Configuration of Complex Joomla CMS and CRBM Platforms

Joomla is a powerful framework for delivering Complex web portals. With over 4700 extensions and counting, the largest developer network in the world and the most user friendly interface has made the award winning Joomla CMS the fastest growing open source CMS project perhaps in the world. With millions of users and enthusiasts from all around the globe and a low cost of entry this is quickly becoming the dominant content management system (CMS) for small businesses (SMB's) and even larger enterprises and institutions.  We compared Joomla vs Drupal and Joomla vs Wordpress which are other worthy technologies but Joomla seemed for us to be the best overall platform for recommending to our customers. As Joomla integrators and Joomla Component Developers we deliver complex Joomla configurations for a wide variety of customers. Joomla is a perfect framework for the micro small business owner that needs training and mentoring to work independently on building their web empire as well as the small business enterprise with complex Joomla configuration needs. 

There are several layers in deploying a Joomla CMS project.

• Planning and content architecture
• Template Design and graphics
• Components and Configurations
• User experience
• Customer Programming
• Legacy System Integrations
• SEO and Marketing
• Joomla User Training
• Ongoing Technical Support

Just to name a few... With any technology there are different points of entry depending on the experience and technical aptitude of the humans interacting with the system, the technical and business process requirements and the overall dynamics of the organization implementing the particular solution. We (our CNP Consultants) try to help folks "Get the most value out of their technology investment". Yea you will see this in our marketing but this is much more than hype. Value can be the key to success or failure.  Among the biggest mistakes we have seen folks make and even made ourselves are:

Common Mistake #1

Just because you can do something with technology does not always make it practical.

I have personally implemented many powerful tools that accomplish their intended functionality but they actually never get used to their full potential by the end customers. While these were fun for us to build as developers and to see something cool that works, it did not really serve any of us well since our clients customers do not use them and thus they have a significant investment they are net getting a return on and thus until this first investment is paid for they are not all that excited to engage us to build more stuff.

The key here is determining first the business priorities of the project and then making sure everyone is listening to the needs of the end customer or user. Hey sometime folks build web tools just for themselves. I know I often post blog articles with a lot of links I want to not only share but also refer back to and we put plenty of tools online that we want to use ourselves as much as we want to and share with our customers.  Just make sure you are clear why you are doing something and assess if it is going to deliver the right return on your investment.

Stay focused on what your customers are saying and what will yield the greatest return.

Technology implementation can be a never ending pit you throw money into, something that my father used to say about owning a luxury boat. If you are building your site for the shear ego of having a beautiful site with all kinds of creative features and functionality, have at it and of course we love to work with entrepreneurs with big ideas. However, like any relationship and any good investment a long term strategy is often much more practical. Our consulting customers get good advice about products and services that can grow their business or allow them to continue to get value from their investments. I have seen folks to often go for a quick sell and end up with dysfunctional customer relationships that ultimately cost more than the profit you made in the first place. Ask yourself many questions including "Is what I am doing today going to matter a year from now"? If you ask the right questions up front this can help you get the most out of your initiatives.

Technology is a moving target

One of the many reasons we got behind the Joomla CMS project as a core competency was because it was open source which offered freedom and scalable options for solving the greatest amount of business problems.  We took the gamble from the trends in the market place that Joomla would continue to grow with features and stability and that the developer community would continue to be attracted to the Joomla framework thus building more confidence in the market place. With a scalable platform that is built on open source code for use was great since we wanted to work with technology that sold itself and that we could support and expand upon it to meet the needs of the types of customers we wanted to attract.  Any kind of dynamic web portal project is a moving target and often needs to change course in mid stream. You have to keep good forward momentum yet listen to the trends in the marketplace so you can sail into the wind effectively. An innovative and scalable open source platform like Joomla is a perfect foundation for meeting this challenge.

But wait there is more...

