization
• API integrations

Useful documentation:

• https://developer.wordpress.org/

---

4. Web Application Frameworks

Some developers may build web applications connected to their websites.

A popular Python framework is:

• Flask
  https://flask.palletsprojects.com/

Another option is:

• Django
  https://www.djangoproject.com/

---

5. Cloud Platforms

Developers may deploy applications or infrastructure using cloud services.

Examples include:

• Amazon Web Services
  https://aws.amazon.com/
• Google Cloud
  https://cloud.google.com/
• Microsoft Azure
  https://azure.microsoft.com/

---

Choosing Your Path

Both approaches can work well depending on your goals.

Some buyers simply want to operate and monetize the website through content and marketing. Others use the site as the starting point for a broader technical project.

A starter website provides a foundation, but the direction it grows in ultimately depends on the owner’s strategy and interests.

---

Final Thoughts

Starter websites provide an existing structure that can save time compared with building a platform entirely from scratch.

From there, owners may choose to focus on:

• Content and monetization
• Technical development and expansion
• Startup experimentation
• Digital asset investment

With consistent effort and learning, a simple starter website can evolve into a much larger project.