If you’ve ever added a link to a website on your Facebook profile, you may have noticed that you can choose an image to go with your page link. These images are typically just images that Facebook has found that already exist on the linked page.
These images may not have any meaning outside the context of the entire page, or they may not show off the website to which you’re linking.
If you’re a site owner, why not create a screenshot of your site’s home page, so that when Facebook users want to share something from your website with their friends, they can select an image that truly shows off your site?
Here’s simple instructions on how to create a thumbnail image of your site that Facebook users can attach to a link to your site:
How to get your Website Preview Thumbnail to Show Up on Facebook Share
A good designer knows her limits, and knows best how to use her resources.
I’m a designer, and can work wonders with type and layout. What I’m not is an illustrator. Oh, I could probably spend untold hours creating the graphics I wanted for this website. But it would be an unproductive use of my time, especially when other resources are a click away.
The illustrations you see throughout the pages of this website are stock art from a fabulous illutrator named Brandi Powell. I don’t know her personally. I found and bought her work on istockphoto.com.
In a perfect world, when you’re developing a new site, you would hire a photographer or an illustrator to create exactly what you need. If you’re an Apple or Neiman Marcus, that’s exactly what you do. But if you’re a small business on a tight budget, that’s probably not an option.
That’s why sites like istockphoto are a great resource. Photos and illustrations can start as low as $1.00, and run well over $1000 if you’re interested in buying out rights to a piece of art. But whatever your budget, there’s probably an option for graphics that will fit your needs.
