Systems advantages


You need a website?

The choice of technology to propel a website is paramount to a website owner.

Alas, to rely on a website builders company or a quick search on
the internet can make you regret your final decision.


Graf, do not reinvent the wheel and only use systems that have proven themselves and are established worldwide  as the best existing frameworks to propel a web presence, thus protecting your investment in the years to come.
 
The 3 most used systems in the world!
 

The 3 renowned CMS, (Content Management System)
are known and used by all GOOD websites builders.

Joomla - Wordpress - Drupal

joomla total 200     wp 200        dru 200

These 3 systems power more than 300 million websites around the world and account for about 71% of all CMS usage.


Choosing one of these systems for your new website guarantees you a professional Web presence. The chosen framework will allow more or less flexibility for the evolution of your site and should keep its construction and management in a controlled budget.
 
Graf is constantly evaluating new web technologies and offers only the best actual system for its customers.
 

Want to present your watercolour portfolio or compete with eBay?
Be sure we have a solution that fits your needs!
•
Are your ambitions modest or you plan for global coverage?
Graf accompanies you in your business!


  

The qualities of a modern system

Any system propelling a website today must possess certain essential qualities.
Here are the ones Graf uses for his choice of web systems.
 
1- Easy, clear administration with an access rights personalization system.
 
• All modern systems propelling a website should have an administrative interface.
This administration is used to insert, manage and modify the internal systems and the contents of your site. It must be facilitated by professional ergonomics to allow new publishers/administrators to change and control all aspects of their site easily.

Consider this administration as the software that controls all aspects of your site.
Of course, this software requires a minimum of learning for its use!


Graf uses the latest technologies and methods to quickly train one or a group of people of your choice to quickly master the editing and maintenance of your website. 
•
Personalized help videos, Written documentation, Private forum, remote assistance and our 24 hours a day, 7 days a week customer service for any emergencies or questions.
•
Graf can also handle some or all of your changes... (If you don't have time!)


• This administration should have a good system of rules of accessibility or ACL (Access Control List)  to manage different administrative rights to groups or individuals involved in the administration, modification and maintenance of your site.

- The same system also allows managing access control to specific content or special functions to registered or non-registered visitors during their visits on your site.
 
2- A recognized system, well established and commonly used worldwide.
 
Beware, this quality is often put aside by some “Website Builders” who will offer you their own homemade CMS built on exotic code bases, little known and/or little used.

• Although, if it is not necessarily a problem, here are the negatives of this kind of site.

— PROBLEM 1 —
You will be attached to these manufacturers, whatever your satisfaction on their price and services.
•
90% of websites manufacturers will not accept to deal with a custom code system built by another web service.
•
They will surely suggest you redo a new site.

By using one of the 3 recognized CMS systems, you ensure that you can always choose another
service provider if the original site constructor becomes a problem.


— PROBLEM 2 —
The construction, maintenance and especially modification costs are always much higher than a recognized CMS.
•
Simple changes or addition of functions will need to be completely code for you at high costs.

On the contrary, the known CMS offers thousands of flexible, preassembled and continually updated “Modules” code by community-recognized quality programmers that you can install for free or for a few dollars.


In seconds, you can add quality engines and features to your site ;
Blog, forum, RSS, image and video galleries, document filing, real-time online help, complete e-commerce solutions for online sales of products and services of any size, newsletter & news sending system, real estate sales, vehicle sales, auction, restaurant reservations and everything you need to propel your business on the web...
•
See all nearly 8,000 quality engines in the Joomla Extensions Directory


— PROBLEM 3 —
The quality of your site depends entirely on the quality of the work of a handful of coders.

Currents CMS, like Joomla are continually improved and developed by a huge community of volunteers spread around the world and by high-level coders recognized and associated with the project.


No “Small Business” can compete with this kind of perpetual development of the main code forming your site and also being completely free for you.   

  


Graf dynamic websites (Joomla CMS)

(Content Management System)

With more than 15 years of experience building websites, we are in perpetual evaluation of large known systems.

Our choice must be the system that represents for the buyer the best investment he can make in modern web representation.



Even upon request, we will not produce any site in technologies that we deem inferior or non-optimal for our customers.


For several years, the choice of Graf is one of the 3 major existing CMS, Joomla

  
 

Why Joomla ?

Here is a quick enumeration of the benefits of developing your site based on this CMS.

Overview of the Joomla web content management system (CMS).

  • Since 2014, Joomla wins the most prestigious awards of excellence in front of all is competitors (Drupal, WordPress, etc...)
  • One of the three largest CMS systems in the world since the 2000s.
  • Features a modern flexible, secure and efficient infrastructure.
  • Easy to build, install, maintain, edit and adapt to your needs while respecting your budget.
  • A Modular system allowing easy addition of features with high-quality engines.
  • Multilingual secure administrative access accessible via the web on desktop computer, phone or tablet.
  • Simple and clear administration interface, even for sites with a lot of content.
  • Can easily propel simple blogs to the largest and most complex portal or eCommerce websites.
  • Has a vibrant user and developer community always ready to help you.

Graf's choice to exclusively produce Joomla's core websites comes from our experience. Several major regional websites providers make the same choice probably for the same reasons.


See the official website —> http://www.joomla.org
  

Interesting facts about Joomla!

(Updated February 1, 2020)
  • The first version of Joomla was released August 17, 2005.
  • Joomla is usable without any restriction and completely free.
  • Joomla was download near 100 million times since March 2007.
  • There are more than 8,000 quality extensions available on the Joomla extensions directory to download.
  • About 5 new extensions are added daily to the Joomla Extensions directory.
  • Joomla.org generates more than 2 terabytes of data traffic per month.
  • There are more than 800,000 active registered users on the official forum of the Joomla community and more on the many sites of the international community.
  • About 400 dedicated volunteers contribute to the development of Joomla.
  • Joomla has more than 2.5 million active sites.
  • Joomla can install the base of a multilingual and secure high-end website in less than a minute.
  • Joomla and its extensions can be updated in seconds.
  • Modification and Joomla management is simple and allows to manage a lot of content easily.

Joomla has proven its excellence, reliability and flexibility worldwide. Joomla is an Open Source code system that now includes more than 200,000 programmers and registered users worldwide. Its core and more than 8,000 high-quality engine modules are perfected perpetually. Also, Joomla has a countless and vibrant community always ready to help you by answering your questions on the many official forums.

  

Renowned websites made with Joomla:

(Updated January 31, 2020)
and hundreds more are added every day...

eBay utilise Joomla - ebay logo— eBay uses Joomla!
“San Jose, California - 1er october 2010 - eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), the world’s largest online marketplace, today announced an agreement to use Joomla, the most popular open source content management system (CMS), to launch a community portal as part of eBay's internal analytics platform. eBay is leveraging open source for employees and supports an ongoing commitment to driving innovation across the business.”
•
See article “eBay Chooses Joomla” on Joomla website.




  


Since 2005 Joomla has won the most prestigious awards like the “Best Free CMS” of the CMS Critic People's Choice Awards far ahead of Wordpress and other CMS!

{slider title="See the Awards of Excellence won by Joomla over the years." open="false" alias="awards-joomla" scroll="true" class="icon"}


2005
• Linux & Open Source Awards (London) — "Best Linux / Open Source Project"

2006
• Packt Open Source Awards - “Open Source Content Management System Award”
• Linux & Open Source Awards (London) — “Best Linux / Open Source Project and Open Source Awards”

2007
Packt Open Source Awards - “Best Open Source CMS”

2008
• Packt Open Source Awards - “Open Source CMS Most Valued Person” (Personal Award) - Johan Janssens
• Packt Open Source Awards - Best runner up for - “Best Overall Open Source CMS Award & Best PHP Open Source CMS”
• Packt Open Source Awards - Best runner up for - Best Overall Open Source CMS Award & the Best PHP Open Source CMS”

2009
• Packt Open Source Awards - “Open Source CMS Most Valued Person” (Personal Award) - Louis Landry
• Packt Open Source Awards - 1st Finalist ”Packt Hall of Fame CMS”
• Packt Open Source Awards - 2nd finalist “Best Open Source CMS”)

