It has always been said that people with the most prominent IT degrees in the world can create effective website graphics. But is it the case for every platform out in the market? Even though many people consider photoshop tricks for advanced design projects, there are now numerous tools and strategies at your disposal to create a unique look for your website.
As part of the digital era, you must consider the online space to display all of your best work for your potential customers to see. The best way of doing that is by creating graphic design websites. It all boils down to your portfolio regarding the kind of work you want to market or the talent you want to display to the world.
Having eye-catching and professional graphics on your website is crucial for engaging your audience and conveying your brand image. But creating custom graphics can be time-consuming and seem intimidating if you don’t have design experience The good news is that with the right tools and strategies, anyone can make stylish graphics for their website, even with no artistic skills.
In this article, I’ll explain different types of website graphics provide tips for designing effective graphics and recommend user-friendly tools to create graphics easily. By the end, you’ll have actionable steps to start making graphics that make your website pop!
Why Website Graphics Are Important
Before diving into the how-to, let’s first cover why having custom graphics on your site matters:
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Make a strong first impression. High-quality graphics show visitors that you care about aesthetics and visual presentation. This builds trust and credibility for your brand.
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Reinforce your brand identity. Using graphics with your brand colors, fonts, and other elements creates a cohesive look and feel across your site.
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Draw attention to key content. Strategically placed graphics can highlight important messages and make them more scannable.
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Increase engagement. Well-designed graphics are inherently more eye-catching and interesting than walls of text. This results in higher time on page and social shares.
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Improve conversions. Graphics can convey emotions, emphasize benefits, and nudge visitors towards taking action through clear CTAs.
In other words, graphics aren’t just decorative elements. They directly impact how your message and brand is perceived. Even just adding a few simple graphics to commonly neglected pages like About Us or Contact can drastically elevate your site’s polish and professionalism.
Types of Graphics to Use on Websites
There are endless possibilities for graphics you can incorporate on your website. Here are some of the most versatile options to consider:
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Hero images Large, eye-catching photos or illustrations on your homepage or landing pages. They create an emotional first impression and introduce key messaging.
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About page graphics: Images depicting your brand story, company culture, or team. These add a personal touch to help visitors connect with your brand.
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Icon graphics: Small repeating icons that match your brand palette. Use them for bullets, dividers, and to highlight CTAs.
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Infographics: Visual representations of data, statistics, tips, or processes using charts, icons, and minimal text. They simplify complex topics.
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Feature graphics: Images calling attention to your product or service benefits. Include them in sections explaining offerings.
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Email headers: Custom designs at the top of email newsletters reflect your brand.
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Social media graphics: Visual posts sized for different social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Blog post images: Photos, illustrations, or graphics related to blog content to make it more scannable.
Start by auditing where your website could use graphics the most, then select types that align with those goals. For example, infographics are great for product pages while icon graphics can liven up generic templates.
Design Principles for Creating Effective Graphics
When making graphics, follow these best practices to maximize visual appeal and effectiveness:
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Use high-quality images. Investing in professional photos and graphics is worth it. Pixelated or amateurish images look unpolished.
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Limit text. Graphics should visualize information, not restate large blocks of text word-for-word. Only include key phrases and statistics.
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Promote white space. Don’t overcrowd the design. White space makes graphics clean and scannable.
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Align elements. Line up icons, text, and other components so the layout looks crisp rather than haphazard.
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Establish visual hierarchy. Make key text and images larger and bolder so they draw the eye first.
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Maintain color consistency. Use colors from your brand palette so graphics feel cohesive with your website style.
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Balance simplicity and personality. The design should reflect your brand’s tone and style while remaining easy to comprehend quickly.
Following design best practices takes your graphics from mediocre to marvelous. But even more important than mastering design concepts is choosing the right tools.
User-Friendly Tools to Easily Create Graphics
Unless you’re a professional designer, creating graphics from scratch in Photoshop or Illustrator has a steep learning curve. The good news is there are many intuitive graphic design platforms that don’t require artistic expertise. Here are two I recommend:
1. Visme
Visme is an online graphic design tool with beautiful templates, millions of free images, and easy drag-and-drop functionality. It’s perfect for beginners but still has advanced capabilities like data visualizations.
With Visme, you can make:
- Blog graphics
- Social media graphics
- Icons
- Infographics
- Presentations
- Flowcharts
- And more!
I like Visme because it handles the more complex design elements for you. Simply select a template, add brand assets, and customize it to fit your needs.
