Adobe Photoshop for Designing the Graphical Template for the Website Adobe Dreamweaver to make it Coded into HTML and Dynamic if you looking to convert in as PHP
I only use Photoshop and Notepad++ Coding by hand is better then using crap programs like Dreamweaver.
Dreamweaver is not the best "designing" software. It is a WYSIWYG editor. Professional programmers do not work with WYSIWYG software. WYSIWYG software is not for professionals. Same as Frontpage or Expression Web. If you are using Dreamweaver and you think it's the best "designing software" or "standard" you are definitely wrong! Show me references made by you with Dreamweaver and I will show you mine... coded with Notepad++
Dreamweaver is not WYSIWYG. I use it simply for HTML and CSS coding as I got the design premium for students cheap, and it has some extremely handy features like live view, easy to access CSS and HTML references, color chooser, Kuler support, auto indenting etc. Granted, it does have some WYSIWYG functions, but I hardly ever find myself using them. Dreamweaver is basically just an extremely expensive version of Notepad++ with a lot of extra features.
I have a set of tutorials http://www.freeonlinewebdesigncourse.com which show how to develop websites in pure html and or dreamweaver. Why not work through a few of the tutorials and see which method you prefer. There is no 'best' software its all down to personal preference ;-)