IM Creator – CreateVisually Stunning Websites In A Jiffy

Only a few years ago, creating a web page was serious and tough work, and website development was but limited to a privileged few. Today, thanks to website builders, you can now build and launch your own website, store or blog in just a couple of hours without having to write a single line of code. There are hundreds of website builders online offering unique features and functionalities that cater to the needs of both large and small-scale enterprises. The entrepreneur has no dearth of option online. As a relatively new player in the market, IM Creator has gained quite a reputation among users as a reliable, robust and super responsive website builder.

Ever since the launch of its first beta version all the way back in 2011, IM Creator has managed to establish a solid presence in the market. It is not your average drag-and-drop website builder; the state-of-art DIY platform comes with a wide range of customizable templates, pre-set themes, and advanced functionalities. You can set up blogs, web stores, and web pages in just a few simple clicks.

Read on to know more about IM Creator and reasons why you should use it the next time you create a website.

IM Creator – An Overview

IM Creator is an elegant website builder that allows you to build all kinds of web pages suitable for business and personal use alike. You can opt for the classic drag-and-drop interface or try the new XPRS platform; a unique customizable framework built using stripes and polydoms. The XPRS is a lot better and easier to manage than the classic version. Supporting over 11 million domains online, IM Creator is one of the most powerful site building options you’ll find on the internet.

IM Creator boasts of a simple, sturdy platform that is manageable, fast and highly responsive. You get an extensive range of templates suitable for any and every kind of online venture. The XPRS is ideal for anyone who wants to start a personal website, a blog, a portfolio or launch their business, regardless of their field. However, all said and done, IM Creator is not all rainbows and sunshine. We did encounter a few bugs during our testing. And the fact that there is no e-commerce option or a viable blogging platform, IM Creator is not for everyone.

What is IM Creator Ideal For?

IM Creator is a great web creation tool for budding businessmen and professionals alike. You can build robust web pages, set up portfolios, create forms launch personal websites and even blogs via the platform. If you want to create an attractive, interactive and appealing website quickly then IM Creator is your best bet.

You won’t find a lot of unnecessary functionalities here, and that’s a good thing because a lot of elements on the interface only confuse the user. A clean, clutter-free framework is always easier to work on. Of course, you get the basic features like picture galleries, slideshows, videos and graphics tools to insert and embed content.

IM Creator has a vast collection of templates that are suitable for all kinds of web designs like music fests, weddings, corporate events, hotels, businesses and personal content. All you have to do is drag, drop and then customize the elements you want on the interface, preview it and then publish it in a click.

Getting Started with IM Creator

As soon as you open the platform, you are given the choice of opting for a blank site or selecting an appropriate template, to begin with. If you are a new user, we recommend that you don’t create an account right away. First, snoop around a bit and explore the functions and features offered to you. You can always register once you have successfully created your website and now want to save or publish your work. The themes are compatible with all screen resolutions and can be previewed.

Very few website builders actually allow users to start with a blank page and allow the freedom of customization without charging a dime for it. The aesthetics of the interface are striking, to say the least- everything is super responsive, flexible and can be moved on the screen as per your convenience. Once you have chosen the template and theme for your website you’ll be redirected to the main editor where the real fun begins.

The Editor

Both the classic and the XPRS editor offer robust in-house editor where you can insert, embed and customize images, change the font of plain text, add graphics and embed links. The XPRS editor is based on the WYSIWYG framework that allows you to preview the final website design as it would appear on the user-end browser.

Other than that, the editor also comes with a useful tooltip functionality to guide you through the entire editing process. The tool-tip allows you access to the various applications, extensions, plug-ins and other web elements that can be used to enhance the appeal of your website.

All the features you find on the editor are “native” i.e. developed by the company itself. You have limited choices, but the options you get are pretty decent ones. The high-end drag and drop interface runs smoothly on the new Windows OS.However, there are a few glitches if you are using an older version. For adding something to the page you simply have to click on the small blue plus sign present on the interface. To edit an element, you have to click on the section that you need to change and then make the necessary changes.

Adding a Page, Storefront or Blog to IM Creator

Most of the templates offered by IM Creator already come with a built-in page, but you can add additional pages easily. The “add page” option is available right next to the “add element” feature in the top menu. To edit an existing page or duplicate a page you’ll have to click on the “manage pages” option.

Unfortunately, ecommerce is not IM Creator’s strongest suit; it falls flat when it comes to inserting storefronts and blogging options. Even the recent versions of IM Creator offer no provisions for adding an online store. You want a lot of widgets for e-marketing or building blogs except for a Tumblr widget that allows the user to import an existing blog.

You can create a blog on IM Creator as explained in the Help Centre, but it is a time-taking process. You have to add each and every element through the text box and then link it to the archives manually. Even the social media plug-ins aren’t very impressive when compared to what the other websites builders are offering.

