JoomlaMadeSimple

The "trash" area in Joomla is the final resting place of things that have been deleted. Like the "Recycle Bin," on a desktop, it's receptacle for unwanted articles and data. This is also where material goes that is accidentally deleted. In Joomla 1.5, this was an easy issue. You simply went to the respective area of the web site and restored what you didn't mean to delete. Or, perhaps you have a great number of articles in there you would like to just get rid of.

One of the most noticeable changes in Joomla 2.5 is the elimination of a "trash" area. You can send items there, but many webmasters are unable to find exactly where "there" is. There is no longer an option for "Menu Trash" or for "Article Trash."

The trash is still there, it's just the path to it has changed. Now, to access your trash bin, you open the Article Manager. From the "Select Status" drop-down, you may select "Trashed" and it will display all the items in your bin. It also gives you the option to empty the bin, if you don't wish to restore anything.

Google Analytics is a free service that has been offered for some time. Many webmasters still haven't gotten around to utilizing it. There are a number of benefits for all webmasters to take advantage of this. Primarily, Analytics goes beyond a simple "visitor counter." True, it does count your visitors, but it also helps you keep track of your social media success, your content's popularity and your keyword effeciency. It can help webmasters who also use Google Adsense and it offers in-depth information on your conversion rates.

Installing Analytics is likely to scare away some webmasters. It requires a code embedded in each page to effectively monitor traffic. To those who have hundreds of pages, it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, Joomla users again have an advantage. There are a number of plugins designed to do this no matter how many pages you have in your site.

To add Analytis to your Joomla site, you need an account. If you don't have an account with Google Analytics, go ahead and set one up. You'll need information from your account area to make any Joomla plugin work.

You'll need proper Joomla extension for dealing with Analytics, so visit the extension library and select the service that works best for your site.

Your extension will be installed just as any other, through the "Extension Manager." Once it is installed and you've enabled it, you'll need a snippet of code from your Analytics account page. All Google Analytics extensions require a "Tracking id," it can also be called a, "Web Property ID." This is found on your account page at Google. It always starts with the characters "UA."

Once you have the number installed, give Analytics a day or two to gather the necessary data.

Free Joomla templates, no matter which version of Joomla you have, will carry the same advantages as well as disadvantages. They can be beneficial, especially if you're a small company and desperately need to keep things affordable. They can be detrimental in some situations. A professional IT company would not want to use a free Joomla template. It does not reflect well on your business, as a web professional. If your company works on computers or with technology, you will benefit far more from purchasing a professional template. 

For those who do utilize "free" Joomla templates, there are some etiquette guidelines to follow:

1. Backlinks- These are usually small links left at the bottom of your template. They provide the author of the template with a tasteful way of promoting their business on their product. Leave these intact. Sometimes, you will want to tweak the verbiage, and that's usually fine, so long as the link remains intact. Rather than a blurb that states: "This template designed by John Doe," you might want to change it to something like "Page Designer John Doe." This is a polite gesture towards the person who did invest their time. For example, if someone painted a portrait for your company, for free, you wouldn't try to hide the artist's name. The same principal applies.

2. Beware of hidden dangers. Some "free" templates are harmful. They carry code for malware or adware and can cause pop-ups. To avoid this, choose templates from trusted companies.

3. Many templates will disable or rearrange your modules. This is common. Re-enable your items after installation. If you experience problems, your template may not be compatible with your modules and plug-ins. One option is to disable the new template, use a trusted older one, and work on the bugs manually.

4. Many free template sites are moving towards requiring registration to download templates. Choose such companies wisely. You should either have a spare email address dedicated to such purposes, or find a couple of trustworthy companies to download from.

One of the most important steps for driving new traffic to your site is to harness the power of social media. Such sites as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and others, offer far more advantages than just keeping your regular clients up-to-date. They expand your audience many times over. Unfortunately, this can be easier said than done. Many webmasters aren't comfortable with code work, yet sites across the internet are offering full social access. What is their secret?

