Create website from scratch with joomla hosting

An open-source Content Management System, Joomla is ideally a computer program. It can be used for maintaining, modifying, editing and publishing website content, all with the help of a standard central interface. This tool is typically aimed at eliminating the need for hand coding. However, a requirement for the same may arise for providing support to either specific web page elements or entire websites. Ease of use and extensibility are some of its unique features that have led to Joomla being regarded as one of the best softwares for website development. Read on to learn how to design an eCommerce website from scratch using the PHP-based Joomla development framework.

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Steps Edit

Purchase your domain name. A domain name is what defines your brand on the Internet. Some popular domain names are google.com, facebook.com, wordpress.org, etc. Your domain name should indicate the industry your company or business is associated with. For example, if you are selling used cars in Australia, you can opt for a name such as usedcarsaustralia.com. This is a crucial aspect in determining how effective your business website is in terms of SEO rankings. Use GoDaddy.com or a similar service to buy a domain.
  • Search for the domain name you wish to purchase. Do not feel let down if you can't find the name of your choice, continue with the search till you eventually come across one that is suitable.
Purchase your hosting package. As human beings, we are required to have homes for living. Think about hosting as your website home where all data files and databases are located. Purchasing a domain name and hosting service are two different things and need to be done separately. Avoid purchasing a hosting plan that sounds too good to be true (you know the ones that read unlimited everything, very cheap, and all that).
  • Once you have purchased your hosting company, go back to the GoDaddy domain management tool. Change the name servers on the domain so that it points to your new hosting company.
  • The hosting company will usually send the name servers through their welcome email. The name servers take some time before they propagate and sometimes you may be required to wait for as long as 48 hours.

Download the Joomla tool. Download the latest version available in the market, which right now is Joomla 3.3. Download the software from a trusted source such as joomla.org. Click on the ZIP link next to the Full Package tab, the first such entry you come across while scrolling down the page. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, your download process will start.

Create website from scratch with joomla hosting first such entry you

Upload to the hosting account. Now that Joomla has been downloaded, it is time to upload it to the hosting account that you have purchased.
  • One way of uploading Joomla is by extracting it locally and subsequently FTPing all source files to the hosting account. If this is the only website you have associated with the particular hosting company, then you should FTP the same over to public_html.
  • An alternate and faster means of getting the job done is by going to the cPanel on the hosting account. Go over to File Manager, upload the Joomla zip file and then have it extracted under the public_html directory.
Set up the database. Once Joomla has been uploaded to the server, it is time to create the database where all relevant website data will be stored. Once again, head over to the cPanel on your hosting account. Search for the MySQL Database Wizard under the Databases tag. Click on the same and follow the instructions to install it.
  • Store important database related data such as password, username and database name in a safe place. You will need them at a later stage.

Configure your Joomla software. Point the browser to your relevant website URL. You will be required to configure Joomla as per your hosting service. Note that in case you are not using GoDaddy as your hosting provider, leave the tab under host name set to local host. Congratulations, your website is now up and running!

Create the basic web pages. Now that your website has become functional, it is time you add some relevant information to it. Start by designing the website home page, about us page and contact us page before you fill in all other relevant content. Creating these pages is a very straightforward and simple process.
  • Use a reputed website design company to easily and effectively build a satisfactory website that bears crisp and relevant business information.

Download a store extension for Joomla. While your website is fully operational and working, you are still in need of a store so that your business can actually prosper. The best way to do so is by downloading and installing an ecommerce solution like VirtueMart. An extension for the Joomla development software, it is available for free download at virtuemart.net/downloads. The latest stable version available at present is VirtueMart 2.6.8 which is compatible with all of the latest Joomla development versions.

Install the ecommerce extension you downloaded. Whether you chose VirtueMart or a similar solution, installing the extension for Joomla is a very simple procedure. If you are looking to install a theme for your website, search for a relevant theme on Google search and then install it using the same steps as mentioned above.
  • Start by going to the Extensions Manager tab. Locate the site where you have downloaded the VirtueMart file in your machine. Upload the downloaded file to the host service website. Once you complete the upload process, VirtueMart will install automatically.
Configure your website store. So now you have a store in place but you still have to include products in it. Follow the Components -> VirtueMart route in the Joomla control panel and set up your eCommerce store. First, create the main setting for your store. This will primarily include the payment options such as PayPal accounts, shipping options, notifications for customers, etc. Then create your store's categories. For instance, in the used cars website example, there may be a category for Spare Parts and one for Services. Finally, add a name, description, image, and price for each of the products that you list on the website.
  • If you are planning to offer downloadable content for your customers, you need to first upload this content.

Create a link to your store. Design a menu item that will serve as a link to your online store. In the Joomla control panel, follow the Menus -> Main Menu path. Click on the New tab on the top right hand corner if you wish to add a new menu item. Then click Menu Item Type and finally choose VirtueMart.

Make your first sale! Once you have followed all of these steps down to the very last detail, you will have an online shop that is ready for business. It is time for you to make your first online sell.

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How to Create Your Own Website With Joomla

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