NOT a Guru!
Keeping it simple, without the hype. PC tips and Internet advice for mom and pop businesses.
Keeping it simple, without the hype. PC tips and Internet advice for mom and pop businesses.
Day 5 is going to be a l-o–n-g day, so hang in there! We’re going to take a look at different web authoring programs. Some will be free, some will be paid software. I’m going to break this into chunks.
Remember, this “first website” tutorial is written for mom and pop business owners or other newcomers to the Internet who have never, ever had a website before. If you know of some good software programs, be sure and let us know in the comments.
The Mom and Pop Business Online Storefront: Shopping Cart Integration.
If you are taking your brick and mortar business to the Internet, you presumably have inventory and already have a merchant account. For the most part, people who are shopping on the Internet are going to buy “on the spot.” They are not going to mail you a check or money order or fax an order to you unless, of course, you are selling something that is unusual or perhaps rare. So if by chance you don’t have a merchant account, take a look at ProPay and some of the PayPal options.
Your Internet site will need a shopping cart. For the beginner, I highly recommend Mals-E.com which you can use for free. It is easily configurable so that you can include options — such as small, medium or large, different colors and so forth. It accepts a variety of payment options, including your traditional merchant account options. You can calculate shipping and taxes, and then copy and paste your “Buy Now” buttons into your web pages. There is even a tutorial about integrating the Mals-E.com shopping cart into Dreamweaver.
The Mom and Pop Business Online Storefront: Website Software.
When it comes to designing your web page, I think that if you are setting up your storefront, you should avoid template-driven free programs. Different web authoring software programs that you might want to consider include:
Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver can be a bit pricey, but you can create beautiful websites with it. It has a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor and many features, but it is tough to learn. I personally prefer XSite Pro and gave away my Dreamweaver software because I just wasn’t using it any more. If you’re building a storefront, however, it’s worth checking out. Here are some samples:
[NotGuru's #1 Recommendation] – XSitePro – This is substantially less expensive than Dreamweaver and I like it a lot better. It has WYSIWYG editing, an SEO checker (search engine optimization), and many, many other options. If you are going to be adding or changing your products and pages, XSitePro’s menu will change on the fly — meaning that you don’t have to keep checking your links to make sure they are accurate. It is super easy to include videos, order forms (from Mals-E.com or other sources), site maps, search functions, RSS feeds and much more into your site. It will even create XML feeds based on your web content. I highly, highly recommend XSitePro if you want to do the job right without having to spend hours upon hours learning software. If you want to hit the ground running by creating a stunning website that is easy to update and market, XSitePro is the way to go. Click the banner below to see the features — and be sure to check out all of the testimonials. I started out designing webpages with writing code in Notepad and have tried a lot of different software programs over the years. I’m not kidding when I say XSitePro is by far the easiest, most effective web authoring software on the market. It’s just awesome.
KompoZer – If you’re on a super tight budget, KompoZer is a free webpage software program that, for lack of a better description, is sort of like Dreamweaver lite. Once known as Nvu, KompoZer has a lot of features that you might see in an expensive web design program. You can read more about it here.
These Programs Aren’t Just for Storefronts.
Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at some other web authoring programs out there, most of which will be free and that will work all right for content/affiliate types of sites. Even if you don’t have inventory that you are selling online, you might want to take a look at the software programs described above to get some ideas.
~~~ Quick Navigation ~~~
Yesterday: Hosting Your Website.
Tomorrow: Free (or Cheap) Webpage Generating Software That’s Easy to Use.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Sphere: Related Content
I agree that Dreamweaver is a bit pricey but I still prefer it compared to most other editors simply because it has a colour coded code view along with a WYSIWYG view. Be warned though that it’s best to use the code view and refer to the design view to see what it looks like otherwise Dreamweaver has a tendancy to add lots of unnecessary code.
Thanks for sharing this information, I have been an avid reader since I wanted to make my own web site ever since time immemorial.