Although basic WordPress sites are pretty easy to launch, having a working knowledge of certain programming languages will go a long way toward making improvements to how your site works. If, instead, your goal is to build a larger, more customized site, then clearly a strong knowledge of programming and coding (and which programming language is needed in various situations) is a necessity.
This is where making money online gets a little frustrating for people. You have a great idea for a site, but you don't know the first thing about programming. And you don't have a barrel of cash to hire a super-talented (read: super-expensive) developer. Oh, and it's not just coding you'll need. Your site will need graphic design, social-media marketing, and other services that you might not be able to do yourself. You're the idea person, after all—you shouldn't be expected to do all the work, too!
So the question remains: How do you get it all done without having to break the bank or go back to school to learn coding, design, and marketing? The level of talent you'll need will, of course, depend on the complexity of the site you want to develop. That is, a highly complex, custom-made site will require a lot more talent than a WordPress site built from a pre-packaged template. But not all of the services you'll need will require expensive professionals. There's a lot of talent out there flooding the market, many of whom are just looking for opportunities to make a few extra bucks and bulk up their portfolios.
One sure-fire method of finding inexpensive help is to place ads on Craigslist.com in the Gigs section looking for students or other freelancers who might be able to work with you at a lower, more reasonable rate. If you can't find one that you're happy with, or that you can afford, look for overseas freelance talent. Although I don't personally like to outsource services to other countries, part of making a profit is keeping costs down, so if you have absolutely no other choice, consider using sites like odesk.com or elance.com to check out the services and rates you can secure from professionals outside the U.S.
Another viable option is to find a highly qualified programmer and sell him or her on your idea. If you can get him or her excited by it, you might be able to strike up a partnership with that person and build the business together or offer a percentage of the revenue your site ultimately generates. That way, he or she has a built-in incentive to do a good job and to do it quickly, and you don't have to put much (or any) money on the table at the outset.
Of course, if you have the funds, it might be most desirable to hire the right people into a salaried position, but consider these other options if paying full-time salaries and benefits isn't a financial option at the outset.