Joomla is a GPL-ed Content Management System (CMS). It helps you create and maintain a structured, flexible website/portal, add and edit content, change the site look and feel, syndicate your news, and many more.

Joomla uses the PHP scripting language and stores most of its(and yours) information in a MySQL database.

Joomla does not require PHP or HTML knowledge. Usually all the configuration and content publishing is done from your Web browser.

Joomla features:

-flexible: it allows you to change the website look and feel to article-level granularity.

-extensible: get hundreds of addon components, modules or mambots to suit your particular needs. If you are a coder you can write your own Joomla extension.

-GPL-ed: you are provided the full source code, and granted the permission to change it to suit your needs.

-a customizable menu system. Joomla generates site menus based on the settings you choose and click.

-user registration

-public/priviledged content acces control

-site search

-Out-of-the-box SEO

-RSS syndication

-scheduled content article publishing/unpublishing

-per-article hit counter, “most popular” “latest additions” lists automatic display.

-template system, allowing you to change the whole site design with a click. Free templates are available for download.

-a bot system, which automatically alters content before it gets displayed. For example, a bot can “hide” all e-mail adresses or highight special words (such as php code or your company name) across your site

A few Joomla practical implementation examples:

• a RSS agregator site
• a community portal (with registration, private messaging, forum)
• an ezine (eletronic magazine) with categorized articles, article archive, scheduled article publish/unpublish. These features are all built-in the Joomla core.
• a media gallery site, featuring categorized media files: images, movies, Flash animations (a gallery component is required to achieve this functionality.)
• a virtual shop

.

The first step in this process is to clearly understand what the goals are for investing your time and money into this project. What quantifiable results do you want to achieve with this initiative and who else will be involved in the process of achieving these goals. Very much like starting any new business you want a clear understanding of your SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).

Step Two: Defining your Project Plan.

Once you have a clear idea where you are going you need to develop a strategic plan for getting there. Project plans need to consider where you want to go both short term and long term with this project. It needs to have a focused and phased approach that takes into consideration your available time and resources over time to sustain this project. It needs a timeline and content acquisition checklists that will help you stay on target and on focus with your priorities

Step Three: Defining the Look and Feel.

The first actual development tasks with your Joomla Project are to define your Joomla Website design and choose your template or process of implementing one. There are three key parts of a template you need to consider. 1. Graphical design elements: Colors and style 2. Layout options: Wireframes or in Joomla terms Module Positions 3. Features and Functionality: Standards compliance, special modules and capabilities. It is important to realize that the Joomla template is a foundation for which you will build your site and you need to consider this decision carefully. However, you can easily change templates in the future with often little effort.

Step Four: Defining Content and Navigation.

Now that you know how you want your Joomla web site to unfold, both from a design perspective and from a roadmap ahead you can start mapping out the intended content and collecting any graphics or generating article copy. Typically you will want to bring every page of content into an offline document that can be edited prior to inserting into your new site. Sometimes if this is a site redesign you can cut and paste from an existing site. If you plan to get the most out of search engine optimization you will want to get targeted keywords generated and pass these on to your authors for consideration in developing the copy.Now is a good time to think about the Sections and categories for which you will organize your content and how you want your users to navigate with the best possible user experience. It is a good idea to use a mind mapping tool to define your site navigation.

Step Five: Features and Functionality

With a clear understanding of the content you want to present and manage you will have a better idea of the types of Joomla Extensions that you will need to implement this. With over 4000 extensions and the list is growing every day, you may need to make lists of the options, compare the features and review the demos and reviews before installing them on your site. Once you have narrow this down you can then test them on your new site once you get it installed. Sometimes you may find that there are not existing components that provide the features or functionality that you need. This will require creating a development spec that clearly itemizes the features you want to add to an existing extension or for building a custom extension for your site. It is a good idea to get this sorted out early in your development process.

Step Six: Installation and Configuration

Once we have all of our objectives, a defined roadmap, site plan and specific template in hand we can begin the installation and configuration process. Some ISPs have automated tools for installing Joomla but I prefer to get the latest release directly from the Joomla.org site and to install it manually. Once Joomla is installed we go through a process of configuring this specific for your needs. Installing extensions, installing the template and setting up the parameters, once you get the baseline of your site configured with all of the components, modules and plug-ins and perhaps a couple place holder content articles and menu items it is a good idea to make a back up copy of this and there are inexpensive extensions that can automatically do this for you.

