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HTML/CSS Tools

UIKit

All of our custom front-end designs are built with the UIKit from YooTheme. Both WordPress and Joomla support the kit. Need to know how to custom control sophiosticated patallax effects, how to code advanced html grids and tiles or sticky elements that animate and go away at a precise point? Use the UIKit reference guide at getuikit.com

FAQs

Which is better, WordPress or Joomla?
Joomla and WordPress are very similar. In fact, they are almost identical in makeup. They are both written with php to function natively in Linux, with MySQL databases. Even the dashboards administrators use are similar. WordPress was originally a blogging tool. Joomla was originally meant for full-scale websites. In some ways, this is still true. While WordPress has more name recognition in the United States, Joomla has more features in it’s Core and is better suited for websites that need more functionality.

Read the article below about switching from WordPress to Joomla, and why we recommend it…Read More
How long does it take to produce a website?
Turnaround time will vary. It’s common for clients to ask if page count effects the cost or the estimated turnaround time, but the number of pages is rarely the biggest factor. Generally, the complexity of the features and functionality determine production time. Simple websites can be produced in a week. If you account for meetings and reviews, a two week turnaround is realistic for small and simple websites.
Can you migrate my website?
Absolutely! Migrating websites from one platform to another is one of our specialties. Changing from WordPress to Joomla, or Magento to WordPress, or something like a Wix or Squarespace to a more professional CMS is what we’re here for. Hiring a professional can save thousands of dollars in costs and prevent many major headaches and losses.
Who will actually be working on my project?
Great question! The Microtechs is the work of Chris J Gilroy. In the early 2010’s, we had a small team of developers and designers in California and Spain. Since 2018, Chris works on every project personally.
What about Wix and Squarespace?
Sure, we can help with that. The reason you won’t see them featured as go-to solutions is because they are both made for consumers and are not viable professional solutions. When you’re business grows, you’ll want to upgrade to a professional platform you own, such as WordPress, Jooomla or Drupal.
How do I add parallax effects to my website’s content?
If we produced your website, your custom front-end design or theme will be using vue.js and the UIKit made by YooTheme. You can utilize anything from the UIKit if you want to use advanced features and code. Of course, since we produced your solution, you have a great visual editor and will not ever need to code anything – but you can if you want to. Find all of the UIKit parallax options at https://getuikit.com/docs/parallax

Demos

Mockup pages that show typical features and typical needs of a few common webpage types

Staff Pick Tricks

  • Live Search

    New

    The newest PageBuilder update introduces The Builder into the search tool. Sound dull? Here me out. I come to your website and click in the search bar to type in the model number for what I need and I’m only a few letters in when…Wow! A dropbar slides in and I see a sliding grid of products with the one I want first. Right next to it is a large photo of an even better item that’s brand new and priced better, too. When I hover my mouse over the image it starts moving as a video. Whatever you sell, produce, perform or do – the ability to design an entire dynamic layout to appear with live-streamed search results is very cool.

  • WooCommerce Filter

    New

    The newest PageBuilder update streams dynamic filter parameters into The Builder’s elements, so search filters for your Woo shop can be placed anywhere in any layout with some awesome options. As in the video example above you can see an offcanvas filter and another approach with a dropdown dropbar and grid. We love CUSTOM tools.

  • Hover to Life!

    New

    Our third PageBuilder release pick is the Hover Video feature. Now any widget, any element with an image has an option to select a video to play on-hover. This really brings things to life and gives websites energy and engaging activity. Lazy Loading keeps pages fast and snappy, so no need to worry about load times.

Off-Canvas Column

Markup, Classes and Attributes

Using your own html you can control much more and create all kinds of advanced effects, features and UX elements. The offcanvas bar is typically used for mobile navigation, but you can trigger it and use it for anything.

Animation Modes
Parameter Description
mode: slide The off-canvas slides out and overlays the content. This is the default mode.
mode: push The off-canvas slides out and pushes the site.
mode: reveal The off-canvas slides out and reveals its content while pushing the site.
mode: none The off-canvas appears and overlays the content without an animation.

