[GIR]

Some sites are best built in simplicity. Like a couple other posters, I used notepad to make some pretty decent-looking websites in pure HTML with CSS.

For another group I'm in, I graduated to a CMS (content management system) that makes it nicer when doing dynamic updates and adding some pretty cool functionality. It's built off PHP and MYSQL on the back-end. I still wanted to modify things like title logo, banners, and other aesthetic elements so I used Photoshop CS to do most of that work. Joomla! works great as a canned (turn-key) solution. Installation is wicked (yes, I'm from new england) easy, and the functionality is wicked awesome. The added benefit is that I didn't need to spend days or weeks trying to tweak everything the way I wanted...I'm just too busy these days to muss with coding.

So, I guess after reading all of these posts, I bring the question back to you:

"What is your goal in building the website?"

That question should drive the need for tools to succeed in your goal.