I'm a Damn Good Copywriter but Can't Make Me No Graphics!

[JakeDaly]

Where do y'all get them fancy check marks? The colorful boxes around the testimonials? How do you insert a picture next to a line without friggin' it all up in nVu?

Every one talks about the copywriting swipe files.. how about the swipe file of all the necessary graphics and templates, if you will, on how to construct GRAPHICALLY a good-looking sales page? You could be the best copywriter in the World(I'm not, I'm 245th best) but I feel it is all in vain unless you know HTML basics, allowing your sales page to NOT look like it was constructed in Homestead by a computer science drop-out in 1997.

I'm tired of simply copying someone else's source code, changing a few things, and making the copy better. I want to create, from scratch, a successful and beautiful-looking sales page. And I don't want to hire a graphic designer or web designer to do so. Suggestions?

[MikeHumphreys]

Hi Jake,

I suggest you spend a few months reviewing the training videos at lynda.com

That should help you improve your web design skills.

Best of luck,

Mike

[travlinguy]

What Mike said, and...
Get yourself a professional (paid) Web editor like Dreamweaver or FrontPage. Most prefer Dreamweaver. I started out with FrontPage and have become 'competent' with it but there are still things that make my overhead thought bubble to go completely blank. The thing is, just about every Web editor out there has lots of free tutorials on Youtube. The same goes for Photoshop.

As for graphics, there are lots of places to get 'em free but it takes a lot of time to surf and save the URLs. I've found a lot of good photos and graphics in various PLR packages.

As for stock photos, here are a few sources where you can get 'em free or pretty cheap. I’ve posted a few below.

One other thing, don't sweat this too much. If you create some killer copy and need to have it nicely displayed in a trick mini site it's relatively easy to get that from some of the great designers you'll find in the WSO and Warrior Special Offers section. Good luck.

1) http://www.pixelperfectdigital.com
2) http://www.photosforfree.de
3) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
4) http://www.morguefile.com *
5) http://www.everystockphoto.com
6) http://www.picturestation.net
7) http://www.free-stock-photos.com
8) http://www.freeimages.co.uk
9) http://www.intuitivmedia.de
10) http://www.FotoDatenbank.com
11) http://www.photocase.de
12) http://www.stock.d2.hu *

[colmodwyer]

And I don't want to hire a graphic designer or web designer to do so. Suggestions?

If you're as damn good a copywriter as you say you are, then your time's best spent writing sales copy - not coding websites.

Personally I don't like handing over control to someone else... but I've found that a designer "who gets it" will do a better job than I and in half the time. It's hard to find them, but such designers do exist...

Which is handy, because I get paid more to write copy.

Colm

[John_S]

And I don't want to hire a graphic designer or web designer to do so. Suggestions?

What you want is a direct response designer. Not a graphical artiste.

Read the direct response graphic design article in my sig. Not one of fifty graphic or web designers ever figure that stuff out.

[RebeccaLongster]

Hi Jake ~ one other thing you might do is offer to swap talents with a graphics designer here. I'm very tech challenged about some things (like w-p pluggins and widgets), and after wasting several hours looking for things that would "work" and not finding any, a friend of mine suggested I do that ~ I did that and had several suggestions and a couple of warriors who even offered to (and then did) walk me through installing and setting up the pluggin I needed.

Rebecca

[Loren Woirhaye]

I haven't found many shortcuts to getting skilled with graphics
and design, but since they interest me I've dug-in and learned
some stuff.

One thing that can help you a lot is learning a bit about how
CSS works. CSS allows a lot more flexibility with font choices,
graphical fonts, layering of images and text, and positioning
of everything. For Wordpress you have to do everything in
CSS anyway - check my blog where the "goodie" carousel
in the header is done by combining and layering elements in
CSS which allows you to ctrl+ or Ctrl- the size of the page
and the opt-in box elements till line up reasonably well and on
different size broswer windows. I tried it with HTML tables
and it would in no way work with Wordpress, even though
a tables approach works for this effect in static websites.

Once I figured out the CSS solution, it actually made more sense
than the tables approach. I know the code looks more complicated
but the way you command CSS is actually more intuitive.

You need to get familiar with working with transparent .PNG
images and tools that erase and crop the backgrounds from
images and then save them as .PNG pics. I use Paint.Net
for most of my stuff, just because I learned it first, it loads
fast, and it does a lot. The magic wand and layering features
are essential things to understand.

You'll probably want some sort of program for ebook and software
covers. Paint.net actually has a free plugin that can bend
images around cubes and sphere and things, which, if you
are skilled can be used to make boxshots and faux-Cds. I
doubt you'll be able to figure it out though. You'll probably
either want photoshop with an actionscript or a standalone
program to do box shots.

I have a software called "Web Graphics Creator" which has
some flaws but also makes designing ecovers pretty darned
easy. It has a box-shot maker in it, which isn't very good
compared to some of the newer hi-res ones, but it's okay
and included for under $40.

