FTDI UART programming (first steps)
If you use a blank Atmel ATMEGA chip, it will not come with a bootloader.

When you click Upload in the Arduino IDE, the IDE interacts (via the serial port) with the bootloader in the ATMEGA chip.

You will have to use an ISP (in system programmer) to write this bootloader to the ATMEGA chip.  After that is done, you can use the FTDI cable from the Arduino IDE.

You can get a range of different ISP adapters, from expensive Atmel brand programmers, to sub $2 USBasp clones.