Monthly Archives: December 2009

Make Your Own Blog Themes and Website Templates With Artisteer

Create Your Own Stunning WordPress Themes With Artisteer

siteThe WordPress blog you’re on right now, BestWebDesignSoftwareDeals.com, was created with Artisteer.  I’m sort of a WordPress theme junkie and love hunting for new themes.  There are so many talented web designers.  However, what I didn’t like was not being able to easily modify them without digging into the php code.

I like certain fonts, colors, textures, gradients, and usage of sidebars.  I’d often find a neat theme, but perhaps didn’t like two sidebars on the same side.  So began my search for a WordPress theme builder.  That’s when I found Artisteer and downloaded the 30-day free trial to check it out.  Within a few hours I was in love with it and bought it a couple of days later.

Artisteer is Easy To Use

It’s really easy to use.  A theme has various sections where you can change colors, fonts, layout, columns and more.  Here’s a shot of the tool bar.  You can also click the Suggest button on the far left while in any of the sections and the software will randomly suggest variations for which ever section you’re in.  I use the suggestions as a jumping off point for my own designs by changing any element to suit my current needs.

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Artisteer is constantly adding new textures and gradients, one of my favorite features, that turns flat color into eye-popping sensational effects.  Plus, you can also use your own graphics from files on your hard drive.

Artisteer Is Perfect For Affiliate Marketers

Gone are the days when I’d build HTML sites for affiliate marketing.  Now, I strictly use WordPress and Artisteer is the software I use to make my WordPress themes.  With so many free WordPress plugins available, I haven’t run into anything I can’t do on WordPress that I was doing on my old school traditional sites.  (Affiliate marketers, learn how to hide your affiliate links in WordPress.)  Sometimes I’ll create a brand new theme when I start a new site and other times I’ll modify a master theme that I’ve already tweeked to just the way I like it, simply by changing colors and the header area.

More Than Just A WordPress Theme Generator

Artisteer also creates themes and/or templates for Blogger, Drupal, DotNetNuke, Joomla, and straight HTML, in addition to WordPress.

HINT:  Combine Traditional HTML Sites With A Blog

I really like using WordPress because search engines love blogs.  However, if you have traditional static HTML websites, but hate the hassle of updating your site, then install a WordPress blog in its own folder on your site and link to it from your menuing system.  Then updating your site with new content is easy and the search engines LOVE blogs.  WordPress is the best way to keep your site fresh.

Click Here to Buy Artisteer

Web Design Software Training

iconiconFinding the right web design software to meet your needs is only part of the battle.  The other battle is learning how to use it.  Training will make the difference between letting your software purchase sit on the shelf or putting it into action to transform your ideas into beautiful websites.

When I first looked into buying Expression Web, I previewed a short product overview and saw how much easier it was going to be than FrontPage so I decided to buy it

When I opened Expression Web, I pretty much had a blank canvas to work with.  Most web design software is like that.  The initial questions were, “How do I create a website and web pages for the site?” 

I would have been lost without a tutorial from Total Training.  Instruction is clear, concise, and easy to understand for both individuals or group training.  Total Training offers both online and DVD software training for software from Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Corel, Inspirtech, Intuit, and Microsoft.

Watch the Total Training Tour here.

Five Important Rules in Website Design


By Beatrice Thomas | November 25, 2009

When it comes to your website, special attention should be paid to every minute detail to make sure it performs optimally to serve its use. Here are five main rules of thumb to observe to make sure your website executes well.

1) Do not use splash pages

Splash pages are the first pages you see when you open a website. They generally have a very beautiful image with words like “welcome” or “click here to enter”. In fact, they are just that — beautiful vases with no real intention. Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the “back” button! Give them the value of your internet site up front without the splash page.

2) Do not use unreasonable banner ads

Even the least web savvy people have educated themselves to neglect banner ads so you will be wasting valuable web site actual estate. Instead, offer more valueable subject and weave relevant associate links into your message, and let your visitors feel that they desire to buy rather of being pushed to purchase.

3) Have a easy and perfect navigation

You have to offer a easy and very direct navigation menu so that even a young youngster will know how to use it. Stay away from complicated Flash based menus or multi-tiered dropdown menus. If your visitors don’t know how to navigate, they will leave your internet site.