Few business webmasters today are actually visiting all of the social sites to update each one, individually. They either employ someone to do this or they use a product such as Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a useful tool for any site owner, as it will update Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and several other sites, all at the same time. You can also schedule your posts ahead of time and have impressive access to the activity at each site, via a "wall" within the program. Smaller business owners will also appreciate the fact that there is a free version.

To integrate your Joomla site into this social media popularity, you will benefit from an extension, such as the "Nice Social Bookmark." This tool will connect your website to 13 social sites. It will place icons in your posts so visitors can quickly connect your page, with their status update. There are six icon types and four icon sizes to choose from. To help your site SEO, the extension is W3C valid.

To install the Nice Socil Bookmark, you will go to your site's "Extension Manager." Upload and install the module. You'll need to ensure it's activated as well as configure your preferences for its positioning and appearance.

There's no need for website owners to be left behind in the social media craze. Integrating social media into your site, as well as your schedule, is easier than ever. 

Google now offers web writers another way to get noticed. It's called "Google Authorship." You've probably already encountered them while browsing the Internet. These boxes appear, usually below content, and offer the author's photograph as well as a brief summary of information. You can sign up for this service at Google Authorship. This is a service that's connected with Google+.

So, aside from a nifty author box, what are the benefits?

1. Authorship assures the search engine you are you. We live in an era of copied content and it is imperative that the authors of such content can retain their rights and identity. This adds to the legitimacy of your content.

2. When you implement Google Authorship, you will get more clicks from visitors on the search engines. Your article will appear with your photo and visibility is key in drawing traffic. You should also have a clear head shot for your author box, which means keeping a good photograph on your Google+ profile.

3. You can defeat plagiarists. Google will recognize an article on your web page as being more valuable than an unlawful copy created by a content scraper. Your information will receive priority.

4. Establish your authority and expertise. As you gain followers and readers, your presence online as an "expert" will also grow.

5. Thwart virtual identity thieves. Most people do share a name with someone else out there, it may be "John Smith," or "Jim Greene." It doesn't matter. But, you do want to establish yourself, in your niche, with your name. This verification from Google helps you do that.

6. Authorship gives you better brand building. This can save you a great deal of time and hard work.

One popular plugin to integrate Authorship into your Joomla site, quickly and effectively, is the Author List plugin.

From time-to-time, you may encounter a situation where you need to remove a Super Administrator from your Joomla site. The individual may be going to a different company, or they may just not longer work with your organization. It's impossible to do this from the back end, so you will need to access your site's control panel

Removing a Super User isn't that difficult, so long as you have access to your "phpMyAdmin." You will need to go into this database and select the database for the site in question. You will want to look for an area in the database either named, "jos_users" or with a similiar name. It should be the area for users on your site.

Click on "browse" within this database and look for the user.

Once you locate the user, you will want to edit their row. Look for the area named, "gid." The value will be "25." You want to change this to "24." Save your changes.

Now, you can open the user manager from the Joomla backend and change their position. It will initially still show them as a Super Administrator, but you can now change their role in the site.

One of the most noticeable changes between Joomla versions 1.5 and 2.5 is the disappearance of "sections" and "subcategories." It can be intimidating to see the organization you've grown accustomed to just vanish. Fear not, the capacity you need is still there, just in different form.

This is a feature tweaked to help webmasters. Many simply did not need sections, categories and subcategories to run their web site effectively. Likewise, the hassle of going to 2 or 3 different areas, just to organize, could be aggravating. All you need to manage your site content is found in the "categories" area of you site. To create a category or subcategory in Joomla 2.5:

1. Click "New," in the Category Manager.
2. You make it a subcategory by selecting a parent category, at the "Parent" drop down. If it isn't a subcategory, leave this set to "None."
3. When you finish entering the details, click "Save & Close."

You can create up to 7 subcategories and tweak your site organization from this same area. You don't need to go to a different area for each level in your site hierarchy, you can just move and adjust as needed in this one area.

