Xara has released version 7 of its best-selling web design package, Xara Web Designer. Designed to appeal to those with little or no web-designing experience, Xara Web Designer 7 uses templates and a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG interface to make it easy to build web sites.

Version 7 introduces a number of new features, including the support of widgets, which consist of advanced text and photo animations that can be dragged into place like other elements. Also new are new animated transition effects for layers and pages, intelligent repeating page elements (such as headers and footers), a favicon designer, sitemap support and a number of enhanced preview and FTP options.

Also new in version 7 is a magic snap tool for aiding in the precise alignment of elements on pages, a new Page and Layer Gallery for improved page management, advanced graphic controls, tabbed windows, fly-out galleries and support for HTML5 video. More advanced users will also like the fact Web Designer 7 now allows custom HTML code to be inserted into both header and body.

Xara has also added a high-end version of the program for more experienced users – Xara Web Designer Premium 7 – which boasts even more functionality. Standout features unique to the Premium edition include a new slideshow-based feature, which allows users to create presentation-based websites that can be viewed in a standard web browser. Similarly, the Premium version also supports HTML5 video, making it possible to produce video that plays back on the latest generation of web browsers without Adobe Flash.

Xara Web Designer 7 costs $49.99, and Xara Web Designer 7 Premium costs $99.99. A fully functional 30-day trial version is available for free download, which supports Windows XP, Vista and 7 PCs.