On the modern internet, it's very easy to start your own website. Simply find a place to put it, make a few pages, and upload for the world to see. However, the next step is to learn to design these few pages properly. There are a few things I need to stress when it comes to proper design.

Learn HTML and CSS. Don't bother with programs like Adobe Dreamweaver. If you must get some assistance with code, I suggest Panic's Coda. Ultimately, just sit down and read a few tutorials on XHTML and CSS. The sooner you do so, the sooner you'll realize that it will help you with all your design needs down the road.

Avoid tables as design elements. Tables are for spreadsheet-like data layout. They are not for creating a simple column layout for your site. By all means, however, use tables to display charts of information. It makes much more sense than creating odd DIV layouts.

Test your design. While your website might work perfectly in Firefox, it very well might not work in every other browser on earth. I suggest using Browsershots to see what your design actually looks like in a slew of browsers. If this method proves a little too slow however, just test in as many browsers as you have on your computer. Don't just assume your design looks right.

Avoid bold colors until you know what you're doing. While a professional designer might be able to pull off a forest green website, someone just starting off shouldn't attempt it. Light blues, shades of grey, white, and black are the most friendly web-colors, and henceforth, make up the majority of the web. Accent colors are always welcome, but choose wisely. No one likes a bright pink website. Not even teenage girls.

Listen to criticism. If you have friends that have spent a few years surfing the web, they are perfect for critiquing your design. You don't need a professional designer to tell you how your website should look. Anyone who visits your site should know exactly what they want to see as opposed to what is actually there. Listen to them. They are the people who will visit your site.

Basically, just follow a few basic guidelines and you will avoid bad habits that are hard to break. However, most of all, never stop experimenting with different things. It's hard to be good at something without practice. Web design is no exception.