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Wordpress vs. Joomla...Anybody have experience with both?

by Instructor
20 replies
Hi,

A new client needs a site and I'm trying to decide between the two.

One thing for sure is that I don't want the site to have a blog look or a magazine style look either. Its for a business. He thinks the news/magazine style sites look too busy and the blog style sites look too boring. I need something in between.

The site needs to have a flash header at the top, a very clean layout with plenty of white space, good navigation, easy to use content cotrols (i.e. ability for content to publish/expire), cross browser capable, etc.

I know both platforms can do the above, but at first glance it seems like Joomla can produce better non-blog or news/magazine type sites. Are there any good examples of Wordpress templates for business?

Do WP templates use the same module position style layout that Joomla templates use? If so, any examples.

Also, which one is better for on-site SEO purposes?

I'm also taking into consideration how easy it will be for my client to update his site.

I'll probably outsource most of the project and at first glance it appears that its easier to find good WP freelancers than Joomla freelancers, but that's not going to be my final deciding factor.

I'm starting to fall behind on this project, so any assistance will be greatly appreciated.


Best,
James
#experience #joomlaanybody #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author Tofegorat
    Joomla is way more powerful in terms of customization,
    but obviously that comes with a sharper learning curve.
    It will take time to teach your client how to use it, and
    even then, if anything goes wrong its not likely they will
    be able to fix it themselves without help.

    I prefer it for the sites I make and manage, but if you're
    going to be handing it off to someone not as tech-savvy
    then wp may be a better option.

    If you have any Qs about Joomla though PM me. Ive been using
    it for years.
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    • Profile picture of the author Instructor
      Originally Posted by Tofegorat View Post

      Joomla is way more powerful in terms of customization,
      but obviously that comes with a sharper learning curve.
      It will take time to teach your client how to use it, and
      even then, if anything goes wrong its not likely they will
      be able to fix it themselves without help.

      I prefer it for the sites I make and manage, but if you're
      going to be handing it off to someone not as tech-savvy
      then wp may be a better option.

      If you have any Qs about Joomla though PM me. Ive been using
      it for years.
      Thanks. If I end up going with J! I'll take you up on that.
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  • Profile picture of the author WikiWarrior
    Hey James,

    I use both Joomla and Wordpress and it sounds like your client might prefer a typical Joomla site setup. I'm no expert on either but with Joomla you can get templates with lots of different module positions you can place around the site, so you can show the client different setups and have a nice clean look with cool menu navigation. The style is naturally more business-like or, more specifically, what they might be expecting to see. There is more of a learning curve with Joomla but I quite like it now that I've got used to it. Wordpress is definitely easier in terms of updating for someone not used to either. Check out YOOthemes for some cool templates and WOOthemes for Wordpress, two of my personal favourites. I'm hoping to get my first offline client soon so I can become a member of both.

    Hope that helps,
    Ethan
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    • Profile picture of the author JNFerree
      I like WP a lot for the ease of adding new content and once you add the right combo of plug-ins, load Google analytics and a few other basics, its a nice environment to work with. Still, I find that for the kind of scenario you're talking about, you might want to take 10-15 minutes and acquaint yourself with XSite Pro v2. Out of the box, you have more than enough SEO built-in and the feature/function set will satisfy 99% of the SMB's you will encounter. Their CEO sent me an email this week with an heads up on new version training, which might be timely for you as well.

      I know a guy who's been building killer Joomla sites for many years, yet he is moving his next phase to the WP world, for obvious reasons. You can track him down on Twitter @EquippingYou and ask him anything about Joomla and Dave's is one heck of a guy.
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      • Profile picture of the author Instructor
        Originally Posted by JNFerree View Post

        I like WP a lot for the ease of adding new content and once you add the right combo of plug-ins, load Google analytics and a few other basics, its a nice environment to work with. Still, I find that for the kind of scenario you're talking about, you might want to take 10-15 minutes and acquaint yourself with XSite Pro v2. Out of the box, you have more than enough SEO built-in and the feature/function set will satisfy 99% of the SMB's you will encounter. Their CEO sent me an email this week with an heads up on new version training, which might be timely for you as well.

