It is Christmas time again and chances are you may be privileged enough to enjoy an extended holiday season well into the next year. Well, if that be the case, why not you consider building a website yourself. If you thought that building a website from scratch was rocket science and require programming skills and a steep learning curve, you are mistaken. Software like Joomla is there to take that burden off you. In fact, Joomla can do everything for you; help you organize your content and integrate other supporting software like MySQL, PHP and many others.
In fact, if you can read a book on Joomla and already know the basics about computers, internet and hosting, everything can be done with such ease that you will hardly believe your eyes when your website goes live on the Internet. Joomla is the market leader when it comes to content management. If we are to believe those who keep tracking the Internet, at least 3-5% of all websites use Joomla to manage content.
However, if you thought that Joomla gives the aesthetic appeal that is so important to websites, then you are mistaken. In fact, the look and feel comes from themes (the designing part and layout features). In Joomla, themes are referred to as templates on which you place your content; from text to videos and more. Creating templates or themes by itself is unrelated to Joomla, though they have to be specifically made for it. But the good thing is you don’t have to go through the ordeal of making it yourself. Joomla templates are available for download on the Internet and some of them are even free to use, just like the Joomla software itself.
If you don’t plan spending money on templates and would rather go with the free ones, better be prepared to settle for designs that are simple and lack documentation. If however, you know some designing and can manipulate graphics, it should help you adapt readymade templates to your liking. Websites that stick to the same design for too long can be boring and even irksome to some. Changing the general appearance to reflect the season is a good idea to keep your visitors. Most seasoned webmasters know that to keep their websites lively. Why not you too try it?
Here are some themes you can try this holiday season. Some are adaptable to mobile phones, and you should consider using them, because that is the new trend being witnessed all over the world.
Template Name: Metropolis
Release Period: 2012
Source: www.rockettheme.com/joomla-templates/metropolis
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Features: Elegantly designed, simple color schemes and shades, compatible with Joomla 2.5 and 3.0, 10 preset styles, 75 module positions to move content, dropdown & split menu and compliant with HTML5 and CSS. Has good support service and can be used for a wide variety of website types. Preview/Demo is available at source. Metropolis is compatible with all browsers, including IE, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and others.
Template Name: Cerulean
Release Period: December 2012
Source: www.rockettheme.com/joomla-templates/cerulean
Screen Shot:
Features: The latest to be released, so you can expect uniqueness, has three dimensional designs incorporated, module variability and a powerful template control feature. Cerulean is compatible with Joomla 2.5 and 3.0 versions and has 6 preset styles. You can choose between 78 module positions as per you requirement. It is also designed to be compliant with HTML 5 requirements. At the source page you can also view a demo and make a download. Support service is available subject to getting a membership. Cerulean is also adaptable to smartphones and tablets.
Template Name: Graffito
Release Period: 2012
Source: www.rockettheme.com/joomla-templates/graffito
Screen Shot:
Features: Joomla 2.5 and 3.0 version compatible. Responsive Layout is included. Have 8 Preset Styles and 76 module positions with 25 structural module suffixes. It supports powerful Gantry 4 framework and custom content typography. All major browsers are supported, including Fire Fox, IE, Safari, Chrome and Opera. Graffito can also be adapted to use tablet and smartphone. K2 Responsive Layout is also available which should be bought from 3rd party. Demo and support is also available. To download, go to the source page and click on download.
Template Name: Fracture
Release Period: September 2012
Source: www.rockettheme.com/joomla-templates/fracture
Screen Shot:
Features: Joomla 2.5 and 3.0 version compatible. It is the first Rocket Theme plate to be built on Gantry 4 framework, with responsive layout. It gives stunning results in spite of the simplicity of the design with a rejuvenated interface to make managing content simple yet powerful. The important factor that you need to consider in Fracture is the use of LESS. You can get up to preset styles with 84 module positions to give you variety. Fracture has also been designed to take care of redesigning for smartphone and mobile.
Before you decide to order, check if they meet your requirements. If you want something unique, ask if the designer source will let buyout. Buyouts ensure uniqueness.