Set up Your Joomla Website

• 1). Find a server to host your website. Find one that supports Joomla sites, because it will be much easier to get support. A good hosting service will help you get a new domain or transfer your old domain.
  
  
• 2). Download the most recent update from Joomla.org. It is a very simple process to get the latest Joomla package in a zip file. Save it to your desktop, log in and upload Joomla.
  
  
• 3). Planning your site is primary at this point. Decide who your audience will be and what they will want. Write down the purpose of your site. Arrange your content and navigation according to your audience and your purpose.
  
  
• 4). Use your plan to decide what your sections and categories will be on your new Joomla website. Joomla 1.5 organizes your content into sections and categories (The version of Joomla 1.5 in 2009 will soon be replaced with Joomla 1.6 which may eliminate sections and only use categories). Use your plan and separate your content into sections and categories.
  
  
• 5). Find Joomla extensions at www.joomla.org/extensions. Extensions will extend the usefulness of your site by adding e-commerce or membership log-ins. If you have a need for your site, there is likely an extension to meet that need. Link all your content and extensions to a menu item. Continually test your site as you arrange and design your site.