[disclosure - i'm a huge zen-cart fan]
If you don't know HTML your really not going to like php or any real language
I suggest using looking at eBay and/or yahoo stores. I have pointed non technical family members to this and they have gotten up and running quickly. I was skeptical but in the end I was impressed.
A friend of mine just wrote up an article on this (link below) which includes some rough cost outlines and examples.
http://www.octoecom.com/forum/viewto...t=zen+ebay#p74