When we meet with clients for the first time and mention that we develop our sites using Joomla, most ask us; What is Joomla?
Joomla has always been an open source content management product which means there are thousands of free templates and extensions available which allow you to customise your website design easily and often without the need to hard code. There is also a fantastic community of developers and users out there always ready and willing to provide support and answer any questions or queries you may have.
Here are some further reasons why we choose Joomla.
- Fully customisable with a wide range of 3rd party integration options, including e-commerce facilities.
- Versatile for business, personal, community websites
- Great organic SEO options out of the box (no plugin required)
- Reliable support from developers in most cases
- Regular security updates and alerts for software
- Trusted backup software
- Portable. Not locked in to any one hosting service.
- Multilingual, allows users to install Joomla in over 75 different languages.
Email Setup Information
If you have email hosted with Artful below is the configuration settings you will need to set it up on your devices.
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Incoming mailserver: |
mail.yourdomainname.xxx.xx |
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Username/email address: |
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Password: |
xxxxxxxxx |
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Outgoing mailserver: |
mail.yourdomainname.xxx.xx |
You can also use webmail to access your email from anywhere with a web browser. Use the url below to access it, remembering to change the words ‘yourdomainname’ to your actual domain name.
https://www.yourdomainname.xxx.xx/webmail
As with normal email you need to use your full email address to login and current email password.
Where's the best place to hide a body?
Where are you ranking on your preferred search phrase in Google?
If you find yourself on page 3 or beyond you can consider your website dead!
These days no-one looks beyond page 3, but don't fret, all is not lost. Here are some simple tips to help your Google Search ranking.
What updates are included in my hosting?
Recently Artful have made changes to our processes to ensure your websites are kept up to date and secure. We endeavour to maintain the security of your site by updating all integral CMS (Joomla/Wordpress etc) core extensions at no extra charge to you, as part of your hosting agreement. Core extensions are those that we have used on your site, usually for backup and security functionality, that are created and maintained by trusted third party developers.
Tins & String
Are you thinking that heading back to the days of communicating via 'tins and string' would be far easier than managing your mailbox? You're not alone.
There are heaps of articles out there on how to manage your mailbox.
Here at Artful we have compiled a list of some of the more helpful tips, that all about creating good habits when managing your email.
SCAM ALERT: Don't let your domain name fall into the wrong hands!
We have become aware of a number of scam emails doing the rounds informing you that your domain has expired and requires payment for renewal. Unfortunately a couple of our clients have been caught out and have made payment!
How to avoid being scammed
Websites for the Visually impaired
There has recently been an influx of spam emails in Australia from an amywils.1976@gmail suggesting that she is having problems navigating your website because she is visually impaired and your website is not compatible with screen readers.
If you receive this email, please cheerfully ignore and delete as it is actually just SPAM.
Joomla, Wordpress and Opencart (the main CMS's we use to build your websites) have been created with screen readers and visual impairment in mind. When we build your website we also take steps to ensure your website is usable for the visually impaired.
Moving to Joomla 3 is critical
Joomla 2.5 is end of life and has been for some time now!
At the end of 2014, Joomla Version 2.5.28 (the final 2.5 version) became "end of support" meaning that:
- No new versions or security updates
- New or updated extensions and plugins for your website won't work under Joomla 2.5
- No vendor tech support for any issues with Joomla 2.5 sites or plugins
That together with the forced PHP Upgrade of our server recently it is imperative that all Joomla 2.5 websites are updated or replaced.
At present we cannot update the PHP version of your Joomla 2.5 site which places your site in peril! We are keeping your site on the air by manually adding an obselete PHP version to it but one day soon the server will simply drop it! This is out of our hands and it is possible that we will not receive any warning.
Your site will be down and there will be no quick fix!
Will Cpanel's Dec 2018 PHP switch off break my Joomla website?
Short answer
Cpanel (leading webhosting software) and PHP (the "operating system" for your website) will drop support for older PHP versions from Dec 2018. Current versions of Joomla, Wordpress and Opencart will be fine. Older versions may have isssues or just stop working all together. This is because older versions of Joomla, Wordpress and OpenCart were only written and tested to work on past PHP versions.
Now is a great time to talk to Artful about upgrading your site software to the latest version. We can also help you run a custom older PHP version to keep your site on the air. This is a short term "bandaid fix". Adding and switching to an older custom PHP version is not expensive but has issues for your website's security, speed and reliability.
Joomla Websites
At the risk of sounding like a broken record we can't emphasise the importance of keeping your website secure. You might think its overkill and a risk you are willing to take but we can guarantee you after being hacked once you will change your mind very quickly.
Hackers can steal user information, passwords, install malicious software, and can even distribute malware to your users. And all that without taking into consideraton the costs involved in getting your website and information back online if taken down.
Wordpress Websites
At the risk of sounding like a broken record we can't emphasise the importance of keeping your website secure. You might think its overkill and a risk you are willing to take but we can guarantee you after being hacked once you will change your mind very quickly.
Hackers can steal user information, passwords, install malicious software, and can even distribute malware to your users. And all that without taking into consideraton the costs involved in getting your website and information back online if taken down.
