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Joomla - pros and cons


edoplaza

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Hello,

 

Last week, a friend showed me the Joomla interface and, I have to admit it, I was amazed with all that ?easy? functionality. He proposed me to work together only using that platform instead of the traditional html- css - php programming. Of course, after seeing all those modules, extensions, etc., the proposal is very tempting, because my clients ask me more and more for a back-end interface. I honestly don?t have time to create a solid platform for each of them, so the website design business I have is becoming overwhelming.

 

On the other hand, I feel that, even knowing that you can manipulate their css and html files, all these platforms betray the very essence of what a website designer should be. There is a unique feeling when you create a website from scratch.

 

 

I would like to hear some opinions here. Should I switch to Joomla completely, not at all, or for some specific cases?

 

Regards,

 

Eduardo

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Personally, I won't develop a website without implementing a CMS anymore. Joomla is a CMS (content management system) as is WordPress, CMS Made Simple, Expression Engine, and others. The #1 reason I use a CMS on every site I develop for my clients is that it gives them the power to edit their content on their own. I don't have time to make small edits and tweaks to the text and images on my clients' websites. Using a CMS allows them to log in and make those changes themselves. When they need help or when they need advanced work done, they contact me, but no longer am I changing words here and there.

 

I create the design in Photoshop, slice the images, write the HTML/CSS by hand, and then implement the CMS code. So, I'm still creating the websites from scratch.....then I plug in the CMS and power it up! :)

 

And my personal favorite at the moment is WordPress because it's easy to use, search engines loves sites that use it, and there are lots of plugins available for extended functionality.

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Personally, whether you use a CMS or not depends on the client and the requirements of the specific project. In general though, most of my recent projects include some sort of system to manage the content. It's getting to be expected -- clients want to be able to edit the content of the site without having to call the designer for every little change. It saves me time, since I really don't like doing minor maintenance work, and gives the client a sense of empowerment and feeling like they are directly involved with their website.

 

That said, there are some situations where a CMS may not be necessary. If you're doing something small and quick, or perhaps a design that isn't really intended to change very often, it may not be worth it to set up a full CMS.

 

There are a lot of options out there when choosing a CMS. I've heard that Joomla is very powerful... but I've also heard that there is a bit of a learning curve. You might consider something like Wordpress first, since it has a lot of support, tutorials and a large user base, before diving into Joomla.

 

I don't think using a CMS necessarily means that the site isn't from scratch. You still have to write all the usual HTML and CSS templates, and of course do the design. A CMS primarily helps once those initial templates are built out and as you start to enter content. Of course, a CMS is also useful in the sense that it may offer plugins or additional functionality (contact forms, shopping carts, file management, etc) that woudl be time consuming to build out on your own.

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