The Template Design Options

The templates are perhaps the USP of this free website builder. The classic version offers an impressive range of templates but the XPRS version takes it up a notch higher. The XPRS is intent on offering beautiful, premium quality themes that suit all kinds of websites. You get themes for musicians, photographers, hoteliers, travelers, writers, artists, filmmakers, wedding planners, writers and even corporate blogs.

These layouts designed, by the big-shots of the industry, come with the trendiest of styling options. For instance, some templates offer animations effects and other graphic elements that are bound to catch the attention of the visitor. For users looking for a more minimalistic, contemporary there are simple yet elegant themes as well that arrange your content in a very sophisticated way.

The web pages created by XPRS are compatible across all platforms including mobile phones, laptops, and other Windows/IOS devices. Also, the themes are pretty scalable, i.e. you can either create a single page website or choose to develop multiple pages. On the downside, IM Creator still doesn’t offer the provision for changing the template of a website after you’ve published it. The drag and drop interface also doesn’t give you the freedom and flexibility of action to customize the HTML 5 code and CSS stylesheets.

The New XPRS Platform

The new XPRS platform was launched to the public only a couple of years back and has polydom website development software. Unlike other website builders online, IM Creator uses dynamic objects to build websites that make the pages all the more responsive and user-friendly. The objects on the screen shift and resize to meet the screen resolution and pixel automatically. Isn’t that great? Now, you no longer have to manually create a mobile-responsive version of your website, it is automatically done here by the XPRS. XPRS also offers a wide range of new themes and features that weren’t present in the old classic version.

While other website builders use HTML 5 code and CSS stylesheets to create the basic framework of web pages, IM Creator takes it a step further. The innovative polydommechanism allows users to infinite variations to the templates before it is launched. The CMS is one of the best we’ve seen so far, allowing greater flexibility of action than its peers.

SEO

Search engine optimization is of utmost importance to any website. It doesn’t matter how great the content is if it doesn’t appear in search results. Page rank is determined by the ease of accessibility, authenticity, and appeal of the website. Having a high SEO also enhances the credibility of your content as people will find your website to be more trustworthy.

Unfortunately, the SEO options for IM Creator are somewhat limited when compared to the other website builders available online. Here, you are allowed to insert only one title, one meta description and one set of keywords for the entire site. Other platforms offer multiple descriptions, keywords, and titles for individual pages. IM Creator focuses on users who want less but effective features. It is best suited to users who have a thriving business offline and use their website as only a backup option to gather more customers.

Other Important Benefits

Ecommerce: IM Creator lets user grow their websites into fully fledged ecommerce stores by adding prices to items. Credit card checkout functionality, a management dashboard, and analytics combine to deliver a value adding ecommerce store management experience to users.

Mobile App: XPRS builder offers user a mobile app that users can rely upon to make quick edits to the website, add blog posts, and upload pictures, on the move.

Knowledge Base: IM Creators offers you a lot of valuable information via how to’s and FAQs. XPRS has a downloadable user manual.

Free Premium Account: IM Creator offers a free premium account for artists, students, and non profits. That’s a one of its kind offer.

Mobile Compatibility

Everything you create on IM Creator is compatible with your smartphones. The websites are built on the polydoms structure and hence automatically resize to meet the screen resolution demands of the smaller/bigger devices. Be rest assured, your website would look great on laptops, desktops and mobile phones alike.

When you are choosing a template, you can also get a preview of how it will appear in the final-end browser of the mobile device. This gives you a basic idea about the desktop and non-desktop screen types and how you have to arrange the content to make the best of both platforms.

The preview option gives you a glimpse of how your content looks like to the final consumer. Most website builders give users the option of editing the content after it’s been published,this real-time customization creates more complications as you cannot see how the changes have affected the end result that appears on the browser.

The Hosting and Export Options

A website builder can only help you in the design part, once you have created the basic framework of the web page you need to connect it to the web host. IM Creator has free hosting options. You get access to free web hosting as soon as you sign up and create an account here (both free and paid accounts).

IM Creator takes full responsibility for keeping your website safe, secure and updated, giving you ample time to concentrate on the other vital aspects of your business. The free version allows you 50MB storage while subscribing to the premium plan gives you unlimited hosting space. Other than that IM Creator also gives you the freedom to export the entire website to some other host if you are not satisfied with the services offered by the current one.

IM Creator – Pricing and Packages

IM Creator offers you both free and paid plans. If you are a new user, we recommend that you opt for the free plan to test the water before upgrading it to a payable package. There is no time limit to the free plan, so there is no pressure on the user to upgrade. You can invest some time on the platform, check out the features yourself and subscribe to the paid plans only if you are convinced of its credibility.

There are two premium plans, namely Premium and Pro/Whitelabel. You can easily compare the perks offered by these plans. The Premium plan offers unlimited website hosting space. Also, the Pro and White Label plan allows web designers to white label their site. The free plan offers free hosting and a complimentary sub-domain name. You can even upgrade and modify the domain name, remove the footer advertisement, get unlimited storage and a customized email id.

Pros and Cons of IM Creator Website Builder

Listed below are the main advantages of using IM Creator as your website development platform: