If you sell online, you’ve probably seen wireframes—blueprint-like diagrams that outline the relative size and placement of each element on a web page. Every designer uses them and some won’t put pointer to pixel until you’ve signed off on one.
The good news is, you don’t have to be a designer to create a wireframe. Online tools let you and your team create your own wireframes, move pieces around, change sizes, and cement your content decisions before the designer begins.
The online tools in this list are easy to learn and use. Many are free. Some let multiple users work on the same document, so you and your team collaborate and come to agreement before the heavy design and coding begin. Here are our favorites.
A free and simple tool, Mockflow integrates with Trello and Slack project management tools. A template store helps you get started quickly. A paid version let’s up to five users collaborate on a wireframe, and gives you Mac OS and Windows desktop apps. mockflow.com
One of the more powerful free tools on the web, InVision emphasizes collaboration and lets you produce everything from basic wireframes to beautiful, functional prototypes. It also integrates with Slack and Trello. A subscription-based enterprise product supports the free version. invisionapp.com
A basic wireframe tool with a simple, WYSIWYG interface that lets you start work for free.
Perfect beginners or anyone who doesn’t want too many bells and whistles to distract from the task at hand. Upgrade to premium version to add clickable elements, export documents and more. wireframe.cc
Go to framebox.org and right on the home page, you’ll find “graph paper” layout and a tool bar. You can start wireframing right away. Create an account, or sign in through Google +, Facebook or Twitter and you can save your wireframes, add clickable elements and more. framebox.org
Cocoa has a basic free tool that lets you create wireframes and other diagrams, then export them as png files. Premium versions start at $4.95 a month and keep revision histories, export to more formats and collaborate in real time. cacoo.com
A great value at $4.99 a month, Giffy gives you a surprisingly fast and efficient interface to help you prototype high-level design projects. It also comes with a presentation capability that makes it easy to share ideas, and a team mode for collaboration. www.gliffy.com
With over 2,000 UI elements and icons, HotGloo lets you assemble ideas in seconds. Built completely in HTML, it works with all browsers, including mobile and can export wireframes and prototypes for rapid implementation. Prices start at $13 a month. hotgloo.com
At Pinpoint Intelligence, we’re committed to your success. Payment Processing, Fraud and Chargeback Management aside, our goal is to help provide our online merchants with the tips, tricks and tools they need to succeed. After all, your success is our success.