The first thing you need to build a website is an html editor. In particular, you need a visual editor, that makes creating a web page as easy as creating a regular Word document.
If you have Microsoft Office on your computer, you should check whether it came with FrontPage. This is probably the best option if you have never dealt with html before. Out of all the html editors available, FrontPage is the one that most closely resembles Word.
If you don't have Frontpage and have some money to spend, I would recommend going with Macromedia Dreamweaver. This is a much more powerful visual html editor, which is slightly more difficult to use, though.
There is also a free alternative to these software. It is called Nvu and is similar to FrontPage in functionalities, but a little harder to get used to. If you have a tight budget and you are willing to invest a little more time in learning, Nvu is the way to go.
#2. Templates
Buying a ready-made website template means cutting your development time considerably. You can find professionally designed website templates that costs less than $100. If you consider how much time it would take you to create something similar, you will agree with me that it is a bargain price.
My favourite place for finding website templates is TemplateMonster.com.
#3. Graphics
If used properly, images can make a website more persuasive and convince your visitor to take the action you desire (filling up a contact form, completing a purchase, etc.). Believe me, it's not easy to find professionally looking photos and graphics at affordable prices. Whenever I need to shop for images, I know that on iStockPhoto I will find what I need.
You can buy an image for as little as one dollar and use it on as many websites as you want. Always choose "web format" when completing your purchase, the other formats are more expensive and you need them only if you plan to use that image on printed material too (you need a greater resolution for that).
#4. Image Editing Software
When you buy images on iStockPhoto, you still need to resize them to fit in your website design. You need an image editing software to do so and these are the ones I recommend.
The most widely known free image editing software is called The Gimp. It is a really complete solution, but can be intimidating for a beginner. Paint.NET is what I recommend if you have never modified an image before: it offers less features, but it's much easier to get used to.
Photoshop Elements has the best balance between ease of use and features. Adobe offers you access to Photoshop "little brother" for less than $100. I have been using this software since version 2.0 and it is getting better with every new release.
#5. Tons Of Free Scripts
Would you like to set up a contact form for your website but you don't know anything about programming? Do you want to show the current date in your web pages? Then you need to visit HotScripts.com.
This website is a collection of free and paid scripts that you can implement on your website in minutes. You can filter the results by programming language (php, asp, asp.net, javascript) and next to each script you can see whether it has a free or commercial license.
#6. Ftp Software
Now that your website is done, you need to upload it to your ftp account, so that it can be seen online. The software I recommend in this case is FileZilla. It is free and it takes you less than a minute to configure your ftp account and start uploading your files.
These are the resources that helped me save hours of work every time I needed to create a new website. I am sure they will prove their effectiveness to you too!
