Joomla!

Joomla (sometimes written Joomla! with an exclamation mark) is an open source CMS that allows you to create different types of websites: showcase sites, blogs, corporate portals, association sites, or even online stores with the right extensions.

It offers good flexibility while maintaining a clear structure, making it an attractive solution for projects that need a little more customization than WordPress can offer, without going as far as the complexity of Drupal.

Today, Joomla is clearly losing momentum, and fewer and fewer companies are using it to create new websites. However, many websites were created a few years ago using this CMS and now need bug fixes, updates, redesigns, or migration to another technology (CMS or framework).

Joomla is completely free and open source. This means that you can use it freely, modify it, and add any extensions you need. It is maintained by an active community, with regular updates, which helps keep your site secure and up to date over time.

With an open source CMS, you can "get your hands dirty" with the code. This is unlike a proprietary CMS such as Wix or Shopify, for example.

WordPress is very easy to learn, ideal for beginners or quick projects. Today, most websites in the world are created on WordPress, which is why I mention it here.

Drupal is more technical and suited to very complex projects. It is often compared to Joomla because it was widely used until 2015, and since then, both CMSs have been losing momentum.

Joomla falls somewhere in between. It offers good user rights management, more advanced content organization than WordPress, and a certain flexibility in its structure. It's a good alternative if you're looking for a robust CMS without going for a solution that's too heavy.

Joomla is still relevant today, especially if you already have some technical knowledge or if you have a project that requires more than just a blog. It is a little less popular than before, but it continues to evolve and can offer real stability.

You just need to be prepared to spend a little time getting to grips with it, especially if you are a beginner. And above all, get support from a developer (you can find our Joomla experts on this page).

Joomla takes a little longer to get to grips with than a CMS such as WordPress. The interface is feature-rich, which can seem a little technical at first.

That said, once you understand how it works, you can do a lot without necessarily knowing how to code. It is therefore better suited to users who are reasonably comfortable with web tools, or who have the support of a professional.

Content management in Joomla is based on a system of articles, categories, and modules. You can organize your pages in a very structured way, associate different types of content with different sections of the site, and display elements wherever you want using modules.

It's a little more technical at first compared to other CMSs such as WordPress or Webflow, but once you get the hang of it, it's a very effective system for managing a well-organized site.

You can completely customize the design of a Joomla site without touching the code by using ready-made templates. There are free and paid templates available, which you can then adapt from the admin panel: colors, fonts, layout, images, and more.

Some templates even include visual builders that make customization even easier. For a truly customized design, however, you will need some technical skills or the help of a developer.

In Joomla, a component is a main feature of the site (such as a blog, form, or gallery), while a module is used to display specific content in a specific location (menu, insert, slider, etc.).

It is this combination that allows you to build a flexible website, where you choose what you display and where you display it. There are hundreds of them, which you can easily add according to your needs.

Please note: On some CMSs, the word "module" is used to refer to plugins (extensions), but this is not the case on Joomla.

Joomla handles multilingual websites very well, without the need for external plugins. You can add multiple languages, create translated versions of your content, and configure a language selector for your visitors. Everything is built into the CMS, which is a real advantage if you are targeting an international audience.

The Joomla CMS already offers a number of features for natural referencing: customization of title and description tags, URL rewriting, alt tag management, sitemap, etc.

It is also possible to add extensions to go even further. With a good content structure and a few adjustments, you can achieve excellent SEO results with Joomla.

To secure your Joomla site, you must first and foremost keep it up to date: both the core CMS and the extensions. It is recommended to use strong passwords, restrict access to the administration area, and install a security plugin if necessary. Regular backups and a reliable host are also essential to avoid unpleasant surprises.

As Joomla is open source, it benefits from an active community that quickly publishes fixes in the event of a vulnerability.

It should be noted that Joomla is much less widely used today, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage for security:

• Advantage for security: Hackers have less incentive to look for vulnerabilities than on WordPress or PrestaShop (which are much more widely used), so there is less risk of hacking.
• Disadvantage for security: Joomla has a smaller community than before, so fixes may take longer to be implemented.

If you are looking for a professional to help you create, manage, or improve a Joomla site, you can hire a freelance Joomla expert on our BeFreelancr platform (above on this page).

You will find specialized profiles capable of assisting you with the creation, redesign, development of custom features, SEO optimization, and security of your website.

On BeFreelancr, you have access to a wide range of Joomla-related services: complete website creation, installation and configuration of extensions, template customization, setting up a multilingual website, maintenance, troubleshooting, security, and migration from another platform.

It's the perfect place to find an expert who understands your technical needs and can translate them into concrete solutions.

Joomla offers a good balance between power and flexibility. It is more structured than WordPress and less technical than Drupal, which places it in the middle.

Its advantages include detailed user management, a well-organized content system, and real scalability.

On the downside, the interface can seem a little dated or complex at first, and the community is smaller than that of WordPress, so there are sometimes fewer resources available.

My personal opinion is that if you have a Joomla site that works well, you can continue to develop it on this CMS. But if you have a site to create, other more modern solutions will probably be more interesting. Talk to our Joomla and other CMS experts.

It all depends on your project. If you're looking for something easier to get started with, WordPress may be a more accessible alternative. If you need a highly customized website, Drupal may be a good fit, provided you have the technical skills.

For more design-oriented or e-commerce sites, tools such as Webflow or Shopify may also be suitable. Joomla remains a good option if you are looking for a solid, well-structured solution that is not too cumbersome to manage.

Migrating a Joomla site to another CMS is entirely possible, but it requires a lot of preparation. It's not a simple copy-and-paste job: you have to retrieve the content, adapt it to the new system, sometimes review the site's organization, and recreate certain features.

This is a project that is best left to a professional if you want to avoid mistakes and keep your site clean and functional after the transition.