So the first thing you need if you want to include affiliate code, a paypal button, a newsletter subscription form, etc. into a content item is to download and install Mod HTML for Joomla 1.5.  Once installed, you can add your html, javascript, affiliate code, or paypal code into the Mod HTML and then load that module directly into a content item.

Showing you how to include a module into a content item is much easier than trying to explain, so I created a brief 5 minute screen cast that will walk you through the steps.  I’ll include the embedded youtube video below, but to view a really clear screen cast version, go to my screencast.com account.

If you still have questions, then please post here and I’ll try and point you in the right direction.

Fast Tube by Casper

note: the snippet you need to load a custom module into a Joomla content item — {loadposition position_name} — position_name is the custom position you created when you created the new mod_html module.

For a graphic (as in visual) example, consider a tree. We look at a tree and see a trunk, limbs, perhaps leaves and fruit, and that’s it.  But that’s only half the picture; the real picture is below the surface, under the soil, where the root system of the tree lives.

The root system is where the tree really lives; it’s the source of the trunk, the trees, and the leaves that we see above the surface.  A healthy root system means a healthy tree, and an unhealthy root system means an unhealthy tree.

Seeing the Whole Picture

Being mindful of what’s below the surface can often help us correct or even prevent problems from showing up “above the surface.”  This is true for trees, and it’s also true for websites.

The roots of a website are the code, and it’s the code that actually creates what you see in that web browser.

That’s simple enough… or is it?

Well, there are a few complications:

• “Code behind the site” – uh, what’s that? You’re probably not a web designer, so even if you looked at the code, it may not make any sense to you;
• Not everyone looks at your site in the same browser. Even if it looks great on your browser, it might be totally broken in another browser;
• Appearances can be deceiving. Just because your site may look nice, it may have major problems under the surface.

Depressing, huh! It is, and I’ve felt so bad for folks who contact me wanting to make a few changes to their site only to find a terrible code mess below the surface that makes it impossible to make even minor changes.

But I don’t wanna be a web designer!

So do you really have to learn all the ins and outs of web design to make sure you get a stable, fully functional, happy cross browser friendly, easy to udpate website?

No, absolutely not!  You can dance a jig here if you want

But I would recommend that you consider how your site is built and designed before you decide on a web design solution.

Whether you are using service that provides pre-packaged templates or hiring a web designer, ask them how their templates are built before you sign up.

• Do they use CSS to separate content from presentation?
• Do they use valid HTML/XHTML code?
• Are their templates cross browser compatible?
• Will you have a stable, easy to use Content Management System, so you can update the site yourself?

If you have these four technical pieces in place, chances are you have a fairly stable site solution. But this solution still may not be what is best for you at this stage.  There’s also an organic piece to consider – what you currently need from your website and what you’re ready to invest in the website – but that’s for next time.

And if you can’t decipher what’s being offered, ask for help. Best to get help now before you spend money on a less than optimum solution.

He’s also a very colorful and creative soul, and the design definitely reflects that.  The really cool branding image you see with the little wooden signpost and the country roads surrounded with flowers was his idea!

We used WordPress as his content management system, as David’s goal is to share much of his teachings and material in his weekly blog posts.  A custom design to match a custom, one of kind alternative healer.

Visit his site

Stephen had spent some time looking at other legal sites and knew that he didn’t want the standard “legalese” type website.  He wanted a unique site that conveyed his way of practicing law and his way of life.

We worked through a few trial layouts before finding the colors – light soft blue and a stronger, dark blue – to convey both strength and calm. A small site with a small content management system, but with a very clear, calm, yet strong presense.

Visit his site

Since Shoshana wanted to add regular posts and articles to the site, we decided to use WordPress as the engine of her site.

I created a custom theme that reflects the heart and energy of Heliotrope Holistic Health Services and taught Shoshana how to add all her wonderful and inspiring material.

With only a few hours of instruction and some educational screencasts, she’s now a happy blogger and is continuing to learn her way around WordPress.

Visit her site

Think about it. Have you ever seen a field of wild flowers with TOO much color? No, instead you see a perfect display of color, harmony, and balance.

Kalanit is the Hebrew word for a cup shaped plant with colorful flowers which grows wild in Israel in the spring. After the wet winter months, the wild flowers emerge from the earth and cover the landscape with color.

One of those free gifts from heaven, they tell us in a beautiful way that “the winter is passed, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth…” (Shir HaShirim – Song of Songs 1:11).

Spring has arrived. The earth wakes from its winter slumber and paints a tapestry for all to see and enjoy.

Although great web sites don’t just grow naturally, I still consider the web design process in terms of the passing of winter to spring. The creative impulse within us remains, even if at times dormant, only to one day emerge with that “flash” of creativity that seems to appear out of nowhere. Just as spring flowers suddenly appear after the dark, dreary winter months.

These wild flowers are my artistic guide when creating web sites. They are also a great guide for life — encouraging me to  move with harmony and balance even in the dark winter months — knowing that spring will return and the flowers will once again bloom.