There are many times when I'm hired by a client and they ask - "Will I be able to update the web site myself?"
I know it might sound like a silly answer, and I'm not trying to be wise, but my reply is always "Do you know any html?"
Well if they know html then chances are they wouldn't need to hire someone like me to build their web site, right??
To be totally honest I really don't know how to answer that question without either sounding like a wise guy or a salesman trying to pad the bill by telling the client that they'll need a content management system to be able to easily do their own updates. The only way that someone new to the wonderful world of web sites can effectivly (and safely) update their own web site without help from a web master is to have a content management system (CMS).

Unfortunately because of the extra cost involved to implement a CMS (there is quite a bit of actual programming required including databases, etc.), this option can be out of reach for many who just want a quick down and dirty web site built.

So if you are one of those people who would like to update your own web site and are not afraid to learn, then this page is for you!

Before I advise you on the software you should have as part of your arsenal, I want to urge you to go get your web hosting right away! Web hosting is when a service (usually paid by a monthly or yearly fee), holds your web files for you on a server so they can be viewed over the internet. Without web hosting you can't have a web site, or at least one that other people can see!
I recommend site5 for hosting. I've been there as a customer for 3 years and my experience has been good. They are also very competative in their pricing.

It's my pleasure to provide you with links to free, and "not so free" software. The not so free software can get a little expensive depending on which programs you are considering. The best course of action is to try the free alternatives, and then if you find that you enjoy the skills you're developing and you're interested enough, take the plunge with one of the industry standard applications (not so free!). Many of the pay software offer a free trial period, so go ahead and take it for a test drive first!

I want to stress a point here. As tempting as it might be to jump into Photoshop and start doing cool stuff to images, you would want to have a good understanding of HTML first before you delve into anything else! The obvious reason why I recommend this is because everything discussed on this page is web site related. Even if you decide that you want to learn how to use an image editor to touch up images or create graphics for the web, you eventually will want to place that masterpeice you created on a web page, right?? Well how do you plan on creating that spot on your web page exactly where you want it and so it is consistant across all browsers? Oh yes, did I mention that every browser treats a web page differently??
I won't get into the reasons why it is, but browser incompatability has brought many of web designers to their knees in painful agony when their seemingly perfect design, which looked amazing in Firefox and Safari on a Mac, but in Internet Explorer it looked as though the page was created by a 5 year old - text, images, and page formatting strewn all over the place. Then to add salt to the wound, there is also incompatability issues between the same browsers but different versions and different platforms and operating systems! Yikes!

Coming back to my original thought, naturally if you decide you only want to focus on "print art" then HTML knowledge will not be necessary. But if you're developing for the web you have to pay your dues first and start at the beginning.

Luckily, with HTML a little practice and you'll pick it up quickly! It's really not that difficult even for someone who is not technical. Once you master that you can move onto javascript and then onto more complex programming (if you dare).

On the right column I have listed in the order of what type of application you should learn and links to the different software that you will need. Basically all you really need for right now is an HTML editor and an image editor for cropping, resizing, and general graphics manipulation (Microsoft Paint won't due!). You will see in the column "Free" and "Not free". All you really need for web publishing is a good HTML editor, WYSIWYG at first until your comfortable, and then a notepad style where you will type your actual HTML code as you go along. So get yourself a cup of coffee, relax, feel confident, and jump right in the fun!