Professionally done graphics can make all the difference in differentiating your site from others that simply stopped at loading a theme from WordPress or any of the other CMS platforms. Looking like a real businessis half the trick in getting the trust of potential customers and a few tastefully done graphic additions can make all the difference.
Back in 1999 when I first started I didn’t sweat graphics. My sites were almost all text. But then that was back in the days of dial up modems and if you added a photo you increased the load time for a page dramatically.
But the times they do change…and in this area they have changed for the better. As connection speeds increased there was a huge demand for graphics and there were relatively few people who could provide them. As a result, the old demand/supply rule kicked in and the cost of “jazzing up” a site with graphics was incredibly expensive.
If you wanted a site developed and designed you could very well layout $5000 to a studio. If you wanted to add audio you were looking at paying $100 to $200 per hour to get the job done. And if you dared to dabble in this breakthrough idea of adding video, you had to be ready to pony up $900 per hour.
Can you imagine for a minute paying out that kind of money for your site on say digital retouching? How long would it take you to recoup those expenses?
The good news is that the prices are going down…further than you think.
Thanks to incredible advances in technology the specialized skills required to design sites and deal with audio and visual media have greatly simplified the amount of coding skills required to produce a quality product. That in turn means there are more people offering the services which has driven the prices down.
You can go to Elance or one of the other freelance sites and get professionals that will custom design your visual effects and do it for a price that is comparable for the value.
But what if you could do it for yourself…and do it right? And what if you could do it for a song?
4 Incredible Resources
I’m always amazed at the number of tools that sprout up on the internet and I’m even more amazed that these tools are mostly kept up to date and improved on.
Well this time I stumbled across a small network of graphic products websites that really blew my mind. Some of you who are new to the business may be a bit jaded when it comes to pricing these products but for an old codger like me who remembers shelling out big bucks I found the pricing on these sites shocking.
Have a look.
- If you’re using a free theme that you picked up at WordPress you really have to have a look at ThemeForest.net. There are literally hundreds of beautiful and fully functional themes that could be yours for around $30 to $40. Back in the day these would have gone for several thousand dollars. Why not step up to a more engaging and professional appearance?
- My friend’s wife Arlene has a podcast on her website (epilepsymoms.com) that has been downloaded over 60,000 times. I’m a big believer in the effectiveness of audio. I think it is one of the best ways to build a personal relationship with the visitor and I use podcasts extensively. AudioJungle.net has every audio product that you can imagine including backgrounds for videos, sound effects and music packs. No copyright infringement issues, easy to use and inexpensive. Individual products can be had for $2…full packs range from $10 to $12.
- Are all your videos Youtube? Youtube is a great way to add video and it can help you build your brand and traffic as well but it’s not the only way to go. VideoHive.net has ready made customizable video programs that look like they came straight from a New York City ad agency. Talk about slick. These videos are perfect for announcing special deals (something to think about with the Holidays approaching) and the average cost is…$12.
- Offline graphics. Even if you are a totally online business you still should have offline graphics like letterhead, business cards, brochures etc. Networking is important and if you are going to network offline you need something you can pass out or leave behind that tells other people what you do and how to get in touch. GraphicRiver.net handles all those products and they do it for a song. If you’re new to print products you really need to check out this site first before you make a buying decision.
I’m not suggesting you need all of these products I’m simply sharing what I think are incredible deals for products that traditionally have cost much more. If you have a site offering free tutorials for Photoshop and you think it can be even more productive by adding some great graphics, then you really ought to check these guys out.
If you have any questions or if you know of other great graphic deals please share them in the comment box below.
I have been teaching affiliate marketing 101 and local search SEO for over a decade and he has been a successful full-time affiliate marketers since 1999. James is the host of the 1st EVER and longest running podcast (the “Affiliate Buzz) since 2003. James lives with his wife Arlene and their four children in White Rock BC Canada.
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Twitter: techmunchies
says:
These are some really nice resources that you have stated in your article,Thanks for your share.
Abhishek recently posted..LG: World’s First Full HD 3D Projector
Twitter: VanitaCyril
says:
I agree Rob, great graphic do make all the difference. It breaks up text nicely and adds visual appeal. Fotolia.com is a good resource for graphics too. I’ll definitely check out your suggestions, thanks for sharing.
Vanita recently posted..10 Things Bloggers Should Focus On For Search Engine Ranking
Twitter: Burnworld
says:
I have used a few other graphic sites. I will add Fotolia to my list, they have great images.
