Joomla! is an open source content management program used to create websites. It is an extremely versatile program, making it the top open source content management script available.
Joomla! Requirements
To use Joomla!, you must have a host. In order to have a host, you need a name for your website. Start out by registering a name at GoDaddy.com. Once your name is registered, you can choose a hosting company. When choosing your hosting company, be sure it offers PHP and mySQL. It will not work without either one of them. Once the website has propogated (this can take up to 48 hours), you can start installing Joomla! Some hosts offer cpanel, which has a “backdoor” to enter the site prior to propogation. If your host offers this feature, once you register and pay for hosting, the host will send you the backdoor link.
Why Use Joomla!
Every business should have an online presence – especially if the work you do is done online. Joomla! makes it simple to organize your web presence. Joomla! has hundreds of add-ons, making it extremely adaptable to any type of business. It also has numerous free and paid templates you can use to give your business its own look. If you cannot find a template you like, you can write your own, if you are adept at writing css and PHP code – and if not, there are people within the Joomla! community that, for a fee, will write a specialized template for you.
Features of Joomla!
Some of the features of Joomla! include a community builder module where people can link to each other (should you have an interactive website), numerous add-on galleries to choose from, an ads module for those who run a classifieds site with their business and a document management add-on for those who sell documents – or even offer them free. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to add-ons for Joomla!. Backend features include statistics modules, paypal donation modules, Google Adsense modules, and modules that allow you to insert html or javascript to insert widgets. These are just a few of the things Joomla! can do. It would take pages to list all of the features of Joomla!
Finding Joomla!
You can find a free copy of Joomla! at http://www.joomla.org. Their website is full of modules (called mods) to enhance Joomla! for your home office website. Some samples of what Joomla! can do for you can be found here:
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