The first thing you need to understand when you decide to migrate your Joomla 1.5 to 2.5 is exactly what Joomla 2.5 is and what it offers. Joomla 2.5 is one of the newest versions of Joomla and offers security and functionality that is not available on the 1.5 platform. Things on the internet change over time, especially when you are working with an open source technology. As hackers and malware developers learn how to slip past Joomla defenses, Joomla developers answer the threats with additional resources and protocols. Creative and community development also leads Joomla programmers to incorporate feedback in order to constantly publish platform improvements. Therefore, Joomla migration can be an easy way to boost the power of your site.
Some site owners have heard stories about problems during this migration process. They look at those stories and think that it is better to wait to migrate to Joomla 2.5, especially if everything seems to be working on their 1.5 site today. The problem with this thought process is that the 1.5 site is not fully protected, and things could stop working at any moment. A 1.5 site is more susceptible to hacks and malware, and rogue programmers may actually seek these sites out for attack. Users understand this, so statistics have shown that greater commerce and traffic is generally seen on a site with a newer version of Joomla. When you migrate Joomla site, you also gain access to the newest Joomla functionality, allowing you to compete with other sites for the attention of your audience.
Once you make the decision to migrate your joomla site from the old version, then you need to understand the work involved in that process. Although it is easy to migrate to Joomla 2.5 from a 1.7 platform, there are inherent difficulties in choosing to migrate Joomla 1.5 to 2.5. Because the 1.5 platform was not built for a seamless integration into later platforms, there are additional steps and processes. Some of these steps, such as backing up existing data and bridging functionality gaps can be difficult, but companies like US Joomla Force have developed proven methods for cost-effective migration.
Someone facing loss of support may not want to undergo a Joomla migration because they believe the next version will only be supported a short time. With 2.5, this isn’t true. Because the version was released as a long-term support version, support will be available through 2014.
If you are still wondering about the wisdom associated with a decision to upgrade joomla 1.5 to 2.5, think about these facts:
• Database tools like MySQL are updated constantly, but the unsupported 1.5 platform is not being updated to keep up.
• Joomla 2.5 uses enhanced search engine languages that make your website more competitive for online marketing.
• More than 50 percent of Joomla extensions are converted for the 2.5 platform, and that number grows on a daily basis. Soon, functionality for 1.5-based sites will be severely limited.
Migrating to 2.5 is not a small decision, but it may be essential for competitive success online. If you need assistance or have questions about migrating to Joomla 2.5, the experts at US Joomla Force offer cost-effective, proven migration strategies for all types of sites.