How much does a website cost?

The simple answer to this is 'from $200 on up'.  The cost is determined by the complexity of the site and by how much of the content is supplied by the client.

Can I host my site on my (own/company's/friend's) server?

 (Coming soon...)

What are hits, page views, etc?

  (Coming soon...)

How do I get my site listed higher by major search engines?

  (Coming soon...)