Step Seven: Populate your Joomla web site with content.

Having a good baseline for your framework in place and backed up prior to beginning to populate content and fine tuning the configurations helps you move quickly and safely through the content population stage in your project. This is the point where we provide training or you would go through tutorials on content management techniques. Once you get this underway most of the outcome is in your hands. With a good support team that is well rounded in both strategy, branding and marketing expertise as well as the technical support and programming expertise you can increase your effectiveness through a collaborative Joomla Website development approach. We highly recommend that you work with a qualified team to guide you through this process. In the end it will give you a much more professional web site, better train your team and give you the technical support to get the very best value out of your investment.

Moving Forward:

Joomla CMS is a superior choice for growing a solid business online. There are endless extensible possibilities and freedom to expand this as a platform for success. There are many other steps you can take to optimize your content and leverage more in-depth capabilities of the Joomla framework over time but this should get you an overview of the initial steps for getting started. With a good strategic and tactical plan you can keep your focus. In a world fill with exciting possibilities it is very important not to lose sight of your intended business results. Regardless of your web expertise, choosing a qualified support team to help you build, launch maintain your project will give you the very best return on your time and capital investment. Be sure to visit our new http://www.JoomlaDesignServices.com web portal for an example of a site built using this planning process and to find valuable resources for Joomla development.

This systems uses a Joomla install as a base or a seed site. All standard components are added and configured here. Then JoomlaPack is used to back up and restore the site to a new location. The seed site is then kept up to date with security fixes and code updates.

Anytime you need a new Joomla website, return to your seed site, back it up and restore it to as the base of your new Joomla website. All extensions are up to date and configured to your tastes.

Steps to create Joomla sites quickly:

Create a base install or “Seed Site”

Create a list of standard extensions and default config changes

Install these extensions and make needed changes to their config

Use Joomlapack to back up the Seed Site and restore it to the new location

Maintain the Extension List and keep the Seed Site updated

Use your up-to-date Seed Site to start your next Joomla project

Explanation of the steps

1. Create the Seed Site

This can be set up at any domain or subdomain you like, start.mydomain.com or joomla.mydomain.com, whatever works best for you. Do not use this Joomla install for anything else. For the Joomla install I use Joomla 1.5 and do not install any of the sample data or set up any Sections, Categories, Articles or Menu items. Keep it clean.

2. Create the Extension List

This is a seperate file, can be notepad, word, google docs. List should include:

When set up a new site, I go through this list checking each extension for security fixes and feature updates. You save a lot of time by keeping all of the information in one place.

Keep this list to just the extensions you install on every site. Try to avoid site specific components. If a new version of an extension is released update your list. You will refer to this document everytime you start a new site. The more complete and up to date your note are the more time you will save. (Coming soon my list of standard joomla 1.5 extensions.)

3. Install and Configure Extensions

Using your extension list install and configure your seed site to your liking. This will become your new default Joomla Install.

4. Transfer the Seed Site to the new live site

Use JoomlaPack back up your Seed Site and restore it to your new site location. You now have a base install to design, add content, menu items, and what ever else you need. You save time by configuring your default Joomla install only once and then just cecking for updates as opposed to setting your new joomla site from scratch each time.

5. Maintain the Extension List and Seed Site.

Keep your Extensions List and seed site up to date. It is a good ideas to password protect your seed site or even disable it if you hosting company will allow. Then when you need a new joomla site enable it, refer to your extension list, check all the sites for new updates, (the cleaner your list is the easier it is to check all the extensions for updates.) If you find an extension update, or joomla update make the change to your seed site, and update the extension list.

6. Create your new Joomla site again and again and again.

The real power of this system is found when your create the 2nd, 3rd, etc. You have already done the bulk of the work, you are just checking for updates and security fixes, then transfering the Seed Site to the new location.

It may take you a few times to refine your system but once you get it down the time required ot set up a new joomla site is drastically reduced.

Hope this helps!

How do you save time on setting up Joomla sites?