12 Pros and Cons of Joomla

Joomla! is what is known as a content management system [CMS]. It is used to help developed websites so that the content on the site can be managed quickly and easily. The goal is to give the average person on the internet some advanced tools to use to create a design which meets specific needs. Does it succeed with its efforts? Here are the pros and cons of Joomla! to consider today.

What Are the Pros of Joomla?

1. It is an open-source platform.
Users are allowed to freely modify and distribute code from this platform without worry because of its open-source nature. This means there are no licensing fees involved with the sharing of information. It’s a community-driven platform instead of being a profit-driven platform.

2. It is capable of supporting e-commerce.
There are several extensions available for this platform that will support e-commerce. This means most users will be able to manage their content and their inventory in the same place instead of needing multiple platforms to run simultaneously.

3. It is extremely easy to edit.
If you can write a blog post, then you can edit the structure and content of your website on this platform. The feeling is more akin to a word processing program than a coding program. This added familiarity helps more people be able to work on the creative side of their online presence instead of worrying about how many code commands they’ve been able to learn.

4. It is still useful for developers as well.
This platform might be designed to give the average person a few advanced content management tools, but that doesn’t mean developers won’t find it useful. The learning curve is fairly low with this platform, so as long as you’re familiar with an entry-level system like WordPress, you’ll be able to understand and then utilize what Joomla! can do in a relatively short amount of time.

5. There is plenty of support available.
Because this is an open-source platform, there are plenty of support tools available from the community for those who have questions. There are also plenty of tutorials available for first-time users and a very active discussion board.

6. It’s easy to take advantage of internet marketing strategies.
Because this platform is so easy to use and edit, it becomes possible to adapt to the fast-changing world of search engine optimization and other forms of internet marketing. Even if that isn’t a personal worry, Joomla! will still make a great looking website.

What Are the Cons of Joomla?

1. It is an open-source platform.
platforms like Drupal, Joomla! might still be a little too much for some folks. This may make it difficult for some people to incorporate their custom designs right away. With a time investment to learn the platform, this negative can be removed, but time is just as valuable as money when talking about taking a website live.

2. There are only a few additional modules available.
This platform has a rather limited marketplace when it comes to adding modules to your site. You can certainly still customize your site fairly easily, but it can be difficult to find something specific that you need and be able to install and maintain it immediately like you can with WordPress.

3. It can place a greater demand on your server resources.
If a website receives thousands of unique hits per day and has multiple pages that must remain live, then this platform can have an awfully large demand on your server parameters. This platform is more of a mid-sized option for those who want to have a professional site and good CMS options.

4. You must navigate through paid plugins.
Unlike Drupal or WordPress, there are several paid plugins and modules that are available for this platform. Sometimes there are free scripts available to users in addition to paid ones. Beginning users might find themselves paying for something before realizing that they could obtain what they needed for free in some other script.

5. Adjustment options are rather limited.
This platform has several templates, modules, and plugins available to it, but some users may find that there just isn’t enough to create the exact experience desired. There is strength in its complexity, especially with its deep navigation options, but some may need a platform that is even stronger.

6. There can be some compatibility issues.
Some of the plugins for this platform can have some frustrating compatibility issues. Unless you dig into the PHP code to make changes, it may be difficult for some to gain access to the full functionality of their desired plugin.

The pros and cons of Joomla show that this platform can give you some advanced CMS tools for a great looking site. Take a look to see if you can manage the potential negatives and then get to work creating your next site.