You can add quite a nice touch to your site by using theme related graphics to accent your pages. While careful selection of icons, bullets, and bars can give the page a personality all its own, avoid over-using animated GIFs in this capacity. When used to excess, they tend to distract rather than direct a readers attention. A word of caution is in order here though. Across cultures, words may have dual meanings and can easily be misunderstood.
Graphic icons are subject to the same confusion.
Only use the most generic or representative of graphics in place of text items. Symbols that may have clear and unmistakable meaning to you or your employees may leave your visitors as mystified as if they were reading Egyptian hieroglyphics. For example, compare the two menu bars below. A menu, Store Hours, Party Information, Directions to the store, and Contact information. A bar does not have to be a simple line.