Joomla! Cash: Money-making weapons for your Joomla! website 1847191401, 9781847191403, 9781847191410

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Joomla! Cash Money-making weapons for your Joomla! website

Brandon Dawson Tom Canavan

BIRMINGHAM - MUMBAI

Joomla! Cash Copyright © 2007 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews. Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, co-author, Packt Publishing, nor its dealers or distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book. Special thanks to Tom Canavan for giving permission to use portions of his book—"Dodging the Bullets— A Disaster Preparation Guide for Joomla! based Websites". Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: October 2007

Production Reference: 1191007

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd. 32 Lincoln Road Olton Birmingham, B27 6PA, UK. ISBN 978-1-847191-40-3 www.packtpub.com

Cover Image by Damian Carvill ([email protected])

Credits Author Brandon Dawson Co-Author Tom Canavan Reviewers Tom Canavan

Project Manager Abhijeet Deobhakta Project Coordinator Sagara Naik Indexer Hemangini Bari

Niko Kotiniemi Proofreader Senior Acquisition Editor

Chris Smith

David Barnes Production Coordinator Development Editor Mithil Kulkarni Technical Editor Akshara Aware Editorial Manager Dipali Chittar

Manjiri Nadkarni Shantanu Zagade Cover Designer Shantanu Zagade

About the Author Brandon Dawson is a 29 year old website developer from Lancaster, Ohio in the United States. He has completed Joomla! projects for clients ranging from major corporate clients, such as Apple Incorporated, to small local businesses. He maintains a business website at www.athenainternet.com. He enjoys building websites, hiking, cycling, and spending time with his iancée and their son, Augdin. He is also a huge movie buff and spent his college years operating a small local movie theatre. He frequents the Joomla support forums, and maintains his personal websites at www.joomlawarrior.com and www.brandondawson.org.

About the Co-author Tom Canavan has practically grown up with the Computer industry. He started his career out of college doing component-level repair of barcode readers. From there he moved into a computer systems maintenance position supporting proprietary minis, mainframes, PCs, and networks with a major defense irm. Later he moved to AST Research and then to Dell Computer Corporation where he worked as a Sr. Systems Consultant working with Fortune-500 customers. He has over twenty-three years of work experience on all facets of computing, networking, and customer problem solving. He has a degree in Robotics and Numerical control from Grayson County College. He is the co-host of a successful Podcast about Joomla! known as JoomlaJabber.com. He is the author of "Dodging the Bullets—a disaster preparation guide for Joomla! based websites".

About the Reviewers Tom Canavan has practically grown up with the Computer industry. He started his career out of college doing component-level repair of barcode readers. From there he moved into a computer systems maintenance position supporting proprietary minis, mainframes, PCs, and networks with a major defense irm. Later he moved to AST Research and then to Dell Computer Corporation where he worked as a Sr. Systems Consultant working with Fortune-500 customers. He has over twenty-three years of work experience on all facets of computing, networking, and customer problem solving. He has a degree in Robotics and Numerical control from Grayson County College. He is the co-host of a successful Podcast about Joomla! known as JoomlaJabber.com. He is the author of "Dodging the Bullets—a disaster preparation guide for Joomla! based websites".

Niko Kotiniemi has a background service sector, Union and Unemployment Fund related work as well as the travel sector. In 2004 he turned his lifelong computer hobby to into a living, starting with custom web projects and open-source CMS systems. Since the very beginning of his computer related professional career he has worked with Mambo and later with Joomla. In 2006, at the age of 30 he decided to obtain the academic qualiications and entered the Software Engineering studies at the Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia, Information Technology department. During the course of his studies he is constantly working on different web-projects to both inance his studies as well as out of professional interest. Most of his free time is spent with his family as well as in studying new trends and technologies and ways in which they can be integrated to real-life situations such as those faced by private entrepreneurs and small companies. Currently his main technological interests lie in Joomla, wiki’s, all of the Google labs products, Ajax, Gadgets/Widgets, databases and specialized websites for niche groups. You can reach him through his personal website http://www.kotiniemi.fi or through e-mail: [email protected].

Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1: Welcome Warriors! Business is a War—You Must be Prepared to be a Warrior! Hype versus Reality—the Internet What went Wrong? The Way of the Warrior Mind Your P's Product Place Some Advantages Some Disadvantages

Price Promotion The Forgotten P—People Summary

Chapter 2: Creating a Marketing Plan Why have Marketing Plans? Creating a Marketing Plan Elements of Your Marketing Plan The Warrior's Strategic Objectives Evaluate, Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome The Warrior's Tactics Objective 1—Direct Revenue Generation Affiliate Marketing Goods, Goods, Goods Information is Power Objective 2—Traffic Generation Keyword-Rich Copywriting

1 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9

9 10 10 11

13 13 13 14 15 15 18 19 20 20 20 21 21

Table of Contents

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Sitemap Submission RSS Syndication or Really Simple Syndication Free! Free! Free! Objective 3—Visitor and Traffic Analysis Objective 4—Behavior and Conversion Analysis Objective 5—Competitive Analysis "Know Thy Enemy" Objective 6—Bringing it All back Home Summary

Chapter 3: Generating Traffic

21 21 22 22 22 24 26 28 28

29

What is SEO? Structural Optimization

29 30

Items That Search Engines Look for in Your Site's Content External Views of Your Site by Search Engines

Optimizing META Data Title Optimization Content Optimization Keyword Research and Optimization Website Structure and Organization Internal Linking and Navigation Using a robots.txt File Using Image ALT and TITLE Tags Promotional Optimization Link Popularity Link Anchors Choosing Relevant Link Partners Determining Link Relevancy Don't Go There–Links to be Avoided at All Costs Competitive Analysis

Lock 'n' Load—Using SEO in Joomla! Using Joomla's Core SEO What is .htaccess? Copying htaccess.txt to .htaccess Are we Done Yet?

30 31

31 32 32 33 34 34 35 36 36 36 37 38 38 38 39

39 39 40 40 40

Installing and Configuring OpenSEF Installing Tip for Using OpenSEF Using the Sitemap Feature Configuring OpenSEF's Sitemap Generating the Sitemap Submitting the Sitemap

40 41 44 44 45 46 47

SEO Conclusion Getting Visitors to Play Tag

48 48 [ ii ]

Table of Contents

FijiWebDesign's TagBot Linkbaiting Techniques Case Study on Linkbait—Oxfam.org.uk–"Bit Unfair" Typical Linkbaiting Tactics Using RSS Feeds Permission Marketing Affiliate Programs

48 50 51 53 54 54 56

Summary

57

Chapter 4: Traffic or Log Analysis Traffic or Log Analysis is Vital Intelligence Obtaining Logs What Information Do the Logs Provide? Getting Actionable Data JoomlaStats Google Analytics—Another Approach

59 59 59 60 60 60 62

Taking Action

64

What You Need to Learn What You Need to Do with This Vital Intelligence Right Now

Summary

64 64

66

Chapter 5: Site Layout and Optimization Optimizing Your Site for Ease of Use Menu Navigation and Content Organization Simplicity Pros Cons

67 67 68 68 68 69

Complexity

69

Pros Cons

69 69

Meeting in the Middle Content Navigation

69 70

Pros Cons

70 70

Implementation

70

The Default, Core Way

70

Accessibility Measuring Usability Color Psychology, Typefaces, and Design Fire and Ice, Classic and Jazzy What to Ask Yourself Typefaces Design Considerations for Fonts Basic Color Psychology Hot Colors [ iii ]

71 71 72 72 73 73 74 74 75

Table of Contents Red Orange Yellow

75 75 75

Cool Colors

75

Green Blue Violet White Black

75 76 76 76 76

Cultural Considerations Writing Effective Copy Ten Tips for Effective Copywriting Real-World Views Instilling a Sense of Urgency Six Tips for Instilling Urgency Summary

76 77 77 78 83 85 85

Chapter 6: Generating Revenue

87

Banner Advertisements Pros Cons Where to Obtain Your Ads

87 87 88 88

Signing up with Banner Affiliates Becoming Your Own Ad Broker

88 89

Lock and Load Banner Strategies Joomla! Banner Component Direct Template Installation Ready, Aim, FIRE!

89 89 90 90 90

Uploading a New Banner

90

Direct Template Inclusion Evaluate, Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome Text-Based Contextual Ads Pros Cons Where to Obtain Your Ads Text-ad Strategies Ready, Aim, FIRE! Evaluate, Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome Product Affiliate Programs Pros Cons Tracking and Reporting [ iv ]

93 94 95 95 96 96 96 97 98 98 99 99 99

Table of Contents

Ready, Aim, FIRE!

