what are the most user friendly web tools for a simple website?

**mk888** · Apr 6, 2009, 11:51

i am researching starting my own online business. i am pretty new to web design. took a class in college for it and thats about it. my idea website is going to be something pretty simple.

so my question is what would be the best program for me to use. as i said the pages im looking to design arnt anything or that in depth and i have pretty much no experience.

also would it be a good idea to pay to download web design templates.

much thanks in advance.

**JeffWalden** · Apr 6, 2009, 17:49

Welcome to SitePoint!

I personally love Aptana Studio for coding websites as it's simple to use and color-codes my html and php code. Oh, and it's free!

Should you use templates? That's a loaded question and I'm sure you're going to get people on both sides of the fence with that one. For me, I like to review templates to get ideas for creative design and then I go and create it myself. I think I avoid using templates because I'd prefer to know exactly how the website was built from the ground up so that I can tweak it as necessary.

**ShawnsITSolution** · Apr 6, 2009, 20:10

Hello,

I would suggest that you download or get a copy of Dreamweaver. This is a very nice and easy WYSIWYG. This will help you get started when it comes to designing/coding.

You can download Adobe CS and get photoshop and dreamweaver both in one package.

**g1siberia** · Apr 7, 2009, 08:50

for a simple site you want to build yourself go with dreamweaver

**mk888** · Apr 9, 2009, 12:38

Is Dreamweaver easy to learn? I heard it was but then I heard from others that it has a tough learning curve. I just want to make sure I'm not spending money on something I will be super frustrated with.

**mk888** · Apr 9, 2009, 12:39

I am also going to look into Aptana Studio. Thanks hyperbolic and thanks for the welcome to the site.

**AlexDawson** · Apr 9, 2009, 14:08

I would suggest not using any WYSIWYG editor, learn to code by hand in the long run but if you want an easy start, simply use a CMS like Drupal or Wordpress as all of the major coding is done for you and it will make things easier for you to work with as you begin.

**RetroNetro** · Apr 9, 2009, 14:39

Originally Posted by AlexDawson

I would suggest not using any WYSIWYG editor, learn to code by hand in the long run but if you want an easy start, simply use a CMS like Drupal or Wordpress as all of the major coding is done for you and it will make things easier for you to work with as you begin.

I agree with this. Learn to markup HTML by hand, then learn to use CSS to style it.

**Janepenelope** · Apr 11, 2009, 00:22

well i feel as long as there are sites that provide free templates then there is no need to pay for any template but if the type of template you wish to have is not on free template sites then you can go for paid sites

**Sam Rusch** · Apr 11, 2009, 16:02

There is a process that I followed, and it did get my very far.

I started off with Dreamweaver. It was FANTASTIC! One of the best tools I have ever used in the web designing world. Although, I felt it was quite limited after awhile. I wanted to have the ability to do something how I wanted to without a wizard. I worked with the code in Dreamweaver, looking at what did what, and eventually put the pieces together. I learned HTML, PHP, MySQL, and some Javascript from reading it online, and in Dreamweaver.

**TeddyP** · Apr 13, 2009, 10:50

Personally I think jumping into hand coded html isn't the quickest choice. It is probably the best idea if you want to learn how to make multiple websites but I think using a template or dreamweaver is an easier start.

I actually started with Dreamweaver...then got most of my html knowledge through the code view of DW as well as google searches.

Someone mentioned Wordpress - that would also be a good way to start - tons of customizable themes but I personally think the learning curve for WP is higher than Dreamweaver...especially if you want to start customizing themes. Also there are a definite lack of GOOD free CMS style templates for WP.

I would also suggest getting yourself some kind of image editing program - like a Photoshop/Illustrator.

**jxcheng** · Apr 16, 2009, 14:36

Is Dreamweaver free? or you have to pay?

**ShawnsITSolution** · Apr 16, 2009, 15:19

Originally Posted by jxcheng

Is Dreamweaver free? or you have to pay?

Dreamwaver is not free. It is part of the Adobe CS (Creative Suite), now you can choose to get just a dreamwaver license for the product.

**chestnutgirl** · Apr 17, 2009, 14:30

Hi mk888
I am in a similar situation to you as I recently set up my own web business. I only learnt to code 6 months ago! Originally I intended to use editors that do a lot of the coding for you, like Coffeecup, but I quickly realised that it just doesn't afford the flexibility you need to offer your clients. And for the same reason, I would say stay away from templates - they're ok if your clients don't really have any set ideas on what they want for their site, but if the client wants something specific , a template can only go so far. I'd recommend taking the plunge and getting familiar with hand-coding. There are so many online resources available to help, that you'll quickly get the hang of it even if its tough to start with - so hang in there!
BTW I prefer to use Dreamweaver but never in WYSIWIG mode - I prefer to handcode.