What are must-have Joomla extensions?
Joomla is a powerful tool by itself, but it can be improved drastically by so many great extensions. The choice can be overwhelming! Check out our list of the “must haves” for your successful site using Joomla.
You’ll Learn About:
- Content management extensions
- Backup extensions
- Protection
- Gallery
- Slider
- File manager extensions
- Contact form
- Map
- Frameworks
1. Content management extensions
A user has a right to display content effortlessly when and where he wants. Some say Joomla is not as straightforward as WordPress. However, there are extensions to make your Joomla experience easier and more enjoyable.
For example, you can drag-and-drop your content all you want with the help of extensions like SP Page Builder. If this is not user-friendliness and simplicity, I don’t know what is.
The Advanced Module Manager also makes a Joomla user’s life a lot easier. It builds on Joomla's module options making assignment and positioning even more intuitive.
One more way to improve your experience of content editing with Joomla is an enhanced text editor like JCE, because who has the time to open the text editor on their computer anymore? JCE allows you to edit the content while in the admin panel without losing quality.
2. Backup extensions
In this restless world full of hackers and unstable servers, you always need to have a backup of your site. I have found Akeeba Backup to be very useful in saving a site’s content from all kinds of accidents. You can also get a hosting plan that includes regular backups. Do whichever is better for you, but backups are a must.
3. Protection
Besides backing up the site, in order to be able to restore it, you need to ensure your creative online environment is safe and protected at all times. This is so that anyone with bad intentions would break their swords on your castle's walls.
Give RS Firewall a try. Among similar extensions in the Joomla Extensions Directory, its ratings are the highest.
4. Gallery
High quality images have proven themselves really effective in attracting Internet users to your content, but simply putting them into an article isn’t good enough.
With some gallery extension like JoomGallery, you can create portfolio pages to make your visuals work for you.
5. Slider
One of the most common requests I face, while working with Joomla, is helping users display a slider on their site’s pages. For this purpose Image Swoop module with its numerous configuration options is not only efficient, but also very intuitive.
6. File manager extensions
One more tool to make your Joomla better is to install a file manager like Phoca Commander. Usually you’d need FTP or Cpanel access in order to organize your files. But this extension lets you forget this and do everything directly in your admin panel. It will come in handy more than you think if you intend to use the site often, and it will save you a lot of time.
7. Contact form
You need a contact form on your site to get feedback from your visitors. One of most highly ranked contact form extensions in Joomla Extensions Directory is Creative Contact Form. With its numerous functions it must be the most flexible and adjustable solution.
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You can check the link below to learn how to activate recaptcha on your Joomla site’s contact form:
https://www.templatemonster.com/help/joomla-3-x-how-to-configure-captcha-recaptcha-plugin.html
8. Map
Yes, the Internet brings your customers closer to you, but if you want them physically to find your brick and mortar store or office, you’ll need to display a map showing where you are.
Gmap or Google Maps by Reumer should do the work just fine for you.
9. Frameworks
A framework is a set of functions, page templates, and other ready-made solutions, which are at your service inside your admin panel once the framework is installed. There are a number of frameworks for Joomla.
The most popular and widely used ones are Helix and Gantry. You can check the demos on their sites to see what they are capable of. Both are user-friendly and very adjustable and both have free versions.
If you are going to buy a template from a theme provider to have a ready made design, you probably won’t need to use a framework, yet it’s good to be aware of what is out there.
Now you know what the must-have extensions for your Joomla startup site are. You can also check out our website templates collection. We sure have the perfect one for you.
Feel free to use our comment section below to recommend the plugins, modules and components you found useful in your own experience. Also we’ll be glad to answer any questions you have.
Jeff Bell
Jeff is a 20 year old Tech Support Operator at TemplateMonster. Helping our clients to edit and customize their sites every day, he knows what they need most and how to make it as easy as possible. More than one satisfied client already promised to call their child after him. Being a semi-professional high jumper in the past Jeff leaves no issue unresolved.