Best web design software for small business

This guide provides reviews and information on the latest software and services needed to design and market your own website

Whether you’re embarking on your first website or need advice on the best web design software for small business, this guide provides informed reviews and information on the best software and services available today. It's aimed at the non-technical person, who wants to learn how to do all the basics, from registering a domain name, web design programmes, online marketing, email marketing and more.

I only list awarding winning software and services from reputable merchants with few useful links to get your project underway.

Software

1&1 WebsiteBuilder

Web-design software for novices usually involves clunky templates with gaudy colours and dodgy clipart. This certainly isn't the case with 1&1's online site builder, which offers a broad selection of professional-looking designs in tasteful shades and plenty of scope for customising your pages. Beyond the look and layout, WebsiteBuilder makes promoting your site straightforward, by submitting a description and keywords to search engines.It also provides access to advanced tools asyou develop your skills,and uses an Auto Save function to protect work-in-progress. The builder is available with all 1&1 packages, with home users able to create and host a 12-page site for just £4.99 per month. - Webuser Magazine

"A highly competent and well featured online solution for those with a need for Internet representation quick smart. It's as close as you can get to good with an online template." Practical Web Design - Issue 23

Price:	£4.99 per month
Format:	Online Solution
	Visit the 1&1 website

Mr Site Professional (PC)

Everything you need to get a business website online.
Mr Site's Takeaway Website Pro offers individuals and small businesses everything they need to get a professional-looking e-commerce website online including their own dot com name, 600 Mb web space, 50 email addresses and 99 web pages.
Takeaway Website Pro also includes SiteBoost - to optimise the site for search engines such as Google & Yahoo - the only way to appear 'high up' in results pages these days. Not only that, you also get an advanced PayPal shopping cart, the Express Checkout, a business stationery creator for business cards, letter-headed paper or compliment slips and statistics which will allow Mr Site users to build up visitor profiles (which Country they came from, which search engine they used, keywords used in search etc.)

Price:	£99.99 - Amazon
Format:	Software
	Mr Site Professional (PC)

Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS3

Dreamweaver is the market leading professional Web design and development tool. It can be bought as a standalone product, or as part of Adobe Creative Suite.

Quickly and easily design, develop, and maintain websites and web applications — from start to finish — with Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS3 software. Built for both designers and developers, Dreamweaver CS3 offers the choice of working in an intuitive visual layout interface or a streamlined coding environment. Intelligent integration with Adobe Photoshop® CS3, Adobe Illustrator® CS3, Adobe Fireworks® CS3, Adobe Flash® CS3 Professional, and Adobe Contribute® CS3 software ensures efficient workflow across your favorite tools. More Info

Price:	£393.99 - Dreamweaver CS3
	£1404.99 - Creative Suite 3 Web Premium
Format:	Software
	Visit Adobe

Books

Training

Computeach International Ltd

Gain web development skills and enter the IT industry with recognised qualifications. On completion of the Web Design career path you will be able to develop and maintain websites, create content and digital media and employ standards and technologies for e-commerce websites. With the growth of the Internet almost every company now has a web presence. In addition to this, web technologies are used extensively within most organisations for the sharing of information internally. Computeach International Ltd

Impartial Advice

Business Link - Best practice in web design

Irrespective of whether you are intending to use a flat "brochureware" website or an interactive e-commerce site, the overall look and feel will play an important role in its usability.It is important that visitors to the site can quickly and easily access the required information. The design should present the content in an intuitive manner, making effective use of colour, layout and site organisation. More Info.

more stuff..

Actinic Express
is an easy to use online shopping cart solution that includes everything you need to sell on the internet. Whether you are a new start-up, or an existing business looking to expand online, Actinic Express will get you trading on the internet, fast.
more info

Actinic Business
Actinic Business® provides a range of options for small and medium sized companies to develop and manage sophisticated, high volume ebusiness websites.
All Actinic Business applications build on the comprehensive features in Catalog with additional advanced functionality in the areas of marketing, customer management, B2B and back-office integration designed to provide enhanced value and service for customers and greater efficiency for the merchant.
more info

Template Monster offers professional web templates, flash templates and other web design products available for immediate download.
more info

iStockphoto.com.
Search our royalty free stock images and photos or browse a giant selection of stock photography. Purchase royalty free stock photos at iStockphoto.com.
more info

Google Analytics
Google Analytics has been re-designed to help you learn even more about where your visitors come from and how they interact with your site. more info

eFUSE
Learn everything you need about building a better web site. Fast. Easy. Fun. And did we mention, free?
more info

CakePHP
CakePHP is a rapid development framework for PHP that provides an extensible architecture for developing, maintaining, and deploying applications.
more info

Wufoo's
Wufoo's form creator makes collecting information online easy. Our web-based software builds HTML Forms, Surveys, Event Registrations and more. more info

WorldPay
Internet Payment Solutions for Credit and Debit Card Processing by the World's Leading Payment Service Provider. more info