A couple years ago, after a good year of working with Joomla we were looking for solutions that could actually help us build an all-in-one web based framework for managing our business in a Virtual Office Environment (everything accessible on the web). This is when after trying and implementing several CRM and project management tools ranging from SugarCRM to MS Project to SharePoint we found Info@hand CRBM. This was the perfect platform since it was open source code base and integrated with the Joomla CMS and QuickBooks. Now after 3 years of connecting the dots we have a powerful web infrastructure with "Complete transaction life cycle management" and "Customer Relationship Business Management". Very very very cool platform... we love it and so do many of the customers we have introduced to it. Though this system is also wired up with the DimDim.com conferencing and collaboration suite it also fills many gaps in client customer collaboration. These types of regular new innovations continue to add low cost of entry tools and value to the small business.

Sounds complicated but it is also very simple if you have time as your friend

What we have learned as "early adopters" is that there is much more to it than the technology if you are going to be successful. Complex Joomla Integrations are getting simpler as this platform evolves. The old carpenters saying get the right tool for the right job is very good advice.  Since there are so many tools now in our toolbox and we fully understand how they all can work together I know I can start talking about it and it does not take long to get that "deer in the headlights look" from a prospect. The trick here is making sure we establish a clear roadmap and strategy for implementing technologies that will bring the greatest reward to your business and value to our customers. This takes time and effort to get it right and should be done early on in your process.

Common Mistake #2

Just because you have the technology does not mean you should implement it.

The second most challenging aspect of implementing a complicated project is the thought process of "let's do it all at once".  I have often had clients that want to load up their sites with a ton of components and then they want to throw these new features out to their customers or workforce all at once. Well this is a huge horse pill that never gets swallowed. Hate to say it but until recently I have been guilty of this myself. There is a fine line between "Build it and they will come" and "Here take a bite and let me know if you like it".

Remember this is all about relationship management

I remember back in my days of dating that it only takes one or two words to "turn off" and scare someone away. Essentially this is a similar process we go through for attracting customers. While you want to make sure what you are presenting is honest and has substance you do not want to overload, overwhelm folks with more information than they are particularly interested in at the moment. You also want to put out information and web tools in a way that they want to have them presented. As in listen well and be a good conversationalist. Such is the case even more now with the Social Technology boon. I used to say "it is not hard to fall in love since people are impulsive by nature but the real challenge is falling in love with the right one". The same is true with technology. It can be easy to get excited about some new features and want to add them right away to your site just because they are cooler than the site next door. However,  every time you push something new out it may distract or turn off your customers.

In relationships of any kind they are best nurtured over time. Deploying technology is a complex multi dimensional relationship. Moving too fast has greater risk of failure for everyone involved. You actually have several relationships and processes that need careful consideration over time:

• Solutions: Customer Needs - Business Process Need - Technology Implementation
• Relationships: Vendor Teams - Client Teams - Customers

In Conclusion work smarter with a good plan

Plan carefully and gather the right information about your customers and how technology can get you the best results as it relates to your business strategy. Make sure you deploy solutions over time with good the right vendors and the right customers. These systems have enough complexity that you have to really keep your eye on the ball or you can and will often times fail. None of us want to waste time or money and the wrong decision in this economy could cost you business. Before you travel anywhere it is a good idea to get directions, a map or invest in a GPS. Why would you not want to invest in good quality consulting to help guide you along the path of implementing technology?

 

Value Builder Methodology

We have since built consulting practices to address these two common mistakes folks make with complex technology implementations. Yea sure we have to be geeks and able to wire all this stuff up and yes we do this well but the trick to getting value out of your technology is much more that the groovy tools we can dish out.  With a few exceptions, most of the technology these days is all ready built and what that means is there is a greater need for configuration and being able to map the humans with the technology in a way that will allow you to stay focused on your priorities. Just start asking yourself questions like: What actions will give the best long term results? What will put out the fires of tomorrow before they start? How can I make this profitable to my company and add unique benefits to my customers?This should help get you on the right path.

