Update:
This is a very old guide and things have moved on a lot since this was written. One of the main advances is the ESP8266 core for the Arduino IDE. This means the ESP8266 can now be programmed like an Arduino and this is how I use them now, no more messing around with AT commands. For a general overview and examples of using the ESP8266 with the Arduino core see ESP8266 and the Arduino IDE.
Here is my first attempt at a web server using the ESP8266. It includes a request count and also a text input field.
Enter your name and hit submit
