How to Build a Free Yahoo Website

Yahoo.com offers users a number of paid packages for website hosting. There is, however, a platform on Yahoo for building your own website that is free of cost. Yahoo Geocities provides free web hosting, provided you are not opposed to third-party advertising, and limitations on the look and usability of your page. The following is a step-by-step guide to building a free Yahoo Website.

Register your site. In order to create a page on Yahoo, you must first be a registered user. You can do this by creating a user ID and password on the Yahoo home page. When you have finished, log in and locate Geocities by scrolling down to the bottom left column of the Yahoo Home Page to a list titled "Featured Services." Click on the Geocities bullet. Find the option for a free site and click on the "sign up." link. Upon submission you will be automatically sent an email that welcomes you to Geocities and confirms your site URL.

Choose your tool. Upon clicking the link in your "Welcome" email, you will find there are three ways to build your site on Yahoo. The first is Yahoo's main tool, PageBuilder, which is a user-friendly platform that allows you flexibility in the look and feel of your site. The second is the Yahoo Page Wizard. This option helps you create a site in a matter of minutes, but your choices of color, layout and features are limited to about a dozen selections. The third is to create your own HTML files and upload them into the Yahoo file server. Choose Yahoo PageBuilder to build your site.

Choose your background and title. Once PageBuilder loads, it will open a window showing a blank page. This is your homepage. Click the "file" tab in the upper left corner and scroll to "new page." Next choose the "Insert" tab, scroll to "Basics" and then to "Background." You can set an image as your background or click the button that says "Set Background Color." Next use the "Basics" tab to add a text box. Click on the text box and type in your title. Use the text toolbar at the top of the page to change font type, size or color.

Create text and pictures. Use the "Insert" and "Basics" tab to insert another text box for the main area of your page. Use this text to explain the purpose of your site, welcome your viewer or make a statement. When you insert a photo, a pop-up will appear allowing you to insert an image from your clip-art gallery or one from your computer. Use the prompt to browse your hard drive and upload whatever photo you like. To adjust your text box or your photo, simply click the item and drag the corners to resize, or drag the entire frame to move it.

Create your menu. Most homepages include a menu which links users to the site's sub pages. Once you have decided what alternate pages you wish to include, you can construct your menu by inserting buttons or text and linking them to new pages. You can also include fun add-ons for your viewers, like "page effects," which can animate items on your page. Or use some of Yahoo's prefabricated features, like a time stamp or a search box. There are also features that allow you to provide your viewers with a message board or guestbook.