Joomla or another platform - where to start?

Hi All,

I've read the do's and don'ts so I hope I don't fall into those categories.

I need help with a concept more than anything. I want to produce a nice, flash looking, multi page website. I have all the content waiting to be installed. I just need the website, and unfortunately I'm not a website designer myself.

I know that people typically outsource this sort of work, - which I'm happy to do. The embarrassing thing is that (no laughing!)... I kind of don't know what to ask for.

I know what I want my end result to look like basically. Very generally, I want each of my pages to have the same header banner and layout template basically. It sounds simple I know, but what do I tell a freelancer? I'm sure there must be special buzz words that you guys all understand that have obviously eluded me up to this point.

Can anyone offer any (polite - lol) suggestions that will get me started.

I could just offer the url of a site I like the look of, and just say, "do me up something like that". But then I might get treated like a traveller in a foreign land - you know, where the taxi driver takes you round the block three times, - just because he can.

I'm not saying our good people here are rogues, - I just think it would help me make a wiser decision if I were able to describe what it is that I need using the correct terminology to ask for it.

Any and all suggestions gratefully accepted and appreciated.

All the best Warriors, - live long and prosper. Klatu Berada Nikto and all that stuff !

Cheers,
Paul