2. Canva
Canva is another browser-based graphic design site with pre-made templates and stock photos. It offers more limited features than Visme but the simple editor and variety of templates make it ideal for beginners.
Popular graphics you can design with Canva include:
- Social media posts
- Blog graphics
- Print projects like flyers
- Presentations
- Marketing materials like brochures
Canva streamlines graphic design down to just dragging, dropping, and lightly editing templates. It’s easy to create something that looks professional without starting from a blank canvas.
Both Visme and Canva have free basic plans so you can test them out before committing. Their large template selections help even novice designers create polished graphics quickly.
Steps for Creating Website Graphics with an Online Editor
Follow this simple workflow to design and add graphics to your site using an intuitive online editor like Visme or Canva:
1. Determine what graphic you need and where it will go on your site. Outline the goal so you select the right type of graphic.
2. Browse templates and select one resembling the graphic you envisioned. Tweak it rather than starting from scratch.
3. Replace sample images and text with your own brand assets. Upload logos, product photos, color palettes, etc.
4. Customize the template to your specs by changing colors, moving elements, and adding graphics or icons. Make it distinctly yours.
5. Add your messaging and copy in the text fields. Keep it concise and scannable.
6. Export the finished graphic and upload it to your website. Adjust sizing as needed.
7. Test how it looks on desktop and mobile. Confirm graphics fit all screen sizes.
With the right templates and tools, you can create stunning graphics without intensive effort. Dedicating a few hours to add custom graphics to key pages will drastically elevate your website’s design.
FAQs About Creating Website Graphics
Here are answers to some common questions about designing graphics for your website:
What image file type should I use? For photographs, JPG is best. For logos, icons, and graphics with solid blocks of color, use PNG.
What size should my graphics be? Create graphics at least 2-3x larger than how they will display on your site, that way they don’t become blurry or pixelated.
Can I edit templates completely? Yes, templates are fully customizable. Change colors, text, and all design elements until it fits your vision.
Do I need to hire a designer? No, with the right online editor like Visme or Canva anyone can create quality graphics without hiring a pro. But designers are still useful for highly complex graphics.
How much time does it take? With templates, you can create simple graphics like email headers or blog images in under 30 minutes. More complex infographics may take 1-2 hours.
Get Started Designing Graphics with Ease
Designing custom graphics from scratch can be challenging. But with online editing platforms like Visme and Canva, anyone can make professional website graphics in just a few hours.
Their selection of templates, intuitive editing features, and massive libraries of brand assets reduce the learning curve so beginners can make beautiful graphics too.
So why settle for a visually blah website? Invest time into creating graphics that capture attention and convey your brand story better. Then sit back and watch key metrics start to climb. Your visitors will appreciate the enhanced experience graphics provide!
Prefer Quality Over Quantity
You build website graphics for a reason. You don’t just build them just for the sake of putting them on your website. On a platform, every single added feature should have a reason behind its inclusion. If you add a feature that is just there to look good without any reasoning, remove it without wasting any time.
taken from Strikingly
Every feature that you add must allow your visitors to complete a certain task. Your choice regarding typography should make it easy for your visitors to read your content. Moreover, your website’s color scheme should also coincide with your brand management strategies. High-quality eCommerce websites always tend to build high-quality graphic designs containing meaningful elements.
Best Tips to Design High-Quality Graphics for a Website
You must regard your graphic design portfolio as if you are an online agent. When graphic designs are properly established, they could be the benchmark of your future projects. Hence, your digital business will grow dramatically. As the delivered message is the most fundamental aspect of a graphic design, it is important to consider the font and the chosen s that coincide with your brand. Apart from that, we have shared a few tips to ensure that you can build high-quality graphics for your website.
For beginners, the lesser the content, the better it is to manage your website when it comes to web graphics. To build high-quality website graphics, you must have a complete understanding of the feel and look of your platform. You shouldn’t have a mindset that only a high amount of content will result in huge traffic. It is not always the case because if your work is jumbled up, it will create complexity, resulting in poor customer feedback.
taken from Strikingly User’s Website
There can be numerous reasons for which customers may come to your platform, such as purchasing a product, reading your blogs, and checking displayed s. If your website’s graphical design is ideal, the user experience will be exactly that. It isn’t about innovative and colorful features that will attract a large set of audiences. Sometimes, it is also about choosing the simple colors for your website’s texture.
