I don't mean to throw you off, but you might be confusing 'simple stuff' with 'common stuff'. Things that you see in all and every application might require a b

I don't mean to throw you off, but you might be confusing 'simple stuff' with 'common stuff'. Things that you see in all and every application might require a bit of knowledge/learning (authentication, user accounts, design/css, database, hosting). However - these things aren't rocket science. Depending on the desired product (site, app, ...) - the choice of means and tools could differ. Some here has suggested a CMS - and perhaps it's a good starting point. Many CMSs would allow you to get things up and running, and incrementally experiment with code. I'd suggest a wordpress as it's one of the less-bloated CMSs to understand. One advice is to be courageous. Experiment and repeat. Drop me a line, perhaps I could answer few of your questions.