Websites are delivered by a server to a browser primarily as HyperText Markup Language (HTML). These instructions inform the browser how to display the content of the page. HTML can include other languages, such as Javascript or AJAX. Website software can be as simple as a few pages of HTML from a special editor or more complex, as in the case of a content management system.

WYSIWYG Editors

What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) describes a particular type of editor that displays the finished page as you work on it. You add content and set its formatting and alignments. You can add links to other websites or pages on your own website, or even within a single page. When the page is how you want it, you save the file in HTML format and upload it to your web server along with the folders containing video, images and sound files. The first page on a website of this kind is the index page and is named index.html. All the letters are lowercase. When someone using a web browser navigates to your page, the browser will load the index.html file, interpret it and display the same page on his screen as you saw in your editor. Using an editor such as this means you don't have to know any special languages like HTML or Javascript. Images, video and sound files have to be uploaded separately. Some web hosting companies offer you an easy way to upload your website using a control panel. Others require you to use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program. This method is good for building small websites with just a few pages.

Content Management Systems

Content management systems, or CMS, provide a different way to create a website. They are specialized programs that enable you to enter content, such as articles and images, and store it in a manner that makes it easy to manage. Content managers require you to learn at least a little bit about the way they work. Some provide great flexibility, but you'll need to know and understand HTML, and more than likely, how to make cascading style sheets (CSS). Others have many templates and extensions available to use through the open source community. Content managers are good for sites that have a lot of content with many visitors every hour. You can also use them for smaller websites, blogs, forums and just about anything else you can think of. They have a steeper learning curve than a WYSIWYG editor, but provide great power. Some hosting companies offer easy and automatic installation of content managers, or you can do it yourself. Understanding how a CMS works is essential to building a successful website.

Programming

Utilizing a combination of website programming languages, you can build a website from scratch. You'll need to learn HTML, CSS and Javascript at the least. Other possibly useful languages include PHP, PERL and others. You can take online courses, teach yourself or find classes at your local community college. However you choose to learn, there is no substitute for building a website and getting experience. The world wide web is continuously evolving. The standards used by browsers and website programmers are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C.

Source:

World Wide Web Consortium