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The following is a press release that goes out today and tomorrow. We are excited about this program since it helps us give our new CRM customers (Small Businesses) an easy low risk point of entry. It will also help us demonstrate our value, expertise and better understand where we can help our customers the most. The Launch pad program will provide in-depth information for a small upfront investment that can save customers a significant amount of money. The program begins with evaluation and works through to a rapid deployment process based on CNP's  needs alignment process and value building methodology. Customers can either avoid purchasing the wrong technologies or failures from deploying infrastructures and new processes without clear focus on value to the organization.

We are looking forward to your questions and discussion as we continue to build success stories for growing small businesses.

Small Business launch pad program for CRBM Platform offers substance to the Value Equation

Boston MA, July 20th

CNP Integrations announced today the introduction of its new Small Business CRBM Launch Pad Program. This service and consulting support bundle is built off of CNP's proven success model; The Value Builder Program (VBP), a strategic, tailored planning methodology for businesses integrating virtual technology, designed with proven practices for success. "Setting your priorities and focus up front will help you better manage the results and expectations of your technology implementations" says Chris Nielsen CEO/General Manager for CNP Integrations. The CRBM Launch Pad program is based on the concept that significant cost savings and increased sales, along with improved customer and market relations, equate to greater profits and business value. Defined as the SMB CRBM Launch Pad Program, CNP is offering blended learning/consulting/technical support programs that include consulting, software solutions and training. These programs are designed to offer small businesses a cost effective way to deploy CRBM Technologies. By evaluating and mapping business processes with organizational needs and technology features to create an optimized deployment strategy provides an opportunity for guaranteed success.

The program comes in three distinct flavors;

1.     The CRBM Kick Start System,

2.     The CRBM Jump Start System

3.     The CRBM Rapid Deployment System.

Each of the three targeted technology alignment tracks is a tiered point of entry tailored to the needs of businesses eager to see rapid results with deploying Customer Relationship and Business Management solutions. This program pairs the human dynamics of your small business with the priority requirements to get your set up, configured and aligned with a proven success program. These programs can be delivered succinctly in a phased approach or as a standalone deployment launch program. It all depends on the size and expertise within your company. "We have found that CRM systems in general are often complicated in nature and companies often try to take on to much all at once when they deploy CRM. Essentially we have taken these lessons learned and turned them in to affordable solutions for business owners. We offer what SMB's need to launch a turnkey program that aligns the people with the technology successfully at a price point that maximizes their investment."

The Launch Pad Program is three unique deployment packages built around CNP's unique Value Builder Methodology. The VBM is a series discovery steps delivered in one-on-one workshops where clients and subject matter experts translate a proven methodology into a plan specific for the client's needs. The main goal is to build value and improve the return on investment for the targeted technologies. The strategic planning process will address an integrated approach including management consulting, IT solutions, product training and support services. Value Builder Program is a structured approach that will take your team through an in-depth evaluation and strategic planning process to define a solid roadmap. This is a hands on consulting experience tailored to a business's specific needs and goals which provides a working integrations plan. Based on this roadmap CNP configures a custom support contract based on your CRBM platform design, and offers this on a low cost monthly retainer fee vs. large upfront costs.

Download a brochure and other information at: http://consulting.cnpintegrations.com

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Who doesn't like to hear themselves speak?

