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Sophisticated user-friendly software - Serif WebPlus
By Nick Cheshire
When people think about web design they often think about HTML or PHP and other complex programming languages, but web design should be and can be a lot easier. Serif WebPlus takes its inspiration from the world of desktop publishing and has a familiar user-friendly look and feel akin to programmes from Adobe and Microsoft. With drop down menus and quick links it is relatively straight forward to design your own web site from scratch or make use of a comprehensive range of professionally designed templates which are all fully customisable.
The upload interface is also a fantastic feature and allows the user to quickly and easily upload a new web site to their web host and make as many amendments as needed.
The features available within the software include the ability to insert flash photo galleries, animated marquees and you Tube videos and with the use of Serif’s online resources you can even create your own customisable forums. As for HTML, Serif WebPlus enables you to insert HTML code directly in to your new site and so there are no restrictions on what you can create.
For those of you that are looking to create an e-commerce web site to sell products online, WebPlus has that covered too with a direct interface to PayPal and other e-commerce providers. Add a shopping cart or buy now buttons and start making money from your web site in no time.
Having examined many of the web design packages in this price range, Serif WebPlus certainly has the edge against it’s rivals. A great piece of software for the beginner or professional designer.
Become a Publisher with your own online magazine
By Nick Cheshire
If you have a certain amount of creative flair you may find that becoming an online Publisher is right for you. Whether you’re writing reviews, taking photos or shooting videos there are plenty of ways of getting the creative fruits of your labour published online. Serif offer an excellent desktop publishing package called PagePlus and of course offer WebPlus for web design. Combine the two and you can easily create your own e-zine in no time at all. You may think that writing lots of editorial copy is time consuming, but actually finding articles that you can publish for free written by others could not be easier, so there are plenty of sources for backing up whatever you have time to write yourself. See www.articledepot.co.uk, or www.freebie-articles.com.
With PagePlus you can very quickly insert articles, photos and graphics to produce a professional looking magazine. Your magazine can then be hosted on your web site (built using WebPlus). You can also create a flash flip page e-zine that will allow users to electronically turn pages, follow hyper-links to web sites and view video and other media content. I found www.flipdocs.com to be the best value and most reliable service. Take a look at Torquay Living Magazine opposite by way of example. This was designed in PagePlus and has it’s own web site at www.torquayliving.com, build using WebPlus.
Of course there are also plenty of commercial opportunities with a venture of this type, including selling advertising and running various google ad campaigns through adsense.
So, whether you’re looking for a part-time income, a new business opportunity or simply an outlet for your creative talents, your own online magazine could be for you. For more information or if you have questions please email Nick Cheshire.
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