There are a couple of prerequisites you’ll need before we can begin. First you’ll need a domain name or web name such as http://www.yourdomainhere.com (we’ll use this made up name through-out this article). Domain names have to be unique so check here to see if someone has already registered the name. Secondly you’ll need a hosting package which provides disk space on a server for Joomla to reside on. If you are going to use Loudsign’s automatic installer, you must select a linux package. If you’re a windows user don’t be concerned because it will be a transparent process.

Now that you have your domain name and hosting package you can install Joomla.

The first step will be logging into your account that you created when you registered your domain or hosting account.

Once logged in you will need to go to “web hosting and databases”.

Followed by “Open” on the hosting control panel.

Now click “Value Applications”

Click “Content Management” in the left menu followed by Joomla.

Click on the “Install Now!” button.

We’re almost done. Click on the doman that you want Joomla installed on. For most people you will only have 1 option. Next click continue at the bottom of the page.

Now enter a database name (the default of Joomla is fine) and a password. Click next.

Important Step: Which folder do you want to install Joomla in. Now if you want Joomla to be the first thing people see when they type in http://YourDomainHere.com then remove the text . Otherwise people will have to type http://YourDomainHere.com/joomla

Now enter login credentials you want to use for the Joomla administration screens. Make sure to write this down somewhere.

Click “Finish” and the installer will now take care of setting everything you need to begin using Joomla. The installation process will take about 5-10 minutes and then you’ll be ready to start using Joomla!

If you need help evaluating your specific situation feel free to contact us at Joomlahelp@loudsign.com . Loudsign is a full service domain name register company.

So which one is right for you? Well they both work but it comes down to where do you want to spend your time. The automated installer will have you up and running in no time with little to no issues. A quick look at the Joomla installation forum will give you an idea of what problems other folks are facing with the manual process. You’ll notice that there is a constant stream of questions/being asked. If you’re just trying to learn the guts of Joomla with no real time constraints then the “manual” install could be right for you. If however you are like me and more interested in investing your time in using and building Joomla sites then go the “automated” installer route.

In the next article we’ll walk through the steps of using the automated installer.

If you need help evaluating your specific situation feel free to contact us at Joomlahelp@loudsign.com . Loudsign is a full service domain name register company.

First, let’s start with a scenario. I recently had a client that wanted a website built that had calendaring, blogging, venue registration, galleries, shopping cart and had a small finite budget. Now if you were to have this custom built from scratch it would take quite a bit of time and fair amount of money. Or you might find a collection of free technologies available but integration and a common look and feel would be hard to accomplish. So where to find this eclectic bunch of functionality with a common look and feel and not break the bank? Well you guessed it, Joomla had everything I needed.

So what is this Joomla thing?

Joomla is a CMS or “content management system” that enables people to build content rich websites without programming knowledge. So in a nutshell it becomes fairly easy to build a fully functional website without having to spend four years in school learning the latest programming languages. And here’s the great part, there are hundreds of people out there building add-on components to extend the functionality of the base Joomla software. So suddenly your website can become much more than just a content-centric site to something like a shopping cart or possibly a media site full of pictures and video. The options are endless. Take a look at the extensions that are currently available and start letting your creative juices flow on what you could do with your site http://extensions.joomla.org .

What are the advantages over building from scratch?

• The first one is obvious – cost. Joomla is open source technology which runs under the GPL license agreement which basically means it won’t cost you a dime!
• Time – I built a fully functional site complete with a login registration process, photo gallery, polls and web links for a buddy within 2 days. Enough said.
• Community – Joomla is community built and maintained. That may sound like a dis-advantage at first until you realize the number of folks working on this in various capacities. There is a strong focus on quality and they are not driven by your wallet.
• Extensions, extensions, extensions. Everyday new extensions are being built and become available for use. A few are commercial but the vast majority are completely free.
• Templates – There are literally thousands of free templates out there (most aren’t that great in my opinion but free is free) and a number of commercial templates that will generally run you $30 or less. Compare that to an OS commerce template and you’ll quickly see how reasonable that is.
• Templates – Your entire site will have a common look and feel. So if you are interested in blogging, maintaining a forum and having a shopping cart, your site will provide a seamless experience for your users. How many places have you been to where that’s not the case and it’s confusing on whether you are on the same site or not.

What are the disadvantages?

• Like most new things there is a learning curve involved. There are certain elements of Joomla that are not always intuitive (Although beta version 1.5 goes a long way improving this) . I find that most people understand the individual concepts but tend to have trouble understanding how the different elements relate and connect to each other. So have realistic expectations with your first site but don’t get the idea that this is rocket science either because it’s not. There are thousands and thousands of people of all levels building and using Joomla everyday. You can too.

Getting Started

There are a few things you will need before you can start with Joomla. First you will need a domain or the name of your site (ie http://www.IloveJoomla.com ). Next you will need a place to put Joomla on. Usually this is a professional managed server that could reside anywhere in the world as is generally referred to as “hosting”. Once you have your domain and hosting account, it’s just a matter of installing Joomla. Now there are two ways to install Joomla, manually or through an automated installer. If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t want to get your hands dirty and are more interested in getting things going then the automated installer is for you. Loudsign offers everything you need to get your Joomla site up and running. Email us at joomalahelp@loudsign.com if you have any questions.