SiteStudio vs. FrontPage

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Guest

I am brand new to web development and have a hosting account with IX Web
Hosting. I need to build a not too complex website for a small business and I
am trying to decide what tools to use. The IX account comes with free use of
SiteStudio for web design. It is web based and seems very simple to do basic
things but not very flexible. Am I better off purchasing FrontPage to do this
work? Anyone with any opinions on this or SiteStudio?
 
"It is web based and seems very simple to do basic things but not very
flexible"

I guess it depends on how "flexible" you want to be.

FP certainly can give you flexibility.

--
===
Tom "Pepper" Willett
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
---
About FrontPage 2003:
http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX01085802
FrontPage 2003 Product Information:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/frontpage/prodinfo/default.mspx
Understanding FrontPage:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/understanding/frontpage/
===
|I am brand new to web development and have a hosting account with IX Web
| Hosting. I need to build a not too complex website for a small business
and I
| am trying to decide what tools to use. The IX account comes with free use
of
| SiteStudio for web design. It is web based and seems very simple to do
basic
| things but not very flexible. Am I better off purchasing FrontPage to do
this
| work? Anyone with any opinions on this or SiteStudio?
 
Don't be a sucker and buy into the lie that FrontPage is 'flexible' as it
too has a wall and perhaps you too will be slammed into it after taking the
advise to do so from someone who is not being entirely honest.

The SiteStudio may be just fine for now asking what harm can come from
giving it a try if and only if it generates html and the files it generates
end with .htm or .html. That would then enable you to reuse all of your work
at such time that you smack into the SiteStudio wall and then adopt the use
of FrontPage which will slam you into the next wall until you learn to write
your own web applications or became so dazed from being smacked into walls
that you just give up and allow yourself to continue to be manipulated.

Welcome to the web Jerry :-)
 
I kind of agree with both Tom and clintonG, but let me offer this:
some years back when I first started doing this type of work, I made a
decision to use Ulead's PhotoImpact instead of using PhotoShop or PhotoShop
elements. I thought I had good reason as the Ulead product is very good and
it's much faster to do stuff intended for web use.

the problem is now that I'm fluent in PhotoImpact it's actually making it
harder for me to use and learn PhotoShop because of all the stuff I've got
to "unlearn". If I knew this way back then, I'd have "bitten the bullet"
and learned PhotoShop upfront.

HTH

--
Chris Leeds,
Microsoft MVP-FrontPage

ContentSeed: great tool for web masters,
a fantastic convenience for site owners.
http://contentseed.com/
 
I didn't think of that. Its pertinent all right but only pertinent I suggest
if Jerry can really convey what he means be a 'small business' and what the
needs of the business really are. I've had a couple of customers in the past
that wanted and needed nothing more than a 1-2 page static brochure for
their 'small' business. The guy that hauls a lawn mower around town to cut
grass for example didn't need need FrontPage to build a website for his
small business (neither did I) but if there were DYI applications such as
this SiteStudio application available at the time I wouldn't have been able
to rip the guy off for the outrageous fee of $75 I charged to build his
'small business website' %-)

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
METROmilwaukee "Regional Information Services"
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/
 
LOL. I know what you mean.
I'm going to set up a site for local lawn-mowers by the way:
"mowandblow.com". I thought it would be a cool deal for the small local
operators, when the client's order the service they could receive a text
message and a paypal payment.

I'll probably never have time to make it happen though.

--
Chris Leeds,
Microsoft MVP-FrontPage

ContentSeed: great tool for web masters,
a fantastic convenience for site owners.
http://contentseed.com/
--
 
Thanks Clinton and Chris for feedback so far. As far as the website goes it's
bigger than the lawn mowers. It is a company that helps people who have tax
problems with the IRS. Website will need to grow and expand as the business
grows.

To Chris' comment, if I decide to go with SiteStudio instead of FP am I
doing the equivalent of getting experienced in WordPerfect instead of MS Word?
 
Yes, only probably more severe than that.
To Chris' comment, if I decide to go with SiteStudio instead of FP am I
doing the equivalent of getting experienced in WordPerfect instead of MS Word?
Click to expand...
 
Chris isn't biased at all. ;)

Just kidding... I've never heard of Site Studio, though, so he's quite
probably right.
 
JerryC said:
I am brand new to web development and have a hosting account with IX Web
Hosting. I need to build a not too complex website for a small business and I
am trying to decide what tools to use. The IX account comes with free use of
SiteStudio for web design. It is web based and seems very simple to do basic
things but not very flexible. Am I better off purchasing FrontPage to do this
work? Anyone with any opinions on this or SiteStudio?
Click to expand...

If your site is about a small business the you NEED flexibility .. .ie
control .. because you need to optimise for seo (search engine
optimisation). Your results in sales won't be as high with a web based
editor. Whatever editor you choose it needs to be NOT web based. If you do
get FrontPage .. get the latest one for the maximum benefit in saving time
on maintainance and ease of use.

hth Tina

Tip now out is: Blank out the ALT Tag
http://frontpage-tips.com/ - FrontPage Tips
They are primarily for FrontPage 2003 but will be good
for earlier versions too.



--
http://accessfp.net/ - FrontPage Resource Centre
http://anyfrontpage.com/ - FrontPage Ezine - Free FP Ebook
http://addonfp.com/ - FrontPage Addons
http://frontpage-tips.com/ - Weekly FrontPage Tips
http://msmvps.com/frontpage/ - FrontPage News & Articles Blog
http://frontpage-advice.blogspot.com/ - FrontPage Advice Blog
http://frontpage-ebooks.com/ - FrontPage Ebooks
--
 
Ok I've worked with these 'site builders' and honestly they aren't terrible
at all. Some have some really neat stuff. However I have found that you are
very limited to what you can do. BUT: If you find the template that they
offer that is 'right' for your business then go for it. You won't have to
learn much with these builders and with Frontpage you will have to learn a
little. However if you're not considering building websites other than your
own then why not give the site builder a try and and if it works then great.
If not: hire someone to build it for ya.
 
--------------------------snip--------------------
Ok I've worked with these 'site builders' and honestly they aren't
terrible
at all. Some have some really neat stuff. However I have found that you
are
very limited to what you can do. BUT: If you find the template that they
offer that is 'right' for your business then go for it.
Click to expand...
---------------------snip--------------------

JerryC:
If your goal is to simply get a website up, then a sitebuilder product can
be what you need. If your thinking ahead about wanting a more
unique/flexible/capable website you need to make sure your host supports
whatever your thinking of using.

If your thinking of using FP it will be a lot easier if your webhost has
FrontPageServerExtensions 2002 (I think it is) available. Otherwise you
need to plan on setting up your page defaults to not use FPSE. FP is
enormously useful even w/o the FPSE.

Tom
 
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