Getting Started in Joomla!

Discussion in 'Joomla' started by Meistro, May 3, 2007.

  1. #1
    Joomla! is an incredibly powerful tool for building websites easily. Here's the process :

    #1 - Functional Designs
    You have to plan out the content of your site. Joomla breaks content down into sections and categories. Sections are the most general, categories are a little more specific. If you're doing a website on, say, widgets do this

    sections :
    reviews
    how to use

    categories :
    reviews :

    reviews of widget makers :
    reviews of individual widgets :
    reviews of widget sites :

    how to use :

    widgets at home :
    widgets at the work place :
    widgets in space :
    widgets on digitalpoint


    then ur content would be articles in these categories. With bloggX, updating these articles is basically the time it takes to write them (or copy and paste them from your word pad). You can also add pictures easily.


    #2 - Templates
    the joomla site has lots of decent templates for your first few sites, then once you see how everything works you make your own. You can make a professional site with a normal template BECAUSE Joomla! gives you INSANE functionality on the site. It's ok that it doesn't look amazing because it does amazing things... and with a little work you can, I'm sure, make it look amazing too.

    #3 - Menus and Publishing
    The nice thing about publishing is you can have a bunch of things ready to go, or in development, without making your site look like crap. It makes balancing and tweaking alot easier. basically everything is either published or not. Menus are the power of the site, they direct you wherever you want to go, through different content or components.

    PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING CAN BE ADDED TO A MENU BY SIMPLY CLICKING THE 'ADD TO MENU' button IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING THE ITEM, BE IT SECTION, CATEGORY, OR CONTENT. This saves alot of time because so many things need to be added to menus...

    #4 - SEO etc.
    I don't know much about this, but I am fairly sure Joomla! is great for SEO. You can get a component that adds a sitemap in 2 seconds. The same for making the url's good I think... anyway I don't know much about this, so I can't say for sure, but what I've seen on the forums it makes it really easy.

    #5 - Components

    I wrote another post about components, so I won't say too much here... basically they're awesome. You want a calendar, bam, you want quotes, bam, etc. It's all open source, so there's no license... and HUGE SUPPORT COMMUNITY for everything. Please use the forums responsibily... read the FAQ or post here before posting a simple noobie question there... Joomla! is completely free and depends on people not dragging it down, do a little research first is all I'm saying :) There are a TON of FAQ's, and they organize all the information in an easy to use manner.


    #6 - Experiment

    Just go crazy and make a bunch of crappy websites... spend 30 hours going nuts and trying all sorts of different things... then publish them and see if you make any money on adds why not haha! It doesn't take very long... and it's a great way learn how to use Joomla!
     
    Meistro, May 3, 2007 IP
  2. maroon_cool

    maroon_cool Active Member

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    #2
    Great Post Meistro,yeah Joomla Rocks!!!
     
    maroon_cool, May 3, 2007 IP
  3. Dakuipje

    Dakuipje Peon

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    #3
    Thanks valuable information :)
     
    Dakuipje, May 3, 2007 IP
  4. testblanc

    testblanc Active Member

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    #4
    My main goal today is to build a jomla website that does not look like a jomla website.
    Very complicated for me even changing the template
     
    testblanc, May 4, 2007 IP
  5. carowan

    carowan Peon

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    #5
    the templates can be difficult. but there are a bunch of joomla sites that sell templates for not too much $$.. I bought 2 for my sites, easier than ripping your hair out. check out the wetland link in my sig, its a joomla template that I just installed with a rotating header image. Refresh and the image changes.
     
    carowan, May 4, 2007 IP
  6. testblanc

    testblanc Active Member

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    #6
    Hi,

    When I looked at your website, I directly know that it is build with joomla.
    I am looking for some kind of templates...like in joomla sample sites.
    How to build a website, a normal website with joomla at the background?

    Thanks
     
    testblanc, May 4, 2007 IP
  7. Meistro

    Meistro Peon

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    #7
    'My main goal today is to build a jomla website that does not look like a jomla website.
    Very complicated for me even changing the template'

    if you mean changing the template to something else, then maybe, but adding a new template is very easy. You just install it, then go to templates, and make it the default.
     
    Meistro, May 4, 2007 IP
  8. forumsfirst

    forumsfirst Banned

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    #8
    Does it really matter if it "looks" like Joomla? Only a webmaster would know that anyway, to the end user / customer it just looks like a well built funtional website
     
    forumsfirst, May 8, 2007 IP