Wild Web West

The following information is provided as one of the default articles when I setup Joomla Content Management Systems (CMS) for my valued customers.  When installed, I typically delete all sample data to make room for the customers' website content. 

This article is extremely resourceful for those who are trying to decide on the correct approach to a new website presence or an upgrade from a static site to Joomla CMS.  It is one of the sample articles that Joomla Open Source professionals have included, for guidance on what makes Joomla so fundamentally WONDERFUL!!!

Personally, I began my love affair with Joomla back in April 08.  While I had tried other content programs in the past such as Drupal (not in my sack of tools any longer) and Wordpress.com (love this program, as it continues to evolve, but mostly use Wordpress for little mom/pop businesses who need a presence but don't have coins to spare), my very favorite Open Source application is obviously Joomla.   Since the April 2008 timeframe, I have installed, setup, custom designed and successfully launched over 15 CMS sites, and that list continues to grow.  I have just booked 3 new projects to convert sites from static uneditable websites to Joomla CMS editable and search engine friendly sites. 

My customers love it and find it easy to use, self publish and to provide their audience with fresh, relevant content on a regular basis.  Smart!  Thats why I'm taking time to write this article.  I want to provide prospective customers with the knowledge and information needed to make a decision.  Hire Wild Web West to create an attractive, custom designed, CMS site that is search engine friendly, editable, and offers the organization the opportunity to make a difference in their bottom line by really focusing on valuable content.  Not only do existing customers appreciate the ability to find information 24/7, but prospects can identify a company that is creating relevant content and positioning themselves as experts in their field.  BONUS!!

Beyond adding text through articles, blogs and such, there is still a learning curve with most folks,  when it comes to launching photos and other intriging elements.   The most compelling statement I can make is this:  by virtue of a CMS website, you do not automatically become a webmaster.  Webmasters do not have a magic wand or vulcan mind melt that enables you to suddenly do everything your web designer can.    While our society is bent on getting what it wants NOW,  I prefer the slow,  steady path where reality meets the pavement.  Focus on your business, become more proficient with the important steps of providing information, and in time, you will be doing so much more as a self publisher of content, than you did by sitting around with an old, static site that was never adorned with new content.  

If your organization would benefit from being able to self publish content for your target audience so as to enrich those relationships, converting web visitors to prospects and new customers, a Joomla CMS site can be the answer to your wishes, and will fit the need for a budget-minded approach to what appears to be a very tough year for most.   Where most of us our tightening up on expenses so that our ships operate more efficiently,  there will still be those who ignore all the signs and keep their heads in the sand. 

Tis the season for change.  Contact Wild Web West if you would like to discuss your web goals and obtain the details about getting your company positioned for 2009.  

Now I'd like to share some important information about Joomla.  This information is provided by the folks who participate in the development and continuing evolution of Joomla.

Out of the box, Joomla does a great job of managing the content needed to make your website sing. But for many people, the true power of Joomla! lies in the application framework that makes it possible for thousands of developers around the world to create powerful add-ons that are called extensions. An extension is used to add capabilities to Joomla! that do not exist in the base core code. Here are just some examples of the hundreds of available extensions:

• Dynamic form builders
• Business or organizational directories
• Document management
• Image and multimedia galleries
• E-commerce and shopping cart engines
• Forums and chat software
• Calendars
• Email newsletters
• Data collection and reporting tools
• Banner advertising systems
• Paid subscription services
• and many, many more

You can find more examples over at our growing Joomla! Extensions Directory. Prepare to be amazed at the amount of exciting work produced by our active developer community!

A useful guide to the extension site can be found at:
http://extensions.joomla.org/content/view/15/63/

Types of Extensions

There are five types of extensions:

• Components
• Modules
• Templates
• Plugins
• Languages

You can read more about the specifics of these using the links in the article table of contents (another useful feature of Joomla!) at the top right or by clicking on the next link below.

Components

A component is the largest and most complex of the extension types. Components are like mini-applications that renders the main body of the page. An analogy that might make the relationship easier to understand would be that Joomla! is a book and all the components are chapters in the book. The core content component (com_content), for example, is the mini-application that handles all core content rendering just as the core registration component (com_user) is the mini-application that handles user registration.

Many of Joomla's core features are provided by the use of default components such as:

• Contacts
• Front Page
• Newsfeeds
• Banners
• Mass Mail
• Polls
• RSS Syndication

A Component will manage data, set displays, provide functions and in general can perform any operation that doesn't fall under the general functions of the core code.

Components work hand in hand with Modules and Plugins to provide a rich variety of content display and functionality aside from the standard article and content display. Components make it possible to completely transform Joomla and greatly expand its capabilities.

More information on components is available from the Joomla! help manual: Components
http://help.joomla.org/content/view/77/153/