        I know a guy who's been building killer Joomla sites for many years, yet he is moving his next phase to the WP world, for obvious reasons. You can track him down on Twitter @EquippingYou and ask him anything about Joomla and Dave's is one heck of a guy.
        Thanks. Do you know why he's switching?
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  • Profile picture of the author Glenn Grundberg
    It sounds like Joomla! will be the way to go here based on the parameters you've described. I do both Joomla, WP, and now Magento, and they are all good for certain venues, it just depends on what the goal is.

    Is he selling online or using the site as an informational and lead gathering platform?
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    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      Both can do well with SEO.

      Joomla! involves a lot more set up and customization, and is not as easy as WP has become in adding plugins, etc.

      As for a template that can look less magazine like and has a lot of template options is WP Remix.

      Tutorial here will show you how the home page can look very different from the blog:

      Video Tutorial: How to Create a Custom Home Page | WP Remix - WordPress Premium Theme

      From someone who has done both, Joomla! will be a greater learning curve and likely will take you longer to set up.

      Good luck deciding!
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    • Profile picture of the author Instructor
      Originally Posted by Glenn Grundberg View Post

      It sounds like Joomla! will be the way to go here based on the parameters you've described. I do both Joomla, WP, and now Magento, and they are all good for certain venues, it just depends on what the goal is.

      Is he selling online or using the site as an informational and lead gathering platform?

      Its a non-profit, so no he won't be selling, but he will be lead gathering.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ehsan_am
    Joomla is ok for such a project but I would only use joomla for a community site or a news/magazine like website. It has a very busy look and is defienetly not good for a simple clean business web site that might just need some updating time to time. I suggest MODX. it's a CMS that can integrate any form of HMTL/CSS template and can be very easy to handle. MODX is even easy to use on your client's end while Joomla will require some learning ( how to post/where to post/ What module to use etc).
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    • Profile picture of the author Glenn Grundberg
      Originally Posted by Ehsan_am View Post

      Joomla is ok for such a project but I would only use joomla for a community site or a news/magazine like website. It has a very busy look and is defienetly not good for a simple clean business web site that might just need some updating time to time. I suggest MODX. it's a CMS that can integrate any form of HMTL/CSS template and can be very easy to handle. MODX is even easy to use on your client's end while Joomla will require some learning ( how to post/where to post/ What module to use etc).
      Nonsense. Joomla! is Infinitely customizable- it can look however you like, and once the front end and section/category/menu structure is set up, it's a piece of cake to add content. It's also excellent for SEO purposes (with the right template).

      Now don't get me wrong, MODx is an outstanding platform as well, and may indeed be "The Future Of CMS" as we know it, but it's still very young, and requires more of a "developer" mindset than does Joomla at this point, IMHO.

      And as far as clients needing some hand-holding, that's just fine with me! Sure, they may need some training, and maybe some help from time to time...

      But the OP Sells Services, as do I- get my drift? :p

      Peace!

      Gman
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      • Profile picture of the author Instructor
        Originally Posted by Glenn Grundberg View Post

        Nonsense. Joomla! is Infinitely customizable- it can look however you like, and once the front end and section/category/menu structure is set up, it's a piece of cake to add content. It's also excellent for SEO purposes (with the right template).

        Now don't get me wrong, MODx is an outstanding platform as well, and may indeed be "The Future Of CMS" as we know it, but it's still very young, and requires more of a "developer" mindset than does Joomla at this point, IMHO.

        And as far as clients needing some hand-holding, that's just fine with me! Sure, they may need some training, and maybe some help from time to time...

        But the OP Sells Services, as do I- get my drift? :p

        Peace!

