Joomla
In laymen’s terms, a Content Management System is a piece of software associated with your website that allows an entry-level computer user to edit the pages of a website. Generally, Content Management Systems are referred to as CMS’ and generally CMS’ do more than simply manage content.
Among the several thousand CMS’ available, Joomla has emerged as an industry leader. Joomla is an open-source content management system that is modular, scalable and multi-purpose. Again, in laymen’s terms: Joomla allows you to edit your own website. The Joomla interface is logically constructed so it’s simple to figure out where to go to perform tasks like adding a link or uploading an image to a page on your site.
Joomla can be used for almost any type of website, whether you want an e-commerce website, an online directory or even if you want to create your own niche Facebook-you can do it with Joomla.
Joomla is also one of the most robust and stable CMS’ available. Because Joomla is open-source, developers around the world are constantly testing and debugging the latest build of Joomla, helping to keep website’s secure and creating add-ons to the base Joomla software. Also, because Joomla is open-source, the base Joomla software is entirely free.
Sounds Perfect, Doesn’t It?
Joomla sounds perfect, but there are some drawbacks to using such a robust CMS, or any CMS for that matter. Some of the drawbacks include:
- Design-Joomla is just the software for your website; to make your website look the way you want it to look a design or template will have to be added to Joomla.
- Add-Ons-Joomla is base software. While 1000’s of add-ons (called components or modules) are available, these add-ons must be installed into Joomla, configured to your needs and integrated into your website design. For example, if you want to sell products on your site, you will need to install an e-commerce component, like VirtueMart, and then configure your shopping cart with your products and information.
- Learning Curve-While the Joomla interface (where one edits pages, adds images, etc.) is designed for ease-of-use, the interface can be daunting upon initial use. Finding your way around the backend of your website can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience.
- Maintenance and Support-Like any software, Joomla and any additional components installed on your website will need to be updated for security. Generally, Joomla is updated several times each year and for securities sake; it is advisable to keep your Joomla installation up-to-date. In addition, some components require a higher level of expertise to configure or modify. For this reason, your Joomla website may need occasional support from a specialized 3rd party.
Shelly Webber Consulting’s Joomla Services
Shelly Webber Consulting offers Joomla services for:
- Joomla Template Design-Creating a website design from scratch using our graphic artist, then applying the design to your Joomla website
- Joomla Template Customization-Installation of a pre-designed Joomla template from a Joomla template vendor like RocketTheme.com or YooTheme.com and customizing the template to your businesses needs.
- Joomla Module Installation-Installation and configuration of Joomla modules like VirtueMart, CommunityBuilder, SigSui Business Directory or any of the 1000’s of other Joomla add-ons.
- Joomla Module Customization-Creating custom modules for Joomla based on your company’s needs. Some examples include custom shipping modules and autoshipping modules for e-commerce.
- Joomla Training-Webinars and on-demand screencasts created specifically for your business and your Joomla configuration.
- Joomla Maintenance and Support-upgrades and updates to software, adding components, trouble-shooting
Who Should Use the Joomla CMS
- Businesses or Professionals who require any real-time interaction with their clients on the web
- Businesses or Professionals who would like to take payments or reservations or want to allow their clients personalized, protected content
- Businesses or Professionals who want to or need to update their websites in-house
- Businesses or Professionals who want to or need to update their website’s content often
