Two decades ago, I used to write HTML in notepad & maintained 2 web sites for quite a few years. So I'm feeling a bit dumb asking this (please be gentle).
I've recently set up a hosted web site with Fast2Host with the idea of setting up my own web site to include general pages of interest, a blog and potentially a forum.
But I couldn't see any appropriate software listed within F2H that would easily create standard web pages. I ended up installing WordPress which seems ok but limited on template styles.
Have another look.....
"Standard web pages" pretty much no longer exist...HTML is dead (although the language lives on....you may as well ditch your old expensive copies of Dreamweaver, 'cos frankly, you should never need to use that old clunky stuff again) and CSS, Java and CMS took over....even that has been superceded.
F2H have all the software you need to do any sort of website you want.......I use WP pretty much always now, and add on forums/shopping cart software (all available either as a WP plugin or as an integrated app from the F2H CP)
I've had a good noggin tonight, but please feel free to PM me tomorrow and I can talk you through various options.........but before then, go to google and look up 'Free wordpress themes"....then look up 'Woo Themes" and 'Elegant design WP themes".
From your WP admin panel, take a look at the themes.......you can try as many as you want, free, and there are tens of thousands.....use their search facility and you'll probably find one that is a good basis.
After that, you need to get to grips with CSS
* to change the template files, and you can do pretty much ANYTHING with them from there
Also do a search for 'Fully responsive Wordpress themes"........'responsive' is just a farty arty way of describing a theme that automatically adjusts to tablet, mobile or desktop screens so all versions look good.....it takes days if not weeks of programming out of the cycle and if you apply the settings properly, a site you build with a responsive template will look the shitnitz on any device from am Android handheld to a Kindle, on any sized screen and any tablet and even on Macs
WP themes are the building blocks, but it's up to you and your use of CSS in manipulating those themes to make a site.....Trust me though, it's FAR FAR easier to make a shit hot looking site with all the whizzy bits you could want (if you really want them) these days, and in a fraction of the time that it used to take to whack it all up in HTML5.....I used to use HTML as well, but I wouldn't want to go back to it....these days, I can spend my web design time being creative and doing the arty stuff rather than slogging through thousands of lines of HTML.
Even an off-the-shelf theme with an integrated forum plugin should do the job though
PM me tomorrow if you like, I'll whack you across my number and I'll talk you through what I can
*CSS (Cascading style sheets) will be VERY familiar to you if you used HTML........It's just another way of using the language....far simpler but also far more powerful if that makes sense.
