A 'web site' can be thought of as groups of files, much like paper files in folders, that are placed into different cabinets. The 'web server' can be thought of as a cabinet full of such files and folders, that when accessed by the user through a web browser, presents the contents of those files to the web browser, and thus to the person viewing the web site. The web address, referred to as the URL, is a pointer to a particular web server like an office listing might direct an employee to a particular cabinet for particular documents.

Web sites must be designed much like any other document is designed for viewing by a wide audience. The content of the site must be carefully considered, and then collected, modified, or produced from scratch. The layout must be organized, coherent and accessible; and the web site must be tested prior to publication. This process of producing a web site for publication onto the internet is referred to as 'website design'.

The design and publication of web sites does not require the investment of time, training, money and resources that producing professional publications on other media does. Using the free website design tools available today, almost anyone with a computer and internet access can engage in website design and publication.

A simple web site design for non-commercial purposes can be very quick and inexpensive to produce. Such personal web sites typically contain basic media like text, images and video. Complicated web sites, often commercial in nature, can be very expensive and time consuming to produce. Such web sites typically contain additional interactive features and links to databases for applications like virtual shopping carts.

If you are new to the world of website design, and would like to get started producing your very own web site, the first thing to do is to think about the nature of the content that you are interested in sharing. Next, consider your intended audience. Your target audience could be the entire world, or just a few close friends. Your intended audience could even be just yourself - especially if you would like to keep a journal, personal photos or writings on the internet where you can access them any time, and from almost anywhere.

Web design software is needed to put your web site all together. Often there are free software tools available from your internet service provider. Depending on your skill set or specifications, it is often the free web design software that works best for the beginner. To learn more enter the phrase 'web design software' into a search engine or you may simply contact your internet service provider.

A good description of a web site would be to think of it as a lot of files, similar to paper files in their folders that are filed into several cabinets. Before publication, the web site has to be tested to ensure that it can be reliably accessed. This entire process is usually referred to by the name website design. You'll need to find web design software to help you put everything together. Depending on what your needs are, the best web design package is usually the free software tools your Internet service provider likely offers.