Fifteen years ago or so I was introduced to the Myers Briggs personality testing and found out that as part of my personality type I tend to start talking and as the conversation and blurting of ideas comes out I am able to better formulate ideas and validate more of my beliefs. Good or bad in some settings but perhaps I am one of those guys that likes to hear themselves talk. Well, the joy of a blog is I can usually do this in a couple drafts and spare you the bulk of the bla bla bla... Ok so why am I telling you this story? ...well it occurred to me that this is essentially the same thing Social CRM or web 2.0 and Social Media is doing but on a much grander scale. The blogosphere started this with an often strong opinionated writer posting articles for others to comment on and discuss. I love Linkedin.com and I engage there in several conversations with likeminded experts quite often. It is always fun when someone throws a little red meat into the debate and stirs the emotion. With twitter, social portals, rich media sites like Youtube and UStream etc. and the new promise of Google's WAVE and many other emerging technologies, I think we are seeing even more blurt it our discussion that will eventually shape broader opinions. It has already had a big influence on world politics and social trends but I think we are at the very beginning.

Interesting facts: Twitter grew a massive 1,928 percent in the US from June ’08 to June ’09, now reaching a total of 21 million monthly unique visitors. acebook, which Nielsen recently reported sucks up more time than any other website, leads all social networking sites with 87.3 million unique visitors in June.

Power to the people

This "Green Technology Revolution" of Social CRM or as I have been coining it "Customer Conversation Management = CCM" will bread a new generation of transparency , "power to the people" and consensus opinions. I am sure there will be plenty of sheep and wolves in the mix but in general I think folks already trust a more real conversation with less "slick" production value. Not that we should degenerate our messages or deliver poor quality media to communicate with our customers but they will be looking more for the honesty, emotion and compelling information in your message vs the slick presentation.  I think the days of the snake oil salesman are over since with this transparency it will be hard to get away with not delivering the best possible customer service or pulling off bait and switch transactions. Overall the customers have access to more information and will more and more over time dictating the terms of the transaction since they have instant access to global competition. This is going to push vendors to be more proactive in delivering value and honing their knowledge resources to provide the best possible customer engagement. This is a good opportunity for CRM venders since small and large businesses alike will need these tools to ride the wave and keep track of everything in a centralized web space.

The customer has the answers already

Getting back to my point about the conversation, my wife just took a coaching/mentoring class and I interact with a lot of coaches daily online and via the phone. One of the things a good coach or councilor does is to get you talking about your pains and troubles. They realize that you actually have the answers to your own challenges and if they can guide you and get you to convince yourself of the best solutions or what you need to do to achieve them, then they achive success. In turn this means that they will have delivered to you a service of value.  Social media is much like these therapy sessions if you use them right.

Why is twitter and Social CRM important to me?

I often get asked "what is twitter? I don't get it! Why do I want to hear about when someone goes to the mall or gets a cup of coffee?". Well let me give you an example. I started on twitter to promote our blog. What I wanted to do is not have a conversation with myself and unless you are wired up with some kind of networking group essentially a blog can be a very lonely place. So I started posting ideas here for review and sent tweets out to let folks know the information was here. Cool so not some folks are reading the blog but how does this add value to my business. Well I think in this socially aware globalized world we live in that folks are getting very tired of sales pitches. I know I am.

Back to the future... and you find get to the basics

Think about how business was done in the old days. You would join a social club, find out how you could network with folks in the club to build a relationship with a customer and then you would try to win their trust or get an endorsement and usually if you had the product or service they needed you could be on their priority list for engagement. Humm... sound familiar? Is this not what linked in and other social networking communities do? More and more I think we will see paradigm shifts on how Chambers and other associations or business groups interact with their constituents.

More than listening with a glass against the wall

With twitter we are having micro conversations with a larger more casual audience and brining them if interested into a conversation of more depth and meaning. Then if they are further interested we are able to engage in a more personal conversation via phone or email exchange. Then we go through somewhat of a Value Building proposition or needs assessment and the quality of the relationship right out of the shoot is much stronger and more meaningful.  The next step is to deliver on our promises and with this we have a better chance of healthy loyal customer relationships.

Customer Conversation Management

If we were to equate this to our personal relationships, think about the dating scene as the advertising world. We slick up our product and go to a night club to show off our wears... (push our product) then we hope there is an attraction and we connect. This often leads to a superficial or short lived relationship but rarely a long term meaningful engagement. Are not the best relationships start as friends and are built on trust and compassionate listening?

