What do you use to design your sites?

Just wondering what you guys and girls use to design your sites, software wise?
Myself, being a graphic designer, I am a fan of Photoshop for the design then a simple slice and input to get it all up.

Jonathon

I use Dreaweaver / Fireworks.. (I took design classes in college and need the software.
You can use free / low cost software like amaya or omniweb, Front page (Beware that Microsoft Front-Page web pages are full of bloat)


Here's a good link for those who re are looking for freebies..
http://webdesign.about.com/od/windowshtmleditors/tp/free-windows-editors.htm

I use basic templates in SBI for most of my sites and then customize them a bit with Firworks. I'm not very good at the design side of things.

I would probably enjoy design more if I had taken a class on the subject along the way. I learn easier by example than just fiddling around with it and trying to figure it out - which is what I basically had to do.

When I first started my first website, I stuck with one of the templates SBI already had available to choose from. I didn't customize the look and feel of it for almost a year. Design is nice, but I learned that it isn't essential for success.

The most important aspect of your site is that you are providing valuable content to your visitors; information they are looking for.

I usually hand code my sites from scratch using HTML and CSS. On the few occasions I've paid for custom design work, it's great to have the ability to tweak things if I so desire.

There is a product - Artisteer - that automates the process of creating unique website templates and great looking blog themes in just minutes. No design experience necessary and it's actually fun to use.

Hermas

Its remarkable just seeing the different programms/techniques people use.

Hermas,
I have tried to learn coding myself but just found it to be too monotomous for what I enjoy doing, but would love to be able to just go into the code and tweak here or there depending on what I want to do.

Happywife,
I have found that basic templates are good and although design isnt essential, it can very much influence the mind,
e.g. think of the adverts that appeal to you most then think of the same advert but with either just writing nothing else or just a dull monotone voice, it just wouldnt have the same impact,
overall design is not the most important thing but getting the overall content content accross in a way that appeals and stimulates the target audience is an integral part of it.

Jonathon

happywife: Design is nice, but I learned that it isn't essential for success.

The most important aspect of your site is that you are providing valuable content to your visitors; information they are looking for.
I agree that design alone is not essential for success, it's only one of several elements that contribute to it.

But design represents the important first impression that either attracts or repells the viewer. For that reason the design (layout/presentation) ought to be at least pleasing to the eye, otherwise you increase the percentage of visitors who don't stick around long enough to discover the valuable content.

Imagine a chef makes a delicious dish, but instead of dressing it up and presenting it in a pleasing way, simply slaps the food on the plate and serves it. Most patrons would be disgusted by the sloppy presentation and refuse to eat it, because they assume the taste would be similarly unflattering -- unless they were really hungry, I suppose.

Hermas

I didn't mean to imply that a nasty or unpleasant design was acceptable.

You obviously want to have a pleasant looking site, but it doesn't have to be really exceptional in design to become successful.

I made the comment about content vs. design above because I notice that some people concentrate so much on the "look" and functionality of their site to the detriment of content and proper keyword research, etc.

No matter how flashy, classy, or otherwise a site may be - if it's not getting traffic and providing good content, it's pretty useless.

I DO agree with both Jonathan and Hermas, of course. DO have a nice looking site - whether you design and/or code it yourself, or use a template.

Just don't get overly bogged down on design.

Blessings,
Angie

I find some of my ugliest sites get the best response. I believe it is because when they get too complicated... people don't think they could duplicate... but when a site is simple (and in my eyes ugly)... people respond because they believe they can do that too.

I use Arachnophilia 4.0 which is a free HTML editor with some cool features.

I usually use a text editor.

I still use Microsoft Frontpage for coding my websites, Gimp for cutting & pasting, XHeader for banners & headers & Favicon.ico for icons in your address bar.

Mark

I use Dreamweaver! Kompozer is a good free tool, as well as HTMLkit.

I use xsitepro and also use dramweaver and photoshop allthough there is a big learning curve with photoshop and dreamweaver.

thanks

The easiest place for beginners is Weebly.
The site builder is very simple, anyone can do it
Victoria

I actually use Nvue and it's been working pretty well for me. I plan to get dreamweaver in the future, but for now NVUE does the job.

Jerry

Photoshop, It was always been Photoshop , and I am quite excited on the Cs5 release, there are some easy web wizards out there but if you really want it to look the way you want it, you have to try photoshop.

Photoshop CS4, break everything down by hand, and Homesite to hand code XHTML/CSS.

Hard code with Dreamweaver using PHP/CSS/HTML and MySQL as a database... Remember with Photoshop your creating images and Google can not read them so... text text text...

I have just started using NVU html editor and find it rather easy to use. However I would like to learn how to use DreamWeaver.

I use nvu and 90 second website builder, which is perfect for building mini sites.

As for graphic design software, i use corel paintshop pro photo XII

They do their job for sure!

prohomeworker: creating images and Google can not read them
Google can and does read image tags, and they help a page rank higher.
"A picture is worth a thousand words" is truer than you imagine.
Try posting the same article with and without pictures and see.