Need help editing my existing website

[katrina77]

I have a website that needs minor edits like text and photos, but have very little coding knowledge. Has anyone tried this HTML editor from Easy WebContent? It was recommended to me by a friend, but I wanted to see what others thought. PLEASE HELP!

[vangogh]

Before I respond I should let you know I design and develop web pages for a living. For me something like Easy Web Content only makes it more difficult to edit web pages. Whether or not if makes it easier for you is another story, however site builders like these usually end up costing you more in the long run in a few of ways. If your site is more than 10 pages then it costs $22 a month as opposed to something like $7 a month for hosting. Site builders tend to limit what you can do with your own site and some of those limits can hinder your marketing efforts. One other downside is that your site will end up looking like most every other site using the same site builder.

Having said all that, it probably will be easier for you to make some minor edits, though the edits you want to make and the edits you'll be allowed to make might not be the same.

They have a video demonstration as well as a free trial on the site. The trial will probably be the best way to find out if this is for you. It'll tell you more than any of us can tell you.

[MyITGuy]

I have two additional comments in addition to the comments vangogh made:
1st - Easy WebContent may not be of any help if your site is developed using a programming language such as ASP/.Net or PHP
2nd - Using these type of editors tend to cause more damage/hassle then what they are worth. I.E. Your site may look great now...but once you open it in an editor...make your changes and save it, then the editor is going to parse the code as it sees fit which can sometimes significantly change the look of the page.

[Harold Mansfield]

I don't know this product specifically, but, I have to agree that it's probably best to have a professional do it. Especially if you have no understanding of at least basic HTML or how the website was built.
It also depends on what kind of site it is?
Is it just HTML? Is it flash? Is it a CMS like WordPress or Joomla? Is it on a site builder itself?

I can't imagine that one tool being good to use no matter which platform your site is built on. Anytime I hear "You don't need any technical skills.", I get nervous.
It reminds me of "Work from home" ads that say you don't need any experience to make $50 an hr. I even saw one that said you didn't need a computer.

[philwebster95]

Hi Katrina,

In the end, all web pages are built in HTML (often help from other bits of code like Javascript). Any software which makes editing pages 'easier' than editing the raw HTML, does so by limiting the options available. They also always create code based on the 'lowest common denominator' principal - it is always far more verbose than if written by a human.

The simple answer to your question is:

If your site was built 100% using this 'easyeditor', use it by all means. If your site was built by hand, or using any other editor or 'code generator' - do not go near it!!

Good Luck!

[vangogh]

Any software which makes editing pages 'easier' than editing the raw HTML, does so by limiting the options available. They also always create code based on the 'lowest common denominator' principal

Very true. It really comes down to deciding if you're ok with what's being limited and whether or not what you get in return is of greater value. The issue with most site builders is the people choosing to go with them often don't know what's being limited and what they're giving up. That's not to say some site builders aren't worth it, but rather than the limitations aren't usually clear until months or years down the road when you want to do something you can't do.

[billbenson]

No one has mentioned software like DreamWeaver here. That is effectively editing software that creates pretty good code from what I hear. CB Steve seems to like it. Might be pricier than the OP had in mind though.

[vangogh]

I don't think she's looking for something like DreamWeaver. The site she mentioned is an online site builder.

[billbenson]

I don't think she's looking for something like DreamWeaver. The site she mentioned is an online site builder.

I assumed so, but it is worth mentioning.

Katrina, I don't use DreamWeaver but some professional web developers here do. It is a program that writes web code either in code or a user friendly interface where you don't need to know html. You could learn to use it in two weeks at a basic level with a dummy's book.

I learned html from dreamweaver years ago. You can do stuff in the user friendly interface and then look at what it did in code to see the changes. If you want to make a professional kind of site yourself, I would recommend it. See what others think about my recommendation before buying it though. It really depends on your objectives.

[vangogh]

I still wouldn't recommend it. I think it's overpriced. There are many code editors today that also include the non coding interface DreamWeaver has. My current editor which cost $99 has a code editor capable of providing syntax for 20+ languages by default, with the ability to add more. It has built in FTP support, a visual editor where you can use checkboxes, drop downs, etc. to produce css. It also has several coding books built in for reference, with the ability to add more and a built in web browser to preview your changes.

All at 1/7 the price of DreamWeaver.

[billbenson]

What do you use steve?

[vangogh]

I currently use Coda, by Panic (http://www.panic.com/coda/). It's Mac only though. I've been hearing a lot of good things about a new code editor in beta, called SublimeText2 (http://www.sublimetext.com/). It doesn't have all the same features, but has plenty of others more conducive to typing code than producing it through a WYSIWYG interface. It's in beta now, though it works well and it's available on all platforms, not just Macs. I haven't used it a lot yet, but from what I've seen it works well. I think you might like it.

[billbenson]

I'll take a peek at Sublime since its both linux and windows. I'm cutting over to windows because the sales guy at Tiger Direct Sold me a computer that was "supposed" to be Linux compatible but wasn't....

Is there a non DreamWeaver WYSIWYG code editor out there other than the site creator's?

[vangogh]

I'm sure there are other WYSIWYG editors, but I wouldn't know what they are since I never use them. They make it harder for me to develop websites.

[billbenson]

Just thinking about a decent solution for the OP

[vangogh]

I don't get the feeling the OP is looking for a WYSIWYG. I think she's mainly curious about the one site builder. I could be wrong of course, but that was my feeling.

[infinitydiamond]

I think that Easy WebContent's HTML editor is helpful. They allow you to update more than just text, you can add photos, galleries, and more! They offer a free trial period for their site builder and HTML editor, and the products they offer are totally worth it. You’ll get an easy-to-use site editor that will allow you to customize your own personal, professional looking website. Easy Web is a reliable and trustworthy company that can help promote business and/or yourself.
Hope this will help you out!

[krymson]

There is a free alternative to DreamWeaver and what vangogh is using. Look into Aptana its open source and does everything you will ever need and even has a built in FTP. I dont use it I have DW but my business partner stands by it. I honestly would find a professional to do it. I myself am a web designer and vangogh can agree with me on this, once you go in with a 3rd party program that offers a "quick fix" to help you edit your site, i more than likely will end up doing damage to your site and as a web designer it makes it extremely difficult to see what the original code was and what that 3rd party program injected in there. If you have any question contact me and I'll come up with something to help you out.

[vangogh]

Look into Aptana its open source and does everything you will ever need and even has a built in FTP.

I downloaded Aptana a few years ago and gave it a try. I didn't like it at the time, though I think it was still very, very new. It looks like it's matured a lot since then. I think code editors (and even text editors) are such a personal choice. If it's your business, it's an application you use all day, every day so you have to like using it. There are definitely free code editors out there that work and work well. I'm happy to pay for the ones I use since I think they're worth the money, but that shouldn't imply you can find a free one you'll like. On Windows maybe people swear by Notepad++ (http://notepad-plus-plus.org/), which is also free.

I would definitely recommend something more than the basic Notepad. If you spend time coding things like syntax highlighting alone will be a huge boost in production.


once you go in with a 3rd party program that offers a "quick fix" to help you edit your site, i more than likely will end up doing damage to your site and as a web designer it makes it extremely difficult to see what the original code was and what that 3rd party program injected in there.

Yep. I do agree. :)