Rob recently posted..3 Hard Drive Types To Protect Your Data
Twitter: esther98
says:
These are great ideas to add edge to your website. At the moment, I’m dealing with just text and images. I’m new to wordpress, so have to work up to the graphics. I think I’d go with You Tube first (as most people do). I’m just trying to learn my way around the site at the moment. I’ve done a few bits and pieces on Blogger before.
annelg recently posted..Our Extreme Home Makeover
Twitter: TheAvgGenius
says:
I’m a little confused – did James Martell write this or Rob? The last paragraph belongs to James…
In any event, great tips on Audio Jungle and Video Hive. Aren’t they all from ThemeForest? Or related? They look like they have the same theme (no matter: you cannot beat those prices! Great deal).
Thanks for the ideas, I’ve yet to do a podcast or video, but would like to add some ‘flair’ if or when I do.
JamestheJust recently posted..Backup Creator Review for WordPress Backups and Cloning
Twitter: Burnworld
says:
James, I would say it was a colloboration between us both. Yes both of those resources are the ThemeForest group. They have great tools for all aspects of web design.
Rob recently posted..A Complete Guide To File Sharing Using Torrents
Twitter: UncleDutchFarms
says:
Oh thanks for the referral to VideoHive… I have a project I’m working on and I need to make my first video… don’t want it to look chintzy!
Bethany recently posted..Use Your Dehydrator To Make Dried Tomato Skin Powder
Nice post. I like the idea going for cheap paid services and then writing about those services on your blog. You can also make money if these services have affiliate programs.
Jessica recently posted..Advanced Cleanse Free Trial
I’ve been looking for ways to add more graphics to my sites. I’ll have to do a bit more research first to find out which ones will suit my needs the most. Great article.
Richard Brown recently posted..How to Start Living on a Budget
Thank you for the great insight! I love the fact that all these programs mentioned above come with an affordable price. They are definitely worth considering.
Twitter: Rancorinfotec
says:
Hi Rob,
I agree you can easily find good resource at low cost and your quality will remain same. That’s really a good news that you can now get wordpress theme just for $30 that’s too cheap.
Aanchal recently posted..Web Design India
Twitter: Ileane
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Great list of resources Rob! Most of these I haven’t seen before so it’s really cool to find some new sites to investigate. The first one that I’m going to try is VideoHive. I like the name and it might be just the thing to spruce up my YouTube videos. Thank you!
Ileane recently posted..Promoting Your Content on YouTube
Very informative post ! Your right, the more complicated in graphic designs your web is the more attention they get but of course you dont need to pay a high price to have that attention you want. Thanks for the links Rob
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Patrece recently posted..The Art of A Good Photo for an Average Geeks updated Mon Sep 5 2011 4:45 am EDT
Twitter: CPASiteSolution
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Great tips. It’s true that these days it’s always better to have visuals. Don’t get me wrong, there needs to be a balance of text and graphics, but graphics always attract the viewers eyes first.
Twitter: lotrixe
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looks like a salesman from themeforest group…nice
lotrix recently posted..yotrixme wrote a new post, Welcome to Lotrix, on the site LOTRIX
Twitter: Burnworld
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Not really a salesman (hint: no affiliate links) but just a fan of their services.
Rob recently posted..5 Reasons Cloud Computing Is The Future
Twitter: hbusinessteam
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Hmmmm thanks for listing the video resource VideoHive. I had never heard of that site until today. Video is a big part of online marketing today so as soon as people get on board the better off their business will be.
Jeff Casmer recently posted..Beat The Economy By Starting An Internet Business in 2012
Twitter: Burnworld
says:
True Jeff, there is a real opportunity for marking with video that businesses need to be aware of. Taking steps to do something with it now will really give the advantage to those that embrace it.
Rob recently posted..123 Copy DVD Platinum 2012 Free Giveaway Contest
It’s always possible to have a free theme then change and edit the design to get your own unique theme this way it’s very easy to edit theme and change design
Twitter: teamafro
says:
These are all great tips, and I am glad that you didn’t forget the need for offline graphics software. If you rally want nice articles as well as brochures and other material you need to have a decent graphics package. I definitely will share this article as well as use these tools.
Jordan recently posted..How to Start Your Own Corporation
Twitter: Burnworld
says:
Thanks Jordan. Don’t forget that infographics is another way to get a message across and utilizing a good image bank is a good way to put one together.
Rob recently posted..3 Hard Drive Types To Protect Your Data