Best way to create a website?

[Namiejr]

I am curious as to the best way to create a website using my MacBook. I was a loyal MS user for years, but after seeing the ease of use of Macs, I switched over.

I have created websites using Frontpage and other online programs, but they are so limited! I want something that is user-friendly, but will allow me to add my own designs without limitation.

I tried an initial google search but the first 5 pages were for retail sites with limited reviews.

I need real world opinions, please.

[Yuiichi]

Welcome to the TAB forums, Namiejr! Hope you enjoy your stay!

There are two main options for "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" (WYSIWYG) HTML editors, like FrontPage is, for the Mac. The first is RapidWeaver. From what I hear, it's really fantastic for creating simple websites in minutes. I do believe our own BaseBallBoy uses it, so he can possibly give a more thorough opinion. A single license costs $89 CAD, not sure about USD.

The other main WYSIWYG editor for Mac is SandVox. I don't use this either, so I can't tell you what I think, but it has won an Apple design award for best user experience. A single user license (for the regular version) costs $49.

Personally, I use Coda, which is more or less a collection of the many tools one can use to create a website manually (read: by code). It's a really fantastic application with many features, such as a built in text editor, CSS editor, FTP client, and reference books. A single license costs $79 (for a limited time).

[lonnie]

I come from a professional print environment and am a self-taught web designer. I'm by no means the most efficient coder and I do still use some tables (don't hit me) but I use a combination of Dreamweaver and CSSEdit - it took a little getting used to CSSEdit but it's truly an awesome CSS app. I single license of Dreamweaver will set you back $400 and CSSEdit is $46.

[baseballboy828]

I am a big fan of Rapidweaver. It gets you started with a template. There are tons of great templates built in, and you can buy other ones for about $10 apiece from 3rd parties. The sites you build in Rapidweaver are based on CSS, so you can go into the CSS stylesheet and make customizations. Rapidweaver, as mentioned, will run you $79.

I use CSSEdit to make CSS customizations for Rapidweaver. It's an app I couldn't work without.

[goobimama]

Yep. I'd say Rapidweaver does the trick. Its great for beginners and you can even use HTML and CSS so you can learn as you go. The themes, and almost everything else is completely customisable and it has the legendary awesomeness of a Mac application interface.

Otherwise just go with a CMS like Wordpress or Joomla and customise that your way. No desktop software needed.

[GadgetComa]

Chalk up another vote for RapidWeaver. I messed around with iWeb for a bit, then stumbled across RapidWeaver. It's far more flexible, yet very easy to use. You can find plenty of addons and themes to enhance further. Plus, you can customize away as you get into the guts of HTML and CSS.