Does your creativity lay more in text that Photoshop? If so, you are not alone and you are one of many that need a little help in the way of creating graphics suitable for use on your website.
Even an expert can take a while to create graphics using Photoshop and other extraordinary programmes that, in the right hands, seemingly have endless possibilities. However, in the wrong hands, they might as well be called Microsoft Paint.
There is, however, a number of hacks that those less visually inspired can utilize in order to ensure that their website looks every bit as good as it functions.
Hire a Graphic Designer
The first of these is to hire a graphic designer to work with you to design and create graphics for your website/brand. This, though, does come at a price and an experienced graphic designer, complete with their own tools, can cost upwards of $100 – not exactly something that a new entrepreneur can afford.
When you work with a professional, however, you employ the use of their skillset and the imagination of another brain, which can be nothing short of invaluable in the end. This is the priciest option featured in our guide but could offer the best ROI.
Online Tools
There are many tools available online that offer even complete beginners the necessary tools to create professional images. As already mentioned, a blank canvas is nothing short of intimidating if you do not possess a natural flair for design; however, there are many programmes that simplify the process.
Some are better than others and offer much more in the way of flexibility, so you will do well to look around and find the best online poster maker for you. In the age of social media, the functionality to download graphics in various formats that can be tailored to any form of social media (Facebook and Twitter etc…) as well as for any online or offline use.
These tools also allow users the capability of designing posters than can be used specifically to market and promote events and other promotions. The basis involves selecting a template from an online library and working from this, with the idea giving the user a ready-made prototype which can then be edited and personalised to suit their needs.
Courses
This is by no means a hack as teaching yourself how to use graphic design software is a long and drawn out process that will involve purchasing the software. It can take years to master the art of graphic design, during which time you will still have to rely on other methods to develop graphics that are of a standard that is suitable for commercial use.
If you do learn how to create your own graphics, however, this adds another string to your bow and, from a commercial view, makes you a more valuable asset to any business. If you are running your own business/developing a start-up, this is one less service that you will be forced to outsource.
Stock Images
If all else fails, there is a vast library of stock images available for use, available for free or as part of a licence. For web developers that want to add bright images to their websites without spending the time or money that creating graphics demands, this is the best solution.
The use of stock images is especially good for websites that employ the use of a blog, as images help to break up bulky text and increase the readability of the page without the need for employing a photographer or relying on poor quality camera phone images.
Should you take on board any of these steps for incorporating images, we are sure that your website will improve tenfold.
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