Website design software

[Robre]

Does anyone know any good website design software for relatively cheap? I just registered my domain name and I want to build my site offline before I start spending money on web hosting fees. I am a real rookie when it comes to this. I know very little HTML and even less CSS and other languages. I am building a site that I will be updating daily so it needs to be easy to use.

Regards,

 

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[hekks]

I know very little HTML and even less CSS and other languages.

Back when I was in your shoes, I learned to write basic websites in Notepad. You need to grasp the fundamentals in order to be comfortable working in an advanced environment (like Dreamweaver for example).

Learn HTML (and then XHTML, a more strict and standardized version of HTML), CSS, and JavaScript and be able to use it just from Notepad.

This website will be one of your best resources: Introduction to HTML

Only then do I think you'd benefit from more complex software. Also, I suggest you look at Notepad++ which is a web and programming focused version of Notepad, which helps you structure code by automatically formatting it (colors, indentation, etc.) as you go.

And a personal tip: Once you have a firm grasp of the fundamental concepts, learn to apply them to real-world solutions, such as a database that tracks customer information (PHP is a great language for this), a script that allows someone to sign in to a website and stay signed in via browser cookie, etc. There are endless exercises out there that you can practice. You just need to dedicate yourself and remember that you're on a mission to build something great.

Good luck and have fun! :urock2:

 

[Robre]

How long did it take you to learn? Is this something that can be done in a relatively short amount of time? I am a pretty smart guy when it comes to this stuff so I should catch on after one or two tries. The website you gave me looks like a good place to start.

Thanks!

 

[Upncomer]

Xara is pretty easy to learn and has a lot of great features not to mention tutorials both written and video tutorials to get you started.
No previous knowledge of HTML is required with this program, but any previous knowledge would of course be helpful.
They also have a pretty low starting price at about $50, and a free trial version.
Here is a Link (no it is not an affiliate link)

 

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[AdamMaxum]

Idk if you're looking to actually learn the code, but my advice would be this.

Use weebly.com - why? free hosting(you can simply link your website to weebly when you're ready to go live) free website (offline or online) very very easy to use. drag and drop features. They have quite a few layouts to choose from (which are all customizable if you learn css). Weebly only charges you if you want the upgraded version which you don't need. All it does is remove the weebly logo on the bottom, and some other little things that don't matter much.

or you can use wordpress if you're looking to have a blog type site. Wordpress will take longer figuring out.

If you're looking to actually learn code and do it that way...well, then you're going to have to learn some stuff. lynda.com is a great resource to learn html and css quickly. Probably the greatest website for learning anything internet related. Make sure you watch the css, html, and dreamweaver videos first. If you end up using this site PM me and I'll point you in the right direction.

You can try out dreamweaver at adobe for free for a full month. I watched the lynda video on dreamweaver while working/following along during my free trial. Great way to learn how to create a website.

For cheap software I recommend kompozer - this is pretty similar to dreamweaver. You're going to want to know how to layout a website using html and css to use this program effectively. It's free to download.

Also for images (which you're going to want to use on any website) I recommend GIMP. It's free and a great tool for any image related activities. If you know how to use photoshop, you will figure out gimp easily. Many of the same common tools and techniques are used in both programs. If you don't know photoshop, you can watch tutorials on lynda or read up on GIMPs help manual. You can use photoshop for 30 days free too from adobe fyi.

Hope this helps a little. GL.

 

[911Carrera]

If you can't afford dreamweaver, use notepad. I'm currently learning Photoshop for web graphics, html, xml, css, javascript. So far they seem pretty easy to learn. I'm an IT (wan/lan admin) guy so that kind of stuff comes easy to me but I never bothered to learn any web design language because I was never interested in it until a few weeks ago. Once I grasp these ones, I will move onto php and asp.

I was going to pay someone to make my websites but I'd be selling myself short. I have no guarantee which projects will take off so investing large amount of money at any project doesn't make sense to me. If I have the skills, I will have a unlimited ammo and also another way to make some money.

They way I'm learning it is reading books and watching videos and following along.