4) Have a clear indication of where the user is

When visitors are deeply engrossed in surfing your website, you will need to make sure they know which part of the web site they are in at that moment. That way, they will be able to surf pertinent information or navigate to any section of the internet site easily. Do not confuse your visitors because confusion means “abandon ship”!

5) Avert applying sound on your site

If your visitor is going to stay a long time at your internet site, reading your subject, you will want to make sure they’re not upset by some audio curling on and on on your internet site. If you assert on adding sound, make certain they have some control over it — loudness or muting controls would work adequately.

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XHeader

Create professional headers for your website with XHeader, from the makers of XSitePro website design software.

A poorly designed webpage header will send your customers running just as fast as they came.  It doesn’t matter if you have the lowest prices or if you’re the most honest person on the planet.  An ugly header screams UNPROFESSIONAL or SCAMMER.  People “profile”.  It’s human nature.  I do it and you probably do it, too.

Not everyone can be a graphics artist, but the good new is, you don’t have to be.  XHeader makes it super easy to design stunning web page headers that will draw in keep visitors on your site like a fly to sugar.  Plus, the images you use in your header will instantly visually tell your visitors what your site is about and assure them that they’re at the right place.

You don’t need expensive software like Photoshop to design hi-end headers that create consumer confidence and trust.

XHeader makes eye-catching banners, too, so add XHeader to your arsenal of website building tools. 

Download a free copy of XHeader header designer here.

XSitePro Training Course

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The Complete Guide To Website Building is the companion product to XSitePro web design softwareXSitePro is already easy to use, but if you really want to learn how to build websites the right way from the ground up, there’s no better way to learn the software than with this XSitePro training course. 

It’s principally aimed at people who are newer to web site design, so perhaps people who have:

  • Tried creating sites with other products like FrontPage, Dreamweaver, ExpressionWeb or SiteBuildIt only to end up giving up out of sheer frustration.
  • Outsourced their web site building up to now.
  • Or maybe haven’t even tried creating a site before at all.

The course will deliver ALL the skills you need to create professional quality websites, with a straight 365 day refund guarantee

It’s more than just learning how to use the software.  The Complete Guide To Website Building goes beyond building a few pages and getting your site online.  You’ll find everything from how to research your niche, through to building a list, adding a payment system to a web site.  You’ll learn search engine optimization, advertising your site with with pay-per-click, making your site more interesting with video and audio and so much more.  

26 Modules (over 30 hours) include 

  • Over-the-shoulder demonstrations that lead you by the hand every step of the way.
  • Interactive illustrations that help you to expand your knowledge.
  • Classroom style lessons that you can watch again and again.
  • Quizzes.
  • Homework assignments.
  1. Foundation
  2. Research
  3. Adding Projects
  4. Adding Websites
  5. Design Custom Websites
  6. Adding Web Pages
  7. Text & Formatting
  8. Working With Images
  9. Wizards & Tables
  10.  Navigation & Interlinking
  11.  Many Types of Content
  12.  Audio & Video
  13.  RSS
  14.  Extra Features
  15.  QuickPages
  16.  Sub-Pages
  17.  Site Search
  18.  List Building
  19.  Pay-Per-Click
  20.  Affiliate Marketing
  21.  Selling Direct
  22.  Search Engine Optimization
  23.  Sitemaps
  24.  Publishing
  25.  Essential Housekeeping
  26.  The Test

Click here to get the XSitePro Complete Guide To Website Building Training Course.
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Ewisoft Website Builder

Ewisoft is an inexpensive, yet powerful website builder.  Build websites from scratch or select from hundreds of professionally designed templates.  Download it and try it out for free.

Here are some of the features that caught my eye.

  • Automated sitemap generator- Click a button and include all the pages on your site.  No more manual maintenance of sitemaps.
  • Page Import – Import web pages built by other website generators.
  • External editor – Optionally edit your pages with your favorite editor, including Microsoft Word.
  • Change Styles – Change the look of your site without losing page content.
  • Menus – Create slick navigation menus without using 3rd party software or coding.
  • Multiple templates – Apply more than one template to a website.
  • Optional Shopping cart – Integrate a shopping cart to sell your products and services.

Get your free Ewisoft dowload.
Website Builder