Design and Website Page

Graphics Design and Website Page

Are you worried that you’re not a professional graphic designer?

Don’t be...if you need some graphics, pictures, and backgrounds for your website, there are other ways to go about it. There are free and/or easy ways to get around this.

If going the free route – be careful to keep it professional. There’s a lot more junk than gold. Your website is a reflection of you, your business, and your brand.

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There are some good free graphic resources available online, such as www.freefoto.com and Stock.XCHNG. Also, you can use a search engine such as Google to find free (or low cost) backgrounds or graphics online. Just be sure to check the conditions of each website regarding if there are any fees or requirements to use the photos.

Professional software: design and website page

Photoshop is the professional standard for creating and editing images. Not as intuitive to use as the website editors, but certainly it can be learned through some trial and error and formal or informal study.

But I wouldn’t recommend it if you are on a tight budget...

Most people will do fine with the free and popular image editor, Paint.NET. It’s a free download and pretty easy to use. There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on Photoshop unless you are a professional designer.

For most business sites, I would recommend that you start with a simple content based website. If you feel that you really need advanced techniques such as animation, then you may need the services of a Flash programmer. However, if you plan to try your hand at website design ‘in-house’, then Paint.NET or Photoshop will most likely accomplish most of what you need.

Honestly, most websites would be better off without Flash and certainly for your first website, you don’t need it.

Use design to complement your content, and not compete with it.

Next, while thinking about how you will design the look and feel of your site, you should consider your unique website design options.

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