Website Demo Software Suggestions?

[JabbaTheNut]

I have finished programming my website and am ready to start marketing it. I want to create a demonstration of the site for marketing purposes. Can anyone suggest a software product I can use to create the demo and offer it on the web? I am aware of Flash. Are there any others? I am very open minded on the subject.

Thanks

Game Over, Man!

 

[Zarcom]

One company I was with did screen capture movies. That could also work.

That'l do donkey, that'l do
Mark
If you are unsure of forum etiquette check here faq796-2540

 

[chand81]

Do you know that you can easily have 3d content on your website. This wil further raise its marketing value.
You can use a tool called 3DWebmaker found at

http://www.3dstate.com

 

[jfrost10]

What sort of product is it? Is it one where you could set up a "demo" account, and users could log in and play with dummy data for that account (which would have to be not-permanently modifyable of course)

D'Arcy

 

[JabbaTheNut]

jfrost,

You hit the nail on the head. What you described is exactly what I am trying to do. I was in a hurry to start developing, so I plunked down the $900 and bought Macromedia Studio MX. However, I am still interested to know what other software may be more appropriate.

Game Over, Man!

 

[jfrost10]

Hmmm...well I need some clarification on something:

You have a website that performs some service. You want the user to be able to log into the site and experience a demonstration of what the site can do by pre-loading dummy data for the user to interact with.

Is that pretty much what you're trying to do? (sorry, the references to Flash and MX threw me off a bit)

D

 

[JabbaTheNut]

Yes, that is correct. A similar example of what I want to accomplish exists on Microsoft's Frontpage 2000 website.

http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/

If you select the Frontpage 2000 Interactive Demo link, you will see.

Conceptually, that is what I want. I need to walk prospective clients through the website. I also need the walkthrough to be consistent every time. Flash seems to be the only game in town for this. Unless someone knows of a better way?

Game Over, Man!

 

[jfrost10]

Flash is great if you just want them to see the screen shots and explain whats happening. Actually, it'll make more sense since you can add extra information in teh flash presentation.

You could still create a "demo" version of your site that they just interact with though (negating the need for flash, although if you've bought MX already (flash comes with mx, right?), and you have flash you might as well use that).

Maybe a combination of the two? Our company has a demo where you log in as a pre-defined user, and access our product from there. Seems to work pretty well

D'Arcy

 

[JabbaTheNut]

Did you set up a dummy database that mirrors the actual database? How do you handle resetting the changes that a user makes while poking around? Also, what do you do in the case where you have more than one user using the demo? Does a user see the changes that other users are making?

Game Over, Man!