You don't have to be a guru to create a professional search engine for your web site or CD-ROM!
NEW! Now SiteXpert Pro comes with a FREE license of Search Engine Studio. Click here for more info.Features of the search engine generated by SiteXpert
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- Server-side version: SiteXpert can generate a search engine which resides on your own web server (as a CGI script) for best performance.
- Client-side CD-ROM/DVD version: now you can easily add search engine functionality to your CD-ROM/DVD distribution. No extra software or internet connection is required for the end-user! The search can work in two modes (the search switches automatically between the two modes based on the browser/OS): as an ActiveX control (for Windows / IE) or as a Java applet (for non-IE browsers, Unix and Mac systems).
- Search engine can be optionally frame-based (search results or target URLs can be opened in a different frame or a new window).
- SiteXpert can automatically index your web site or a local/network disk. URLs to be indexed can also come from an XML file.
- SiteXpert can index static or dynamic HTML pages (e.g. PHP, ASP, JSP, ColdFusion)
- SiteXpert can index web pages, Office documents (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint), and Adobe Acrobat PDF files.
- You decide how web pages should be indexed (which parts of a document are ranked higher or lower).
- All texts displayed by the search engine can be modified (or translated to a foreign language).
- Support for foreign languages - language-specific characters can be properly interpreted by the search engine script so that even the visitors who use regular (English) keyboards can find all the results.
- Support for different target operating systems (Windows/IIS, Unix/Apache) to make sure the search engine can be hosted by your ISP.
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Comparison with search services
Here's why SiteXpert is a better search engine solution for your web site than web-based search services which can index your web site and host the search engine on their server
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Search engine generated by SiteXpert |
Search engine hosted by a search service |
| Performance |
Great performance! The search engine works lightning fast because it works on YOUR server.
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Possibly bad performance because the search server works for thousands of other web sites and the response time may be very slow. |
| Data transfer |
All data is transferred from your web server to the end user to ensure fast response time. |
Possibly bad performance because the server hosting your search engine can be located far from you and your visitors, so the data can end up going half-way around the world and back. |
| Security |
All indexed data for the search engine from password-protected areas of your web site is kept on your server to ensure high security. |
Indexed data from password-protected areas of your web site resides on another server so it can be potentially used by anyone. |
| Update frequency |
With SiteXpert you have the search databases updated as often as you like (e.g. every day or every hour) to make sure the latest changes in your website are properly reflected in the search engine. You can even set this up to be done automatically! |
The frequency is set by the search service and is usually not satisfactory or requires high monthly fees. |
| Ads and banners |
No ads or banners are displayed to the visitor. It's completely up to you to decide which content will be displayed. |
Since the search engine is located on another server, the web service can control all displayed content and is likely to show unwanted ads or banners. |
| Flexibility |
With SiteXpert you can fully control every aspect of the search engine, starting with the way documents are indexed as well as the way the search box and the search results look like. You can also translate ALL messages to a foreign language or customize them in any other way. |
You're limited to changing only these options which the web service allows to be changed. |
| Price |
You only pay once for SiteXpert! No monthly fees are required and you can create as many different search engines for as many web sites as you like! And all this requires only a single license of Search Engine Studio. |
Services are based on monthly payments and you are charged for all search engines you create. Over time, this turns out to be a very expensive solution. |
Comparison with client-side solutions
Here's why SiteXpert is a better search engine solution for your web site than client-side search engines (e.g. Java, JavaScript or ActiveX-based) offered by other applications
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Server-side search engine for your web site generated by SiteXpert |
Client-side search engine for your web site |
| Data transfer |
Only the search result pages (a few KBs) are transferred to the end-user (just like the other popular search engines, e.g. Google or AltaVista) |
Client-side solutions require transferring ALL indexed data to the end-user for processing. This only works for very small web sites (with 10-20 URLs being indexed). Otherwise, huge amounts of data (often, many megabytes for a medium-size web site) must be transferred to the end user. |
| Security |
From user's point of view, the search engine is a regular HTML web page so there are no security issues. |
Client-side (e.g. Java-based) solutions often contain harmul functionality (such as viruses) so many users disable downloading of Java applets from web sites. |
| Compatibility |
Again, from user's point of view, the search engine is a regular HTML web page so it is by default compatible with all possible browsers and operating systems. |
Client-side solutions (e.g. Java, JavaScript, ActiveX) are rarely compatible between browsers and operating systems so some of your visitors will not be able to use such solution. |
Also make sure you check out other styles of SiteXpert: site map tree, DHTML menu, portal interface, site index, hierarchical diagram, multi-column list, site map tree applet, mega folder, drop down list.
Click here to go to Search Engine Studio Home Page for more information and technical documents regarding search engines created with the SiteXpert package. |
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