![\"web](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/WebDesignFreebies1.png\")
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As a small business owner, you have a lot of needs and priorities to balance. When you have to make room in your schedule and budget for things like content marketing, SEO, social media, and mobile marketing it can be easy to let web design fall off the priority list.<\/span><\/p>\n But design matters. <\/span>94% of people<\/span><\/a> say bad design will keep them from trusting a website. And <\/span>adding visuals to your content<\/span><\/a> leads to more shares, clicks, and links than sticking with only text. You can\u2019t let design slide. <\/span><\/p>\n Here are a number of cheap or free resources that can help you do more with less when it comes to your web design, depending on your goals.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some web design tasks you can manage on your own, but others are worth hiring a professional for. Your logo and website are the main faces of your company. They need to look good and show you\u2019re trustworthy.<\/span><\/p>\n These sites can help you find the right designer for your project on a budget you can handle. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1.\u00a099designs<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n 99designs lets you submit details on what you\u2019re looking for and provide some input on the styles you like. For a set rate, you\u2019ll get designs submitted by a number of different designers based on the information you\u2019ve provided. You can provide feedback on the ones you like best to receive updated versions, and pick your favorite of all the final designs submitted.<\/span><\/p>\n Since the website has a network of designers they work with, you don\u2019t have to do the work of searching for and vetting one yourself, and you get to choose from a variety of options.<\/span><\/p>\n 2.\u00a0Upwork<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Upwork is a website that makes it easy for you to search for freelance designers (and other types of freelancers) and quickly see a snapshot of their rates and experience. Unlike 99designs, you\u2019ll work closely with one designer on the project, who you can choose based on the reviews, rate, and profile you browse on the website.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3.\u00a0Freelancer<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Freelancer gives you a choice between two options. You can either post a project with details on what you need and a set budget, then choose your designer based on the bids submitted; or you can run a contest like you would on 99designs for a set rate and choose the design you like best. Either way, the site helps connect you with their network of freelancers in order to affordably get the design work you need.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If your marketing budget is small, then hiring a professional designer for all your web design needs will get expensive fast. Luckily, you\u2019ve got a few free tools that can help you manage simpler design tasks on your own.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4.\u00a0Canva<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Canva is one of the most popular design tools out there for a reason – well, a couple of reasons actually. First, it\u2019s free. Second, it\u2019s easy. You can make use of a number of free templates, fonts, and stock photographs to create your own images, and browse more of each that you can buy for a small fee.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5.\u00a0Be Funky<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Be Funky\u2019s graphic design tool also includes templates, fonts, backgrounds, and shapes you can use to create original images. Like Canva, it\u2019s free and fairly intuitive for any non-designer to figure out.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6.\u00a0Snappa<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Like your other two options, Snappa makes creating graphics for your content easy with templates, photos, and graphics. They make it especially easy to choose the right image size for the right social platform and let you schedule social shares within the tool itself.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are a lot of places you can find photos for free online, so we\u2019ll keep the commentary in this section brief and let you get to browsing.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 7.\u00a0Flickr Creative Commons<\/a><\/b> <\/b><\/p>\n A huge database of photos made available by their authors. Pay close attention to the licenses of the photos you find though; some allow you to use the image in any way you see fit, but only if credit is given. Other artists choose the option 'No Derivative Works'\u009d meaning that others can copy, distribute and display only exact copies of the work.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 8.\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Free high-resolution photos<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 9.\u00a0Gratisography<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n More free high-res pics, many with a fun sense of humor<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 10.\u00a0PicJumbo<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Free photos, some with a business focus<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 11.\u00a0Kaboompics<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n More free photos<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 12.\u00a0Fancy Crave<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Free images, including some 'unique textures'\u009d that can make good backgrounds in Canva, Be Funky, and Snappa<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 13.\u00a0Splitshire<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n More free photos<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 14.\u00a0Pixabay<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n You guessed it, even more free photos<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 15.\u00a0Pexels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, another site that lets you search free photos<\/span><\/p>\n As much as possible, you should strive to use <\/span>original photography<\/span><\/a> since it just works better. But when you simply don\u2019t have the time, you can make use of the photos on these sites as a starting point to create custom images for your website and content.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n To make the images you find useful for your purposes, you\u2019ll need a good editor. These three options should take care of most your editing needs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 16.\u00a0PicMonkey<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n PicMonkey\u2019s a free tool that lets you add fonts, effects, and do some minor touch ups to the photos you use. If you want to make a stock photo you found more uniquely your own, or make an original photo you took better, you should be able to do it within PicMonkey.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 17.\u00a0BeFunky<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n We already mentioned BeFunky\u2019s graphic design tool, but they also offer a handy photo editor. You can do most of the things that expensive photo editing software lets you do, like changing the brightness, increasing saturation, and sharpening contrasts.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 18.\u00a0PlaceIt<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n PlaceIt provides a unique service that\u2019s especially useful in the modern age of photo editing. It lets you drop an image onto a screen pictured in a stock photo. In other words, if you\u2019d like an image of a computer screen with your website showing on it, you can drop a screen shot of your website into one of their images of a computer and you\u2019ll have it.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Color is a crucial part of design, but determining\u00a0good color combinations that work doesn\u2019t come naturally to everyone. These resources can help.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 19.\u00a0Adobe Color CC<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n We all know how to talk about primary colors well enough, but when it comes to choosing and discussing particular shades and color schemes, language often isn\u2019t enough. In Adobe Color CC, you can use the tool\u2019s color wheel to find colors you like and create, save, and share color schemes you want to use. The tool will help you out by providing suggestions based on options like 'complementary'\u009d and 'analogous,'\u009d and the Explore feature gives you popular color combinations to start with. