So, you are thinking about getting a shiny new website for your business, huh? Where do you start and what do you do? Before hiring a web designer to build your website you need to get informed about best practice web development. Sure, it’s great to have an eye-catching site. But if it’s not fit for the purpose then you may as well throw it away and get a professional to build a new one.

To arm yourself with all the information you need we’ve compiled a list of the five top e-books you should read to get the most out of your website. They are in no particular order.

Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design covers the fundamentals of accessibility. What would happen if hospitals didn’t have ramps for wheelchairs? It’s the same with the web. The Internet was made to be accessible to all, regardless of disability. Shawn Henry has written a book that is everything you would expect from a usability expert. It’s straight forward, no nonsense and very practical.

The nature of coding was written by Daniel Shiffman (professor of the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University. This book focuses on the programming strategies and techniques behind computer simulations of natural systems using Processing. He takes a deep-dive into the world of coding. Read it and ask a few questions of your web developer to make sure he or she knows syntax from snickers.

Pixel Perfect Precision handbook was developed by a couple of London agency guys to give pixels the care and attention they deserve, to make sure they get the simple things right before moving onto the detail. You know what a pixel is, right? If not then you may need to read another blog. Because this one is not for you. It’s about maximising and minimising space on a web page so it lures the user into the content.

Design Your Imagination is a complete beginner’s guide to web design. This should probably be your first read. It’s simple, clear and concise. Almost every corner and curve of website design is covered and there are heaps of examples to leverage your knowledge. This is a Free Web Design e-book By WebGuru India.

And finally, HTML for Beginners – Ultimate Guide covers the basics of HTML. It was designed for the absolute beginner. You! Get it, Read it. Consume it.

So, there you have it. The top five e-books for web design. Study them. Learn from the experience of others and you will avoid the pitfalls of poor website design.