With the day and age shifting their lifestyle to technology, having an online presence is crucial for your business. Joomla is the most used CMS trending on the internet.
Joomla provides a diverse range of templates to create an attractive website. Of course, there are other factors to consider for choosing a Joomla template other than attractiveness. Which is why Joomla also accommodates other factors that one looks for in a social network website. Webmasters tend to look at features, price, social boosting and many other elements.
Before spending money on a template, you're probably wondering many things. You don't have to choose your template on a whim; instead, make your decision after much consideration. We will discuss the most important things to look out for when choosing a Joomla template to build a social network. Let’s dive in.
1. Representing your niche
No matter how tempting it is, try avoiding choosing pretty templates just for the sake of it. Go for templates that share the same vibe as your niche. A niche with a different energy when your template has an entirely different vibe may look off to anyone that visits your website. For instance, as a photographer, pick a template that complements your profession. Something that is designed for someone who puts up a lot of photos for their site.
2. Ensure it has all the features for your needs
Note down everything you look for in a website, and then go template hunting while considering the list. It might be frustrating to discover that you've missed an important feature that would have been useful to your niche and website. Ensure the template is feature-rich, containing everything you require ready for use. Some factors to consider include SEO readiness, drag-and-drop page builder, translations and many other things.
3. Simplicity
Keep your website simple and user-friendly. Leave room for customisation and avoid choosing something that may end up cluttered once you've launched.
A website packed with features, buttons, pictures and words may intimidate anyone who visits your website. They will not know where to start or where to look and may leave your website immediately. A simple website will make your page visitors feel at ease. Compartmentalize it well to ensure it is as simple and easy to follow as possible.
4. Responsiveness
Responsive web design (RWD) is this age's standard of web development. An RWD needs to be incorporated into every website, making it an absolute must. Therefore choosing a responsive Joomla template is crucial for your website. This way, you can ensure that your website avoids too much traffic or has the capacity to handle all traffic headed its way. Remind yourself that mobile users create a huge portion of traffic, so picking a template that will accommodate mobile users may be wise.
5. SEO- friendly
As mentioned before, SEO-friendliness is a valuable feature to have on your website. If your chosen Joomla template does not accommodate search engine optimization, then you may encounter problems. At the same time, SEO-friendly templates are designed to handle more traffic. That's why it is a good idea to pick the template that best supports SEO. Another obvious selling factor is that you might need SEO so your website can rank higher on search engines.
6. Product Quality
Product quality is often an element that people overlook. They get distracted by all the features and pretty visuals. What to look for when keeping product quality in mind is the stability, loading speed, and the way it's coded, among many other things.
A well-designed template may be tempting, but it can get frustrating when encountering problems like too many bugs or a slow loading speed. It will also be annoying to the people visiting your website.
7. Price
This may be one of the more obvious points, but it is still worth mentioning that you consider pricing. Before settling with cheaper options, ensure it has all the features you need. Similarly, if a template costs more, it may not necessarily have all the features you require. Therefore, do some research before deciding on a template. A slightly costly template with additional rich features and support is worth your money.
Wrapping up
Joomla is the most prevalent CMS system and offers a range of templates to choose from. However, there are certain factors to consider when choosing one, which we have looked at in this article. It's important to note that just because a template is attractive, it may not resonate with your niche. So pick a template while keeping your niche in mind. Note down all the additional features you're looking for in a website and ensure that the template you are eyeing checks all the boxes. Remember that a more straightforward website is better to prevent your visitors from confusion. It will come in handy for you when you search for templates that are SEO-friendly. Choosing your template based on responsiveness is an absolute must. Your template needs to be able to handle lots of traffic.
We hope this article proved informative and helps you choose the right Joomla template for building your social network. Thank you for reading!