Microsoft Expression Studio, a set of professional design tools designed to give users the flexibility to bring their visions to reality, whether they are designing standards-based sites, rich user experiences on the desktop, or managing digital content. The Studio tools include Visual Studio 2007 Standard, Expression Web, Expression Design, Expression Blend and Expression Media.

You can purchase Expression Studio for $599.00 or you can upgrade any of the individual Expression tools to the complete Studio for $349.00. A complete set of Studio FAQ’s and Individual Expression Program FAQ’s are available here.

Microsoft Expression Web:

Microsoft Expression Web, formerly called Microsoft FrontPage, has been live since September 2006, and is a new standards-based Web-editor that’s part of the Microsoft Expression Studio. It hasn’t gotten much attention with designers, that I have seen, but I wanted to take a moment to discuss two of the Expression Web add-ins for merchants thinking of using Expression Web to build an eCommerce storefront or accept payments through Expression Web powered sites. You can purchase Expression Web for $299.00 or you can upgrade from FrontPage for $99.00 and there is also a free trial download.

To see a few sites built using Microsoft Expression Web click here.

System Requirements:

Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration operating system.

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows Vista; Windows XP Service Pack 2
• PC with Pentium 700 or faster processor
• 512 MB of RAM or more
• 1.5 GB of available harddisk space; a portion this disk space will be freed after installation the original download package is removed from the hard drive CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
• 1024 × 768 or higher resolution monitor
• Internet functionality requires Internet access (fees may apply); Network access required
• Broadband connection, 128 kilobits per second (Kbps) or greater, for download and activation of products

Expression Web Feature Highlights:

• Standards-based Web sites
• Sophisticated CSS-based layouts
• Extensive CSS formatting and management
• Rich data presentation
• Powerful ASP.NET 2.0-based technology

Standards-based Web sites:

Create CSS-based, XHTML 1.0 Transitional-conforming Web sites by default. Work better across browsers, simplifying deployment and maintenance. Configure flexible schema settings to support all combinations of HTML, XHTML, Strict, Transitional, Frameset and CSS 1.0, 2.0, and 2.1 plus browser-specific schemas. Validate your site with compatibility and accessibility reporting and against Section 508 and W3C Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Sophisticated CSS-based layouts, formatting and management:

Generate elegant, modern CSS layouts with state-of-the-art surface design tools. Directly manipulate positioning, sizing, margins and padding. A sophisticated CSS rendering engine inside gives you the confidence to make design decisions on the fly. Try out CSS styles on the page with drag-and-drop style management, and migrate them to a central repository. Typing aids and IntelliSense in the Code View make your process efficient and fast.

Rich data presentation:

Build and format views of industry-standard XML data using drag-and-drop tools for quick visualization. An XPath Expression Builder allows you to create complex queries, and XSL Transform (XSLT) support gives you the flexibility to present data any way you want. XML data can be retrieved and presented via live RSS feeds that match your site’s formatting.

Powerful ASP.NET 2.0-based technology:

Harness the power of ASP.NET 2.0 to transform your sites into dynamic, interactive Web applications. No code data binding required with integrated support for server and user controls. Inserting and configuring ASP.NET controls is a snap with the controls toolbox, properties grid, and on-control “action menus.” ASP.NET Master Pages make site-wide changes quick and easy.

Expression Web eCommerce Add-in’s:

SalesCart Express:

Since 1995, the original shopping cart built into Microsoft FrontPage, now integrates directly into your Microsoft Expression-based Web sites. This easy-to-use full eCommerce service-based solution can operate statically or with a large dynamic catalog of thousands of products. SalesCart Express is a one-stop storefront shop that supports automatic tax calculations, real-time shipping, discounting, search engine optimization, a merchant account, and real-time credit card processing via AuthorizeNet.

SalesCart NET:

This professional eCommerce development for merchants that require unlimited customizations and extensibility includes open-source access or options to purchase ASP.NET script-based source code for the creation of unlimited e-commerce websites. Unlike SalesCart Express, SalesCart NET is a software-based solution that can be hosted on any ISP that supports ASP.NET and developers can use the product to create multiple merchant websites using Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL database shopping cart websites.

PayPal eCommerce Toolkit:

Discover the quickest and easiest way to add shopping to your Microsoft Expression Web site. Easily create payment buttons and basic shopping cart functionality with an easy-to-use wizard. Set up recurring payments with the Subscription button or take set or open-amount contributions using the Donation button. Include product options for any item—Toolkit Recipes show you how.

Expression Web SEO Macro Kit:

The SEO Macro Kit for Expression Web helps Expression authors get their sites ready for the Internet’s biggest search engines. The Kit includes a search engine sitemap.xml generator, a title/description/keywords count window and an image text review window. With these easy-to-setup macros, authors can add several time saving and useful tools to their Microsoft Expression Web toolbox.

Conclusion & Final Thoughts:

So, there you have it. Microsoft is really bulking up their software and tool offerings, not to mention the add-ins and new features constantly being added. I am personally not a huge fan of .NET or the Micrsoft framework, but the tools and programs outlined in this article are a great way for newer merchants to get a program for site design from a reputable name with all the basic functionality and ability to add more if needed.

The eCommerce add-in’s and SEO Macro Kit are just a few of the available add-in’s for Expression Web including a nifty navigation maker, Template Monster themes, slide show maker, mp3 player maker, flash browser, InstandFX case changer and more. The Expression Studio comes with everything you could possibly need.

Microsoft isn’t the only choice, feel free to check out our Shopping Cart Solutions page for more ideas of who to use for your site, SEO and shopping cart provider.