Many webmasters online continue to use Joomla version 1.5. This is understandable as that remains one of the most popular versions. However, with new editions offering much greater control and tighter security, it is only natural that webmasters start looking to upgrade their site.

Joomla upgrades are not known for their simplicity. They have been both complicated and time-consuming. The newer editions of Joomla will offer far simpler upgrade processes, but to enjoy them, webmasters must upgrade their site to a newer version.

Fortunately, there are some components to help. JUpgrade is one such component that makes it much easier for a webmaster to do this. JUpgrade offers both a free version and a commercial version. The Pro version offers technical support, whereas the free version does not.

This will walk you through using the free version.

1. Obtain the JUpgrade version you wish and download it to your computer.
2. Back-up your existing site and save it to a safe place.
3. Install JUpgrade.
4. Be certain your site is backed-up before proceeding. This will change everything.
5. Run the program.

JUpgrade is not just an update. It is a migration tool. While it runs on your site, it will download and unzip a full version of Joomla 2.5 and insert your content into it. Your new Joomla 2.5 site will be in its own folder in your directory. This is actually a great aid because you can go through your new site and verify the migration was successful. You should also move your files from the image directory into the new image directory.

If the upgrade has been successful, you'll need to move the new files. You can do this through your host's control panel or a good FTP program. Delete all related files in your root directory and move all files from the new folder to the root. It's good to copy-and-paste the files first, just to make sure the files aren't corrupted during transition.

Once everything has been moved, you can begin working with your new Joomla 2.5 website.

Once you set up Joomla, it's important to know where your "Home Page" is and how to customize it to suit your needs. Joomla, like  other CMS systems, doesn't rely on the conventional "index.html" to stylize the home page. Some templates do offer this file, but it's merely a container for all the .php, css and other components. Joomla's home page is called the "Front Page."

You can customize your Front Page in a variety of ways. The simplest way is to go to "Menu Manager," hover over "Main Menu," and open the "Home" option. This should also be the default.

There are a number of parameters to set:

• Leading- This is how many lead articles you wish to have on your home page.
• Intro- This sets how many articles you want to have the intro text displayed.
• Links- This allows you to offer a number of links to other articles, usually below your lead/intro articles.
• Columns- Do you want your page to offer columns? This is where you specify how many. Be aware that your template must also allow columns or this might create a problem on the page.

Feel free to experiment with the settings to see what works best for your site. You can set all of these parameters to "0" if you wish, but be certain to frequently see what the page looks like.

You can easily keep an eye on your progress by keeping the homepage open in another window or tab of your browser. Any time you change a setting, refresh the page and your changes should manifest.

Adding content to Joomla can be intimidating, particularly for new users. Even seasoned webmasters, who are accustomed to HTM/CSS webpages, can be frustrated by the newness of a CMS system. Luckily, Joomla is straightforward once you get beyond that initial learning curve.

Joomla does not offer pages, per se, for new articles. You don't need to create new pages, the software does that for you. All you do is insert your information, select the proper category and choose when you want to publish it. If you want it published immeidately, you don't need to do anything. Providing you already have your categories arranged, you will go to "Article Manager." Click "New" at the top.

Each article page on the backend will have two boxes under "Advanced" for you to add your keywords and keyphrases.

You can also set the desired access level. If left alone, the final product will be visible to everyone.

If you are using content from a guest author or contributor, you can type in a name beside the box labeled "Author." If left blank, it will just leave the default setting as the author, usually something like "Administrator."

One of the easiest ways to keep up with your customers and web site visitors is to offer a regular newsletter. You can provide information on sales, discounts or any company news you wish to promote. This has posed a variety of problems for Joomla webmasters. Some extensions were "free" but required users to register with a third or even fourth website just to use the product. Some sites want you to pay, even when you're mailing list in below 10 email addresses.

Then, once the web master has jumped through all the hoops and exported/imported their mailing addresses, they had to figure out how to customize newsletters in code form.