100

Amazon Amazon Product Feed Bridge Using the Omakase Module

100 101 102

Direct Template Inclusion Using Other Product Affiliate Programs Using the CJ Affiliates Module Import Any Product Affiliate Code—mod_html Running an Affiliate Program iDevAffiliate Types of Ads Available Affiliates Marketing Conclusion Subscriptions and Joomla! Configuring Account Expiration Applying Unique Changes Known as Hacks Managing Logins with Account Expiration Subscriber Access Control with JACL Installing JACL Accepting Donations Donations (Tip Jars) Pros Cons Advanced PayPal Donations Module Amazon PayPages Module Installation

104 106 107 108 108 108 116 117 117 117 119 119 120 120 121 121 122 122 123 124 124

Instant Branded Products E-Commerce Installing VirtueMart Configuring VirtueMart Adding and Editing Products Choosing a Payment Method Optional Modules Summary

125 126 126 127 134 139 140 140

Chapter 7: Disaster Recovery

141

Ask Yourself, "Is My Site Ready?" If It Can Go Wrong, It Will

141 141

You Have to be Prepared What is Risk Tolerance? Factors to be Considered for Disaster Preparation Basic Steps to Take when an Outage Occurs

Preparing for Battle

142 142 143 144

144

Using .htaccess to Protect Your Site

145 [v]

Table of Contents Permissions and Your Site Passwords Backup and Restore

146 146 146

Maintenance of Your Joomla! Site Being Prepared is Job 1 Conducting a Mock Drill Establishing a Communications Plan Purpose of Media Contact

147 148 150 151 151

Summary

152

Chapter 8: Small Change

153

Marketing Your Joomla! skills What You Offer It can be Daunting—I Know! The Grand Master Plan

153 153 153 154

How I approached It

154

Networking to Win You Can Do It Too Finding Joomla! Work Offer Joomla! Templates Offer Free Templates Offer Commercial Templates Offering Commercial Services Conclusion

155 155 157 158 158 158 159 159

Index

161

[ vi ]

Preface So you want to be an entrepreneur? Or maybe you already are one. Maybe you want to earn some extra cash, but don't have the time to setup an eBay® store. Whatever the case is, this book is for you. As a young man, I always dreamed of running my own business and being in control of my business destiny. Well, that dream is not only possible, but with the Internet, it is very easy and lucrative. Planning to run your own business, brick and mortar or Internet based, isn't easy, and sometimes not fun. However, one thing that I have learnt in life is that the more you know a subject, such as Internet-based businesses, the easier it can be. The team of volunteer programmers who bring you Joomla! have given you a tool that, when properly applied, will yield great fortunes! Or at least yield a nice return. Remember the effort you put into this will determine the beneits you receive. If you aren't ready, then read the book, play around with the software, set it aside and come back in a few weeks. Read it again, and continue. However, if you are ready to jump whole heartedly into your own Joomla! cash stream, use this book as a guide, but keep studying. Read the forums at Joomla.org, read other online business books; study and examine successful sites, don't steal but visualize and make your own, and improve your site. Make no mistake; this is a full-time effort, which you should not take lightly. Take it on as if your doctor has asked you to. In other words, take all the medicines, eat right, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and you will feel better. This book, will serve the same. Visualize your business, write your marketing plan, learn good layout and optimization techniques, prepare for disaster, market your skills, and learn how to take in money and pay out commissions. Without further ado, let's join the business already in progress on the Internet.

Preface

What This Book Covers Chapter 1 talks about the hype versus reality aspect of the Internet and clears away the "if I build it, they will come" myth. Also, it tells you that a Joomla! warrior should be disciplined and should learn all the skills to be successful. It explains the four P's required for eficient marketing: Product, Place, Promotion, and People. Chapter 2 teaches you how to evaluate, adapt, improvise, and overcome obstacles that keep you from achieving digital battleield victory. Chapter 3 covers the basics of SEO or search engine optimization, links and tags, RSS feeds, newsletters, and multimedia marketing. Chapter 4 explains how to obtain critical data for your website as a basis for action. You will learn about trafic/log analysis. Chapter 5 will help you understand how to make your site visually appealing so as to generate trafic and revenue. Chapter 6 will provide you with tips for generating revenues for your Joomla! site. Chapter 7 will provide you with a brief tutorial on disaster preparation for your cash-generating site. Chapter 8 explains a few more cash-generating weapons: marketing your Joomla! skills and offering commercial templates.

Who This Book is For This book is suitable for business people with a medium level of technical skill who need a good primer on how to implement a cash-generating website. Those unfamiliar with Joomla! would beneit from reading Building Websites with Joomla! 1.5 Beta 1.

Conventions In this book, you will ind a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning. There are two styles for code. Code words in text are shown as follows: "We can include other contexts through the use of the include directive."

[2]

Preface

A block of code will be set as follows: