Rogério Costa (@matofino) created and carried out an initial exploratory research with approximately 30 specific questions about the use of Joomla. The issues covered important points, and among them we can mention: technical questions, learning, information exchange in the community, type of clients and services, prices, etc. The research was conducted in January and February of 2012, and involved the participation of 170 users in 21 states of Brazil. With the results we have the first map about the Joomla industry which can be analyzed from several aspects.

Methodology

This research was totally supported and structured using Google Docs, and has been made available and disseminated in many partner channels, such as JoomlaClube.com.br, LinkedIn.com and forum.joomla.org.

The positioning, dissemination and the methodology used in this research were strategically planned, which facilitated the access of users participating in the project around Brazil.

The Results

The data was collected, tabulated and transformed into understandable graphics, showing the scenario in Brazil. We can start identifying the main regions where there is a bigger concentration of users: Alagoas, Sao Paulo and Distrito Federal.

Alagoas and Sao Paulo present a technical draw between 21% and 22%, followed by Distrito Federal presenting 11% of active users. Together these three regions constitute 54% of the states using Joomla.

The research showed for the majority of users, about 65% have been working with Joomla for three years or more. About 66% of them have learned by themselves how to use Joomla, 15% learned this tool from a friend, and only 19% attended a classroom or online technical course in this area.

The research also indicated that Joomla users feel confident and well informed about the Joomla universe, and when a topic is on a technical level, approximately 73% know very well where they are and how they can search for information.

The areas with a higher concentration of users are divided between creation with 17%, front-end with 16%, GP and Planner with 11% each.

The users are active in several communities, and the most important channels disseminating information about Joomla are JoomlaClube representing 28%, followed by 27% from the official forum and 25% of users participate via email lists.

The constitution of a group of people working with Joomla in an organization is small, about 41% told that one person does all the work with Joomla, and 47% said, that it is divided by 2-5 people. These results show the flexibility and maturity of Joomla, leveraging the work of the administration of the whole page content.

The clubs are also well used, and they sell finished templates. The most used club among users is Extensions Joomla! In addition, it wins with 33%, Joomlart follows the mark with 15% and Gavick presents 14%. Therefore, when we talk about layout creation, we can say that 85% of the users do not create anything new inside the tool.

The research also showed several types of services offered to clients besides Joomla, and it has a considerable variability:

• 28% offers content update service;
• 24% offers hosting; and
• 28% offers Social Media Marketing and Sponsored Links Services.

The informal contract is presents with 46% of the users, the formal contract in agencies is around 23%, and independent consulter 17%, as public employees we have 10%, and we only have 4% with formal contracts.

Brazilian users consults Google to study, the Official forum and the community colleagues to exchange information and learn more about Joomla.

Most of the users, about 44% informed that the projects have their price from R$ 1.000,00 (A Thousand Reais) to R$ 3.000,00 (Three Thousand Reais), even so there is a large number of people offering the service, around 28%, from R$ 500,00 (Five Hundred Reais) to R$ 1.000,00 (A Thousand Reais), just 20% have prices from R$ 3.000,00 (Three Thousand Reais) to R$ 5.000,00 (Five Thousand Reais), letting just 8% above R$ 5.000,00 (Five Thousand Reais).

The more used extensions among the users are JCE Editor with 19%, Akeeba Backup with 14%, K2 with 12% and VirtueMart, AllVideos and Simple Image Gallery with 10% each.

The business problems highlighted in this research have two big areas. The first problem mentioned by the users are the lower market prices, representing 31% in the graph. The other is the frequency of updates of the CMS and her extensions as well as the missing qualified professionals to use it, each representing 16% in the graph.

To sum up a little bit about the Joomla Market, the users throughout Brazil answered questions about the barriers that they facing using the technology or sell service. In this two point of views, the problem about how the price is done, is really disappointing, with almost 40% of the users, secondly we have the client as a problem, because they do not have enough budget to pay the price of the project, around 25%.

We also asked about previous work activity among the participants, and most of them (25%) already worked with IT, other 25% worked as a designer, 24% worked as a programmer and just 14% were student.

Conclusion

In a market more and more mutant that we are living, with digital marketing opportunities all over the place, World Cup, Olympic Games, “Brazil in the center of the attentions”, Joomla starts making its path and being disseminated more freely, but the community and every person involved in this technology need to work together to improve the use of this tool.

The lack of professional qualification is also a problem, as most of the users have learned Joomla all by themselves or were oriented by a friend. This same problem also causes difficulties for the dissemination of Joomla, banalizing its usage, making the prices fall down, and the prospects disappear.

The up-to-date and well-informed professional with the strategies in the market, makes all the difference at the moment of contracting, just because he has the desired knowledge and he is offering it. This professional can compete with better prices in the market, and this is very good to Joomla’s reputation.

It is the community’s responsibility to show to the world what it is able to do, searching for qualification, information change, participation in more forums and debates help to improve the dissemination of Joomla in the market.

Would you like to contribute with some thoughts? Let us increase this debate, send us your suggestion!

Acknowledgements

Thank you all who answered this research, promoted it, crticized it and demanded it. All those who are a part of the Brazilian Joomler Industry. Thank you! - Rogério Costa

Links and Data Sources

1. Research: http://goo.gl/jBr3U
2. HTML abstract: http://goo.gl/U7XPe
3. Excel abstract: http://goo.gl/oRc7i
4. Powerpoint presentation: http://goo.gl/Hu9pu
5. Vi­deo: http://goo.gl/p5lx6
6. Post: http://goo.gl/z0Wq0

Note: This article is being published in the Joomla Community Magazine by request of its author: Rogério Costa/@matofino