1. Choosing a provider
At first a provider has to be found on whose server the homepage can be stored in order to be accessible worldwide. It's possible to use free offers from certain providers. That has the drawback of providing an address name hard to remember (e.g. www.exemplaryname.exemplaryname.exemplaryprovider.de). So it's recommended to choose a provider who offers both web space and a domain.
2. Domain
A domain is a subdivisional unit of the hierarchically structured computer names in the Internet; the name "www.exemplaryname.com" contains the top-level-domain ".com", the second-level-domain "exemplaryname" and the server-name "www". Top-level-domains are predetermined, the second-level-domains can be requested via your provider. Further top-level-domains are .com, .net, .org or .info. A comprehensive list can be found at: http://www.iana.org.
3. Creating a homepage
Normally the homepage is the starting page of an Internet presence. Using the homepage th user can switch to other pages of the website using hyperlinks. Most commonly index.html is used as the name of the homepage.
A homepage usually is created in the HTML format. E.g.:
<html>
<head>
<title>title of the homepage</title>
</head>
<body>
My first homepage.
</body>
</html>
Therefore the most simple editing programs do suffice. Since this is very tedious getting a professional software like MS FrontPage, Adobe GoLive or Macromedia Dreamweaver are recommended.
Comprehensive help regarding HTML can be found at www.selfhtml.org.
4. Software for transferring the homepage to the provider
For transferring your homepage to the servers of the provider an FTP program is used (e.g. WS_FTP, MS FrontPage or Cute-FTP). With this program you are able to copy files, create/delete folders etc. on the provider's server. Your page is first visible in the Internet when you have copied your Internet presence into the main directory that has been assigned by the provider.
5. Registering the homepage at the search engines.
If you register your homepage at the search engines on your own the likeliness of being found is slightly increased - but not guaranteed. Getting enrolled in search engines is normally offered on the respective search engine's websites.
Another possibility for search engines to detect the page/page content is the use of meta-tags. The right use of meta-tags can perform good results within small search engines but don't expect wonders to happen. Google doesn't mind the meta-tags at all.
Comprehensive help regarding meta-tags can be found at www.selfhtml.org.