Misconception: Joomla is not user-friendly

In this short series of blog articles I'm going to talk about the misconceptions I've heard about Joomla in recent years. I try to assume the power of Joomla itself but will not be able to avoid making a comparison with other systems.

In this series I started with security and now I'm going to look at the usability of Joomla.

The first time you install a Joomla website you will be overloaded with features you do not know what to do with it. Components, modules, plugins, languages, templates ... I certainly don't want to say that Joomla is easy to learn. Especially if you previously worked with another system, such as Wordpress, then the transition to Joomla takes some getting used to.

The versatility of Joomla.

The power of Joomla puts it in the versatility. There is no one-size-fits-all concept and Joomla provides many features without you having to install separate plugins. This prevents a lot of searching, trying plugins, keeping all plugins up to date, etc. Some of the features that are included by default are:

• Article and category management
• Multilingualism
• Version management
• Custom Fields
• ACL (Rights Management)
• Tags
• Search and filtering
• SEO settings
• RSS integration
• 2 Factor Authentication
• Captcha in forms
• Email Cloak
• Updates in a single click
• Full control over the views

And so I could go on and on.

How do I make Joomla uncluttered?

1) Install as few extensions as possible.

Joomla is already complete enough on its own. Of course you can not avoid it when it comes to a good backup component or advanced module management but many extensions are unnecessary and with some logic you can also achieve without installing anything extra.

2) Remove an extension when you no longer use it.

Too often I come across websites with both Virtuemart and Hikashop installed with one of the 2 no longer used. Remove the extension and avoid confusion and careless mistakes!

3) Adjust the editor.

Whether you use TinyMCE or JCE editor, in both cases it is possible to remove all unnecessary buttons. This way, the person who has to enter a message always has a clear view of the options.

Customization in JCE editor is possible via Components > JCE Editor > Editor Profiles > "Features & Layout" tab.

For TinyMCE, this can be done via Extensions > Plugins > Editor - TinyMCE

4) Create your own administrator menu.

Besides the ability to create a menu for the frontend, from Joomla 3.7 you can also create your own backend menu. This will be a useful feature for developers who need to deliver a website for their client and want to keep the menu as simple as possible.

5) Or create a shortcut menu.

Is creating a completely new administrator menu too cumbersome. Then create a module in the backend with the most used functions. This way you can always switch from 1 screen directly to the right page. You can also use this place to show short instructions for the administrator.

6) Do not give users too many rights

With the Joomla ACL options you can set exactly what a user can do on the website. This way, you prevent unwanted actions from being performed accidentally.

7) Use custom fields

Custom Fields (or Custom Fields) is in my opinion the most powerful feature that Joomla has added to the CMS in recent years. For each article, user or category, an unlimited number of fields can be created that are easy for the end user to fill in. Combine it with an override or alternative layout (see below) and you get a beautiful result.

8) Use overrides and alternate layouts

By using overrides and alternate layouts, you can customize the view for your client without them having to change anything in code. This way they can add new items as they are used to, link to a specific category and the rest is done automatically.

I hope this has allowed me to show you that Joomla can certainly be user-friendly, but as with so many things, you have to put in the energy to make it happen.