I get a lot of questions from clients and business owners, as well as new web designers, freelancers, bloggers, and DIYers. Admittedly, there are A LOT of moving parts to websites, design, and marketing. Nobody can be an expert in everything, but if you're excited to learn new concepts and not afraid to dig in figure things out, you'll be well on your way to success.
Some people may find it frustrating to keep up with technology and trends in an ever-evolving field, but in my experience, the thrill of finding a great new way to solve a problem makes the occasional headache well worth it.
Here are some of my favorite articles and resources for those interested in learning about web, design, social media and more:
WEB
- The Client's Guide to What it Actually Takes to Create a Website (article on sitepoint.com)
- A General Pricing Guide for WordPress Websites (article on elegantthemes.com)
- The Beginners Guide to SEO (tutorial on moz.com)
DESIGN
- Design for Non-Designers: 5 Design Cheats (video on wholewhale.com)
- The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding (article on helpscout.com)
- Typography 101: Everything a Beginner Should Know (article on hubspot.com)
- Paper sizes chart for documents, business cards, envelopes, posters, etc. (article on printhandbook.com)
- Proofreading marks (article on designertoolbox.com)
SOCIAL MEDIA
- 2016 Sensible Social Media Checklist for Businesses (infographic on thewholebraingroup.com)
- Social media image sizes (infographic on makeawebsitehub.com)
BRANDING & MARKETING
- 5 Signs You Need to Rebrand Your Business (article on business2community.com)
- 5 Keys to Successful Small Business Blogging (article on theselfemployed.com)
- 20 Ways to Effectively Market Your Small Business (article on socialmediatoday.com)
FUN (and free) GRAPHIC DESIGN APPS
Most professionals, including myself, use the Adobe suite of tools (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.). But for the casual user who wants to create a one time pic collage for their website, or resize a photo for their blog, here are some free and fun tools you can play with:
Hope you find these links helpful! Feel free to comment below to share your favorite resources, or Contact Me if you have questions or need help in any of these areas.