2010
• Packt Open Source Awards - 2nd finalist ”CMS Hall of Fame CMS”)

2011
• Packt Open Source Awards - “Best Open Source CMS”e

2012
• Infoworld Bossie Awards - “Best Open Source Application”

2014
• CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - “Best "Open Source" PHP CMS”

2015
• CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - “Best Free CMS”

2016
• CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - “Best Free CMS”

2017
• CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - “Best Free CMS”

2018
• CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - “Best Free CMS”

2019
• CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - “Best Free CMS”


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Even though wp 200 is more used than joomla total 200 according to our experience and opinion of serious web site builders Wordpress, remains a restricted system for building real corporate websites..

WP is mostly used by companies and individuals who do not take the time to analyze other renown CMS available to them today and continues to offer their customers a second-rate system.


Graf does not work that way. We are in a perpetual evaluation of today's big systems and only offer our customers the best system available today.
•
Graf does not just build websites, but rather, real solutions for serious companies and organizations to implement their brand on the WEB with the best tools available.



It's simple, Joomla, today, has all the qualities required to build sites of all sizes and types with or without e-commerce :

What are the advantages of Joomla CMS?

  • A flexible, modern infrastructure for easy customization and evolution
  • A current code in permanent revision on all levels (performance, security, ergonomics, etc ...)
  • A professional interface and internal ergonomics for the modifications of your site and its administration
  • Easy installation and editing of your content for any type and size of websites
  • First-class maintenance tools (security, updates of internal components, backup, management ...)
  • A large community and high-level developers (see the Engliah Forum) always ready to help you — (You will never be left unanswered, unlike other CMS forums we have experienced!)
  • A huge choice of high quality modular components (See Joomla Extensions Directory) rated by users, allowing you to add free or low-cost new functions to your site easily (Attention to a large number of modules advertised by the other SGC (Especially Wordpress) which are often unsecured and poorly built by distant and unpleasant developers (This does not exist with Joomla, we experienced it many times ...)
  • An integrated system allowing easy "SEO" control and optimization for search engines
  • A complete multilingual integrated system
  • An easy front-end editing system plus a full back-end administration
  • An Integrated user rights administration (ACL) for visitors, administrators, publishers and webmasters
  • and many other built-in major systems ....

Why not Drupal ?

Drupal is a case apart. Almost unused, Drupal is more a starting framework to build a website with CMS (Content Management System) possibility. Drupal is the realm of programmers. Building a site with the desired functions will require many hours of deep programming that are only accessible by high-level coders

Graf does not see the value of spending big budgets to create, modified and maintain a website that can be easily done in a tight budget with a quality CMS like Joomla using modular extensions that will give you the same functions and lot more flexibility.
•
Also, these same extensions will always be updated for free or at low cost by their developers. With Drupal, not only do you become attached to the builders of your site, but maintaining, upgrading, or adding any features will cost you a lot more.






In our opinion, using Drupal to build a website is not necessary in 99.99% of cases. Let's not forget that Joomla is extremely flexible and it is easy to add completely custom functions if necessary.

If you have your own IT department and not afraid of a big-budget, Drupal can be a very secure, stable and efficient solution for you.
  

Why not Wordpress ?

Many web builders continue to present Wordpress as a CMS of choice today.
•
Alas, here are the reasons showing the opposite that are well known to all good web solution builders anxious to give their customers the best current system.



P.S. Graf invites builders using WP as CMS to discuss the issue on our public forum. It will be our pleasure to inform you about the subject.


- A bit of history... -
Wordpress was born in 2004, not as a CMS (Content Management System) but as a simple blog platform. Drupal is THE FIRST REAL CMS system that appeared in 2001, followed by Joomla 1.0 in 2005.

•
Wordpress today still has this same basic structure and stacks code on code to look like a CMS. On the other hand, Drupal and Joomla have both seen several important revisions to keep their internal code at the cutting edge of today's web technologies.




 

The problems ...

 

— 1 —
The general structure to display, produce and edit the content and design of your website is not flexible.

