Serif Webplus X6

Bottom Line

Serif Webplus X6 web design software provides a full range of tools and features, and it presents them in such a way that beginners and experienced users alike can create a website. With Webplus X6, however, you're responsible for registering your own domain name and finding a web hosting service.

Breaking It Down

Setup

Not much said about setup. Reviewers don't have much to say about the setup of Serif Webplus X6, other than that you can download the software or purchase it on a CD. A start-up wizard guides you through the process.

Ease Of Use

Guided along the way. Reviewers say that anyone, even if he or she doesn't know any HTML code, can build a website with Serif Webplus X6. The key is the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface which allows you to drag and drop elements onto your webpage and see instantly how it will look when you publish it. Start by using one of the supplied templates, designed by graphic designers, and change it to suit your design. There also are step-by-step instructions on basic web design, including setting up navigation or adding social media content. Reviewers praise the interface of Serif Webplus X6, calling it intuitive and straightforward.

Features

Features for creative and tech-savvy people. Reviewers identify only one downside to the features of Serif Webplus X6: a very limited selection of templates. Nevertheless, the templates are professionally designed to give a cohesive look and feel to any website, and each can be formatted for both PCs and mobile devices. Users aren't limited to these templates, however, as they can also choose from preconfigured art or button shapes, or they can draw their own using the freehand tool.

In addition to the usual graphic and text boxes, Serif Webplus X6 includes animated banners and a selection of widgets to add polls, feeds or video. If you use graphics or photos, you can edit them directly within Webplus X6. You can also add Google maps, Google AdSense, YouTube videos and Captcha codes to prevent spamming. Additional features expand the social media potential of your website by tying it into live feeds from Facebook, Twitter and Google+; you can even add "Like" buttons. If you're unsure about using this software, download the free trial version of Serif Webplus Starter Edition. This is a lighter version of Webplus X6, yet it still has more than enough functionality for you to create a beginner website.