WebPlus X5

Create Fully Featured Websites Without Programming

Do you feel like you've missed the web design train? While others were building bridges to the 21st century, you were caught up in other things -- and now everyone has a killer website and you don't know a single thing about HTML coding! How would you feel if I told you that you could catch up (and even surpass) your peers easily, without needing to learn programming? Interested? Then you need to hear about today's discount software promotion, WebPlus X5!

WebPlus X5 is a brilliant website design tool dedicated to the needs of businesses, organizations, and home users. With WebPlus X5, there's no need for programming -- just use your mouse to drag and drop items using the intuitive interface, and enjoy beautiful, customizable templates right out of the box! You'll even get 6 months of free hosting for your creation, along with a web address and email address. You can even use WebPlus X5 to design sites that enable e-commerce, interactive gadgets, live feeds, and multimedia streaming! Yes, all of this, with no programming!

Even after you get up and running, WebPlus X5 continues to amaze, astound, and benefit you by providing tools to help you maintain your site in tiptop shape. The program even helps you to design a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to pull more visitors to your corner of the web!

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Serif Ltd. Website

Platforms: Pentium®-class or compatible PC with DVD drive and mouse, Microsoft® Windows® XP (32-bit), Vista, or 7 operating system

Create fully functional and impressive websites with no programming expertise
Enjoy intuitive drag and drop functionality
Get started quickly with customizable templates
Produce websites with e-commerce, gadgets, live feeds, and multimedia streaming
Manage your page and implement SEO strategies
Purchase with BitsDuJour's discount coupon code and get all this at a promotional price!

After you make a purchase of this BitsDuJour discount promotion, WebPlus X5 may be used indefinitely.
WebPlus X5 is licensed per computer, and not per user.
Each license allows installation on a single computer and a laptop, but WebPlus X5 may not be used at exactly the same time on each of them.
Transfer of a license to another owned computer is allowed.
License activation isn't required. what's this?
Upgrades to future versions of the software will require additional payment.
Support is provided up to when the next major version is released.
Read the Full License details.
BitsDuJour purchases using a discount coupon code come direct from the vendor, so you'll always get the same software app sold under the same terms as a regular sale, just at a great promotional price.

“WebPlus X5 truly manages to bridge the gap between overly simplistic template-centric programs and hardcore coding applications by offering all the tools you need to build a completely professional customized site without knowing a thing about web programming. It's an ideal solution for power personal users as well as for small and home businesses. ”- Brighthub
“WebPlus X5 is easy to use and flexible, offering a helping hand with videos and on-screen advice to make web design accessible to all- not just deigners and programmers.”- PC Advisor
“WebPlus X5 is a well-rounded and very easy to use web design application that packs in a surprising number of features.”- Expert Reviews
“Serif's WebPlus flies the flag for all those individuals and smaller companies who want to build web sites but who aren't (or can't afford) coders or 'proper' designers. this is an inexpensive, slick way to build web pages without coding that also allows you to add the kinds of interactive elements that visitors to a modern web site have come to expect.”- IT Reviews
“Serif WebPlus X5 is a particularly good tool for beginners, especially if you have your own company and don't have the time to build a website from scratch. If you just want a platform to broadcast information about yourself though, you're better off sticking with Facebook or Wordpress.”- Techradar.com

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The Conversation

Email Updates

Lupke Brother Does this offer include the High Impact eMail 5 Platinum package, like the deal on your website?

Feb 7 at 12:11am

Serif Hi Lupke Brother,

Because this is an exclusie offer only for Bits du Jour we cannot include the High Impact eMail 5- this is only availible through serif.com

Serif Ltd. Vendor - Feb 7 at 1:36am

Charlotte Sinclaire I have questions re two items: hosting and forms.

First, is the free hosting for an unlimited number of sites -- I am a freelance designer but with only a few web clients. Still, it would be nice to be able to host all their sites, not just to choose one of them. If this is not possible, what are my options? Host through another company of my choice or pay an extra fee to your company for hosting? Etc.? (I assume it is possible to capture the HTML from your software and host a site elsewhere if one wishes?)

Second, how does your product compare to Muse, Adobe's newest entry into the non-programmer's web design arena?

