They range from the super cheap and super simple up to the top end where you will spend several hundred dollars on a complicated yet very powerful piece of software to create a website.



Having been building websites for over a decde now, I'm going to take a look at some of these pieces of software to enable you to have a better idea of the best solution for you.

1) NVU

Nvu is freeware - which means you can download it safely and legally off the internet without paying a penny making this the cheapest software to create a website (though there are a few other free options we will be discussing here).

Nvu has proven very popular because whilst free it is quite a powerful piece of software and the learning curve going from never having used it before to creating quite a nice website is quite short.

2) FrontPage

FrontPage is Microsoft's attenpt at web design software and whilst it can be simple to use and comes with a range of features to make attractuve (if basic) websites, you must have a special web host in order to use this software.

In that way, while some people swear by it, others still try to avoid this software to create a website wherever possible as it limits your options when it comes to your web hosting account.

3) Dreamweaver

Dreamwevaer is the top of the range option as used by professional web designers the world over. I have to admit that I myself have a copy of this software and it is *amazing* to use. It's a case of being to do pretty much anything you like without limitations. You come up with a concept and next thing you know you're making it a reality.

On the flipside, even as an experienced web designer I found it quite a challenge to get comfortable using, and for the average website you may well be paying for features you never use.

So unless you're looking for software to build a website of the very highest quality I would consider the other options first.

4) Site Build It

Site Build It is a package deal of software and services which icnludes not just the facility to create a website but also to register a website address, make a logo, insert forms and sell products.

It is an ideal beginners solution as it offers everything you need in one handy place together with plenty of handy tutorials in video and text format to help teahc you everything you need to know.

However, as your skills and experience grow, you may find the limitations of this system too great as you try to add extra features just not allowed with Site Build It. It's also one of the most expensive options going.

5) Joomla

Joomla is just one example of what is known as Content Management Software for CMS. Generally this software to create a website is used in addition to one of the other pieces of software here like Front Page.

Pleasantly Joomla is free software and controls how your website functions. So you can use your other web design software to make an attractive template so your site *looks* how you want (or just download one of the free templates for Joomla) then use Joomla to make your site *do* what you want it to.

Joomla makes it reasonably easy to add advanced features like discussion forums, link directories, guest books and contact forms to your site with little technical knowledge. You can even automatically translate your website into dozens of other languages!

6) Blogger

The last piece of software to create a website that I want to look at today is Blogger, a free service from Google.

Blogger let's you choose from a range of different templates and sets you up with a free blog. You can go to nothing to having your own blog in a matter of minutes so it's another free, beginner option to consider.