Joomla! has become one of the most widely used content management system. It has earned a good reputation and large user base in quite a short span of time which is due to its amazing features and functionalities. This is the platform where you can design corporate websites, corporate intranets or extranets, highly interactive multi-lingual web sites, online communities, media portals, blogs and e-commerce applications, online magazines, newspapers and other publications. Out of the numerous advantages of using Joomla! as a content management system, few are listed below:
- Free of cost: Unlike commercial CMS solutions that offers different versions depending upon the pre-defined budget, Joomla! is available in one ”all encompassing” version and that too free of cost. Also, it offers a long range of add – ons, that is, currently around 4800 in number.
- Time Saving: Making website with Joomla! always saves time. It has an easy to use control panel. You may edit text online, add images and set keywords. It also gives the power to edit menu items in real time. It is easy to prepare a whole new section of a website, and once it is set to be launched, you need to go to Menu Manager and publish it.
- Installation: Joomla! is designed to be easy in installation and set up, even if you’re not an advanced user. Since it is so easy to use, being a web designer or a developer, you can quickly make websites for your clients. It would require just a minimal duration of instruction session with your clients to empower them to easily manage their websites themselves.
- Access to advanced functionality with no extra cost: Joomla! has a long range of plug-ins that add to the functionality of the core program. These plug-ins include special complexities that cost a lot to develop for a HTML site. You can add shopping cart, image galleries, videos, bulletin boards, Blogs, directories & hundreds of other features. If we look at the design part in Joomla, to serve this purpose, there are hundreds of Joomla! templates available which are very easy to customize. It cannot be denied that Joomla website designs are quite beautiful. That is why, Joomla! is considered to be designer’s friend.
- Continuous Developments: The Joomla! project team endeavors to make Joomla! even more better. That is why, they come with one or the other improvement after every 15-20 days. Recently, they have come up with Joomla 1.6 beta 5. Many bugs and issues are fixed up in each new version providing Joomla developers with a more refined platform to the to work with. It can be simply upgraded and enhanced in the next better coming versions.
- Large Community Support and Forums: It has a huge community which is always ready to help you on any issue you say. They also have forums where you can discuss your problems, queries and get them resolved by the experts. Also, you may participate in the Joomla! users groups for discussion purpose and taking guidance. Also, the Joomla! development team hold events in different parts of the countries. Like they celebrated Joomla! Day Norway 2010 on 5th June, 2010.
Joomla is quite an easy to use CMS. Joomla! is a great choice for website design and development. There would be no amaze if we have had missed out something about Joomla! that you can remind us of. Please feel free to share your experiences with us.