First and foremost, evaluate what you need/want to accomplish.
Don't start with a goal like "I'm going to create a web site"--it is vague, and has no direction. Write down all the pages on the site that you plan to implement. An about page, a news page, a member directory, a community platform [via forums/comments], a link exchange.
Then, write down some more specifics about each of those components. For an about page, are you going to provide an address? A map? A Google map? For a member directory, how will members sign up? What information will they provide? What information will you display? How will you paginate the list? Will it be sorted? Will it be user sortable? For community components, is posting anonymous? Does it require membership? Do comments have tree hierarchy? Are their portraits? signatures? can you edit, or delete? How are posts managed and moderated?
These are all features and functionality that require absolutely no coding knowledge to answer.
Now ask yourself "Do I have any idea where to start?"
If you have an idea, then imagine implementing it from that starting point. What will you code? How will you handle working with data? How will you handle layouts? How will you handle dynamic content? How will you implement feature A, feature B, so on. If you can clearly visualize the components that will be necessary then you can go down the "from scratch" pathway. But if you can do this, you're not a beginner. If you're not a beginner, you'll realize there is no reason for you to waste time rewriting a basic web site platform and database access layer. Instead you'll want to pick some pre-supplied boiler plate, either a framework or perhaps an already provided content system like WordPress. So, pick a framework.
If the answer is no, then you've gotta face facts--you've got some learning to do. If you decide to go down the "from scratch" path, then you'll have to learn how to implement a basic website before you even get to all the cool stuff you want to implement. And if you want to go down the framework path, then you'll have to learn how to use the framework to get a basic site setup. However, the difference is with the framework path, you'll only have to learn it once. You'll always use the same boiler plate for the start website and be able to work on the cool features right away. Were as with the from scratch method, you'd always have to reconsider how to layout the initial basic site platform. You'd probably end up using the same methods, but you'd have to completely rewrite your code base since it wont be likely you created robust reusable code the first time around.
Go the framework route. Look at some frameworks. Read as much as you can on a couple different frameworks. Then read over each frameworks walkthrough guide for the framework. You don't have to follow it--just skim it. Then, go with your gut. Regardless of if you completely understood what was going on in the walkthrough or not at all, pick a framework that your gut says "this one will probably be easier". Then, do the walk through, create a junk site in your development environment and completely follow the tutorials to get up and started. Then, find some random tutorials on the web regarding your framework to implement and follow--even if they have nothing to do with your list of goals. All you are concerned about is getting familiar with the framework. If you cant find any tutorials to follow, sorry you picked the wrong framework--backtrack pick another framework and try again. After you've spent a few days playing with your test site, start your real site project. Get the bare minimum site up. Now you are ready to work. Pick a component of your goal list--single it out and isolate the bare minimum features of that component and figure out how to implement it. Ignore the forest and focus on the tree, er task at hand. Then repeat until you've achieved your goal.
Don't start with a goal like "I'm going to create a web site"--it is vague, and has no direction. Write down all the pages on the site that you plan to implement. An about page, a news page, a member directory, a community platform [via forums/comments], a link exchange.
Then, write down some more specifics about each of those components. For an about page, are you going to provide an address? A map? A Google map? For a member directory, how will members sign up? What information will they provide? What information will you display? How will you paginate the list? Will it be sorted? Will it be user sortable? For community components, is posting anonymous? Does it require membership? Do comments have tree hierarchy? Are their portraits? signatures? can you edit, or delete? How are posts managed and moderated?
These are all features and functionality that require absolutely no coding knowledge to answer.
Now ask yourself "Do I have any idea where to start?"
If you have an idea, then imagine implementing it from that starting point. What will you code? How will you handle working with data? How will you handle layouts? How will you handle dynamic content? How will you implement feature A, feature B, so on. If you can clearly visualize the components that will be necessary then you can go down the "from scratch" pathway. But if you can do this, you're not a beginner. If you're not a beginner, you'll realize there is no reason for you to waste time rewriting a basic web site platform and database access layer. Instead you'll want to pick some pre-supplied boiler plate, either a framework or perhaps an already provided content system like WordPress. So, pick a framework.
If the answer is no, then you've gotta face facts--you've got some learning to do. If you decide to go down the "from scratch" path, then you'll have to learn how to implement a basic website before you even get to all the cool stuff you want to implement. And if you want to go down the framework path, then you'll have to learn how to use the framework to get a basic site setup. However, the difference is with the framework path, you'll only have to learn it once. You'll always use the same boiler plate for the start website and be able to work on the cool features right away. Were as with the from scratch method, you'd always have to reconsider how to layout the initial basic site platform. You'd probably end up using the same methods, but you'd have to completely rewrite your code base since it wont be likely you created robust reusable code the first time around.
Go the framework route. Look at some frameworks. Read as much as you can on a couple different frameworks. Then read over each frameworks walkthrough guide for the framework. You don't have to follow it--just skim it. Then, go with your gut. Regardless of if you completely understood what was going on in the walkthrough or not at all, pick a framework that your gut says "this one will probably be easier". Then, do the walk through, create a junk site in your development environment and completely follow the tutorials to get up and started. Then, find some random tutorials on the web regarding your framework to implement and follow--even if they have nothing to do with your list of goals. All you are concerned about is getting familiar with the framework. If you cant find any tutorials to follow, sorry you picked the wrong framework--backtrack pick another framework and try again. After you've spent a few days playing with your test site, start your real site project. Get the bare minimum site up. Now you are ready to work. Pick a component of your goal list--single it out and isolate the bare minimum features of that component and figure out how to implement it. Ignore the forest and focus on the tree, er task at hand. Then repeat until you've achieved your goal.