All the really cool-looking salesletters use CSS to do underlining
and position things like scribbles, doodles, and sticky notes.

[impulsell]

Regarding product covers and graphics like that, there was a really good free post in the WSO or War Room, can't remember which, but it was a link to download 20ish quality ebook 3d cover templates.

Might be worth checking out...

[orenrowz]

Hey Jake,
I think you should keep doing what you're best at and let someone else help you with graphics. You can learn and learn and learn but it'll take you a long time and then you'll be mediocre at best.

That's my reply in general.

But since I came here this morning with the reverse problem, I might be a perfect fit for you. I can help you create that stunning sales page you want. And since I'm in need of a copywriter to help me with my sales page we might be able to help each other out.

Let's chat.

[tekayo]

learn to read and write html
it is so easy and you will finish it in 2 days
just start with it
find a course online they are available every where
good luck

[Vixxen]

I sorta know where you're coming from as I tend to like doing it all myself.
No one knows what I "see" when I'm designing a site in my head - trying to work through the details. The biggest issue for me is actually getting the "what I see" picture from my head out and onto the workspace.

As someone who's been at it a while, I learned to despise tables for design long ago. Tables are for data - end of discussion. Layers are the key of creativity for designers at least in my opinion. When it comes to making the perfect layout with graphics, text and everything else - I find that layers will give me the freedom to make that design in my head make it for most parts, onto the workspace.

Dreamweaver offers layers and if you play with it and check the manual for the parts you need to read so you understand it. It's not such a bad learning curve. Now I can't make that program sit up and do the hula - (I'm still using DW Studio 8) But if you have the cash for the newer version go ahead. Me, I'll stick with my eBay special low cost purchase and enjoy the creative zone I know. lol

That said, I also agree with some of the others. If you got the money - hire out.
Your talent in writing is set. You may be able to crack the graphics side too. But till you are more skilled at it - you may want to pay for this.

"You do what you do best - for all other stuff - there's other people for that."

You wouldn't fix your own car, do self dentistry or work on your house unless you had the skills to not only do the job right, but not get hurt in the process.
That's why there are other professionals to do the books, make appointments and make sure we stay healthy.
You need to know how to delegate and optimize. There's plenty of talent out there just waiting for a chance to show off their own skills. What are you waiting for?

You can go ahead and give it a shot - muck about and see if you can do it. Maybe you can. Then again, maybe you can't. No shame in that, it's not where you shine. So how about letting someone that does shine in that area do it for you.
Meanwhile, you can maybe catch a few rounds of golf or go see a game and get some down time for yourself.

All work and no play makes Jack a grumpy, workaholic...lol Relax the chock hold a bit.
You just might realize that getting professional help gets you professional results.

Have a great weekend and cut yourself some breathing room. Do something fun.
Luck to you on your adventure - enjoy the journey!

[graphicsgenie]

Originally Posted by JakeDaly

Where do y'all get them fancy check marks? The colorful boxes around the testimonials? How do you insert a picture next to a line without friggin' it all up in nVu?

Every one talks about the copywriting swipe files.. how about the swipe file of all the necessary graphics and templates, if you will, on how to construct GRAPHICALLY a good-looking sales page? You could be the best copywriter in the World(I'm not, I'm 245th best) but I feel it is all in vain unless you know HTML basics, allowing your sales page to NOT look like it was constructed in Homestead by a computer science drop-out in 1997.

I'm tired of simply copying someone else's source code, changing a few things, and making the copy better. I want to create, from scratch, a successful and beautiful-looking sales page. And I don't want to hire a graphic designer or web designer to do so. Suggestions?

Hi Jake,

I'm the opposite of you, got the graphic side sorted, taking a course on copywriting at the moment, hoping to offer both services to a high level in the next 12 months.

Good luck in your search for graphical excellence.

Regards

Darren

[Thomas Prendergast]

Originally Posted by JakeDaly

I want to create, from scratch, a successful and beautiful-looking sales page. And I don't want to hire a graphic designer or web designer to do so. Suggestions?

I built Veretekk to teach people like you everything you need to know among other things.

The Veretekk Silver system cost nothing to join and we have over 50 teachers that teach all kinds of things including HTML.

I am one of the HTML, PHP and graphics instructors and we have success with turning left thumbs into competent designers.

We have been around for 12 years doing it.

Your welcome to join. no obligations.


Thomas Prendergast
CEO
Veretekk.com, Inc.

P.S. Please contact me via PM as I would like to discuss your copy-writing for some of my many projects.

[MikeHumphreys]

Jake,

There's a WSO running right now which will teach you how to create your own mini-site graphics in Photoshop. It's really good... I even gave them a testimonial for it a while ago.

Here's a non-affiliate link:

http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...Q5wdZQxN9hsoVx

Best of luck,

Mike