There are several web design tools on the market today, and finding the right ones can be a challenge to a newcomer. While I use many web design tools, here are my 3 favourites:

Dreamweaver

With over 3.5 million users, Dreamweaver is undoubtedly the most popular and one of the best Website development tools in the market today. Dreamweaver has a wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) editor as well as a code view to improve your productivity.

You do not have to be a professional HTML programmer in order to develop a great website with Dreamweaver. You can use Dreamweaver to design forms as well as link to a database that uses popular technologies like PHP, ASP, .NET, and XHTML. Dreamweaver has CSS, server side includes, templates, and many others functions.

If you’re looking to develop professional websites, then Dreamweaver is THE tool for you. Improved CSS, XML and Flash video handling, and various productivity enhancements are just some of the features that are included in Dreamweaver. And while web developers still need to know css and html, Dreamweaver will allow them to take that basic knowledge to the next level.

Flash

When it comes to website animations, and multimedia applications, Flash is the de-facto standard that’s used by nearly every industry professional.

What makes Flash so useful is that it allows users to make animations (some that rival traditional cartoons) while keeping file sizes small. Small file sizes are vital to making sure your website loads quickly, which means increased traffic.

Flash was designed primarily to be an animation tool, but with each new version, the program evolved to become more powerful and feature-rich, while remaining loyal to its animation roots.

Simply put: if you want to create dynamic web pages with exciting effects, then Flash is the perfect program to get the job done.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe’s Photoshop was one of the first image-editing programs to come onto the market. It quickly rose to become the number one image-editing program among professional designers and photographers. And while there have been numerous competitors that have come on the scene, no one has yet been able to dethrone Photoshop.

The main reasons for Photoshop’s success lies in its power and versatility. Adobe took the tricks and techniques used by professional photographers for decades, and ported them over to the digital platform. This digital workflow system made it a huge time saver for professionals who needed to create great looking images.

However, while Photoshop’s roots lie in photography, the program quickly evolved to become web-friendly. Adobe has included tools specifically designed for the web-designer — tools that allow them to make sharp graphics and images geared specifically toward the online world. Almost every button, banner, photograph and graphic you see on the web today has gone through Photoshop.

Learning how to use Photoshop is relatively easy, mastering Photoshop, however, can take years because the program has virtually unlimited potential.

Creating a great design for your site with these tools will be a bit on the expensive side, as none of them come with low price tags, but these tools will help give you the best looking site on the web in no time at all.

Are you are a blogaholic? Read this post by Jonathan Deamer to find out…
http://jonathandeamer.com/2007/06/10/50-signs-you-blog-too-much/

What is microblogging?

Like traditional blogging, microblogging is a form of communicating with people who share a common interest. However, a microblog’s posts are much shorter, and are generally more personal.

A microblog post might let people know what you’re currently doing, what projects you’re working on, or what you have planned for tomorrow.

Microblog benefits

Traditional blogs are great because there’s virtually no limit to what you can talk about, and unlike printed material, there’s no restriction on length of content. However, because of the length of most blog postings, many bloggers don’t have the ability to deliver high-quality content day in and day out. They may write three posts a week, but sometimes readers want more.

A microblog allows your readers to stay connected to you because the posts can be read in a few seconds. These abbreviated posts will keep people interested in what you have to say between your longer, regular postings.

Another big advantage to microblogging is in the delivery of content. While most people still read blogs on the computer, more and more people are getting content via their cell phones and PDAs. These devices, while handy, aren’t set up for reading lengthy articles and blog posts because of their small screens, which make the microblog post even more attractive for readers.

You’ve no doubt heard about social networking by now. Sites like Facebook and Myspace have exploded onto the web, and have enticed millions of people to sign up. These sites are great for fostering communities and helping people stay in contact with one another. Microblogging takes the basic idea of social networking and strips it down to its core component - communication.

In addition, from a marketing standpoint, developing a relationship with your potential customers is vital to building trust (and sales.) Microblog posts will help keep people in touch with what you’re up to, allow them to interact with you, and build a community.

How do you do it?

Use one of the popular microblogging sites available online. The most popular site right now is Twitter. Twitter accounts are free, and are gaining in popularity. With Twitter, you won’t have to worry about being too wordy because you’re given a character limit that you can’t exceed. While some may see this as a hindrance, it’s actually very beneficial because it forces you to boil your post down to the most important point. You can also post links to your articles, blogs etc.

Another aspect of Twitter (and sites like it) is that it allows plenty of customization. You can set up your Twitter page to resemble your main website, which is a great idea if you’re trying to build brand recognition. There are also plenty of widgets (tiny applications) that you can run on your website that will display your most recent Twitter posts so readers won’t have to log into Twitter’s main page every time they want to read what you’re up to.

And, just like a blog, people can subscribe to your microblog’s feed and follow it like they would your primary blog.

If you’re finding that blogging has lost a bit of its luster, try setting up a microblog; it’s easy, it’s fun and the community you build can lead to increased traffic to your main site.