Regular HTML is dead - XHTML and CSS are what you should be using for all of your new sites.  If you have no clue how to use these "new" tools, one of the best CSS and XHTML tutorials I've ever seen is located here.  It's a very detailed, step-by-step tutorial broken up into 8 lessons that walks you through everything from start to finish.  If you're serious about your sites, this is a MUST READ tutorial.