Web design & hosting forum: Need Advice on Website Programs

I'm not really into dealing with HTML at the moment. GoLive was drag and drop, and pretty easy, once I got the hang of it for fairly simple stuff.

The FTP thing hasn't given me a problem, since I just log into the FTP site of my server and upload the pages. My issue is being able to easily change the pages I already have, and add new stuff.

I appreciate the thoughts on Dreamweaver. I do think it is overkill for me, but didn't know what alternatives might be good. Several folks I know have used the free design stuff, and it seems it either looks crappy, or is slowwww to load pages etc. I also explored WordPress, but I don't want a blog. Maybe I just don't know how to set it up right.

I'll take a look at the Expression Web 4, and also go a google search as you recommend. When you say you use InDesign to design/layout your site, are you just doing it to get the look you want, and then using a web program to mimic? I need to explore this also. Thanks.

> Several folks I know have used the free design stuff, and it seems it either looks crappy, or is slowwww to load pages etc.

In terms of looking crappy, that could be a limitation of the program or how the program was used, but in terms of pages loading slow, that could also be related to the program, because it has to add an abundance of code to account for what a user "might" want to do, not what he is actually doing.

> I also explored WordPress, but I don't want a blog. Maybe I just don't know how to set it up right.

WordPress is definitely an option as well, and while WordPress started as a blog, it doesn't have to be setup/used that way. In the long run, if you have time and are interested, going the content management system route, like WordPress, is definitely where you want to be at some point. It will make managing website content much, much easier. You're also then not depended on any software running on your computer to update it. You just login to your website and can add/manipulate most anything.

> When you say you use InDesign to design/layout your site, are you just doing it to get the look you want, and then using a web program to mimic?

Right, it's just the design. It's then usually handed off to a front-end developer who will manually build a site according to those specs.

~Sovereign

Thanks. I might need to explore WordPress some more. I did try setting one page up, but didn't find a way to make additional pages look different than the first one. I'm so used to using InDesign that I get frustrated when I can't put things where I want them to go.

My primary reason for considering Dreamweaver is the amount of support via Adobe, forums, blogs, Youtube, etc that are available. Also, from the demos I've watched, it appears to be somewhat like GoLive, which I ended up developing my website originally, and it functions well and fast - just needs some TLC.

Gail

> But didn't find a way to make additional pages look different than the first one.

You're right about that. You can change content and you can change your homepage, but out of the box, you can't have different designs for different pages unless you know code.

That said, there are plenty of advanced themes that provide additional functionality to make that happen. There are also an abundance of plugins that can extend functionality.

~Sovereign

I've been looking into WordPress a little more. Also Joomla and Drupal, although I think I've looked at them all too much the last few days. I'll take a look at coffeecup. Thanks for the input.