+AFs-OT+AF0- Working with version control

Hello, This is off topic but I wanted to get the list member's opinions on the subject as it will probably benefit someone else. Currently I don't use version control at all. What I do instead is have one directory that contains my development website and one directory that contains the live website which I do not directly modify. When I need to fix something or add a new feature I edit the development site and copy the files that I've changed. Sometimes I will start on a new feature before I am able to finish a previous one. This is a major problem when the features overlap and I have to edit the same file for both features. Even if I finish one of the features I cannot publish the files because the other feature is not ready yet. What I'm looking to the list for is how I can overcome this through version control. What I'm thinking I'd do is create a base level (say v1.0) that I then create a branch for every new feature and then merge those things together. The issue I see in this case is the merging. Is this a sound strategy or should I just realize that I can't publish until all current features enhancements are completed? Thanks, Chris.