The first step in web site creation is deciding on the content. You can have a personal home page that describes your background and interests. Or you can have a site with all the short stories you have written. The possibilities are endless.
Remember that your web site must have content. I have seen many web sites with cool graphics, but not much else. Other sites I have seen had many links, but no actual information. These types of web sites are generally unsuccessful because most people on the Internet are looking for information.
Preparing the Content
How do you decide what to put on your web site? If you are having trouble deciding, start off with a personal home page with links to a few of your favorite sites. After making your home page, you will be more aware of the things that you are interested in. Then, you can make a web site on one of these topics.
What is the goal of your web site? Is it to entertain? Inform? Instruct? Persuade? Answering this question will provide you with direction and focus for your web site creation efforts.
Determining the intended audience for your web site is important. A web site geared to people new to the Internet will be very different from one written for experts.
If your web site is something besides a personal page, you might need to do some research. You can either do it the "old-fashioned" way (by going to your local library) or you can use search tools like Infoseek and Yahoo.
After you have gathered all the information you need, make an outline of the topics you want to cover.