  • Wordpress is NOT based on a MODERN MVC (Model/View/Controller) architecture, like Joomla, that separates the visual from the code.
  • The internal structure is complex and rigid, making all customization of design and functionality difficult to implement and manage.
  • Complex multilingual site management with a lot of content is simply inadequate.

Joomla,on the other hand, has a flexible MVC architecture that can be easily fine-tuned to manage any type and size of websites. With Joomla, you never limited by the system.
•
Following the evolution of your site, changes in design or ergonomics can be easily and quickly applied without exorbitant fees (unlike WP).


 

— 2 —
Web Security Professionals qualify the term "Wordpress Security" as an oxymoron.



The mediocre global architecture (called "spaghetti code"), presence of obsolete code in the core coupled with plugins (extensions) and themes often poorly designed and badly coded (with even hidden links & doors and trojans code ...) contribute to the bad reputation of serious web developers for this CMS.

A security breach, especially on the Wordpress platform, can represent a significant financial and visibility loss for your company.
•
A compromised website hurts your reputation with your customers and will harm your ranking in the search engines.


 

Some numbers on web security, Wordpress vs. Joomla;

  • An infected website can be offline for 2 days or more and easily costs $250 to $500 minimum to repair, depending on the problems.
  • The famous web security online service Sucuri report in 2017 that Wordpress has experienced a 9% increase in infected sites.
  • Sucuri, for the same year (2017) show a 9% decrease in Joomla websites infection.
  • Sucuri for 2018 reports another rise in Wordpress site infection of 7% and another infection drop of 8.9% for Joomla.
  • So, in 2017-2018, Wordpress suffered an increase of infected websites by 16% when Joomla showed a decrease of 17.9%.

Follow this link to learn more…
https://www.quicksilk.com/blog/1/history-wordpress-security-issues

Wordpress, unlike Joomla, need external plugins (extensions) to establish the foundations of a secure system like the two-factor authentication to protect your administration or even to established your site in SSL.

Unlike HTTP, HTTPS, uses an encryption method that secures the connection between the user's browser and your server
•
SSL & HTTPS is also requested at the SEO level by Google and other search engines today.



Joomla includes in its administration both of these possibilities without having recourse to any external plugins or knowing and modifying internal codes.
•
Many other primordial functions are, as it should be, included in Joomla core like the acceptance of "cookies" for European sites (GDPR Compliance), site search controls, SEO controls, nested categorization of content and all other necessary modern web presence tools..


Wordpress today continues to rely on external undependable third-party developers to give these necessary websites functions to their system.


 
 

— 3 —
WP offers many plugins (extensions) and themes, but the overall quality, even for the most known and used extensions, is low.

 Besides, the support from the developers of these extensions is often poor and the possibility of breaking your site during an update is high.
The development of these plugins is sometimes abandoned and multiple branches of similar plugins are developed by low-level coders and may even contain malicious software.

 

— 4 —
Wordpress require the addition of external extensions to drive a multilingual website and does not have any real multilingual core system.

On the contrary Joomla integrates an easy and powerful internationalization and language management system (more than 75 languages…) for the administration and visitors of your website.
•
Also, a simple integrated translation system allows you to translate all uni-lingual extensions and edit any translations yourself.


Wordpress today continues to rely on external undependable third-party developers to give these necessary websites functions to their system.


 
 

— 5 —
WP again, without plugins, does not offer any ACL (Access Control Lists) functionality to control what editors, administrators, and different types of visitors can access and view on your site.

Joomla has a complete ACL control system in its core.


 

It's simple, Wordpress does not meet the minimum required flexibility and quality needed for a modern site.

With Joomla, you get a complete, high quality, flexible, secure and international site from the start without any additional external extensions.

 
In summary:

15 reasons that prove Joomla a far better CMS than Wordpress !