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 20.\u00a0Design Seeds<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n If you\u2019d rather find a color scheme that works without having to do the work of creating it yourself, the Design Seeds site is full of suggestions. You can find plenty by browsing the website, or buy one of their color almanacs for $4.99.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 21.\u00a0Pictaculous<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Pictaculous is a handy little tool to help you figure out what colors would work best alongside an image you\u2019re already planning to use. If you find it challenging to design around an existing image, Pictaculous can help you make sure all the colors you choose complement the image and work well together.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A graphic designer\u2019s toolkit is filled with lots of little building blocks that help to fill in every design. This includes fonts, icons, textures, shapes, buttons, banners, and more. Like a seasoned designer, you can start keeping a folder of building blocks you like to make any future images you work on easier and better. These websites should give you plenty to start with.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 22.\u00a0Web Designer Depot<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Web Designer Depot releases freebies regularly. Browse their site to find fonts, icons, mock-up packs, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 23.\u00a0Font Combinations<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Like Pictalicious does for colors, Canva\u2019s Font Combinations tool (formerly called Type Genius) will help you find fonts that look good together.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 24.\u00a0Google Fonts<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Google does it again. Their font tool makes over 800 fonts available to people and businesses, and all of them are free for you to take and use on your own website. Browse to your heart\u2019s content and save any fonts you like for future use.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 25.\u00a0WhatTheFont<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n When you see a font you like on another website and haven\u2019t the slightest idea where to start looking for it, WhatTheFont\u2019s got you. Submit a screen shot and get your answer so you know where to start your search.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 26.\u00a0Premium Pixels<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Find handcrafted micro icons, textures, brushes, iPhone chat bubbles, textures and more. Unlike many free web design collections, these can be used for both personal and commercial use.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 27.\u00a0BittBox<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n BittBox offers design tutorials, along with vectors, high-resolution Photoshop brushes and textures. Look for posts in the series Freebie Fridays and Free Texture Tuesdays for fun giveaways, featuring everything from weathered wood designs to grunge splatter brushes.<\/span><\/p>\n These freebies are yours to use as tools during the design process even if you\u2019re planning to sell your creations. Just be aware that users can\u2019t redistribute or post them for download in their original state.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 28.\u00a0Open Source Web Design<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Download and share your own free web design templates at<\/span> Open Source Web Design.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re not sure where to start, look through the OSWD\u2019s collection of Favorite Designers or share an idea through their Suggestion tab. There\u2019s plenty of great stuff to be found.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 29.\u00a0Best PSD Freebies<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Best PSD Freebies offers icons, sliders, buttons, banners, ribbons, web themes, Photoshop files and more. The site has earned its bragging rights with over 4 million downloads to date and no signs of slowing down.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 30.\u00a0Icon Finder<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Hunting down just the right icon can be a taxing and time-consuming chore. Save yourself some time and head to Icon Finder and do a quick search for anything from 'mobile icon'\u009d to 'social media icon'\u009d and find a comprehensive list.<\/span><\/p>\n Not all icons are free, but clicking on the 'Free'\u009d tab will help narrow down your results significantly.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 31.\u00a0Pixeden<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Download free design templates, tab bar icons, iPhone mock-ups, effects and other web sources at Pixeden.<\/span><\/p>\n The site was designed as a one-stop shop for developers and designers in need of free elements to get their projects in gear. A premium membership grants you access to support services and the ability to make further modifications to their design elements in your projects.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 32.\u00a0Da Font<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Where would your content be without a good font? Da Font hosts an archive of free downloadable fonts organized by style, author, popularity or alphabetically.<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s not much you won\u2019t find here. The site\u2019s font collection is vast, ranging from groovy to 'foreign look'\u009d and plenty of scripts.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even seasoned web designers know they should constantly be working to learn more. If you\u2019re a small business owner trying to do some web design without an extensive background you\u2019ll need all the help you can get. <\/span><\/p>\n These resources can help you learn the basics, and sometimes even beyond the basics.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 33.\u00a0Smashing Magazine<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Smashing Magazine is an online publication for design pros that covers all the most important topics that every designer (and design wannabe) should know. From coding, to responsive design, to typography to UX Smashing Magazine covers it all. <\/span><\/p>\n In addition to the information provided, it also offers a freebie category that includes free WordPress themes, icon sets and templates for mobile projects. Best of all, Smashing Magazine\u2019s target audience is designers, meaning that all the freebies that are up for grabs have been chosen with a discerning eye.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 34.\u00a0CreativeBloq<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n CreativeBloq is another online magazine devoted to design. They collect design news and examples that can provide inspiration and help you stay on top of trends in web design.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 35.\u00a0Code Avengers<\/a><\/b><\/p>\nFind Web Designers<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"99designs](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image05-1024x662.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Freelancer](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image07-1024x928.png\")
<\/p>\nMake Your Own Designs<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Canva](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image06-1024x716.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Be](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image09-1024x967.png\")
<\/p>\nFind Images<\/b><\/h2>\n
Edit Images<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"PlaceIt](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image08-1024x757.png\")
<\/p>\nColor Tools<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image01-1024x635.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Design](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image00-1024x483.png\")
<\/p>\nFonts, Icons, and More<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Canva](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image03-1024x542.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image02-1024x767.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Icon](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/image04-1024x616.png\")
<\/p>\nLearn More About Web Design<\/b><\/h2>\n