Categorizing alternative software development tools

In a nutshell, there a two categories of software tools that you can choose from to get your business online. The first category includes software tools that are provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), Web hosting service, or online mall. These tools are integrated with the type of service you choose and are designed to get you up and running quickly. Normally, you access these tools and design your Web site while you are connected, or logged-in, to your service provider.

The second category consists of off-the-shelf software packages that are loaded onto your computer. These software packages traditionally give you more flexibility than using the integrated tools provided by your Internet service, but still give you the capability to get up and running quickly. Normally, you purchase these products from a third party provider, like a retail store, and then create your Web site offline before loading it on a Web hosting service.

Faced with these two categories of software development tools, your first question should be "what is the best approach for my online business?" The answer resides in what you want to do and how much you want to spend. Although both categories of software tools give you the capability to get up and running quickly, you will definitely be able to get online faster using the integrated tools. However, this difference is only a matter of hours or days, and is largely determined by the time it takes you to order separate off-the-shelf software and load it onto your computer.

Off-the-shelf software will give you more flexibility in designing your site. Although most of the integrated services let you choose from a variety Web site design templates, the only real control you have is in the text, fonts, images and pictures that you can add to the Web site. Envision a "fill in the blanks" scenario where you have little control over the underlying page.

Also, you should be aware that some integrated services like AOL Personal Publisher and Max Pages, do not give you the capability to have your own domain name, or dot com. If you decide to use these services, then your online business will be named something like members.aol.com/yourbiz or maxpages.com/yourbiz, as opposed to www.yourbiz.com. Therefore, if you want to have complete control over almost every design aspect of your Web site, including your domain name, then choosing an off-the-shelf package is the way to go.

The other aspect you should consider is the cost difference between an integrated service and an off-the-shelf software package. Most of the integrated services are free. For instance, if you are a member of AOL, then you can use their Personal Publisher service for free. To create a Web site with Max Pages, you only need to have access to the Internet (just enter www.maxpages.com in your Web browser and follow the onscreen directions). On the other hand, an off-the-shelf software package will cost you between $50 and $300.