I am, by no means, fluent in Chinese but I have thoroughly enjoyed studying it these past 2 years. It has been rewarding to understand but also speak the language with the locals right here in Taipei.
I highly recommend beginners enroll in some type of in-person class. This does two things:
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Mentally, it mentally commits you to something that you must hold yourself accountable to. You can not go to class but you miss out the content and practice. Fomo to the max.
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It's good to get the basic understanding of the language from someone who speaks it fluently. There are a few nuance in Chinese that are hard to understand until someone says "you're saying it wrong...."
Another option is to learn over Skype. You can take these lessons with someone either from China or Taiwan depending on the character set you want to learn. Lessons average $10 USD an hour when you buy in bulk.
I am also a big fan of Memrise where I study most of my vocabulary. I've only been able to read Chinese because of this handy smartphone app. I would consider it an essential for learning a new language!
That's a quick and dirty breakdown but it will definitely give a leg up for anyone who wants to dive in head first.
Happy trails.