Site design tools - any recommendations?

[vsica]

I am looking to design a very basic site for family use. Can anyone recommend a web site design tool that is easy to use and free (or very reasonably priced)?
Right now I am using MS Word.
Any recommendations are appreciated.
Thank you;)

[schalicto]

I have used cute html for web design in the past, it does a nice job and it's only $20. These days I'm only using web programs for blogging and photo manegment like wordpress and coppermine, and those are free as free beer. What do you plan on doing with the site for your family?

-Josh

[Brandon]

Do you have a Mac or PC?

[ted]

i am new to website design too and i found HTML-kit pretty easy to use,plus its free....can get it here

http://www.chami.com/html-kit/download/

[Daniel]

I am using DreamWeaver. Kind of like Word, you don't need to know HTML to build a site.

If you are building a site for your family to post content on, you might need a CMS - Content Management System. The most user-friendly and easy-to-use CMS will be Wordpress (http://wordpress.org). Well, to be accurate, it is a blogging platform.

You write you post the word-processing way, click a button and it is published. The system automatically places the latest post on top of older ones (reverse chronological order - a blog)

For your family, you can setup user accounts and give them the right to write. They will do the same, write, click button, publish. It is easy, no codes on their part.

You will need sometime to read the installation guide. It is a 5 step process, easy as it is.

You may try it anytime, since it is free (open source).

Hope the information helps.

[IMAD]

use front page MS office it's easy

[wiseoldman]

You can look at my write up on various free web page makers at http://www.wise-old-man.com/help%20pages/sothink.htm (which is a very good one). But all editors will take time to learn how to use them. I also recommend learning and using HTML. The free html editor I use is HTML-KIT (whcih some one else recommended). I will take some time but learning how to use it is great way to make web pages. See my tutorial at http://www.wise-old-man.com/htmltutorial/. You can always contact me through my "comment form" on my site.

[ds4081]

There is a free one similar to dreamweaver for windows and linux called NVU you can get it at http://www.nvu.com/index.php


--DS4081

[ihandyon]

You can download Coffee Cup Html editor (trial version) and they toss in Coffee Cup Visual Site Editor. Use the Visual Site, very easy use it then decide if you want it. ($20) Also WebEasy Pro ($50) is good too

[Marvin]

Aptana
Find it here. (http://www.aptana.com/)
you have to code yourself, so its not like dreamweaver or word, where you just bung stuff on the page.
but it gives a lot of hints as you go.
plus its free

HTML is easy to pick up :)
Good luck

[RookieBoy]

Homesite, made by Macromedia, a very lite version of Dreamweaver.

[Aaron]

If you are not very tech-inclined, I would suggest a content management system.

As suggested earlier, wordpress is one of the easiest around, although the main use of it would be for blogging. There are other CMS around, such as Mambo, Joomla, PHPNuke etc.

If you want a simple family site to post updates, pictures and all, I think wordpress would be more than sufficient. Hostmonster's control panel has Fantastico, which makes it easy to install Wordpress. You can visit my site (which incidentally is my blog as well) for an example of using Wordpress.

A CMS typically allows you to add users, and this means you don't have to be the one updating all the time. Your family members can also login to update. If you need more information on starting and customizing a wordpress installation, you're welcome to contact me. I'll be glad to share whatever little I know.