Fortunately, there's now a simple, no-hassle extension to fix this. The "AcyMailing Starter," is perfect for those starting out. This free component can be expanded as your mailing list grows. It offers templates and you customize it right on your site.

To install:

1. Download the extension from the web site. It will be in a zipped folder.
2. In your Joomla back-end, go to "Extension Manager."
3. Install your extension and wait for a success message.

Be sure to send out an introductory email to let your members know to expect your newsletter.

Many webmasters run sites for companies that provide regional services and products. It can be difficult to find good methods of attracting visitors, especially if you have a number of competitors. How can you keep your traffic stream without sacrificing quality or functionality? Google and Joomla can help you seamlessly improve your site.

Google Region News is a module that integrates in your Joomla site. You can choose the best placement as well as what kinds of news you prefer to show. Google Region News will report information in a variety of popular categories, such as:

• Science
• Technology
• Business
• Health
• Entertainment
• Sports
• General News

This module makes it possible to keep your audience connected to local events, right from your own web site. You don't have to write the content or waste time updating. Now, visitors can keep up with the latest information every time they visit your website.

Many businesses online are growing more and more interested in posting reviews (as well as offering them). A hardware store owner may wish to review specific products within his or her inventory. A person who offers technical support service may wish to review components or upgrades offered for computers. A plumber may wish to highlight new products that are greatly benefiting the industry.

Since reviews are so popular online, there's a new extension available to users of Joomla 2.5. "Simple Review," is just that. It's an extension that operates independent of Joomla's usual articles and offers visitors a new level of information. It also helps the webmaster by streamlining and simplifying the review process.

The website offers full support as well as a forum for questions or comments.

While Joomla offers some of the best organization and management capabilities, webmasters often find it difficult to format their work using Joomla's content editor. It's just plain. It's difficult to add tables and images, highlight or even format lists. Fortunately, there's a well-established plugin for that. Best of all, it's free.

JCE is short for Joomla Content Editor. It's a brilliant WYSWYG editor that lets you easily shift between page view and code view. This is especially important if you plan on adding HTML code to your content, such as AdSense or advertising banners. It offers everything from a spell-check function to numerous add-ons that will only increase your ability to add even more intricate features to your page.

JCE offers a free basic version or a professional version, if you need more features.

To install JCE:

1. Download the appropriate version from the website.
2. Use the "Extension Manager," to upload the zipped file to your site.
3. When you have successfully uploaded your file, go to the "Global Configuration," area.
4. Go to "Site Settings," and select "JCE-Editor" as the Default Editor.
5. Click "Save."

That's all you have to do to install a new and flexible WYSWYG editor. Now, adding content will be easier and more enjoyable.

Joomla has featured a search component since its early versions. Joomla webmasters who are migrating to later versions are discovering the wonders of the Smart Search. This is a new feature that you must enable in Joomla 2.5 and beyond.

The Joomla search feature has been standard for years, since around 2005. In that time, searching capabilities have developed into completely new territory. Now, web users search for things like categories and keyphrases. Utilizing smart search will give your visitors a better experience when searching your site.

1. To enable this feature, go to Extensions > Plug-in Manager.
2. Search for the Smart Search Plug-in. Enable it when found.
3. Next, go to Components > Smart Search. Click on the "Index" function.
4. You should see a progress bar as your site is indexed.
5. Return to Extensions and go to Module Manager.
6. Enable the Smart Search module and place it.

To test your component, visit your site and perform a search. You should see a brand new area for your search results.

You might've came across a Joomla website online with a function you would like to use. Perhaps you've just shopped with a company that used Joomla, but had features you didn't imagine possible. If you're new to Joomla, you need to spend some time browsing the "Extensions" area of Joomla's official web site, found at: http://extensions.joomla.org/

From free shopping carts to community building extensions, you can probably find an extension for any need you can imagine. Are you into genealogy? Yes, Joomla has extensions for that. Do you run a web site for your local house of worship? Joomla actually has extensions designed to be used by such facilities. Would you like to offer a store alongside your Joomla web site? Virtuemart is just such an extension for ecommerce.

