Graphics are key to keeping people on your site, but it can be hard to create images by yourself. Many image editing packages are very detailed (so read: hard), and they can be costly. Need an easy, free tool? Canva will soon become your new best friend.
Why do I need graphics?
Images on a page keeps readers’ interest, and helps illustrate your point. Want to show how to do something with a pet? Post an image. Want to explain something that you just can’t show in a video? Post an image. Want to increase your viewers from further afield? Post an image about solving a common problem (an infographic).
What is Canva?
Canva.com is a great free tool for creating graphics. It’s got an easy-to-use interface, and there are many options available to help you create personalized graphics of all types. The site is free to use, but offers a wide assortment of paid options, as well as a subscription option that opens up even more options and flexibility. Their site says “Canva makes design simple for everyone” and that is so true!
Why I like Canva
I found Canva a couple of years ago, and have found its free options cover a wide array of choices, which grow every day. While I appreciate other graphics programs, I’m not adept at them. I therefore appreciate Canva’s easy-to-learn interface. I simply log in and get to work. I’ve created an account, but I’m not sure if that’s required. I do it so Canva saves my creations.
There is a good array of template choices available, which I love. I would list them here, but the list is huge! It includes over 50,000 choices, including brochures, cards, certificates, org charts, tickets, and social media graphics (yay!).
When creating your own graphics (for which there is an option), you are given choices ranging from Facebook cover images to Twitter posts to creating a graphic with custom dimensions.
And the selection of fonts is unbelievable; I won’t even broach the question of how many are offered.
More Fun Bits
I love that Canva allows you to use their elements (size, color, lines, arrows, etc) but also upload your own (images, at least for me).
I also get excited that seemingly every time I log onto Canva, I find another option I didn’t know about and want to try.
Canva even offers tutorials to get you started. How great is that?
Bottom Line
You need to feature graphics on your website, and Canva.com is an easy-to-learn tool that will help you create everything from Facebook posts to instructional images to birthday and business cards. Canva is free to use but offers a subscription option and paid graphics as well. I recommend this as an entry level graphics platform for those who, like me, haven’t mastered the larger graphics software packages but know they need cool images and graphics for their websites.
*** If you need help with the images on your website, or for any other services, please contact me at Amy@petsitterseo.com or call or text me on 732-820-0103.
