A wooden stake to the heart is one very, very popular way to kill a vampire. They turn to dust instantly which is pretty satisfying if they were trying to bite you. The stake is the most traditional methods of dispatching vampires because it is so effective. The blow must be to the heart though because otherwise it is just a flesh wound. I suppose one could decapitate a vampire with a stake, but going through the heart is much easier. Again, a very popular method, partially because of tradition and because it is so easy to get one. (Or you could use a stake to build a very small fence.)