Purchase a beginner's or introductory book such as "Web Design & Development" by Eunice Freire and Kelly Valqui, "Web Design All-in-One for Dummies" by Sue Jenkins, "Web Design in a Nutshell" by Jennifer Niederst or "Head First Web Design" by Ethan Watrall and Jeff Siarto. Books are available from online retailers such as Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Book Closeouts or in the computer reference section of book stores or at your local library.
Check your local community college for continuing education classes in web design and development. For example, Wake Technical Community College in North Carolina offers "Introduction to Web Development," "Create Your Own Website," "Web Design Techniques," "Planning a Web Site" plus beginner classes in C++ programming, Dreamweaver, Java and Flash, all software used in web design and development. Many community colleges do not have educational requirements or prerequisites.
Enroll in a seminar or workshop. Web design companies may offer free training to interest you in buying further education, but there are no requirements. For example, the Learn @ Northwoods group offers free training on topics such as "Writing for the Web" and "Ten Minutes to a Better Website" to Milwaukee-area residents.
Join an industry organization such as the Web Design and Developers Association (WDDA). Industry groups offer members resources such as rosters, job databases, salary information, a membership directory, conferences and educational tools. The WDDA's website links to articles about strategies for websites, tips on hosting a website and servers. Request a mentor or search for local experts who may be able to advise you one-on-one through the group.
Download free trials of web development software products, such as Dreamweaver (part of the Adobe Creative Suite) and Microsoft Front Page, which may be part of your Microsoft Office Suite. Learning these tools for free at your own pace may give you a glimpse of what's required to build a website.