Google Answers Logo
View Question
 
Q: What are the top web design tools? ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: What are the top web design tools?
Category: Computers > Internet
Asked by: davious-ga
List Price: $12.00
Posted: 25 Aug 2002 00:17 PDT
Expires: 24 Sep 2002 00:17 PDT
Question ID: 58293
I'd like to know what the most popular software packages that web
designers use to build web pages are.  For example, frontpage and
dreamweaver are very popular, but what are the other top tools?  I'd
like some information like the total number of users, marketshare or
something else to qualify the answer.

I'm looking for web design tools here, such as frontpage and
dreamweaver, not associated programs like photoshop.
Answer  
Subject: Re: What are the top web design tools?
Answered By: easterangel-ga on 25 Aug 2002 01:42 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi! Thanks for the question.

Popularity measurement among web authoring tools depends on different
perspectives.

In terms of usage the following survey of the Security Space website
provides an eye-opener. The page gives a note on how they arrived at
the figures. The top ten are as follows:

1.	Frontpage
2.	Netscape Composer
3.	Adobe GoLive
4.	Adobe Pagemill
5.	Microsoft Frontpage Express
6.	NetObjects Fusion
7.	MS Word
8.	IBM Homepage Builder
9.	Namo WebEditor
10.	Microsoft Publisher

Dreamweaver placed only 17th on their survey. The complete report
could be found at:

Web Authoring Tools Report
August 1st, 2002
http://www.securityspace.com/s_survey/data/man.200207/webauth.html 

On the revenue and market share side of things it’s a little
different. Microsoft, Adobe and Macromedia are going head to head
against each other. What is the reason for this? Remember that the
Security Space website is only a survey and have just a small sample
plus when it comes to revenues and market share, different sides of
the business now comes to play. Furthermore, Dreamweaver is geared
more to the high-end professional market.

In a rather dated report which is 2000, it shows that Microsoft
Frontpage still leads the way with 39.1% market share as against
Macromedia’s 17.4% and Adobe’s 9%.

Adobe, Macromedia rapidly becoming publishing rivals
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-246913.html?legacy=cnet

However; after a year or so Macromedia and Dreamweaver became the
choice for high end or professional web authoring market and has
grabbed market share from MS Frontpage.

In 2001 Macromedia market share grew by 70% and purchased Allaire
Corp. by $360 million to be a giant in the professional web authoring
market.

Macromedia Snaps Up Allaire 
By Thor Olavsrud (January 16, 2001)
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/10_561871
 
According to a more recent study by the Web Assist website meanwhile,
Dreamweaver market share has already increased to 78%.

“Through constant innovation, Macromedia has advanced the Dreamweaver
Web development platform, making it the market-share leader on
Windows®
and Macintosh® platforms. According to PC Data for June 2001,
Dreamweaver
holds 78 percent of the professional Web authoring market and outsells
Adobe® GoLive™ by four to one.”

Business Technology Integration With Macromedia’s Dreamweaver Platform
White Paper by Tim Sweeney (March 2002)
http://www.webassist.com/Media/WhitePapers/WA_TechnologyIntegration.pdf

Search terms used: 
“Web authoring tools” market share

I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information. Thanks for visiting us at Google
Answers.

Regards,
Easterangel-ga

Request for Answer Clarification by davious-ga on 25 Aug 2002 08:57 PDT
Can you find the other marketshare numbers from PC Data's June 2001
report that was quoted on webassist?

Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 25 Aug 2002 12:16 PDT
Hi! Thanks for asking a clarification.

Unfortunately, it seems that such reports must be purchased separately
so that you will know the exact details. Plus some changes in the PC
Data research firm must be taken into account. PC Data Online is now
part of a company called comScore. Their online metrics research
product, is now called netScore. The website is at
(http://www.netscoreonline.com).

Due to economic troubles this report shows that PC Data has already
been bought and split by two companies.

" PC Data Online, which determines what Internet sites users visit,
how long they stay, and whether or not they buy anything while there,
is in negotiations with NetValue, Paris, a research firm that tracks
consumer behavior, said the source. A deal could be announced as early
as this week, with NetValue taking on seven PC Data Online employees."

"And PC Data's POS (point-of sales) group—which tabulates retail sales
of software, hardware, and video games—could be sold to the NPD Group
in a deal that might also be announced this week."

In fact the NPD Gorup did indeed bought the POS group of PC DATA and
such info are for members only.
http://www.pcdata.com/
 
I tried locating other articles which may have mentioned such figures
from PC Data but no dice. The focus was always on Dreamweaver.

To somewhat make-up for this, I have found a more recent report that
mentions Deamweaver as already having an 80% market share. It is not
detailed but it shall give you a more up to date look at the web
authoring toll market.

"Many developers consider GoLive and Dreamweaver to be more suitable
for complex development and FrontPage to be a more low-end tool
appropriate for less intricate projects."

"Steve Frankel, managing director of Adams, Harkness & Hill, an
investment bank that tracks the Web-authoring market, said, 'We don’t
consider FrontPage a professional tool. We count it as a consumer
tool.' Of the professional tools, Frankel said, Dreamweaver has 80
percent of the market and GoLive holds 20 percent. Microsoft bundles
FrontPage with its Office suite, so there aren’t separate sales
figures for the Web-authoring product."

Tempest over Web-Authoring Tools
http://www.computer.org/computer/homepage/oct/it/1.htm

Again thanks for visiting us and I hope I was of assistance to your
query.

Regards,
Easterangel-ga
davious-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
easterAngel went above and beyond the call of duty to find me some
extra info.  Thanks very much.

Comments  
Subject: Re: What are the top web design tools?
From: till-ga on 25 Aug 2002 02:26 PDT
 
I´d like to add a personal experience to easterangel-ga´s answer. I´m
a webdesigner  and I´ve tested several design tools in the last years.
In my opinion netobjects fusion is one of the best tools you can find
to develop standard pages. I´m not talking of websites with 1,000
pages but in most cases you´ll get along with this software. It´s
flexible, fast, reliable and you´ve got a huge community of millions
of users. So support isn´t a problem.
Fusion ist however not suitable if you plan to make a dynamic,
database driven page unless you´re familiar with e.g. php and mysql.
To find out more about this excellent tools you should have a look at:

( http://www.gotfusion.com )
Of course this page has been made with fusion.

till-ga
Subject: Re: What are the top web design tools?
From: siliconsamurai-ga on 25 Aug 2002 13:11 PDT
 
If the questioner was asking to decide which programs to study for
possible employment then stick to the most expensive ones.

If you simply want to build some Web pages, use www.homestead.com for
simplicity sake.

If you are going into the business yourself then you probably need to
use a range of tools from Homestead for the most basic sites to
Macromedia for the high-end development and expect to do some hand
coding.  I have most major packages from Fusion to the Adobe and
Macromedia products and each has it's merits, although the Adobe and
Macromedia offerings are extremely sophisticated for the average user.

For really advanced, enterprise-class Web development, look into .NET
from Microsoft.

Important Disclaimer: Answers and comments provided on Google Answers are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Google does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. Please read carefully the Google Answers Terms of Service.

If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by emailing us at answers-support@google.com with the question ID listed above. Thank you.
Search Google Answers for
Google Answers  


Google Home - Answers FAQ - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy