5 Popular Web Design Software Programs
If you ask five different web designers which web design software they prefer, chances are you’ll get give different answers. This variety comes with the number of years that a designer has been building websites, the level of knowledge, experience and skill that they have behind them, and of course, their budget. Web design software comes in all shapes and sizes, providing something for just about every type of web designer imaginable. This article will focus on five unique web design software programs, providing a short review and product information that will help you make an informed choice.
Web designers of all skill levels have used Adobe products in some way, shape or form to develop and build websites. Popular programs, such as Illustrator, Photoshop, Muse, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Acrobat and much more are all included. Cloud-based storage and hosting are included as well, giving designers access to a whole host of tools, platforms and services for just $49.95/month. Annual, student and month-by-month rates are also available. One of the biggest benefits is that the programs offered through Creative Cloud will be updated regularly as Adobe adds, fixes or updates them, giving you access to the latest and greatest that they have to offer.
Coffee Cup Visual Site Designer
A very popular and widely used developmental package for web designers, Coffee Cup’s Virtual Site Designer is a great tool for beginner, intermediate and busy professional designers. Based on a straight-forward WYSIWYG platform, Visual Site Designer helps you to drag, drop, crop and paste your way to web design success. A built-in FTP feature allows you to quickly upload your designs for easy implementation. Coffee Cup charges just $29 for this software, however there are bundles available that include other top-rated Coffee Cup programs.
The best free web design software you’ll ever use, WordPress is much more than a blogging platform, it is a gateway that allows designers to create fully-functional content management system (CMS) drive websites without a lot of effort. Templates, themes and other options are available, however there is an amazing database filled with design tips, ideas, user FAQ plus a whole host of free (and paid) plugins and widgets that will round out your design.
While there are many targeted Expression products available from Microsoft, including an app builder, mobile design program and video editor, the “Web” version is what you want for web design. Includes full support, diagnostics and checking against web standards for HTML5, CSS3, PHP 5.3, JavaScript, AJAX, ASP.NET and more. SEO reporting, browser diagnostics and other handy tools are also include. Prices start at $149 for the Pro version or $599 for Ultimate.
This program has been around for a long time and has evolved and changed much over the years. The idea behind NetObjects is to provide the ability to create professional-looking web designs to beginners without a lot of design experience. Available at $199 for the full version, NetObjects gives new developers options such as mobile design, integrated analytics and SEO tools, in-program FTP, access to editors for HTML, CSS and images, plus database creation and implementation.
Category: Website Tips