I am SO open to using something else than Muse because Muse has almost driven me crazy in regard to forms. I like the idea of non-programming design because I am primarily a designer, not a programmer. But at least one of my clients needs an interactive form -- not just a contact form, but one where her respondents make choices, fill in info, etc., and she needs to be notified by email when they have done so; the person filling out the form also needs to receive an autoresponse (thank-you).

Muse (so far) offers only a way to make a contact form, and that is just a work-around. Pleas for better form support seem to have fallen on deaf ears at Adobe. For anything more involved than a contact form, one must use a third-party form generation software, and unfortunately, this opens another can of worms (sometimes it looks good in the preview but doesn't render properly when live on the server; or the graphics get screwed up on the page where you place the form HTML; so forth and so on ... too many headaches to really detail).

If you have come up with a way for one to design forms that won't screw up one's page design in general, and if hosting arrangements aresacceptable ... or if I can at least capture the design HTML and host on my own server ... I will take a serious look at your software. I am DEFINITELY in the market, so I hope to hear back from you VERY soon!

Feb 7 at 6:45am

Adrian Williams @Charlotte
From experience, Webplus X5 is up there with the best when it comes to designing Web sites without the need for loads of training on html, java, flash etc. The offer is really good. Take a look on the serif forums and on youtube to see how powerful the software is. Take a look here :- http://www.iplus360.com/index.html for a great review & set of tutorials.

I'd recommend machform for your forms. These can easily be embedded into web plus X5. Look here :- http://www.appnitro.com/

Feb 7 at 9:47am

Charlotte Sinclaire Adrian, thanks for this info. I've watched a couple of video tutorials and am encouraged. I still need to know about the hosting opportunities and/or restrictions and hope someone will address that part of my question soon.

Meanwhile, I will download and try out the software.

Feb 7 at 11:28am

Bruno Verschraegen Hi, had a look at some tutorials and indeed very interesting. Want to "play around" a little before the deal goes live. How come there is no direct download link this time? Usually there is for software (soon to be) offered on BDJ... Bruno

Feb 7 at 11:36am

Serif Hi Charlotte,

Thank you for your questions!

Firstly it is possible to host more than one website on our free hosting, but the offer includes just one domain so multiple sites would have to be listed as sub domains e.g.:

software.webplus.net/site 1
software.webplus.net/site 2
software.webplus.net/site 3….

With regards to your interactive form query- custom form design is built into WebPlus. The look, choices, lists, checkboxes and field parameters and adaptable and all sorts of forms are possible. The data can be processed and emailed for free, or the form can be associated with a remote script. Forms can be built entirely from scratch using basic form objects, or using popular preset collections of buttons and fields, or using ready-made forms, and a Wizard can guide the process. This level of customisation runs throughout WebPlusX5- including: graphic design, photo editing, button design, navbar design, forms, member areas, e-commerce, analytics and SEO. WebPlusX5 simply goes beyond other visual site builders.

I hope this helps!

Serif Ltd. Vendor - Feb 8 at 6:15am

Charlotte Sinclaire Thanks so much for the reply. This does sound like a good solution to easy design with forms (vs. Muse somewhat easy design and lack of forms support). The free hosting is nice, too.

I meant to ask before, though, if I didn't, whether -- in lieu of using your available free hosting -- can the site be exported and hosted elsewhere? I have a reseller hosting biz where I host the several sites I deal with, where they do not have to show up as subdomains, and I would kind of like to host there. So, can the HTML for your site be exported? And will this screw up how the forms work?

As a designer -- vs. programmer -- I am all at sea when it comes to running scripts on servers, so if this is what it takes to make the forms portion of your software work once a site is exported to a different host, I might need some extra hand-holding. What is the possibility of getting that?

I know I'm asking a lot of questions but do hope that answers will be forthcoming so that I can make a decision before the deal goes away. I, like Bruno in his question above, hoped to download and try the software, like every other Bits du Jour offer I've ever purchased. I really need some hands-on time with WebPlus X5. Do you not intend to make it available for limited time download, per Bits du Jour's usual practice?

If you can respond to all this soonest, that would be great. Thanks for your response to my earlier query.

Feb 8 at 10:10am

Bruno Verschraegen @Charlotte

I downloaded the free WebPlus Starter Edition from the Serif website (http://www.serif.com/web-design-software/). It turns out to be the same as the latest WebPlus version (= X5), but with partially disabled functionality.

It gives an idea but it is frustrating that the number of disabled functions is quite high. I am still impressed by the functions that WebPlus X5 promises to deliver but I would have preferred to be able to give "all" functions a quick try - or at least the ones that I deem worth/necessary most to have a closer look at. Anway, you may want to give that a try.

@Serif

I imagine Serif is afraid people will abuse a fully functional trial to "quickly" make a real site without paying for the software. A solution would be (have been) to have a trial that is only valid for 48 hours. I don't see how people wanting to make a serious website (and I believe that's the public Serif is aiming at with the paying version) would be able to do that in 48 hours without having further access to the software. A condition for such a short trial being worth to try out would be a clear upfront statement about its short life and advising users to only install the trial on a moment to have time to test it out.

I think I will still go forward and buy the programme, because the (video) tutorials I have seen are very clear and helpful and there seems to be lots of support around.

Feb 8 at 11:59am

Serif Hi all,

Charlotte to directly answer your question about website exports:

Yes WebPlusx5 can publish directly to any host, via FTP or Secure FTP (SFTP). It can also publish to disk so files can be transferred anywhere manually, e.g. for hosing an intranet. Forms (and other built-in gadgets like blogs, hit counters, polls etc.) are processed free of charge by Serif servers, and they’ll work even if the main site they’re on is hosted elsewhere.

If you do need any help with this however we have a dedicated customer support service team, contactable over the phone or online. And, as Bruno mentioned, there are tons of ‘how to’ tutorials and help forums to guide you.

With regards to the free trial versions:
We offer ‘starter editions’ as an alternative as customer feed-back indicted that although they have limited features the lack of time limit allows the customer to explore all potential features at their leisure. Also because all our software is so reasonably priced we find that it offers less risk with purchase, free trial versions are more necessary for more expensive software packages that are just as powerful as ours!

Hope this answers everyone’s questions!

Serif Ltd. Vendor - Feb 9 at 6:01am

Dareen A Bridge May be not on this particular offer, but if you buy direct from Serif they do give a money back guarantee if you do not like the package.

Must just add have recently upgraded to this one and it is really good

Feb 10 at 2:52am

Michael K I was considering this program a while back and as I often do with software, I look for reviews before making a commitment.

Many reviews were highly complimentary but in particular caused me concern.

A deal breaker for me is not to have the ability to have EVERYTHING stored locally on my hard drive or a host of my choosing. Therefore I must know if this is completely standalone software and if anything I create with it is ever stored on Serif servers which I do not want under any circumstances.

I hope I have phrased this clearly enough so the intent as well as the words I've used in expressing my concerns are clearly understood in the answer to be given by Serif. Below is an extract of the review in question and below that is the link to the full review itself:

Review Extract:

".......Before purchasing the product I asked if the product is one hundred percent stand-alone for development on my PC (does not require any interface to Serif). I was assured that it was. I develop off-line in a remote area of Thailand and only go on-line when I am ready to upload a site. I also told them BEFORE I purchased I wanted a product that had no requirement for me to be "married" to the product developer!

When reading about the features and functions Serif advertises the ability add code for log-in and counters (etc) - they call this "Smart Objects", code that results in data needing to be retained. I asked the same person in customer service, that assured me the product did not require any interface to Serif to develop and use, if the product had these capabilities which I was assured that it did.

If you use a "Smart Object" you have to go on-line with Serif to register it - that is register the html page you develop! Why, because they keep the data on their server!! You cannot keep you own data on your own selected host! You cannot control your own data, you cannot maintain your own data - the data you collect is at Serif! You need to go to Serif for YOUR data! They also say if your usage is too high you need to purchase additional storage from them! You CANNOT develop code or host your internet site without being attached to Serif if you use a "Smart Object". Let me repeat; No counters, No commerce, No "anything" that results in data being stored without a "marriage" to Serif! No using all of the awesome capabilities advertised about the product without being MARRIED to Serif...":

Full Review Link:

http://www.amazon.com/rev...K2NRXILDZG

Thanks

Michael

Feb 10 at 3:01am

M B Michael K, I too read this same review and it made me stop and consider if I shoud buy or not. I am still not sure as the answer back did not seem as clear as I thought it could have been.

Feb 10 at 3:31am

Roland Fischer Hello all,

I am a WebPlus user since version 3 and I can highly recommend it. Website creation was never that simple. You have all tools you need in one place and you even can add html-code. A big plus is the community with it's fast and brilliant help for beginners and advanced users. Serif really cares about their customers. And - I am not related to Serif and not paid to give a good critique to their products. It's simple a very good piece of software and permanently under improvement.
Enjoy it!

