Building websites using static web pages becomes unwieldy once the content starts to add up. They are also often difficult to update. Finding content on the site is harder since a static site usually doesn't have a search function.
Another big problem with a static website is the navigation. When you need to add another navigation button to introduce a new section or category to your site you generally have to rebuild the entire navigation system for the whole site just to accommodate the new section. For this reason alone a content management system like Joomla! makes much more sense to use.
Joomla! is a powerful yet easy to use open source content management system to build websites. It is one of the most popular web site software available. But what is an open source content management system?
Open source software can be described as software that is developed by peer-based collaboration and generally released as open-source software. Open source software is usually free from licensing fees associated with commercial software.
Good open source software like Joomla! is developed and constantly improved by highly skilled individuals volunteering their time to work together for the benefit of everyone who uses the software. The source code of the software is available for everyone to examine so you can know exactly what you are getting as opposed to commercial software which is not open to scrutiny. Since the software is open many developers can create components and extensions to greatly enhance the functionality of a website. Commercial software can be very expensive to achieve the same capabilities that good open source software like Joomla! affords you.
A content management system for a website is a system whereby the HTML for the pages is created dynamically by scripts run from the server as needed. You don't have multiple HTML pages sitting on the server waiting to be viewed. The content of the website is stored as text in a database and is separate from the design. This gives you the ability to create and manage much more content faster than you possibly could using static pages. You can also change the design of the site without disrupting the content and even have different 'themes' or looks for different parts of your website. Adding sections and categories along with new navigation for your site is simple. You can even reorganize your site's content handily and all content is searchable. Content management systems like Joomla! allow users to add and edit the content without needing to know HTML or have technical expertise in Web design.
Making your website look great is so easy with Joomla! There are an abundance of professionally designed themes, many are free, that you can use with your site. Themes can be used as is or even modified to give your site a unique look or conform to your graphic brand as needed. The money that you save on development of a website by using a system like Joomla! can be put into graphics and content for your site.
Best of all, there is a very large and active community of Joomla! volunteers and users willing to exchange information about how to do just about anything that you need to do with your website. So what are you waiting for? Why don't you download a copy of Joomla! from joomla.org. While you are there visit the forums and introduce yourself to the Joomla! community. In just a short time you'll be on your way to becoming a webmaster superhero!