Untangled Web

Entrepreneur, June, 1997 by Cassandra Cavanah

The internet is probably one of the fastest-moving media to ever infiltrate popular culture. In the past year alone, Web site addresses have become as familiar as 800 numbers in print, radio and TV advertisements. Not only is the Web a popular marketing alternative, but it's also full of resources and contacts that can enhance your daily business. This column discusses a few software products that can help you make the most of the Web for your business.

* MAKE IT QUICK

If you want to launch a Web site, check out QuickSite 2.5 from DeltaPoint. QuickSite is a Web-authoring tool designed to assist both novice and advanced users in creating and administrating Web sites. At just $99, QuickSite is a steal for Windows and Macintosh users (we reviewed the 16-bit Windows 3.1/95 program). QuickSite differs from other Web-authoring programs in that it puts all your Web pages in a database, which makes working with and administrating the site much easier.

Upon installing QuickSite (which can be downloaded from DeltaPoint's Web site at www.deltapoint.com), you are asked to use the New Project Wizard to establish the look and feel of your site. QuickSite provides easy-to-work-with Web site templates that are designed to suit various users' needs, including "restaurant," "catalog sales," "personal site" and "small business." Click on one of these templates, and you're led to a database that lists the pages.

From the database view, you can monitor the basic elements of the pages (links, site status, etc.); you can even drag and drop elements from one file into another. For example, if you want a page in your Web site to link to your home page, you can drag your home page into the link box, and QuickSite will automatically implement the link. You can also hide a page by clicking the appropriate box or marking it "New" or "Under Construction" in the same manner. These features make it possible for overworked entrepreneurs to get down to the business of creating Web sites without a lot of headaches.

The page templates are laid out clearly and include pre-defined text that can be easily edited to reflect your company's message. You can also import graphics. (DeltaPoint includes some basic .gif and .jpeg files.) A spelling checker ensures you won't publish your site with any embarrassing misspellings.

Of course, advanced users don't have to resort to the templates and libraries; instead, they can dive right into Web creation. Once you've developed your Web site, QuickSite lets you publish it on the Web with an easy-to-use file transfer protocol program. There are concisely written instructions included on every topic, so users aren't left in the dark.

After you've published your site, the Site Promotion Wizard assembles details about your site and automatically registers it with leading search engines. DeltaPoint even includes plenty of good advice for novices, such as "Check your Web site with multiple browsers to determine if there are any browser-specific problems."

Making this product even more useful to small-business owners is the new EasyCommerce feature. EasyCommerce consists of an integrated Catalog Builder and Catalog Wizard. This feature was created so businesses could publish a catalog on the Web simply. Easy-Commerce also includes a function for capturing customer information and orders and then e-mailing the orders to the appropriate person in your organization, effectively eliminating complicated server scripts for processing customer orders.

* DOUBLE TAKE

Do you need to create brochures, price lists or other printed materials that would also be a great addition to your Web site? Design Intelligence Inc. has created I Publish to let users generate printed documents that can be reconfigured for publishing on the Web or within on-screen presentations. The idea is to write it and design it once, then use it over and over again.

This program is not for designers; it was created for businesspeople who are willing to spend a little time to create affordable yet well-styled printed and Web-based documents.

I Publish is simple to use. You choose the type of printed materials you want to generate - a sell sheet, brochure, sales letter and so on. Pick a basic style, choose a font combination, and start typing in your text and importing images. This procedure is much easier than using a dedicated publishing program. Of course, you can't expect extremely robust features, but for basic publishing needs, I Publish does an excellent job. Once your designs are finished, you can use I Publish to convert the document to HTML for publishing on your site.

* SPREAD THE WORD

Want to get the word out about your Web site? PowerSolutions' www.SitePromoter claims it will help your Web site earn a top spot on popular search engines.

Creating descriptions to match search engine requirements, www.SitePromoter submits your site to more than 150 search engines. This means you won't have to retype information and submit it in various formats. As new search engines come online, you will have access to them from www.SitePromoter's Web site. Additionally, www.SitePromoter includes reporting capabilities that tell users which search engine a site has been submitted to, how long it will take to get posted, how well you placed in the hierarchy of listed sites, and more. This program can be used to promote hundreds of sites or just one and is available to both Macintosh and Windows users.