  1. The internal WP architecture includes at its core a multitude of layers of outdated code without a modern code structure (called "spaghetti" code).
  2. This same architecture makes the system permeable to hacker attacks and prone to major bugs and crashes.
  3. WP is not built on a modern MVC structure (Model-View-Controller), which facilitates modifications of design and functionalities.
  4. It is necessary to add to WP external modules (independent coders) to meet the minimum standards for a modern site.
  5. External modules and themes (design) are often poorly coded and can even infect or damage your site.
  6. A simple update of WP and its modules can cause serious breakdowns.
  7. Difficulties in generating and installing a security testing copy of your website or when transferring it to another server.
  8. No coherent system to control your basic SEO (SSL, Metas, etc ...) - Need for external modules.
  9. No internal system for the management and display of multilingual sites - Need for external modules.
  10. No internal system for menu management — Besoins de modules ou thèmes externes.
  11. No serious internal system for user management — Need for external modules.
  12. No serious internal control for the management of outdated or defective links — Need for external modules.
  13. No internal control for the management of advertisements or inserts by sponsors — Need for external modules.
  14. No advanced system for controlling intra-site searches...
  15. Joomla, unlike WP, is professionally made, easy to install, manage and modify, and above all, has none of its disadvantages.

Graf is no longer building new website with Wordpress, our sincere concern to offer the best tools to our customers prevents us to do so. On the other hand, we take care of several Wordpress sites belonging to friends or non-profit organizations.
•
You are caught with a Wordpress site and need help, contact us.

 
 
 

{slider title="Actual experience from Graf with a Wordpress website" open="false" alias="story-wp-graf" class="icon"}

Actual experience from Graf with a Wordpress website

The problem

During an update test on a copy of a Wordpress website maintained by Graf, a popular extension was at the origin of a major bug causing the complete crash of the website during its update.

Extension Developer response

More than 4 days after posting the problem on the developer support forum, their answer : “surely another extension causing the probleme…” while their support forum was full of users and site owners exposing the same problem.

Not only the site no longer display, but the only way to recover it was a complete replacement by a backup copy.

Normally, this is the last thing to do when recovering a website
•
Moreover, this is relatively risky and difficult with the Wordpress system — (no problem and easy with Joomla)


After another 4 days, an update fixing the problem of this extension was released by its developers without any excuses or explanations.

— WARNING —

Alas, that's what awaits you with this system overall quality and support.
•
With Wordpress expect more frequent code breaks, website downtime and security breaches with support often evasive, rude, long wait or simply unanswered responses.


— Joomla advantages —
In more than 10 years, Graf never encountered a situation like this with Joomla. Updates of major extensions never cause a complete crash of a website..
•
With Joomla, at the support level, expect a response time between 1 hour and 12 hours that will solve your problem in a polite and detailed way.
•
With the official Joomla forum and the support services of the Joomla extension manufacturers, we have never asked a question without getting a quick answer.



 

Secure solution of the problem in 3 steps by Graf


— 1 —
Graf performs tests of needed changes and updates first on a local copy (Graf servers) of the online site.

This system allowed us to spot the problem without affecting the online site and simply replace that problematic extension with a similar one causing no problems.

—2—
Graf then creates a backup copy of the online site before making the same changes tested locally.

—3—
Finally, we create a second security copy of the online site that includes the changes.


 
It's simple, you should never make major changes or updates to a live website. The analogy is to change the engine of a plane in full flight without having tested it before.
 

Graf Advantages — A Secure Methodology for Updating & Modifying Your Website


— Graf keeps your site safe! —
Secure methodology for updating and modifying your website

Graf uses only the best tools and methodologies proven by the best website providers to maintain and secure your web tool.
•
Even though much more complicated to accomplish with a Wordpress website (due to their internal system), these methods are the only professional way to maintain a website.
•
View in detail the Graf Maintenance Service

 

Ask your web service, what is their methodology for updating and security backups for your site?


Graf provided on ALL its websites a high-end security firewall and a recognized integrated full-backup system.
•
This backup system produces clones of your website before and after any important changes or according to your needs.
•
This system is part of your website and has nothing to do with the blind restoration system offered by all web hosting services.


 

The backup service offered by hosting services is often an automated system that takes snapshots of your site at regular intervals, whether the site is healthy or not.
•
Often, these backups are not able to rebuild your website on a different server than the one on which they are produced.


The system installed by Graf creates true copies of your site according to your needs and allows them to be reinstalled in less than ten minutes (with Joomla), not only on the original server but on any other server.



 

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