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Software

You can click through many of the links below to get more information or purchase these recommended selections. If you buy software through Amazon.com, we receive a small finder's fee at no cost to you.

Website Development

Microsoft Expression Web Design

If you work in Windows, are comfortable with other Microsoft products, and want to develop or maintain your website yourself, Expression Web Design could be right for you. (EWD is the upgrade for Microsoft Frontpage.)

Adobe Dreamweaver

If you work in a Macintosh environment and/or want the Cadillac of web development products, Dreamweaver comes in both Mac and PC versions. However, Dreamweaver has a steep learning curve, so buyer beware.

Note: We provide training in both of these products. 

Graphics

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop (Mac & PC versions) can manipulate photos or similar graphic objects every which way but loose. However, it is expensive and difficult to master.

Photoshop Elements (Mac & PC versions) has all of the most commonly used features at a reasonable price. It's what we use every day.

Irfanview

If your budget is really tight or you are looking for a less-complicated package for just the basics of photo manipulation, check out one of our favorite programs, Irfanview. It's free for non-commercial use and only $12 for businesses.

Adobe Illustrator

A long-time favorite of many graphic artists who draw electronically, Illustrator (Mac & PC versions) has recently added a number of features that make it easy for web design tasks.

Microsoft Visio

A great drawing program for technical applications, including web layouts, organization charts, project planning diagrams, and maps. It comes in two flavors: Visio Standard and Visio Professional. The Professional version costs quite a bit more, but comes with a large set of templates for highly technical diagrams.

Favicon Generator

Favicons are the small images that sometimes appear in your Favorites list and to the left of website addresses. This free tool helps you create one from a small image.

Maintenance

Adobe Contribute

Website content management used to be an expensive proposition. Your choices were: 1) pay a software developer to enter your changes or 2) pay many thousands of dollars for a complex content management system. Now, with Contribute, many businesses can maintain their websites with non-technical in-house staff. Contribute comes in both Mac and PC versions.

Note: We provide training in Contribute. 

Ipswitch WS_FTP Pro

An FTP program transfers files between your computer and your website host. There are a number of vendors to choose from, but we've used WS_FTP for many years.

Adobe Acrobat

If you need to create and manipulate PDF files, Adobe invented the format. This robust software comes in Mac and PC versions.

PDF995

If you would like to create basic PDF files on the cheap, there are a number of low-cost to no-cost options that can be found on the web. PDF995 is one that you can try out for free. The licensed, ad-free version is only $9.95, hence the name.

Project Management

Microsoft Project

Most serious project managers use Microsoft Project to plan and track their team's efforts. If your needs are more modest, Word, Excel, Visio, or their equivalents can also be used.

Looking for more recommendations?

Contact us and let us know what you are interested in.

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