You can also find extensions that help you manage content for your social media, post pertinent maps or offer information on news and weather. Joomla is a great program, but the scope and capacity of the functions mean your site can do nearly anything. You don't need a host of IT professionals or a in-house programmer to get many functions you desire.

Some of the extensions are for a price (Commercial) while others are free (non-Commercial). Also, be aware that some sites will want you to register to download your plugin, even if its free.

After you've ran your site for a while, you'll probably accumulate a few old templates. These are needless files unless you plan on using them in the future.

Unfortunately, this isn't always an easy task. There is a delete fuction in the Style area of the Template Manager, but all too often, webmasters simply get the error message: "Cannot delete last style of a template."

To delete your old or unused templates, you will need to go to the Extensions Manager. Once there:

1. Select "Manage"
2. Select "Templates" from the "Style Type" drop down box.
3. When the templates come up, check the box next to the one you want to delete.
4. Select "Uninstall" at the top.

You should get a confirmation message that you've successully uninstalled your template.

You may not realize it, but Joomla actually offers it's own private messaging capabilities. This is especially wonderful when two or more people are working on the same web site or for those who need instant communication within their web community.

1. To send a private message, go to your web site's back end, or Control Panel.
2. Along the menu bar, or through the icon, select, "Components."
3. Go down to "Message" and select "New Private Message."
4. Select your recipient from the Contact List.
5. Type in your message and subject.
6. Click Send.

It's that easy. You can also use this area to check for replies.

Most webmasters want to create content that is optimized for SEO. This can be done easily within your actual content. Search engines operate primarily by the use of keywords or keyphrases. Most people are rushed and search for information using just a word or short phrase. These key terms are what you will focus on.

Your keywords should appear naturally in the article. The act of "keyword stuffing," has been attempted before and it has gotten several major websites punished. First, your keyword of choice should appear in the title. An article on SEO tips would have a title that uses "SEO."

Second, you want the keyword to appear just a few times on your page. Using the same example above, the term "SEO," would appear once in the first paragraph and once in the last.

If nothing more, at least keep your keyword in the title and somewhere in the first paragraph.

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a popular interest on the internet and for good reason. The overwhelming majority of webmasters do want a good-sized regular audience as well as a consistent stream of new visitors. SEO is not an easy subject to study. New trends emerge and disappear daily. Webmasters need to know the difference between "white hat" and "black hat" SEO to ensure they aren't penalized for their SEO practices. It's nice to know that a few things are easy. Joomla isn't search-engine-friendly by design. There are several simple steps you can take now that will boost your SEO, without hours of study.

1. Enable SEF URLs

To do this, you'll need to go into your file manager with your web host. You'll see a file in your root directory named "htaccess.txt." You'll need to change this to ".htaccess" for this to work.

Next, you'll need to visit the Joomla Administration Area. Visit "Site" and go to "Global Configuration." Look under the "SEO" section. Click on "Enable SEF URLs."

This will make your site more search engine friendly.

2. Keywords and Descriptions

Another great tip is to give every article unique keywords and descriptions in their respective areas. When working on an article, look over to the right. You'll see a box for "Keywords" and "Description." This is called metadata and will be inserted in the header area of your page. You will want to keep unique metadata for every page.

3. Use a free SEO plugin or add-on.

Joomla has many free extensions, add-ons and plugins to help the site be more SEO friendly. Find a good component and install it on your web site.

4. Update regularly

Even if you have to hire a freelancer to create your content, updating regularly is an imperative. Search indexes prefer new content and will visit and index more often, if you update often.

5. Use free Webmaster Services

The major search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) offer free services for webmasters. Take advantage of as many of these as possible. Google has webmaster tools as well as Analytics for your site. These can provide valuable insight into your audience.