DJ-Classifieds is a powerful Joomla extension with an outstanding number of features. This article covers the basics and most important sections of the extension's set up so you can kickstart your new classified ads website easily.
Ok, let's start, the article is written in style to guide you through all sections needed to set up the classifieds website with DJ-Classifieds. Each section also has the links for the articles that will guide you into the details.
Your site will need adverts (
also referred to as items
).
But before allowing users to post them, you, as the site’s admin, will need to create categories, to which the ads will belong.
Categories can be created in the back-end area of the component, under the
Categories
section:
There are many different parameters for categories – as you can see
the documentation for adding categories
- but, for a start, the „
Name
” field will be sufficient to set.
Extra fields (
also called: "custom fields"
) are not required for DJ-Classifieds to operate but are very helpful in differentiating ads submitted to specific categories.
By using extra fields, ads assigned to them, e.g. „Phones” category can be displayed with detailed information in the custom field that it has 32GB „Storage”, but ads from, e.g. „For Rent” category can have 3 „Rooms”. Each category in DJ-Classifieds can have a specific set of the custom fields that can be later used for filtering, searching, displaying on the advert page, and so on.
Adding extra fields to the categories (and therefore
-> adverts)
is not the only way to use them. Custom fields can also be assigned to User profiles, contact details, and the "
Contact this advertiser
"form. Learn more about extra fields
here
.
Using Locations (
also referred to as "Regions"
) is also optional. Still, it’s a compelling feature, allowing to, e.g. display adverts on the map, or search for them using user’s current location.
Posting ads will be done by your users, on the site’s front-end (
although you might also add adverts in the site’s back-end, as an admin
).
To allow users to do so, you will need to publish one of many menu items, available in DJ-Classifieds component, the „
Add item
” menu item.
Navigate to, e.g. your main menu and create the „
Add item
” DJ-Classifieds menu item so that it could be accessed on front-end:
It’s all about the ads. Once they are successfully added, they will need to be displayed on your site:
Learn more about available DJ-Classifieds menu items
here
.
The module for displaying ads (
„DJ-Classifieds Items” module
) is only one of many installed when you install the DJ-Classifieds All-In-One package on your site (
or a Quickstart with it
).
Here is a
list of all available DJ-Classifieds modules
. They can be published on site, as any other Joomla! modules – in
Extensions -> Modules -> New
:
Speaking of the payment plugins. Those can be used to allow users to spend their money on many goods that are connected to... ads. Let’s list them:
„Buy Now” feature allows users to post ads with some quantity so that other users could buy them.
They can even use a PayPal payment plugin for direct payments. „ Auctions ” option, if enabled for the ad, allows other users to place bids for the item and change the classifieds site into an eBay-like site.
You might want to present your classifieds site in more than one language. Happily, DJ-Classifieds fully supports it.
First, you need to learn how to create a multi-lingual Joomla! Site – here is a good article on this topic -
How to set up a Multilingual Joomla! Site
Then, you can start making DJ-Classifieds multi-lingual.
We provide many language packs for DJ-Classifieds, which can be downloaded from the „
DJ-Extensions
” site (
after logging in with a user with active DJ-Classifieds subscription
).
Once the downloaded language pack is installed (
like any other Joomla! extension
), it will be used automatically if the site’s language changes to the corresponding one.
But the language pack covers only the component's static content.
For translating the dynamic content, like DJ-Classifieds category names, extra fields, etc., using " Falang " component is needed, along with special .xml content elements files ( also available on our site ).