Creating a website on your Mac–it’s all about the software

Thanks to website builders, it’s now easier than ever to create your own website. With just the click of a mouse, you can select a template, establish a basic structure, and drag and drop elements to build a strong web presence. Website builders are an especially attractive option when you don’t have much time nor prior programming knowledge.

If you plan to completely create and design a website on your Mac by yourself, there are many helpful online tools at your disposal. You don’t need expert knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or other programming languages. Thanks to specialized programs, even amateurs can build websites and upload them to a server. But Mac website builders aren’t just for beginners; experienced programmers will also find this time-saving software useful for their web projects.

Using web editors is a great way to gradually build up confidence with basic programming and develop a web presence with static content. With WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors, designers can build websites just as you create texts, tables, and images in word documents. A corresponding HTML code is simultaneously generated in the background. You can view this at any time in order to gather knowledge about the markup language. The following two editors can offer a simple introduction into web design and can be used free of charge:

BlueGriffon

As the official successor of the successful freeware, Nvu, the free WYSIWYG HTML editor BlueGriffon can offer everything you need to develop a website without prior programming knowledge. The free version supports HTML5, basic CSS editing, and more. The extended version also supports a more extensive CSS editor. BlueGriffon uses the Firefox browser engine, Gecko, which allows you to see the page as it’ll appear in the browser later. You can easily add new elements and CSS options via the dropdown menu on the user interface. Once you’ve completed your layout, you’ll need to use an additional program like Cyberduck to upload your web project. The current version of BlueGriffon is available to download from their official website.

If you’re already confident in basic programming, and looking for support with designing more complex web projects, then web design software is a good investment for you. In principle, these programs can be considered offline website builders, as they can be used even without an internet connection, as long as they’re installed on your system. You can use the user interface directly from your Mac, without having to rely on your browser. You’re not tied to your current hosting provider’s server either, giving you the freedom to decide which server your web project should be uploaded to.

We’ve found four software solutions that make creating a website on your Mac seem like child’s play.

RapidWeaver

Realmac Software Ltd. first published RapidWeaver, the proprietary software for Macs, back in 2004, making it one of the earliest programs to allow users without significant programming knowledge to create webpages. The software is very usable for beginners, but its wide range of functions also makes it a good tool for advanced users. Ever since its launch, RapidWeaver has gone from strength to strength, which is why it’s still one of the most sought-after web design programs today. Thanks to the user-friendly interface, it’s also easy to carry out search engine optimization and design mobile sites. There are 50 templates to work from and no limits to the amount of sites that you can make.

RapidWeaver contains further useful functions including JavaScript and CSS file optimization, automatic back-ups, and a ‘health check’ function, which offers recommendations for improvement of site structure. The program also allows users to switch between viewing the code and the preview, enabling you to see how your work appears on a browser. Alternatively, you can conduct a local test in your web browser to view your RapidWeaver project from the perspective of a site visitor.

You can use the FTP function to upload your project onto your web server. There are also hundreds of extensions (mostly fee-based) to further bulk up your range of functions. Go to the Realmac Software site to obtain a standard license, which allows you to use two Mac computers.

IONOS MyWebsite

IONOS MyWebsite is an easy and intuitive website builder that doesn´t require any prior knowledge or additional software to create and edit a website. In just a few clicks, it is possible to choose from a great variety of professional and customizable mobile-optimized templates. With access to an extensive image library, it allows the creation of beautiful websites adapted to both private and business users.

It includes the option for a newsletter tool, SEO analysis, web apps and video tutorials, as well as to integrate a shop and a multi-language function. Customized communication features allow customers to display different content and pop-ups depending on visitors, time, season, etc. The backup and restore function allows customers to save their preferred version of the site and to restore it any time they want or need to – a great function for seasonal campaigns.

The editors and programs featured here make up just a small selection of the resources available for creating websites on Mac computers. If you explore the topic of web design further, you’ll find thousands more tools and programs with which you can create outstanding websites. It’s a good idea to test different programs before making your final decision; this way you can find out which software works best for you. Your ideas for your web project can only come to life if you take the time to learn your chosen program’s various functions. But you needn’t feel like you have to splash out on unnecessary gadgets and gizmos; if you prefer to create sites the old-fashioned way, there’s also a great number of text editing programs that allow you to create code line by line. These include TextWrangler, BBEdit, and Sublime Text.