Being that there is thousands of websites trying to grab an audience attention in a daily basis. It is crucial to know some basic understandings on how to create a design that will tremendously attract and retain a viewer’s eye and wanting to know more of what you have to say or offer if selling something.
Copyright
First, it is important to know some legal sides in order to stay out of trouble at all times. Copy and pasting existing pictures off any search engine or website is big no no and can get you into a lot a huge whole of finance trouble. Any picture posted online must be seen as an item that belongs to someone and if you copy or take that from them, you can be taken to court for violation of copyrights. There are ways of being able to use someone else’s content, and it’s called fair use. Fair use is a legal expectation to the exclusive rights the owner has, either willingly allowing the use of its content or by selling the content at a reasonable price allowing the share of content. The government is following through this privacies very strictly.
Section 107 of the Copyright Act states:
the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
the nature of the copyrighted work; the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
Source: 17 USC Section 107.
Professional Pictures
If you want your site to look attractive, you have couple of options that you can take without getting in trouble with the law. One being purchasing high quality pictures from a professional photographer who is willing to have his work displayed on a website. Secondly, purchasing pictures from online companies who already have thousands of pictures available for you to pick from. There are hundreds of websites that offer the purchase of high quality pictures at a low cost and simply download them after purchase. Purchasing picture content goes for about $10 depending on the size. This is cheaper than violating copyright laws and now being in the whole of at least $25,000. Any purchased pictures are allowed to be modified without any problems as the content is now owned by you.
When it comes down to graphic design, being creative and thinking outside the box will take you a long way when attracting your viewers’ attention. Programs like Photoshop and many others are used to bring a form of creativity to a picture, and this is when your wild imaginations should come into action. Using the right colors in the right areas will bring reality into your picture while oddness can bring an intriguing point into the scenario making the viewer think deeply into the content. Usually a picture that shows relevancy and a flow with your content is recommended, but that doesn’t leave out the fact that a unique twist should be added having the reader thinking of what the full picture is really trying to say or meaning behind it. Be careful not to overflow your pictures as it can potentially takeout the interest of your audience by being too distracted or not directing your audience attention to what you really wanted to show them through your uniqueness.
Website Redesign
Whether it’s every year or every 6 months, it is crucial to constantly make your site seem like there has been a change. People like to see new things and will not return if they continue seeing the same thing over and over. Website redesign and website maintenance are a must to constantly stay on top of your game and having your audience returning for more great content. As long as you keep your audience entertained, they will continue to come back for more.
E-Commerce
If you’re running an Ecommerce business, I would suggest updating your product pictures at least every 4-6 months to show your audience that these items are not forgotten items and this is also emphasizing still new, and people like new products.
Your success is important to us, but knowing how to apply all the right tools could be a tricky situation. Motionborg is here to help with your needs of web design, SEO, graphic design, and any website maintenance. We guarantee that our efforts will place you a step closer to your success.
Contact us today and see how Motionborg can apply all these tools simultaneously to significantly impact your business! Consultations are FREE!
by Benjamin C Ramirez
MOTIONBORG, Inc.
Technology Consultant at MOTIONBORG
With a natural passion for technology, he is always on the search for next great invention to test out and play with. Enjoys sharing his thoughts and knowledge with others through blogging. Helping business owners on how to better utilize technology to their advantage has become the true meaning of success and life.