Feb 10 at 3:45am

Steven Avery Hi,

Thank you Michael. Serif built up a good reputation in simple DeskTop Publishing, but the point you highlight is disturbing.

It simply makes no sense to buy an un-code desktop webdev package that is not fully a home-base product, especially with so many good ones out there (occasionally on Bits).

A related point is more of a UK problem, Serif puts an earlier edition on a CD and then have skilled "hard sell" marketeers with your ear --- while you wait to have them register --- (tricky, eh) . on the phone, only !

Serif HardSell
http://forums.computeract...p?t=221720

When researching, keep in mind that Top-10 sites are often shills for their adverstisers, so unless you know the site, Avanquest or Serif at #1 means little. Markeing is one reason why I prefer when Bits works with small "human face" companies, everybody and their brother and cousin can work with the big boys, with 100 twists and games.

This site ** MAY ** be objective. http://websitecreatorfree.com/ Note that they like Serif WebPlus, but not to the top, and without awareness of the problem mentioned by Mike.

Steven

Feb 10 at 5:31am

Michael K @ Serif
There are many websites that sell website templates that can be pulled in to Dreamweaver and edited. Can those website templates or indeed any other website template set be bought from the Internet and pulled into WebpPlus in the same way or are Serif WebPlus templates different in some way and therefore does one need to buy specifically prepared WebPlus templates?

@MB
I don't see an answer from Serif yet on the point so we'll have to wait and see what they say.

Thanks

Michael

Hi MB, We don't have an answer back yet from Serif so we'll see what they say in response.

Feb 10 at 5:36am

Adrian Williams I've used Webplus X5 and other similar software. The points made earlier regarding serif's 'smart objects' are exactly right - you don't have full control over where the files are kept.

Saying that, the software is excellent - pretty much a desktop publishing package approach that produces a very professional looking website.

The bottom line is, it's well worth the $50 asking price. If you want to keep more control but retain the ease of website creating, you should consider looking at wysiwyg8 for $45. It has loads of plug-ins and doesn't rely on 3rd party hosting of it's equivalent 'smart objects'

http://www.wysiwygwebbuilder.com/

I use serifs webplusx5 for some sites, artisteer for others and there are still some sites done with wysiwyg6 (I didn't upgrade). Some I've done with the rather expensive xsitepro. It all depends on what you want to achieve. The tutorials on the link I gave earlier will get you up and running quickly with web plus. Don't rule the software out on the basis of some smart objects being marginally out of your control. You'll find you won't necessarily need them in most cases.

Feb 10 at 6:04am

Michael K @ Adrian

Your posts in this conversation are excellent and much appreciated.

Thanks

Michael.

Feb 10 at 6:10am

Adrian Williams One final point about the hard aftersales. You can register the product online to avoid the initial phone conversation. Second, block their number (truecall is the best thing since the wheel was invented)
Third, complain to serif by email/phone. Report them to
http://consumers.ofcom.or...ales-calls/
You'll not get pestered again. You will get emails with promotions but that's fine if you want to save a few quid. If you get an offer at a ridiculously low price, it means the next version is a few weeks away from launch!

Feb 10 at 6:16am

Charlotte Sinclaire @ anyone who knows

My main complaint in the products I'm finding while researching visual web design software (e.g., software that doesn't require me to know code) is form functions. Per Serif, their forms will work even when exported/uploaded to a host other than themselves, and they will still courteously process the forms.

Even though this would go through their server, all it is -- to the best of my understanding -- is a "travel-through" and no differemt than how any other third-party forms service handles forms for their users, at least as far as I'm aware.

That said, I am open to suggestions of other "visual" web design softwares, as long as they give me good form development features.

So if anyone has any specific suggestions of software programs I should compare to WebPlus before I purchase, please speak up now. I really need to know, and I'd really appreciate your suggestions.

I was previously planning to go with Adobe Muse (despite the monthly subscription they require to use it) until I had trouble with their forms functions -- or rather, lack thereof -- and they have responded with basically silence, no matter how many times people have brought this up. So I'm looking for an alternative to coding in Dreamweaver and an alternative to Muse as far as a visual design software. I need to be able to have full form functions, not just a contact form -- and, to be fair, there ARE ways to create third-party forms in Muse, but 4 out of 5 times, the pages iimplode when you upload them to a server other than Adobe's Business Catalyst, which I do not want to use.

Anyone with further suggestions before I go too far here? Thanks much in advance.

Feb 10 at 6:47am

Serif Hi Michael K,

Thanks for your questions
Let me start by saying that WebPlus is a stand-alone website designer. What you create with it is your own and you don’t need to be connected to Serif (or even the internet) to design a website. You use any webhost you like too.

What that Amazon review talks about are things like blogs, polls, resource bookers and other add-ons that require a database. Like other services that require a database, our Smart Objects have to store the information somewhere so, because most people don’t know how to set up their own database, we make it easy for them by automatically setting one up on our servers.

You certainly don’t have to use our Smart Objects on your website. In fact, many of the features can be reconstructed using different software. For instance, you can link to a poll that you have created using Survey Monkey or a blog you’ve created using wordpress.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you want to know anything else.

Serif Ltd. Vendor - Feb 10 at 7:01am

Serif Hi Steven,

In response to your comments this WebPlusX5 download prompts for online registration only. Also WebPlus have won a host of awards from independent reviewers, if you’d like to see these in more detail please visit http://www.serif.com/Company/Awards/

We're here to answer any queries you have, but just remember that this special offer on Bits Du Jour really is incredible value and it's only availible for 24 hours so make sure you decide before it runs out!

Serif Ltd. Vendor - Feb 10 at 7:08am

Darren Farmer Interesting conversion about Smart Object - I've just purchased this via a direct offer from Serif.

Does this mean that Serif will host the data for as long as you own/use the product or do you have to pay for Serif's hosting before they will host the functionality of the Smart Objects?

I don't mind my data being on Serif's servers as long as I don't have to pay extra for the priviledge!

Feb 10 at 7:43am

Serif Hi Dareen,

Serif host the data for as long as you own the product, but you don’t have to pay for this or use the free webhosting package included with the download to get the functionality of the ‘smart objects’.

I hope you're enjoying the software!

Serif Ltd. Vendor - Feb 10 at 7:45am

Serif * Darren
Apologies!

Serif Ltd. Vendor - Feb 10 at 8:15am

Joel Koltner Regarding SmartObjects... from a technical point of view, I think Serif is doing their best here to provide a useful service that really isn't something that beginning users readily could do on their own: HTML alone simply doesn't provide any straightfoward, non-hosting-platform-independent means of retaining data, and as soon as you step outside of regular old HTML/CSS to obtain those needed services (i.e., a database), you typically end up having to become pretty familiar with the web site hosting platform (i.e., Apache or Microsoft IIS being the main ones) as well as the particular database you're planning on using (MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, etc.).

For someone who wants to remain a "designer" and not really a "programmer," this probably doesn't translate into a whole lot of fun. :-)

This all being said, it is too bad that Serif doesn't spell this out a little more clearly on their web pages... and it's particularly bad that apparently at least one customer was sorely misinformed by a Serif representative.

Feb 10 at 9:23am

Michael K @ Serif
Many thanks for your detailed response to my question concerning what is hosted on Serif servers etc and I now am clear on the position as well as being much reassured.

There is still the question concerning which 3rd party template packages can be brought into WebPlus for building a website and the detail of my question is reprinted below as it seems to have missed your attention so far:

There are many websites that sell website multiple page templates that can be pulled in to Dreamweaver and edited. Can those website templates or indeed any other website template sets be bought from the Internet and pulled into WebpPlus in the same way or are Serif WebPlus template sets different in some way and therefore does one need to buy specifically prepared templates that are suitable for importing into WebPlus?

Thanks

Michael

"

Feb 10 at 10:01am

Steven Avery Hi,

Here is my question. If you do a website and place it on a savvy host. And the SmartObjects generated some database (say MYSQL). Would it be hard for Serif to allow the host to host ? What would Serif do with that MYSQL database that Dreamhost (or a smaller company) would not. Why does your web site have to be fractured into a dual host ? And does anybody else do this type of dualism ?

I ask this to really know. Maybe there are complications otherwise, maybe Serif does some special handholding. On the other hand, an application setting up a database would seem to be a common function for any host.

Steven

Feb 10 at 10:21am

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