This summer, we're offering you plenty of useful tips to enhance your web presence and take your site to places others just can't. We started with SEO practice, then we turned to Web Analytics - if you did the homework, now you should be a wizard at understanding your audience not to mention driving more traffic to your site.

Now it's time to focus on design: as every expert will tell you, content is King, but a nice, user-friendly interface, resplendent with high res imagery is key to web success. Here we rate some of the best online resources out there for the consummate beginner.

TUTS+
tutsplus.com


Tuts+ offers video courses and written tutorials to help you learn creative skills in code, design and illustration, photography, video, music, web design, game development, craft, and more.

For instance here they put together their "10 Hand-Picked Tutorials for Beginning Web Designers" - essential tips and tricks to keep you busy this summer.

A LIST APART
alistapart.com


A List Apart is a comprehensive website that explores the design, development, and even the meaning of web content, with a special focus on web standards and best practices.

The website began as a mailing list in 1997 and launched their site in 1998, featuring contributions from all kinds of web professionals: designers, developers, architects, strategists, writers, project managers, and assorted specialists.

HOW TO BUILD WEBSITES
www.how-to-build-websites.com


This website, designed for complete beginners who want to learn what’s going on ‘behind the scenes’, offers what they claim to be "The easiest web design tutorial on the web", that promises to get you proficient in only eight lessons.

Starting from the ethos that to really understand web design, you need to learn HTML, this websites allows you to learn how to build your websites with far better control over the process, so that you will create better sites more quickly and efficiently.

TYPE KIT
typekit.com


When we talk about Web Design, there's something you shouldn't ignore: Web Typography. Using the right font and arranging type and spacing is most important when designing your own website, especially since results may be affected by screen resolution amongst other factors.

Whether in independent studios or large corporations, designers use Typekit to create beautiful, original typographic designs. Typekit is the easiest way to use real fonts on your website. Add a snippet of code to your pages, and choose from thousands of fonts.

THE BEST DESIGN
thebestdesigns.com


Last but not least, now that you've started to get familiar with the art of web design, it's time for some inspiration. The best way to get it, is to check a website that lists outstanding web designs that will galvanise you with your own.

The Best Design features the absolute creme de la creme. You can browse their collection by style or search designs by color, industry or genre. Take a look at what your best competitors have produced, and get used to the concept of what constitutes great design. If you're looking for a talented web designer for your project, you can browse through their Web Designers section, or if you want to create your own site, you can simply check the directory of some of the best WordPress Themes from their trusted theme partners.

13 August 2015