These days my site looks more professional, and the branding lines up with that of my books, social channels, and newsletter. And I’m quite proud of it as I handle all of it myself. Well, almost – I still outsource book covers. But I do the rest, and the funniest part about that is that I’m not remotely artistic in that sense; I couldn’t match colors if you paid me and can’t draw a straight line with a ruler.

marc sylvester software project


ImageOptim handily solves a problem that all the above might create. Putting lots of fancy graphics on your website can slow it down, something you don’t want generally, but really, really don’t want for something like your newsletter sign-up page. This useful tool will reduce the size of all of your images to appropriate resolutions for web usage – and as a bonus it’s really quick and easy to use, so you can fly through a whole stack of images in no time. And it really does make a huge difference – see below for proof.
SmallPDF – PDF to JPG converter might not be the most obvious choice here, but I need it for one very specific job: fixing blurry BookBub Ads. Sometimes Canva (and other programs) exports a blurry image at smaller sizes, an issue when it comes to BookBub Ads and the small, 300x250px format. Here’s my workaround: export the image as a Print-Ready PDF in Canva, convert it to a JPG using this tool, then reduce the size to 300x250px. That should kill your blurriness. (Note: I heard that Book Brush may have solved this problem in another way, but I don’t know the details – perhaps a Book Brush user can let us know in the comments).
But not just any old design will do. In fact, factors like color, size, and shape, all play a role in the performance of your button. So to help you encourage more visitors to become leads, we've created 50 pre-designed CTA templates to employ on your website. These templates are customizable, and we encourage you to test different colors and placements until you find what works best for you.

laughingbird logo maker


Canva is built to help you grow your brand. If you’re creating a start-up, building a small business, or dreaming bigger, once you’ve created your Canva logo can help your team can create sleek, on-brand designs with shareable brand color palettes, logos, and elements within the editor. You can also collaborate together in real-time on any design, on any device, from any location. 
These days my site looks more professional, and the branding lines up with that of my books, social channels, and newsletter. And I’m quite proud of it as I handle all of it myself. Well, almost – I still outsource book covers. But I do the rest, and the funniest part about that is that I’m not remotely artistic in that sense; I couldn’t match colors if you paid me and can’t draw a straight line with a ruler.

marc sylvester software project


Once your design is complete, hit that publish button. Instantly download your logo to send to a printer or print right at home. Share your creation by uploading it to your website, posting it to your social channels, or dropping it into an email. Adobe Spark saves your designs, so you can always revisit your project if you need to update it in the future.
It’s easy to add extra flair and personality to your projects with Adobe Spark’s exclusive design assets. Add animated stickers from GIPHY or apply a text animation for short-form graphic videos in one tap. We’ve taken care of all the boring technical stuff so you can focus on your message and style. You can also add collaborators to your project, so you can have more hands-on-deck bringing your design to life.

laughing bird video


And in my quest to find alternatives to fancy computer programs, I've come across a lot of free tools that help take my marketing up a notch. In particular, I've adopted a ton of free tools for creating visual content that don't cost my team a dime. From templates to browser extensions to online photo editors, keep reading to see some great, free web design tools to use. 

laughingbird liturgy

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