Browse the free Magento themes gallery at SiteGround.
How to upload a Magento theme?
Once you pick a theme and open its details page, click Install Now, select the Magento Connect version (if you are using Magento 1.5 or newer, you need to select version 2.0, otherwise leave the default 1.0), agree to the extension license agreement and click on the Get Extension Key button.
The extension key will be visualised. Select and copy it.
Open the Magento Admin Area->System->Magento Connect->Magento Connect Manager. Enter again the admin login details and paste the extension key in the Paste extension key to install field. Click on the Install button.
Once the installation is completed return to the Magento Admin Area and open System->Configuration->Design->Themes.
Enter the theme name in the Default field and click on the Save Config button.
The front page might not load correctly. The reason could be the number of the columns in the new theme's home page layout.
You can fix this through the Magento Admin Area->CMS->Pages. You will find two home pages. One is with 2 columns layout and the other is with one. Disable the first one and enable the second by clicking on their status links.
Now the front page will appear correctly with the new theme.
In order to manage your web site pages you need to navigate to the CMS section under the Magento admin area.Click on the Manage Pages link in order to proceed with the pages' modification:
You can edit a page by clicking on it. The Edit Page will open:
and modify it to your preference.Static blocks is another useful option. For example, you can edit the footer block which contains the links located at the bottom of your main page:
The Polls section allows you to create and edit polls:
The private SSL certificate is an important upgrade to your website. The basic function of an SSL is to encrypt all communication between the browser and the server, ensuring that all data goes through a secure (HTTPS) connection. An SSL certificate is a necessity when you want to operate an online shop and process the sensitive customers data through your software. It helps you gain your clients' trust and increase your web site's search engines rank. You can purchase a private SSL from the SiteGround SSL Certificate page.
The certificate could be easily enabled through the Magento Admin area -> System -> Configuration -> Web. There you can define the insecure (non-SSL) and secure (SSL) URLs:
In the Base URL fields you should enter the unsecure (regular) web site URL and the web site URL for the SSL connections. You can leave the other values unchanged, as they will be set automatically by the script after you enter the Base URL. Basically the other fields define the URLs of the main Magento store page and the URLs of the skin, media and JavaScript folders. The drop-down menus allow you to enable and disable the SSL support for the web site's frontend and backend.
New customers can sign up for your online store through the main page->My account section. They should click on the [Create an Account] button and fill in the details:
You can add new customers or manage the existing ones through the Customers section in the Magento admin area:
In order to change the customer details, click on the [[Edit]] button.There you can alter all customer details, including the username and the password, the address, monitor the orders, the shopping cart, the wishlist items, the reviews and the tags and manage the newsletter:
You can add and manage the customers' groups through the Customers section -> Customer Groups:
You can monitor the online users from the Customers section -> Online Customers.The newsletters which you will send to your customers can be composed and managed through the Newsletter section in the Magento admin area:
You can create templates, manage the newsletters' outgoing e-mail queue, include subscribers for the newsletter and check the problem reports.
How to use Magento Connect to add Modules and Extensions
Magento has the built-in functionality to automatically install additional modules for your online store. Basically all you need is the extension's key and the script will install it for you in just a few clicks. In this tutorial we will explain in details how to install additional modules/extensions for Magento via Magento Connect. Also, we will provide instructions how to upgrade existing modules/extensions for Magento.First, you need to log in to the Magento administrator area. Then go to System -> Magento Connect -> Magento Connect Manager.
A new page will open for the Magento Connect Manager and you will be asked to provide your administrative credentials again.
Once logged in you will see 2 sections: Extensions and Settings. It is recommended to verify the options chosen in the Settings section first.
In the Settings section there are several options you can configure, but leaving the default values is recommended.
The Preferred State option controls the state of the extensions you install. There are 3 states - Stable, Beta and Alpha. For live sites the Stable option is recommended. Setting it to Beta/Alpha gives you the possibility to check the latest versions of the extensions, but this is generally not recommended as extensions in Beta and especially Alpha state might have bugs and could disrupt the functionality of your online store.It is of utter importance to create a backup before downloading extensions or extension upgrades. You can check this part of the tutorial for more information how to create a backup. This way if an issue occurs after downloading and installing an extension you can revert the changes by restoring a working backup.Once you create the backup you can access Magento Connect Manager -> Extensions tab. Click the link to Magento Connect.