        Gman
        Glenn, what Joomla templates do you recommend for SEO purposes and overall ease of use with powerful built in-features?
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    • Profile picture of the author Instructor
      Originally Posted by Ehsan_am View Post

      Joomla is ok for such a project but I would only use joomla for a community site or a news/magazine like website. It has a very busy look and is defienetly not good for a simple clean business web site that might just need some updating time to time. I suggest MODX. it's a CMS that can integrate any form of HMTL/CSS template and can be very easy to handle. MODX is even easy to use on your client's end while Joomla will require some learning ( how to post/where to post/ What module to use etc).
      Never heard of MODX, will have to give it a look...thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author FreshMedia
    Personally I think WP is a great CMS, but I'm getting tired of seeing so many identical or nearly identical looking sites. If you really want to build professional sites you can extend to almost any level go with Drupal.

    There is a steep learning curve, but it's well worth it. I've been using Drupal for about a year and I can put together almost any kind of website. My clients love how easy it is to update content. It's also great with SEO.
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    • Profile picture of the author Marty S
      I have sites in both formats and will continue to build more in both because each has its own advantages.

      As a general guideline, I use WP for sites that I drip content into, and generally do not put my name on. They are excellent for auto-blogging and building some internet real estate.

      I use Joomla! platform when I do have my name and reputation on the site and the content will be added by me or someone else. In other words, these sites are full of original, legitimate content and are my LEAD sites for lack of a better term.

      IMHO your client will be MUCH better off using a Joomla! platform due to original content and the ability to easily add content themselves. There may be a slightly longer learning curve but its not nearly as tough as WP users will claim.

      Even if you do find it difficult, there hundreds of Indian programmers who love to set up Joomla! sites for like $50.

      Also, with all the WP blogs going down to hackers, it might not be a good idea to install this on behalf of a client right now. In regards to Joomla! security I wrote about a couple of lock-down features here:

      http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...tml#post738858
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      • Profile picture of the author Instructor
        Originally Posted by Marty S View Post

        I have sites in both formats and will continue to build more in both because each has its own advantages.

        As a general guideline, I use WP for sites that I drip content into, and generally do not put my name on. They are excellent for auto-blogging and building some internet real estate.

        I use Joomla! platform when I do have my name and reputation on the site and the content will be added by me or someone else. In other words, these sites are full of original, legitimate content and are my LEAD sites for lack of a better term.

        IMHO your client will be MUCH better off using a Joomla! platform due to original content and the ability to easily add content themselves. There may be a slightly longer learning curve but its not nearly as tough as WP users will claim.

        Even if you do find it difficult, there hundreds of Indian programmers who love to set up Joomla! sites for like $50.

        Also, with all the WP blogs going down to hackers, it might not be a good idea to install this on behalf of a client right now. In regards to Joomla! security I wrote about a couple of lock-down features here:

        http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...tml#post738858
        Thanks Marty. Any Joomla programmers/designers that you've personally worked with that you can recommend?
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  • Profile picture of the author spartanic
    from my own personal experience Wordpress totally kicks Joomla's butt. Joomla is such a headache to work with. To create a category or articles you have to go so deep into the menus to make them work, you have to activate things here and there, etc. such a headache. Wordpress is like a breath of fresh air.

    With wordpress you can get going right away, with Joomla you'll definitely need to read their instruction manuals.
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  • Profile picture of the author 12holger34
    If your client is looking for a website with a shopping basket, I would go for www.fastcommerce.com. It´s free up to 50 Products.
    Easy to handle and adding new products with content. I am using this plattform for www.finefoodoasis.com since 1 year. Have a look at it.
    Maybe that is the right tool for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Instructor
    Thanks, but its not an ecommerce site. Its for a non-profit organization.
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetMarketingIQ
    I use both. Check out the templates at JoomlaShack as site examples.

    Joomla has week commenting if you want to make your site interactive. I was using a well known plugin for commenting... worked great, except it also generated a ton of 404 errors in the Google Webmaster site... due to session ID's.

    Joomla is very easy to manipulate data once you learn how it works. This is a struggle for WordPress as content is date stamped and there are no plugins I know of that make it easy to reorder data in so many ways - win for Joomla there.

    I have had no real problems ranking with either platform. You shouldn't hage too much trouble teaching someone how to add content to either platform.
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  • Profile picture of the author xbokcom
    James here is the platforms I will choose.

    Drupal + Wordpress + Joomla

    All the best.
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