Do you want your own website? For your sports club, family, hobby, passion or your own business? It really isn't as hard as it was ten years ago. Thanks to WYSIWYG software, you don't need any HTML knowledge at all to put together a beautiful, dynamic website. We discuss three offline programs and three online services.
This article consists of three pages:
Programs
Page 1: Adobe Dreamweaver CS5; A lot of novelties;
Page 2: MAGIX WebsiteMaker 4
Online applications
Page 3: Strato MultiWeb;
Page 4: Wix; Conclusion.
Today you can not only use a software package to build a website, but also an online application. We have made a selection of three good offline programs that are fully available in Dutch and three oversized online services. The result is a mix of web design packages for beginners and advanced users, for everyone's budget; from an established name like Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 to the fairly new free online application Wix. The differences between the programs and services are very large in some areas. For this test, we mainly looked at the possibilities, the user-friendliness, the difficulty, the language, the manual, the number of ready-made templates and of course the price.
Of course there are many more programs and services with which you can put together a decent website, but we think that there is something for everyone in this selection. One thing the tested programs and applications all have in common; beginners can use a ready-made template while creatives can start with a pristine white web page to go their own way.
Tips for creating a website
Are you creating a website for the first time? Then it is recommended to take some tips into account. The easiest way to create a first website is with a ready-made template. The design, hyperlinks, buttons, fonts and other web elements are all ready. All you have to do is adjust them to your personal preferences. This prevents errors in your website. Do you still want to make adjustments yourself? Try to make your website radiate calm and do not opt for a cacophony of loud colors, illuminated buttons and an overdose of pop-ups. Read the paper or digital manual carefully and take the time to optimize your website. Finished? Then check that everything is working properly before you throw everything online. Visitors simply do not like to return to websites that are full of bugs.
Programs
Adobe Dreamweaver CS5
Dreamweaver has been the flagship web design software for years. The package is the standard for both semi-professional and professional web designers. You can not only create static HTML sites but also dynamic websites with ASP, ColdFusion, JPS and PHP. The program can now also handle the open source CMS systems WordPress, Joomla and Drupal.
In the past, beginners often missed Dreamweaver because of its price and difficulty. The price tag is still very high compared to the other programs discussed, but the user-friendliness has been worked very hard. When you start the program you can get started immediately using the 'starter templates', a series of predefined templates. The various boxes on such a template are no longer filled with incomprehensible Lorum Ipsum text, but with instructions that simplify the creation of a website. You simply have to replace the instruction texts with your own texts. Directions have also been added in the code.
On the left you see the HTML code, on the right the template with instruction texts.
A lot of novelties
Creating a new project has also become a lot easier. Unlike Dreamweaver CS4, it is no longer necessary to enter a whole lot of information before you can actually get started. After you specify the project name and location, you can immediately start designing your website. If Dreamweaver needs additional information, such as a test server for viewing your page in Live View, you can still enter it.
Another innovation is the code addition for PHP. When you enter only part of the code, you will be presented with several suggestions. This can save you quite a bit of time and work. In addition, the browser function of Dreamweaver CS5 has also been overhauled. It's now incredibly easy to completely dissect an existing site and learn new things from other web designers.
Are you done designing? Then you can check via BrowserLab how your website will look in different web browsers on different platforms.
Dreamweaver CS5 is the most comprehensive, advanced, and complete package on the market, but it's not for everyone. It is virtually impossible to use all the possibilities of the program without prior knowledge and this makes the package only interesting for professional web designers.
The browser function allows you to fully parse existing websites.
Adobe Dreamweaver CS5
Price € 570 (upgrade from € 296)
Language Dutch
OS Windows XP SP2/Vista SP1/7, Mac OS X 10.5.7
System requirements Pentium IV, 512 MB RAM, 1 GB hard disk space
Judgment 9/10
Pros
Professional package
More user-friendly than CS4
A lot
opportunities
Now also for WordPress, Joomla and Drupal
Negatives
Price
More suitable for pros than for beginners
Web space and domain name
If you want to put a website online, you not only need a software package, but also web space and a domain name. Many internet providers give a few megabytes of free web space, but if that is not enough for your website, you must use a so-called hosting provider to rent web space. Popular hosting providers are One, Combell, Your Hosting and Go Daddy. Compare the different providers before purchasing web space. In most cases, you pay the rent for web space monthly or annually. Some providers give you a free domain name when you purchase web space. You can also rent a domain name - in the form of www.uwwebsite.nl or www.uwwebsite.com - per year. Again, you should compare prices and keep an eye on offers.
