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Web designers, regardless of their level of expertise, tend to look for ways to make their efforts easier and more effective. The same can be said for design agencies. Both designers and agencies also look for design tools and resources that can be game-changers. With respect to their ability to meet or beat the competition. Money may not be an issue in some cases. But the individual designer, smaller agencies, and startups that are on a tight budget need cost-effective resources that help make major steps forward.
Affordable Tools And Resources For Designers
Each of these tools and resources has the capability to make a major positive impact in terms of project workflow and still be cost-effective. For a relatively small investment, top quality and functionality are within reach for anyone looking for good design assets.
Choosing one and putting it to good use right away could, as the saying goes, really make your day.
1. Be – The Biggest WordPress & Portfolio WP Theme
One of the biggest and most powerful WordPress and WooCommerce themes, with more than 40 core features is BeTheme by MuffinGroup.
BeTheme is simple and easy to use for building a complex website in such a short time thanks to the 3 core features we’ve highlighted below.
- The recently launched BeBuilder is the most flexible WordPress builder ever. It replaces the Muffin Builder and Live Builder, and it enables you to create a diversity of advanced layouts that until now you could only fantasize about. BeBuilder features include autosave and other tools to protect your current and past page-building actions.
- Be’s massive library of 650+ customizable, responsive pre-built websites covers all website types and major industry sectors. Integrated directly into them is the UX functionality which can be a tremendous time-saver. After choosing the one that best fits your needs you could literally build your website in just a couple of hours.
- Be’s BeBuilder Woo is an absolute gem with its templates and sections and its array of shopping features that are customer-centric along with single product layouts.
Click here on this banner and get ready to see something impressive.
2. Total Theme For WordPress With PageBuilder
If and when things go wrong while creating your website it’s important to not necessarily assume it’s your fault. When you find yourself unable to create a layout or a feature the way you intended, the problem sometimes is traced back to a theme’s lack of flexible design capability.
That will never be a problem with Total, a WordPress theme that has the tools and flexibility you’ll need to finish a project without bothersome interruptions.
- Total’s Theme Demos and 90+ section templates are easy to import and will get your projects running smoothly and fast.
- If you choose, you can even start from scratch.
- For maintaining a smooth, trouble-free workflow, use your preferred page-builder or the extended version of WPBakery to ensure you’ll be able to.
- Get the flexibility you need with live customizer theme settings and dynamic layout functionality.
- Total is 100% responsive and compatible with many popular plugins.
Click on this banner to see what Total can do this time for you.
3. LayerSlider – Sliders, Popups & Animation
When you come across a website with some truly engaging animations, there’s a real possibility that its designer used LayerSlider, a most impressive design tool that has benefited from a huge following for a long time. With LayerSlider, you can easily create a modern and fresh web design that is guaranteed to impress not only its visitors but yourself as well!
- No coding is required. LayerSlider comes with an easy-to-use and modern drag and drop editor that you can use without any experience.
- You can create an eye-catching, expensive-looking website in just a short period of time.
- LayerSlider supports various layout modes to create image galleries, landing pages, hero scenes, animated page blocks, popups, or full websites.
- A growing selection of professionally made templates is an ideal starting point for new projects. Plus, the pre-generated transitions will allow you to unleash your creativity.
- You get one-on-one professional customer support.
Click on this banner to find out more.
4. wpDataTables – WordPress Table & Chart Plugin
There’s no shortage of tools or apps you can use to create simple tables or charts. When certain issues arise or certain requirements must be met, the number of feasible tools can lessen. wpDataTables may be the only viable option when the need is to –
- create tables/charts that are interactive, responsive, and maintainable
- process huge amounts of data quickly
- process data from a variety of sources and formats
- color code key information.
5. Uncode – Creative & WooCommerce WordPress Theme
Uncode is a pixel-perfect Envato top-selling theme that freelancers, creatives, and agencies have found to be a perfect match for their website-building needs.
- The custom builder of Uncode’s WooCommerce is one of its most popular features
- the Wireframes plugin with its 550+ section templates is another
- and Uncode’s fast and efficient Frontend Editor is still another
Don’t hesitate to see Uncode’s power. View the gallery of user-created websites.
6. Trafft – Appointment Scheduling System
Trafft provides an automated booking service for virtual and on-site appointments and events. Users can choose among three paid plans or select the free-forever plan for individuals only.
- Trafft will manage employees’ schedules and assignments.
- Send out reminders plus accept payments from clients.
- Trafft can service multiple locations, and everything is managed from a single platform.
