There are entire library shelves devoted to web site creation; I'm not sure how much I can help you in one short page, but I'll try to address some basic issues and provide links to more information.
If you're new to web site creation, I recommend you read our page What is a Web Site? before continuing with this page.
Web pages are written in HTML (HyperText Markup Language). You can see what the 'raw' HTML of any web page you visit looks like by using your browser's 'View Source' option while the page is displayed in the browser window.
Since the first days of the web, a battle has raged between those who believe web site developers should learn to 'hand-code' HTML versus those who believe it's okay to use a WYSIWYG HTML authoring tool that lets you to lay out the web page much as you would a document in a program such as Microsoft Word, with the authoring tool generating the HTML code for you.
I am of the opinion that WYSIWYG editors are just fine, but it really helps to understand the principles of HTML (I create web sites both ways, depending on the circumstances). There are a couple of ways to learn HTML. The first is by viewing the source of web pages you visit, playing around with the HTML and seeing what your changes look like in the browser. There are, however, many good web sites that teach you the fundamentals (if you prefer to learn off-line, then buy a book about HTML, but I guarantee that you can find the very same information online in dozens of places).
Some good web sites about HTML include:
(NOTE: It's hard to keep these lists of links current. Please send us a note via our Feedback Form if any of these links don't respond.)
Just as there are big differences of opinion regarding hand-coding HTML versus using an editor, so too do many people have strong opinions regarding which HTML editor is best (these web site developers are opinionated folks). The good news is that there are many good HTML authoring tools, and many of them are free or very inexpensive.
The best way to find an HTML editor is to ask around. But if that fails, here are some places to find HTML authoring tools:
(NOTE: It's hard to keep these lists of links current. Please send us a note via our Feedback Form if any of these links don't respond.)
Personally, I'm a fan of Microsoft FrontPage. The best news is, if you've got Microsoft Office (for Windows), you may well already have FrontPage. Also, if you're used to working in other Office programs (e.g., Word or Excel), FrontPage will feel very familiar to you.
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