Most people don't realize that they already own an acceptable piece of website design software. If you have Microsoft Office Word you can create a document and save it as a web page which can then be uploaded to your hosting site. Of course this is probably not the best alternative, but if you are familiar with Word, you may want to explore the possibilities here first.
Free options abound online and you can locate them with a simple search for "free web design software" but then what. How do you choose which software is right for your needs? You don't want something that is complicated with a high learning curve. You just want to make a quick website to promote yourself or your business. But you want it to look professional.
There are many options but two of my favorite are "PersonalWebKit" and "Kompozer".
PersonalWebKit is a FREE software program that is one of the easiest to use, especially if you plan on developing an image heavy site. Complete with a few included templates this program allows you to add or remove pages with a few clicks of your mouse and it will auto-link all your pages for you. Just a few clicks allows you to customize or change your design, import, edit, and add effects to your photos, Including those you load from your digital camera. You can type and edit text as easily as in a word processor, import videos and sound files as well as office documents and when you are satisfied with your site you can publish, or upload it with a single click. The down side is that the Free version only allows you to build one website. After the initial site you must purchase the full version in order to continue to use it.
"Kompozer " is a FREE full featured website development software with all the bells and whistles of many of the higher priced programs such as Dreamweaver. You have all the options of importing images or text, formatting, editing, and design control in a 'what you see is what you get' (WYSIWYG) interface as well as the option to hand code using html or java. You can view the source file of your WYSIWYG page and even insert special coding as with opt in forms or affiliate links. There are no limitations on the software and it is FREE to use without any advertising or invasive links appearing on your published pages.
I have probably used 15 or 20 different versions of web design software over the years. From early versions of "Frontpage" and "Dreamweaver" to "Cold Fusion", Flash, Adobe and even online software like "Homestead". I even made a site in AOL once using their software. Currently I believe "KOMPOZER" is one of the best of the paid or Free options around. So, now that I am suddenly feeling really old, take it from this old hat and give it a try.
Designing a website doesn't have to be difficult and with the introduction of great software and now FREE great software like Kompozer, there is no excuse not to have your own website. You can see a sample page made using Kompozer
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment