I’ve lived a lot in my 23 years of life. I’ve moved from a small town in the Midwest, to a small city in the Midwest, to a slightly larger city in a different state in the Midwest; I’ve seen it all.
Yeah right. While I haven’t actually experienced all that much in my short life, there has always been one recurring theme: learning. I love learning! Learning a new skill opens up so many opportunities and it can be fun. Today you can find thousands of online learning tools to teach you something new. YouTube is full of them, but there are lots of other sources.
So in this post, I’m talking specifically about online learning tools that teach you how to use digital tools to create websites, designs, and a lot more.
Code Academy
Code Academy is a FREE (although there is an expanded Pro version with more courses to choose from) online learning website that teaches dummies like me the very basics of coding. The format is easy to navigate and absorb all the information they throw at you. It isn’t going to teach you how to code an entire website or app from scratch, but it will at least give you enough of an understanding that if you had to edit the html text on your WordPress blog post, you’d know what you were doing.
Best Courses:
- HTML
- CSS
Lynda
When I was in school my college had a deal with Lynda to give all its students free access to the online learning website. I wish I had used it more than I did, but I found the video courses I took on using Adobe Photoshop and InDesign really insightful and well done. Lynda offers a wealth of different learning opportunities with huge video libraries on graphic design, software development, web design, and more. Unlimited access to the site starts at $20 per month, but they have a free trial option for a month if you want to binge instructional videos at no cost.
Best Courses:
- Photoshop CS6 Essential Training with Julieanne Kost
- InDesign CS6 Essential Training with David Blatner
Udemy
Full disclosure: I have not personally used this online learning website. However, it came highly recommended by a friend of mine who really enjoyed it. On top of web and design skills, Udemy offers classes on fitness, music and other non-digital topics. They offer some free classes, but unlike Lynda, which grants unlimited access for a monthly subscription fee, you pay for each individual class on Udemy.
You’re never too old to learn something new, and with today’s technology, you can learn a new skill in less time than it takes to binge a season of the Office on Netflix. I encourage anyone reading this to take a few hours out of their next Saturday to learn something they’ve never tried before!
Now that you’ve had the lowdown on the best platforms for online learning, check out all of Roundpeg’s webinars, podcasts, and other resources we offer to help business owners learn the ins and outs of marketing.