Alif IT Services
  • Blog
  • Help
    • About your home page
    • Workflows
  • Login
    • Blog
    • Category List
    • Articles
      • Millions
      • Love
      • Joomla
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. Sample Layouts
  4. Articles

Joomla Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide

Details
Written by: Administrator
  • IT-Blog

Joomla Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide that you can follow from zero level. 🌱

Β 

Step 1: Understand What Joomla Is

Joomla is a Content Management System (CMS) that lets you build websites without coding.

You can use Joomla for:

  • Company websites

  • News portals

  • Blogs

  • School / NGO websites

  • Portals with user login


Step 2: What You Need Before Installation

Requirement Example
Domain example.com
Hosting with PHP & MySQL cPanel Hosting
Web Browser Chrome / Edge
File Manager / FTP cPanel File Manager / FileZilla

Step 3: Download Joomla

Go to:
https://downloads.joomla.org
Download Joomla Full Package (.zip)


Step 4: Upload & Extract Joomla

  1. Login to cPanel

  2. Open File Manager

  3. Go to public_html

  4. Upload the Joomla .zip file

  5. Right-click β†’ Extract


Step 5: Create Database

In cPanel:

  1. Open MySQL Database Wizard

  2. Create Database

  3. Create Username + Password

  4. Add user to database β†’ All Privileges

Save:

  • Database Name

  • Username

  • Password


Step 6: Install Joomla

Open browser:

Β 
https://yourdomain.com

Fill the form:

Field Example
Site Name My Company
Admin Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Username admin
Password ********

Click Next

Then enter Database info β†’ Install


Step 7: Joomla Admin Login

Admin Panel URL:

Β 
https://yourdomain.com/administrator

Login using admin username & password.


Step 8: Understand Joomla Dashboard

Main Menu:

Menu Use
Content β†’ Articles Create pages
Content β†’ Categories Organize articles
Menus Create website menu
Extensions Install plugins / templates
System β†’ Global Config Site settings
Users Create users & permissions

Step 9: Create Your First Page

  1. Content β†’ Articles β†’ New

  2. Title: About Us

  3. Write content

  4. Save & Close


Step 10: Show Page on Menu

  1. Menus β†’ Main Menu β†’ New

  2. Menu Item Type β†’ Articles β†’ Single Article

  3. Select your article

  4. Save

Now your page appears on the website menu.


Step 11: Install Template (Theme)

  1. Extensions β†’ Manage β†’ Install

  2. Upload template .zip

  3. Go to Extensions β†’ Templates β†’ Styles

  4. Set as Default


Step 12: Basic Security Setup

Action
Change admin username
Enable Two Factor Authentication
Install security plugin like Admin Tools
Take regular backups (Akeeba Backup)

Step 13: Learn Important Concepts

Term Meaning
Article A web page
Category Group of articles
Menu Item Link to article
Module Sidebar / Footer blocks
Plugin Extra features
Component Main system feature

Β 

Joomla template options for a Blog site

Details
Written by: Administrator

Joomla template options for a Blog site β€” easy to set up, responsive, and optimized for content and SEO

Β 

πŸ“° Best Free Joomla Templates for Blogs

1. JA Simpli

  • Minimal, clean and lightweight β€” perfect for blogs and personal sites.

  • Easy to customize, fast loading, and responsive.

  • Works well for news, tech, travel or niche blogs.

πŸ‘‰ Good choice if you want a classic blog layout without heavy features.


2. Purity III / Purity IV

  • Very versatile free templates built on the T3 Framework.

  • Can be easily adapted for blog, magazine, or news layouts.

  • SEO-friendly and compatible with content extensions like K2 or EasyBlog.

πŸ‘‰ Great if you want a flexible blog design that can grow into a magazine or multi-author site.


3. Simple & Elegant Blog Template (from NewJoomlaTemplates)

  • Straightforward blog-style design with featured posts and clean typography.

  • Good for personal or hobby bloggers.

πŸ‘‰ Best if you want a basic blog design that’s easy to edit.


4. Tiny Post (Blog Focused)

  • Designed originally for blogs/travel sites β€” simple and readable layout.

  • Allows easy posting of articles with featured images and category listings.

πŸ‘‰ Ideal for lifestyle and travel bloggers, photo blogs too.


πŸ“Œ Bonus Templates That Work Well for Blogs

⭐ Helix Ultimate – A powerful free framework that you can use to build any blog layout you want with custom page structure, modules and layouts. Ideal if you plan more control over design.

⭐ Protostar (Joomla 4/5 default) – Simple starter template that you can style for a blog using Joomla articles and categories.


πŸ› οΈ Tips for Setting Up a Joomla Blog

🧱 Content Structure

Use Categories like:

  • Tech

  • Tutorials

  • Reviews

  • Tips & Tricks
    This lets you list blog posts cleanly by topic.

πŸ“ˆ Use an Article Enhancer

Consider installing:

  • K2 – Enhances Joomla articles with images, tags and powerful blog layouts.

  • EasyBlog (free version) – A beginner-friendly blog manager.
    These make blog posting, tagging and search much easier.

πŸ” SEO Setup (Recommended)

  • Enable SEF URLs

  • Add meta titles & descriptions to posts

  • Generate a sitemap (use RSSeo! or sh404SEF)

  • Use breadcrumbs for better navigation

πŸ“± Performance Tips

  • Enable System Cache + Gzip

  • Compress images before upload

  • Use a template with good mobile responsiveness (all above are responsive)


🎯 Which to Choose?