On the other hand with the right web tools and social network a dating portal can connect you with likeminded folks and in many ways prescreen your candidates. All you sales guru's surly appreciate more qualified leads to begin your conversation with. So when you look at Social CRM we are essentially talking about tools that manage the conversations that manage the relationships we want to build with our customers. I like to call this "Customer Conversation Management" or "CCM" of you like acronyms.

Do you need a new partner?

Since you have now read this article I have to ask if you want to join our conversation. My hope is that you will appreciate what we are saying and can contribute and share your ideas. If together we can form a consensus perhaps in the future we can talk about where we could add value to your business goals.

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Are you ready for your future customers?

Over the past few months I have been giving a lot of thought about who our customers are and will be in the future. What is it they want and need most? Kind of ironic sine the past three years we have been doing this and thought we finally had it nailed. Well the biggest lesson I have learned is that providing what a customer wants is a bit of a science and can often be predictable but delivering what they need is a moving target and not so predictable.

Since we work in the customer relationship and engagement space we have to not only set an example for customer experience but we have to help guide folks on ways they can use our CRBM Platform to harness theirs. I have been reluctant in the past to build "service packages" since we are a service provider and do not for the most part sell products. However, what I have found is that the number one thing our customers need is value. The question has been how can we deliver value in a way that those new to these technologies can understand while delivering it in a model that is easy to embrace.Thus we launched a series of Kick start progeams and value building initiatives. This is what our customers were asking for.

Welcome to the Value Builder Methodology:

“If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” - Yogi Berra 

We have seen the buzz in the CRM world to be all around building value for the customer so here are some key steps we take in our new Value Builder programs.

1. The first questions we have to ask are what are your biggest pains and what are the biggest hurdles for increasing your sales potential.
2. Then we have to clearly identify your priorities and map them to the required technologies that can increase efficiency and achive business goals.
3. Then we have to identify and configure what technology can meet the desired results.
4. Then we have to integrate the people and processes with the new technology.
5. Then we have to follow-up with alignment and support solutions designed to  help you navigate through the bumps in the road.

There are often additional steps in the process but part of the planning with this kind of Value Building Methodology is the fact we customize a specific plan for each customer.

Smaller business units will drive efficiency and change the landscape forever:

Some projects involving many stake holders require much more in-depth documentation and a more traditional approach. This slows down the process and makes the implementation much more challenging. Breaking down a horse pill into smaller bite sizes makes anything much easier to digest. One big advantage with smaller businesses or business units is their ability to respond in a collaborative real time process. This can not only significantly increase the efficiency in execution and improve the return on your investment but it can allow you to better target an action plan that meets the dynamics for your work group and untimely better service to your customers. I think as enterprises realize this and have to respond to the downturn in the economy and combined with the trends of social media dictating customer expectations you will find redefined business models that will have smaller divisions acting as smaller companies within a larger company umbrella.

The changing tide will wash surprises up on the beach.

Since well before the big melt down and shift in US politics we have been seeing some dramatic changes in the way customers are choosing vendors.

• It is harder to win loyalty
• There is a longer venting process
• Customer are in control of engagement
• They are eager to embrace next generation tools
• Building Value is key to successful relationship
• Consolidation and efficiency is in big demand
• Customers are cautions due to uncertain future in the marketplace

Greater opportunity will be there for those prepared when spending loosens and the economy gains momentum in an upturn. If you can make a solid case for delivering value and quality to your customer while providing a complete and emotional experience with your customers you will be prepared for the relationship. If you embrace and develop business processes and efficient business units that can leverage a Customer Relationship Business Management system or CRBM Platform of technologies you will be prepared to successfully respond and manage your new and existing relationships. Simply put having an aligned business strategy combined with the tools to effectively execute the strategy will be the formula for success with the customers of tomorrow in an ever changing economy.

Let’s start a conversation

The new customer relationship management wave is Socail CRM and what I  like to call "Customer Conversation Management" or CCM.  If used right these tools can be a roadmap to meet your next generation of customers. What we have found to be a great resource for gathering customer information and insight was to use social media tools blended with a CRM strategy and other web technologies to engage in ongoing two way conversations. While we all want to hear from our customers it is also important to have this conversation with your peers. The other thing to think about is the depth of these conversations since no one wants to listen to someone full of themselves or with nothing interesting to bring to the conversation.

Business is getting presonal again with the wave of web 2.0 social technologies digging their heels in. Relationships in the new social space will follow the same principles of any good relationship. Just like in a personal dating engagement no one likes a bragger and you need to start off as friends if you want the romance to live long. In a business relationship you need to make sure that you connect personally since you are doing business with people. A machine can be configured but humans need to be nurtured and responded to.

I am interested in your comments and insight on these topics and encourage your conversation.

See related blog articles and links:

• 100's of Entrepreneur and small business resources
• Integrating the People in your business with CRM Technology
• Let's talk about flat bid contracts and Value Building for Joomla CMS Web 2.0 Development
• 10 Tips for entrepreneurs and your business to beat the recession
• Leveraging CRM Software in the Small Business
• Integration of People with Technology & Acquisition of Business Intelligence
• Cheaper is not always better when it comes to hosting.
• Universal project management concepts
• Good insight from Jack Derby
• Building lists to grow your business opportunities 
• Lower risk through low cost pay as you go retainers
• 8 Bench Marks of a Great Client
• 12 U.S. Laws Bloggers Need to Know
• Social Technologies are revision in the model of power
• CRM/ERP, Joomla CMS, QuickBooks all-in-one Solution for SMB's
• Value Building Landing Pages with Lead Capturing CRM
• Info@hand "CRBM Platform" best kept secret in CRM Community
• Platform as a Service an inspired new generation of CRBM
• How important is a CRM Software Application for your SMB?
• Where do I get started with CRBM (Customer Relationship Business Management)?
• Open Source or SaaS CRM in Your Business
• Universal project management concepts
• Virtual Office Tools Save Money
• Web 2.0 boom and useful web tools

You can also visit our blog home at www.cnpintegrations.com/myblog/ for regular new posts.

For more information about the CRBM Platform and other educational resources be sure to visit: www.learningcrm.com

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The past few months in addition to my many other hats, I have personally spent a lot of time training small business owners on how to get started with Joomla CMS. I do this first of all because I enjoy it and secondly it keeps me in touch with our customers and their ever changing needs. As someone whom has spent the better part of the past three years inside Joomla 1.0 and now 1.5 it is easy to forget how overwhelming a lot of this technology can be to folks just getting started. The one thing someone told me early in my web dev career was “just be patient… it is not difficult it just takes time chasing after it to build confidence and grace”. The hardest thing for many folks to realize is this is a journey not a destination. There is an endless amount to explore in this wonderful world of web (WWW).

Here are a couple common myths and mistakes I have seen with Joomla CMS development projects:

Myth: “Some folks think oh I just want to get these articles up or my products on line and folks will magically flock to my site.” It is important to have a well rounded strategy with your content, how folks will navigate to find what you are offering. How will this be integrated into our current marketing and what new marketing such as social media technologies or Google ad words will I have to use to build traffic. For some this is easier to grasp than others but you have to understand your customer and figure out how this can be interpreted in to the web space(s). Often you will not have the answers until you push out some content and listen to the feedback of your customers. Being able to display your content gracefully and to match your branding is important but only one piece of the pie.