This will open a new window for Magento Connect and let you browse the available extensions. There is a search functionality included and modules are separated in different categories.
There are various extensions. Some are free and others are paid. In each case the download from Magento Connect requires registration in order to get the extension key. Instructions may vary depending on the specific extension.Once you have chosen an extension click the Install Now button and choose the Magento Connect version matching your current Magento version. If you are using Magento 1.5 or newer, you need to select version 2.0, otherwise leave Magento Connect 1.0. Read the extension license agreement and then check the box for "I agree to the extension license agreement". Finally, click the Get Extension Key button.
You will be provided with the Extension key:
This is the key that you need to copy and paste in your Magento Connect area. Then click Install and then Proceed.
The new extension will be automatically downloaded and installed. If there is a problem with the installation, there will be information about it so that you know what should be done to resolve it. After the extension is properly installed a screen for a successful installation will appear:
Once the extension is installed it is important to go back to Magento admin and adjust its options according to your needs. Also make sure that your online store is properly functioning and there are no errors.
How to upgrade an existing Magento Extension
In order to check for upgrades for the Magento extensions you can follow the instructions below.
Log in to the Magento admin area -> System -> Magento Connect -> Magento Connect Manager. On the Extensions Tab click on Check for Upgrades.
The Magento Connect manager will automatically connect to the server and check for available upgrades. If you have an extension that has a published upgrade they will be colored in yellow and you will be able to apply the upgrade to your Magento module. Note that it is again extremely important to backup your Magento online store before applying the upgrade. From the Actions drop-down menu you will be able to select the desired upgrade version. Then click Commit Changes to proceed with the upgrade.
The chosen upgrade will be automatically downloaded and applied.
Once the extension is upgraded you can refresh the page via the Refresh button. Then check the current status of your extension. You will find the yellow color has been removed for your Upgraded Extension and the Installed column has changed to the version number you just installed.
You can now click Return to Admin and check if any new Configuration Settings for your Extension are available. Also make sure that your online store is properly functioning and there are no errors.
You can configure the Magento shipping methods through the Magento admin area -> System -> Configuration -> Sales ->Shipping Methods:
Before enabling the shipping method you should configure the shipping settings from the Magento admin area -> System -> Configuration -> Sales -> Shipping Settings:
Expand the Origin section. Enter the address from which the shipping will be initiated. Usually this is the address of the warehouse where the products are stored.
Then expand the Options section. If enabled, the option Allow Shipping to Multiple Addresses allows goods from a single order to be shipped to different addresses. It is useful when a customer orders many products of a single kind, like post cards or pens for example and wants them to be delivered to multiple addresses. You can define the maximum number of allowed shipping addresses in the Maximum Qty Allowed for Shipping to Multiple A ddresses field.
In this tutorial we will illustrate how to enable the USPS shipping method. Open the Magento admin area -> System -> Configuration -> Sales ->Shipping Methods and navigate to the USPS section:
Enable the shipping method, enter the Gateway URL and the UserID. The next options allow you to describe the packages which you need to be delivered (size, weight and more).
Then you can define the handling fee. It can be fixed or calculated on the percent basis. After this you can pick the allowed delivery methods. Also, you can configure a free shipping method and define whether there is a minimum purchase sum for it.
At the end you can define the countries for which the shipping is supported and the default error message in case the service is refused. In the Sort order field you should enter the position of this shipping method compared to the other shipping methods offered to the customers.
Magento provides different payment methods in order to allow you to accept payments using different payment processors like Paypal, Authorize.net and many more. The clients can also pay through regular credit cards like Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Switch/Solo, check/money orders and other payment solutions.
You can configure the Magento payment methods through the Magento Admin Area -> System -> Configuration -> Sales -> Payment Methods:
In this tutorial we will illustrate how to enable the credit card payment method. The credit card payment method can be configured through the Saved CC section:
Enable the method, enter its title, set the new order status, pick the supported credit cards, decide whether the credit card verification is required, define from which countries to accept payments and the range of the accepted payments.
In the Sort order field you should enter the position of this payment method compared to the other payment methods offered to the customers.
