Website designing and development is a tough and complex task. With the rise of the internet and Content Management Systems like WordPress, more and more non-technical have flocked to it. While it is true that this has led to the democratization of media, it is also true that many such non-technical people find themselves at a disadvantage.
This is because a majority of tools made for website development are made developers. Even many WordPress tools are only dedicated to experienced WordPress developers.
Just knowing the fundamentals of good web design is no longer enough, now you need smart tools to go with it. Therefore we have compiled a list of the top four FREE tools every website owner/developer needs to know.
#1 ColorZilla
Creating a website is a task that involves a multitude of different operations. One such operation is the graphic design of the website. The graphic design of a website requires the designer/developer to manage different colors and gradients. While website designing, a designer needs a tool for helping in this graphic design task.
ColorZilla is one such tool where a graphic designer/website developer can use to conduct color-centric tasks. For example, a graphic designer can use ColorZilla for color sampling, background-noise filtration, color-code extraction, etc.
ColorZilla also has a powerful gradient generation that can complete with paid solutions like Photoshop. With ColorZilla’s gradient generator, graphic designers can extract color samples, allow local sampling, and more. Another noteworthy thing is the fact that ColorZilla now supports high-quality retina displays.
#2 Online-Convert
A designer while engaged in the process of website designing has to work with a multitude of different file formats. There are a plethora of reasons why developers face such problems. For example, some formats are easier to transfer, while other formats are better for long-term storage. The challenge with working multiple formats is the fact that you need to constantly change them to suit one or the other need.
To remedy this situation a website/WordPress developer needs to use an online conversion tool. One of the best websites out there that provides this exact service is online-convert.com. On this website, you can convert a wide variety of media files like video, images, audio, etc.
A bonus to using Online-Convert for your file conversion tasks is their support blog. Online-Convert provides its visitors and users with an extensively researched and written blog. This blog focus on multiple aspects of online-file conversion, troubleshooting, quick tips & tricks, etc.
#3 Unsplash
A website has an extensive visual side that needs to be taken care of during website designing. A good website with great images and graphics engages more and converts better. But there are two problems facing website owners and designers. The first being that good, high-quality images are hard to find. While the second one being, the images that you do find aren’t free.
Both of these problems would be solved if there was a service where you would be able to get high quality open-sourced images. Well, worry not as there exists such a service called Unsplash. Unsplash is a website where you can get high-quality images for free that you can use for commercial use.
With Unsplash you can not only build a great website, but you can also maintain it. After your website goes online, you will need to update your website graphics constantly to keep things fresh. This attention to detail will help you convert more and better in the long run with an equally well-written blog. Websites that have blogs with great high-quality images have a conversion rate considerably higher than the sites that don’t.
#4 CANVA
Canva is by far one of the most functional tools out of all the free tools in this list. Canva can not only be used for website designing but a range of other graphic design applications. For example, logo design, brochure design, infographic design, etc. All of this is just scratching the surface of Canva, as you do a lot more on the platform.
Canva also has an extensive library of graphic vectors, icons, images, etc. for free use. There is also a paid version of Canva that offers all the features, and then some more. Users who are on a budget wouldn’t feel left out though. The free version of Canva has ample features for a small to medium-sized business.
But don’t worry if your business’s team size is bigger or your business geography more spread out. Canva’s online platform has brilliant collaboration tools that enable a cohesive design process. The maximum size of each team that can be created in the free versions is a staggering 3000 members.
To put the icing on the cake, Canva came out with a recent announcement to add video editing to its feature list. Now users of Canva will be able to edit and create videos and animated graphics. Keeping in line with Canva’s service philosophy, this feature will be available to users for free with certain, paid extensions restricted.
In Conclusion
The above tools enable everybody to conduct great website designing, from a total newbie to a seasoned expert. These tools help democratize the process of creating beautiful and functional websites that add value to the internet.
Today you no longer need to be a website developer, WordPress developer, etc. to create a great website. Businesses that want hassle-free website creation need to partner with an experienced website development company for a robust online presence.
