Creating a website? Here is what you will need.

Creating a website can be done for a variety of reasons, for personal or business. When creating a website, there are a few fundamental tools you will require, such as the following:

1. Domain Name (ie. mywebsite.com)

This is the gateway to your website. This is where you will send people and how you will be found through the search engines. The goal is simple when it comes to domain names, all you have to do is come up with something that is easy to remember, easy to spell and easy to find. It can be keyword rich but it doesn't necessarily have to be. Better to be simple to spell and easy to remember than keyword rich.
Domains are paid for on an annual basis and yo can register them at companies such as GoDaddy.comor Namecheap.com.

2. Web Host

A website cannot exist without a web host. This is a company that stores your files on their servers, and provides the necessary expertise for you to create and save pages to the internet.
A web host is usually a monthly fee depending on the provider you sign with, and hosting can be done with companies such as Brainhost, Vodahost or Hostgator.

3. Web Building Software

There are many website design tools in the market, some free and some very expensive. There are programs for the beginners and others are meant for the seasoned website designer as the learning curve on these can be a long one.

Should you not wish to use a web editor, then you will have to learn HTML code. For most people however, this is out of the question as it can be very time consuming and confusing.

Kompozer is a free editor you can download. As you might expect, it does have limitations as free software is not always best, but it does get the job done.
Dreamweaveris an industry leader in web editing, however, unless you are a seasoned web designer, the learning curve on this is extremely time consuming.

From experience, I find XSitePro a very good web design software as it is extremely easy and user friendly, and it comes with all the bells and whistles. It is especially good for beginners and people wanting to earn money via Affiliate marketing.

Also remember that depending on the hosting company you sign with, they generally have some relly good website builders that are included in the package.