18 November 2011

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web design programs allow users who don’t know how to code with HTML to create webpages. There are a number of options for WYSIWYG web editors, including paid and free programs. Some editors are more simple to use while others have more features. Here’s our top five WYSIWYG website creation programs to help you decide which is best for you.

Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver is considered the standard WYSIWYG website design tool to which all others are compared. If it’s power and functionality you’re seeking, then Dreamweaver is the tool for you. Dreamweaver lets you see your pages as they will appear on the web as you edit them. It also allows those who know HTML to work directly with the HTML code. The main drawback of Dreamweaver is the price. Be sure to shop around for more info, as the price can vary greatly.

Komposer

Komposer is a free WYSIWYG program that not only has all the basic features you’ll need, it includes a few advanced features as well. For building basic websites, Komposer is a good choice for those people new to site building or don’t want to spend money on advanced features they may never use.

CoffeeCup

CoffeeCup is another WYSIWYG web design program that allows people to build good-looking sites with no knowledge of HTML. Its primary feature is its themes that allow users to quickly and easily build attractive sites without having to worry about design. CoffeeCup comes with ten quality website themes with the option to buy more from their theme store. Be sure to check their site for more info.

Microsoft Expression Web

Expression Web is Microsoft’s replacement of their infamous website design program, FrontPage. While Expression Web is a huge improvement over FrontPage, it still has some limitations. For example, webpages created with Microsoft’s Expression Web have various incompatibilities with some web browsers, causing the webpages produced to “break” in browsers other than Internet Explorer. Maybe the best feature of Microsoft Expression Web is dynamic content templates. This feature allows you to update a single template and have the changes appear on all the pages across your website.

WYSIWYG Web Builder 7

WYSIWYG Web Builder 7 doesn’t have all the features that Dreamweaver includes, but has more than enough power for those just starting out in website design. What makes WYSIWYG Web Builder 7 unique is a special table on the left hand utility bar that allows you to easily embed special page elements such as YouTube videos and even rotating banner ads.