- Users can utilize custom booking form fields, and use custom website domains.
7. Mobirise Website Builder Software
Mobirise is an offline website builder with a wealth of page-building features that include sliders, galleries, videos, Google maps, and more.
- Since you will not be tied to a specific platform you can host your site wherever you wish
- 4000+ website-building blocks and 300+ home page templates are included
- Google AMP/Bootstrap4 makes certain your site will be super-fast and 100% mobile
- Mobirise is free for personal and commercial use
8. Getillustrations.com – Stock Illustrations Bundle
Getting images from their massive library is a quick way to design out-of-the-ordinary smart website pages, presentations, and apps.
- Getillustration’s library of 10,000+ images is the world’s largest of its type
- Their featured formats include PNG, Vector AI, SVG, Sketch, Adobe XD and Figma
A commercial license comes with each illustration purchased and is yours to use without limitations.
9. Slider Revolution – WordPress Templates
Add the Slider Revolution plugin to your designer’s toolbox and you’ll discover how easy it suddenly becomes to impress your clients with stunning website page visuals.
Slider Revolution is also a great tool to have for changing websites from mind-numbing to awe-inspiring with its –
- Impressive website and addons and slider templates
- Use of content that is dynamic from social media sites
- Web Graphics Library slide animations.
10. WHATFONTIS – Font Identification Tool
Until recently, identifying fonts from an image has never been so easy. With its database of 850K+ fonts and AI-based search algorithms, WHATFONTIS will help you to get font identification in seconds.
- Upload an image of any font in question and you will get correct identification of 90% or more each time.
- If the search engine yields strange results, you’ll have access to one-on-one support.
- It can find cursive fonts and also free/commercial ones.
11. Essential Grid – WordPress Gallery Plugin
Essential Grid helps you create breathtaking and professional-looking galleries that load at crazy-fast speeds.
- Showcase your best blogs or products, an eye-catching portfolio, your video and audio gems, or all the above.
- Choose between boxed, full-width, and full-screen layouts.
- Content can be acquired from WooCommerce, social media, and website pages.
This WordPress Gallery plugin was created by the developers of Slider Revolution and can claim a 9 million-user fan base.
12. Pixpa – Portfolio Websites for Designers
With Pixpa’s drag-and-drop website builder and customizable templates you can build your website easily, quickly, and exactly the way you want to. Pixpa helps you hit the ground running with a stunning, professional website in no time!
- The customizable templates give you the perfect, easy, and beginner-friendly starting point to start creating your website.
- Client Galleries are a key feature specifically designed for photographers, seamlessly bringing together eCommerce and customer management. You can share, sell, and deliver your work, all in one place.
- Using Stripe or PayPal you can accept payments directly and Pixpa does not charge a commission for online sales.
13. XStore – Top WP WooCommerce Theme for eCommerce
Claiming to have over 30,000+ customers, the XStore WooCommerce theme has some impressive elements to help eCommerce designers.
- XStore’s premier feature – 110+ impressive ready-to-customize shops.
- XStore’s integration with the powerful Elementor and WPBakery page builders.
- The live Ajax theme option is $500 worth of “must-have” and hand-picked premium plugins.
- A single product page builder with single product layout options for ease of use.
14. Amelia – WordPress Booking Plugin
Amelia is a superior booking plugin because of the level of control it provides. It is easy to set up, navigate and can be used immediately.
This premium plugin’s popular features include –
- The ability of a business’s clients to book appointments online 24/7.
- The capability to manage individual, group, and events bookings at multiple locations from a single platform.
Currently, more than 30,000+ businesses use Amelia.
15. 8bio – A Link in Bio Tool With Catchy Styles
Businesses and individuals can expand their reach with online digital assets like websites and social media accounts. It can be pricey and time-consuming to maintain a website, however, some entrepreneurs prefer to place a link in their bio.
- 8bio offers impressive options for creating and customizing a link on social media which helps users feel curious, compelling them to click.
- Your link can have catchy animated backgrounds, a shopping cart, images, and more.
Conclusion
Designers and agencies are constantly on the lookout for tools and website design resources hoping that they can provide anything from incremental improvements in certain areas to game-changers. And ultimately give them the ability to view the competition in the rearview mirror.
Money may or may not be a key issue. The ability to take a major step forward with minimal investment is a goal worth pursuing.
You are invited to carefully examine each of the top 15 tools and resources for web designers presented here. For a relatively small investment, one or more of them could make a major positive impact. In terms of project or business operation workflows and/or end-product quality and functionality.
