When it comes to site-building, users may find themselves lost in choosing the web content management system between the two – Joomla! or WordPress. What makes the choice difficult is the fact that these CMS giants possess more similarities than difficulties.
However, there are certain key points to focus on in order to choose the tool that would be right for you:
- the type of website you’re building,
- the degree of customisation you’re going to need for your website,
- your level of knowledge in site administration or web development.
Depending on how you answer the above questions, you’ll be able to choose the CMS which would best satisfy your requirements. So, consider the key features of two CMS under revision to ease the decision making process.
WordPress
Objectively, it’s the most popular CMS with almost 55% share on the CMS market according to WebTechology Surveys.
It’s major advantages are:
- User-friendly interface– basically, even with minimum or no HTML knowledge, you’ll quickly get the hang of it.
- Smallest learning curve – WordPress is made in the way that allows to master it most quickly for anyone willing to learn.
- Rich out-of the box features – WP base install works great even with no additional plugins and tweaking, especially for blogs and small websites.
- Plenty of customisation opportunities – if you’re willing to add more functionality to your website, numerous widgets and plugins will do the job, plus their installation is easy.
- Built-in SEO – WP is extremely SEO friendly, and this is the Google’s favourite CMS. You won’t get your site listed in Google in 2 days unless this is a WordPress site. Why? Ask Google.
Disadvantages:
- WP script – this platform uses its own script, which may be an issue for advanced users who are willing to implement their scripting skills.
- CSS knowledge required – for those reluctant to use ready-made themes, creating their own design may be problematic unless they know how to use CSS.
- Possible speed issue – plugins add up to the functionality of the website, and to the page loading times, too. So, steer clear of the ones you don’t absolutely require.
Joomla!
Possessing 9% market share, Joomla! also has a large audience and leaves other competitors far behind.
Its advantages are as follows:
- Easy-to-use – you don’t require extensive knowledge to administer the site, however, comparing to WordPress, it is more confusing.
- Friendly for various types of users – Joomla! can be tweaked and customized with the help of certain knowledge, so it’s interesting for developers and designers apart from non-technical users.
- Extensive community support – you’ll be able to find answers to all your ‘how to’s’ plus get multiple add-ons, widgets and themes developed by other members.
- Advanced functionality – Joomla! allows building websites with different levels of complexity and complex navigation, however, it is not a piece of cake for a newbie.
Disadvantages:
- Handling visitors – Joomla websites tend to break under the load of over 50 000 visitors a day.
- Resource consuming – in comparison to other CMSs, Joomla requires more server resources and its sites are usually slower.
- Not SEO friendly – out-of-the box install doesn’t include SEO, you’re going to need a plugin to make it work.
Conclusion
In this CMS battle, there are no ultimate winners or losers. However, if you’re willing to spend less time on site administration and save your efforts, WP would be the best choice.
If this is otherwise with you for now, it is not a problem to migrate Joomla to WordPress. With the new online service aisite, you can import your data to WordPress in a few easy steps.
Switching to WordPress is easy and readily available – so what else are you waiting for? Go to aisite.com and catch this opportunity before it expires!
