How should I go about creating a website?

W3Schools is where you need to start.

Learn in this order:
1. HTML
2. CSS
3. Javascript
4. PHP / SQL (MySQL)
5. AJAX
6. ???
7. PROFIT!

Good luck, and god speed.

I agree that you will need to learn some languages but to begin here is my recommendation. By a domain name from Godaddy.com and getting a hosting account for around $4 a month. Once it is completed browse to the godaddy marketplace and install wordpress. Document everything all usernames/sql databases etc.. You don’t have to understand them completely. Once wordpress is installed you can load a theme and you have a web interface to begin building a website. Wordpress is well documented so Google will be your friend. Concentrate on basic HTML and CSS to understand linking and layout.

Here is what I would do if I was starting with knowing absolutely nothing about this.

1. Buy a book.

2. Read the book.

I prefer reading a book compared to working from a bunch of random tutorials on the Internet. Tutorials are great if need help with the occasional thing that pops up. A book will provide a solid foundation that you can later build upon. And I have discovered that I have a better understanding of things when I have to type in code instead of copying and pasting for the Internet.

The book will explain what software you need and how to have what you made available to the public. And all the software you need is probably already on your computer.

I haven’t actually read the book I linked to. But I have read other ones by the same author.

Don’t even think about concerning yourself with any sort of technology yet. Find a book like this one that’s a higher level overview and it’ll get you started rocking way faster with a better head on your shoulders.

Sitepoint’s HTML & CSS book is regarded as one of the best learning guides available.

To add to anaphase’s order of learning, I would suggest:

1. HTML (see the above book)
2. CSS (see the above book)
3. PHP & MySQL
4. Prototype — Javascript library that makes it all much easier
5. Scriptaculous — Add-on to Prototype for amazing effects

Book for PHP & MySQL: http://www.sitepoint.com/books/phpmysql1/

Tutorial for Prototype & Scriptaculous: http://www.sergiopereira.com/articles/prototype.js.html#UsingAjax

Book for Prototype & Scriptaculous: http://pragprog.com/titles/cppsu/prototype-and-script-aculo-us

I agree about sitepoint though some of the suggestions seem a bit high tech for what they might need. Wordpress as suggested is usefull for beginners as it takes the strain out of writing all the pages and offers off the shelf templates to change the look of your site (though it is someone elses design but most non-designers are happy with that).

I would as people recommended learn a bit of HTML because no matter what tool you use to speed things up and make it easier you will have to dip into the HTML code at some point.

I would recommend Dreamweaver as a tool for crafting websites but it is expensive, if your on a PC then http://www.coffeecup.com/ make some good easy to use starter applications for making websites.

To put the site online you need a host (to store the files) and a domain name. I use a host called dreamhost.com and they can also register a domain name for you if needed. There is lots of choice out there though.

If you’re using a Mac, your choices include…

Pretty great all-in-one editing, much better than Dreamweaver:

Panic’s Coda

Or, for more power (and consequently money), I would use:

CSSEdit 2 — Visual CSS editor, very powerful and compliant
TextMate — More powerful than Coda
Transmit — SFTP/FTP client

Like richardhenry suggests, Coda is absolutely the best $70 dollars I’ve ever spent. It’s an amazing application.

It cost more now though, because of new features, but upgrades are typically free

Agree if your on a mac Coda is amazing I use it at home, not found anything close for my work PC (I use Dreamweaver).

Watch out for the new editor made by the CSSEdit guys coming soon that looks good as well. http://macrabbit.com/espresso/

@nikobe: I’ve been using the preview version for a while now, and it seems pretty intuitive. Very fast, and the the syntax colouring seems to be going in the right direction.

You say build a website “from the ground up”. In this case I agree with @johnpowell, get your hands on a book, it’s way better than online tutorials.

Really, you can build a site with just html and add to your knowledge as you go. You don’t need css or anything else to make one or two pages. As you learn, you’ll see how everything else (css, flash, javascript, pictures, etc.) fits into and complements the overall html framework.

I strongly recommend an HTML book by Elizabeth Castro, they are very simple and get straight to writing code to do specific things. Look for her name. If you play around with one of those books, I’m sure you’ll be ready to move to a more detailed one in a couple weeks.