Template Best For
JA Simpli Clean, minimal personal blog
Purity III/IV Blog that may grow into news/magazine
Tiny Post Simple, image-focused blogs
Simple & Elegant Blog Straightforward blog layout
Helix Ultimate Customizable blog with advanced layout flexibility

Β 

Joomla-based website for an IT Training institute

Details
Written by: Administrator

A practical, end-to-end guide to start a Joomla-based website for an IT Training institute, with security, performance, maintenance, and manageability in mind. This is written as a real-world checklist, not just theory.

Β 

βœ… Joomla IT Training Website – Complete Practical Guide

1️⃣ Planning First (Very Important)

Before installing anything, decide:

🎯 Purpose

Your site will:

  • Promote IT training courses

  • Show syllabus, duration, fees

  • Allow student inquiries / registrations

  • (Optional) Provide online learning later

🧱 Basic Structure

Recommended pages:

  • Home

  • About Institute

  • Courses (Category)

  • Course Details (Articles)

  • Trainers

  • Schedule

  • Student Registration / Contact

  • Blog / Updates


2️⃣ Hosting & Server (Security + Performance Foundation)

βœ… Recommended Hosting Specs

Minimum:

  • PHP 8.1+

  • MySQL 8 / MariaDB

  • SSD / NVMe storage

  • Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt)

  • Daily backup option

πŸ’‘ Best Choice

  • Reputed shared hosting is fine at start

  • Avoid very cheap hosting (security risk)


3️⃣ Joomla Installation (Clean & Secure)

πŸ” During Installation

  • Do NOT use username: admin

  • Use strong password (12+ chars)

  • Set unique database prefix (not jos_)

After install:

  • Delete /installation folder

  • Enable HTTPS (SSL)


4️⃣ Choose the Right Template (Performance + Manageability)

βœ… Best Choice for IT Training

  • Helix Ultimate (Free)

  • LT School / AT School

  • Lightweight, Bootstrap-based

❌ Avoid

  • Heavy animation templates

  • Unknown developer templates

  • Too many bundled extensions


5️⃣ Essential Extensions (Only What You Need)

πŸ” Security (Must-Have)

Extension Purpose
Admin Tools (Free) Firewall, .htaccess, login protection
Akeeba Backup Full site backup
2FA (Built-in) Secure admin login

πŸš€ Performance

Extension Purpose
Joomla Cache (Core) Page caching
Gzip Compression Faster loading
Image Optimization Reduce load time

(Avoid too many performance plugins β€” Joomla core is enough)


6️⃣ Course Management (Smart & Scalable)

Beginner-Friendly (Recommended)

Use:

  • Categories β†’ Courses

  • Articles β†’ Individual Courses

Example:

Β 
Courses β”œβ”€ Networking β”‚ β”œβ”€ CCNA Training β”‚ └─ Network Security β”œβ”€ Cyber Security β”‚ β”œβ”€ Ethical Hacking β”‚ └─ SOC Analyst

Later (Advanced):

  • LMS extensions like Guru / Shika / LearnDash-like alternatives


7️⃣ User & Access Control (Very Important)

Joomla has strong ACL (Access Control).

Recommended Roles

Role Permission
Super Admin Full control
Manager Content only
Trainer Course articles
Student (future) View restricted content

πŸ‘‰ Never give Super Admin access unnecessarily.


8️⃣ Security Hardening Checklist πŸ”

πŸ”’ Admin Security

  • Change /administrator URL (Admin Tools)

  • Enable 2FA

  • Limit login attempts

  • Disable XML-RPC if unused

πŸ›‘οΈ File & System

  • Set correct file permissions

  • Disable directory listing

  • Block PHP execution in /images

🌐 Hosting Level

  • Enable WAF (Web Application Firewall)

  • Keep PHP updated

  • Use SSL only (force HTTPS)


9️⃣ Performance Optimization πŸš€

Joomla Settings

  • Enable System Cache

  • Enable Gzip

  • Use Lazy Load images

  • Use modern template

Content Level

  • Compress images before upload

  • Avoid auto-playing videos

  • Use YouTube embed instead of hosting videos


πŸ”§ Maintenance Strategy (Often Ignored!)

Weekly

  • Check updates (Joomla + extensions)

  • Review admin login logs

Monthly

  • Full backup (Akeeba)

  • Test restore (important!)

  • Remove unused extensions

Always

  • Keep Joomla core updated

  • Update only from trusted developers


10️⃣ SEO & Trust (For Training Business)

Basic SEO

  • Enable SEF URLs

  • Use meaningful page titles

  • Add meta descriptions

  • Create sitemap

Trust Builders

  • Trainer profiles

  • Student testimonials

  • Course syllabus PDF

  • Contact info + Google Map


11️⃣ Future-Proofing (Think Ahead)

When you grow, you can add:

  • Online classes (LMS)

  • Student dashboard

  • Certificates download

  • Payment gateway

  • Mobile app (via API)

Joomla supports all of this without rebuilding the site.


⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Too many extensions
❌ Using nulled templates
❌ Ignoring backups
❌ Giving admin access to everyone
❌ Not updating Joomla


βœ… Recommended Starter Stack (Simple & Safe)

  • Joomla latest version

  • Helix Ultimate / LT School template

  • Admin Tools (Free)

  • Akeeba Backup

  • Core Joomla cache + SEO

Β 

  1. The best free Joomla templates
  2. The best free Joomla templates ideal for an IT business

Page 1 of 3

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Main Menu

  • Home

Login Form

  • Forgot your password?
  • Forgot your username?

Popular Tags

IT-Blog 4

Older Posts

  • Welcome to your blog
  • About your home page
  • Your Modules
  • Your Template
  • Login