Myth: Some folks try to be a super hero and jump in to choppy waters without a life boat. What I mean by this is we get the calls from people that jumped into Joomla without a plan and have essentially made a mess out of their site. Joomla is the most user friendly CMS for non technical users but you still have to remember this is complex code and since it is always evolving it is never bug free. You can easily muttle things up if you start trying to do anything beyond the basics. What I think folks should be thinking about is just like any other business or project you need the resources to make sure you protect your investment and that you can afford both the time and capital investment. Would you by a house as a non handy man if you did not know a good plumber or electrician? On that same note you would most likely not not buy a house you could not afford since you would take a chance of loosing your investment. What I mean by this is to make sure you have the time to invest in the ongoing education, the financial resources to match your ambitions and the commitment to see it through.  Keep your expectations realistic and within your means. Your are not going to build an Amazon.com for a $1000. Make sure you partner with a Joomla support team that can help you when you get in over your head. Having your site down or broken could cost you the one customer that makes a difference for your business. Be patient and consistant over time and you will achieve the best results.

Myth: “Hey, I am smart, I can figure this out all by myself” Well many folks are smart and can figure out a lot of what Joomla can do and how it works. On the other had sometimes with "Smart" comes "blind errogance" and I have seen some very smart people do some very dumb stuff because they did not understand Joomla. However, with good training and consulting with subject matter experts can save you a lot of time and money. This goes for any technology investment. Since as a small business owner your time is most often more valuable working in your area of expertise or selling etc., making an investment in training and mentoring up front can give you a significant kick start towards success. One of the benefits we offer in our training and support is; chances are we have either, seen it, made the mistake ourselves first or learned from other folks mistakes. A subject matter expert (SME) can usually add great value and help you balance between when it is most cost effective for doing stuff yourself (in-house) or what you should outsource. They can also often tell you where to look for the needle in the heystack if you are having trouble.

Mistake: I often tell folks that starting/managing a Joomla CMS project vs a traditional web site is like having a picture of an extended family member and becoming a parent. You are now entering a new world of commitment and it will become part of your lifestyle vs something stuck to your refrigerator that you glance at once in a while. Make sure you are ready to care and feed this new creation since your ability to nurture this will be the ultimate determining factor of success. Every Joomla project we get involved in is collaboration and unless you have a lot of money to spend on consulting design and implementation planning, a complete work for hire project simply is not very practical in this new economy.  Most conductors in an orchestra are not master musicians but they understand enough about each instrument to direct them and synchronize them with their other counter parts. Since this is your business ultimately you have to be able to conduct your orchestra of web masters and technical experts towards your business goals. You may have to take the time to train yourself and get in touch with the latest trends in effective use of technology.

Mistake: Joomla is one of the most flexible CMS systems in the market place. It has well over 4600 extensions. There is a huge international development community building cools features for a wide range of industries and it is open source so you can ad in just about anything you can dream up within the capabilities of web technology. This means that some folks (I have to admit I have made this mistake myself at times) think that just because the technology can do it, that you should ad it into your site. As a bit of a visionary/dreamer entrepreneur myself I understand this tendency very well. But build it and they will come simple does not always work. It is important to step back in the beginning of your process and decide what your priorities are so you can remain focused. This goes for configuration of basic features as well as adding tons of components or extensions. Just because you can change something does not always mean you should. Make sure the changes or add-on’s either have a targeted purpose that your customers want and are asking for or that it adds significant value to your customer experience.

Suggestions iand Recap:

• Manage your expectations
• Plan with your customer in mind - test and evaluate 
• Make sure you get a good Joomla CMS expert to partner with
• Training can save you time and money
• Just because you can do something with technology does not mean you should
• Stay focused on priorities - avoid scope creep
• Do not be afraid to make mistakes - because you will
• Be patient and consistent over time 

Better Service, Faster Innovations and Greater Value:

CNP Integrations has built our consulting, support and training services with this mantra in mind. If we can help you get your Joomla project on track or if you are considering implementation of new web technologies for your business we would be happy to introduce you to our Value Building Methodology or some of our cost saving kick start programs.

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