WebPlus X2 Website Maker

Rating:

While I agree with the review complaining about no support on external style sheets, this program is by far the best choice if you are just beginning to write your own websites. One of the first websites I did with it is at [...] (hope that's ok to put that...) and while it's been a few years, it didn't take any time at all to master the program and put up that site (>87 pages).

At the time, I had purchased Dreamweaver, Frontpage, downloaded the free version of Coffee Cup, and tried numerous online site builders. The online site builders didn't give me enough control over what I wanted to do, but DW and CC were too hard to learn QUICKLY. Since then, I did spend time learning DW, but I still find myself using WebplusX2 for most of my sites unless they are blogs. You won't want this program for blogging. (Wordpress still the best for blogs!)

You don't have to know any HTML to use WPX2, and if you did, you wouldn't be able to use it much anyway. You can't get into the html except to insert snips. It may sound like there are more disadvantages than advantages, but, again, if you are a beginner, it's ideal.

I gave it 5 stars because:
-Super easy to learn if you're in a hurry to get your website up (shouldn't take you much more than an hour if you've done any desktop publishing at all)
-You don't need to know ANY html
-Insert web forms, tables, 3D buttons, rollovers, videos and audios easily.
-Upload your site easily (this was a big deal for me at first, I had no idea what I was doing and once you set up the 'publish site online' it takes about 1 minute every time you update)
-I got 2 manuals I can hold in my hands (I prefer that over the online tutorials, myself)
-easy to check in several different browsers

Disadvantages you need to know about:
-Not very many ready made templates available (one reviewer said he got 2 pkgs of templates-find out about that!)
-Using outside templates is a mess. You can, but it's easier to create it yourself
-Images gave me trouble at times. I'm not a professional, so sometimes the quality looked bad. Putting images inside text boxes would change how the type looks, or the image would degrade. I would just use a different image and more boxes. I know, amateurish, but ... it worked.

I haven't used half the options available, but this software was a lifesaver AND timesaver for me. I had spent way too much time looking at other options, trying all the free ones, but this was one of the best investments I felt I made in my business. Also, you can get better deals from Serif direct if you talk to them on the phone. (at least I did) However, it took forever for it to arrive (from England, I think). So plan ahead. I did start with their free version that was available as a download. That was a few years ago, tho, not sure if it's still available. You will need to upgrade, tho to get all the options.

In short, this is what you want if you are just starting out and want a professional looking site fast. I loved it. If you are just starting a new business, forget trying to find a free option, this one is well worth the money in the time you'll save. Experienced webmasters: you don't want this.(you know who you are, and you know why you don't want it...).

Rating:

I am working towards my certification as a web technician. My current course, Internet Publishing, uses WebPlus X2 Website Maker as the model for publishing software. It is very easy to use, especially after you read and follow the tutorials included. I feel like a real professional when I see the product of my efforts on the web!

Rating:

After reviewing many products to produce a website for our very large photo club (over 500 members), my husband found the WebPlus X2 Website Maker. I have been using it now for over a year and am still raving about it. It is easy to set up initially. There are many templates from which to choose and then modify to suit individual needs. I'm not super techie so I appreciate how incredibly intuitive and user-friendly it is. I get many favorable comments on the site with many folks asking about it for use in their clubs. Should anyone wish to see the photo site, go to [...]. I can add photos, more pages, text, links, etc., very quickly. I can also track how many visits there are to the site and to which pages using the Smart tools. The reference book that is provided with the software is very useful and easy to follow. For all of these reasons and many more, I highly recommend this product.

Rating:

I've read some negative reviews on this and it could be that I'm not savvy enough about website design yet to be aware of the flows referenced. One person wrote that their tech savvy friend told him that the site he created wouldn't be picked up by search engines because it contained scripts that the spiders would like. Well, I don't know anything about that. What I do know is that this software far exceeded my expectations both in the tools it provides and the ease with which it is to learn these tools. The book it comes with is straight forward and simple. Admittedly there was a few places where I made mistakes and had to carefully re-read the instructions to get it right but many of the features in this can be learned in just a couple of minutes. Well worth the money I spent.

Rating:

This is my first Serif product. I am a teacher and have little experience with web design at all. I was using a trial version of dreamweaver and created a pretty basic site using the same colors I am using with X2. However, X2 was WAAAAAAY easier to use with about 4-5 hours total of messing around with it I was able to create a pretty good website. If you want to see it is not finished but it is "[...]" at least to see what the basic stuff can be done. I need to remind all of you that I am no expert here and am self taught since Tuesday!

What I like about WebPlus X2
1) It is a lot easier to use than Dreamweaver
2) the FTP upload makes getting the site on there really simple! I was using filezilla, but realized that X2 uploads everything the way it should be.
3) There is a lot of freedom to create your site without tables, which I liked
4) Cloning pages or creating new ones based on a previous format was nice! I didn't see that in Dreamweaver, but I didn't need to look for it in X2 either!
5) Premade buttons, forms, etc...
6) No HTML needed, but it there if you choose to add it

What I don't like
1) It can be a bit bland at times, and tedious
2) The linking process was easier in Dreamweaver in my opinion
3) There are A LOT more files that are needed to be uploaded relative to dreamweaver
4) I didn't like their templates (even though there are a ton)


I know it is like comparing apples to oranges between X2 and Dreamweaver, but it seems that Dreamweaver is just too complicated for a basic user. X2 does a great job developing the learning curve quickly to get at least a basic site online.