There are plenty of online tools that can help with both the business and creative sides of graphic design. These include color scheme generators, ways to find domain names, website statistics tracking, project management tools, marketing tools and online wireframe software. All of these tools are accessible through a browser without downloading software, and many are free.
Choosing a name for your graphic design business or for your clients is hard enough. This process is even more difficult for a business needing a website because it is tied to what domain names are available. Fortunately, there are online tools that can help select a name and find domain names that are available.
MockFlow is web-based software for creating mockups and wireframes. The application allows users to create mockups and wireframes and collaborate with others within a password-protected online account.
TinEye is an image search engine developed by Idée. Unlike most other image search engines, that work with keywords, TinEye uses images to find images… upload an image and TinEye searches the Internet for matches based on the image itself.
BrowserCam is a paid online service that allows you to view your web pages across different platforms and browsers, either by automatically taking the screenshots of your choice or by accessing computers remotely.
Google Analytics is a free statistics package with a user-friendly interface and feature set that rivals many paid statistics systems. With easy sign-up (simply add a line of code to your web page), multiple sites per account, customizable views and various export and email options, it is an excellent option for tracking website statistics.
Google AdWords is an excellent way to drive traffic to your website and attract potential clients. With so many graphic design portfolios online, targeting customers in your area with keywords specific to your design focus can help grow your design business.
Lipsum.com is an online resource that generates any requested length of Lorem Ipsum dummy text for graphic design projects.
The WayBack Machine allows users to find old web pages in their extensive website archive of billions of web pages.
Sending an email newsletter is a great way to spread word-of-mouth on your design business. There are many ways to do it for free, but there are also many services that offer email marketing tools and software, giving you control over design, contact management and statistics to test the effectiveness of your emails. Campaign Monitor is a great, user-friendly email marketing service with affordable pricing.
Emma is an online service that manages email newsletter marketing, from organizing contacts to creating design templates to statistics reporting.
