The following link is the best step by step instruction on building a webpage that I have found. It has everything to start you off. The only thing I would add is that although the instructions mention using notepad, I find it much easier to actually code directly into my .html document. Once you have applied for your website and received your password to log on, you will find most sites have already set you up with an index page. Begin by using the edit command at your website to open your index page up. Then you can typed these commands directly into the page and preview the results.
Many people prefer to use a web page composer to do the coding for them. Most of these applications are point and click. You keep the gif, jpg and midi files in your hard drive, compose your page within the software and then the composer uploads everything to your directory. The advantage of this is that all your files are saved in a backup directory on your hard drive.
File Transfer Protocol (ftp) is another method of both uploading and downloading files to your website. I periodically ftp my entire website, all the html pages as well as all the other files down to my hard drive as a back up. That way if my server fails and is unable to restore my site, I have it all ready to be re-installed from my hard drive.
Last, but not least I want to say a word about bandwidth theft and copywright infringements. Now that you are accomplished webmasters, and are busy gathering gifs from the many sites that offer them to you, please be sure you read all the Terms Of Usage on each site you download your graphics from. Respect all copywright requests, and NEVER link someone graphics from their site directly to yours.
