Chicago EXPO Building a successful website with Joomla 1.5

Building a Successful Website

(with Joomla 1.5)

The Usual Bit

Here I pretend to know what I am talking about….

www.joomlashack.com

www.compassdesigns.net

www.joomlabook.com

© Barrie North compassdesigns.net

So you want a website?

Why?

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Measuring Success

Much more than just traffic

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Why Use Joomla?

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Joomla is…..

• Easy• Powerful• Cheap (not free!)

• The 80/20 rule

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What is Joomla?

Its a Content Management System

• CMS and the Single Web Designer (A List Apart - 2002)

• Designers used to make and maintain content, now they need to make and train.

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Elements of a Joomla site

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The Template

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Step 1 - Planning

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There is no spoon, er, I mean page

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Where’s the Beef, er, I mean articles?

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Sections and Categories

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Content Organization

1. UncategorizedSmall sites

2. Global Section, multiple categoriesMedium sites

3. Multiple Sections and categoriesBig sites

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Never Just One Answer

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Step 2 - Navigation

More than just paths through the siteMenu Items control PAGE LAYOUT

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Menus

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Layouts

Three default layouts

• Article• Blog• List/table

Template overrides!Using the description and modules

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Tips and Tricks

A better frontpage• Tokyo ~ $2 a square foot/month• CNNMoney ~ $8,000 a square foot/month

• The Hidden Menu– Landing page links– SEF

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Step 3 - Templates and Design

• Important for credibility

• Page design– Image margins– Stock Images (istockphoto.com)

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Credibility

1. Design Look — 46.1% Overall 2. Information Design/Structure — 28.5% Overall 3. Information Focus — 25.1% Overall 4. Company Motive — 15.5% Overall 5. Information Usefulness — 14.8% Overall 6. Information Accuracy — 14.3% Overall 7. Name Recognition— 14.1% Overall 8. Advertising — 13.8% Overall 9. Information Bias — 11.6% Overall 10.Writing Tone — 9.0% Overall

© Barrie North compassdesigns.net

Step 4 - Marketing

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Marketing 101

Ways to get traffic

• Organic (SEO)• Referral (links)• Pay per click (Google adwords)• Email (return visitors)

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How to Build a Successful Site

• Understand the goal• Planning (understand Joomla content)• Navigation (usability)• Design (credibility)• Marketing

© Barrie North compassdesigns.net

Questions?

Stump the chump