Manual Markup, CSS Classes & Component Options

Lightbox
Animation

Animate your lightbox or modal with the target tool. You can use the predefined animations for your custom design that were built into the framework: Fade, Slide, or Scale.

uk-lightbox=”animation: slide” uk-lightbox=”animation: fade” uk-lightbox=”animation: scale”

Data Sources

data-type=”image”
data-type=”video”
data-type=”iframe”
Modal

With a modal, you can place any content within it and build a layout as you would with any layout. Use the modifiers to make it fullscreen, or centered; to change the width, and alter the style

.uk-modal-full
.uk-modal-full
<!-- This is a button toggling the modal -->
<button uk-toggle="target: #my-id" type="button"></button>

<!-- This is the modal -->
<div id="my-id" uk-modal>
    <div class="uk-modal-dialog uk-modal-body">
        <h2 class="uk-modal-title"></h2>
        <button class="uk-modal-close" type="button"></button>
    </div>
</div>



Full Header and Footer Centered
Open
PageBuilder Icon Pack

There are tons of built-in icons in several categories beyond those below. You can browse the full library on the UIKit documentation site at https://getuikit.com. These icons are available without needing any classes or markup at all by simply choosing the Icon element in the Builder.

  • home
  • sign-in
  • sign-out
  • user
  • users
  • lock
  • unlock
  • settings
  • rss
  • social
  • git-branch
  • git-fork
  • world
  • calendar
  • history
  • future
  • crosshairs
  • pencil
  • trash
  • move
  • link
  • eye
  • question
  • info
  • warning
  • image
  • thumbnails
  • table
  • list
  • menu
  • grid
  • more
  • more-vertical
  • plus
  • plus-circle
  • minus
  • minus-circle
  • close
  • close-circle
  • check
  • ban
  • refresh
  • play
  • play-circle
  • Parallax Attributes

    General Component Options

    Easing

    -2
    -1
    -0.5
    0
    0.5
    1
    2
    Option Description Values Start Value
    x Animate translateX. Length 0
    y Animate translateY. Length 0
    bgy Animate background Y position. Length Initial
    bgx Animate background X position. Length Initial
    rotate Animate rotation clockwise. deg 0
    scale Animate scaling. Number, Length 1
    color Animate color Color Initial
    background-color Animate background-color Color Initial
    border-color Animate border color Color Initial
    opacity Animate the opacity. Number Initial
    blur Animate the blur filter. px 0
    hue Animate the hue rotation filter. deg 0
    grayscale Animate the grayscale filter. % 0
    invert Animate the invert filter. % 0
    saturate Animate the saturated filter. % 0
    sepia Animate the sepia filter. % 0
    stroke Animate strokes within SVG images. 0
  • Sticky

    To create an element that remains at the top of the viewport when scrolling down the site, add the uk-sticky attribute to that element.

    uk-sticky

    Add an animation from the Animation component, set to only be sticky on a specific screen size or greater, .

    Animation:uk-sticky=”start: 200; animation: uk-animation-slide-top”
    Responsive:uk-sticky=”media: 640″ Offset:uk-sticky=”offset: 200″
    Position to Stick to:uk-sticky=”position: bottom”
  • Utilities

    Useful CSS Classes for shadows, tooltips, Adobe blend modes and typographic styling

    uk-box-shadow uk-box-shadow-small uk-box-shadow-medium uk-box-shadow-large
    uk-box-shadow-bottom

Making the switch from WordPress to Joomla

As an expert developer with over 20 years of experience in the industry, I’ve had the opportunity to work extensively with both Joomla and WordPress. I’ve been using both since 2007 when they were brand new. While both platforms have their merits, Joomla stands is the superior option for a variety of reasons, particularly for businesses looking for flexibility, scalability, and robust security. Although it’s slipped into the ether in terms of popularity, becoming relatively unknown in the U.S., Joomla has continued to thrive in the EU and UK.

Unlike WordPress, which is still essentially a glorified blogging platform, Joomla is built with a more complex architecture that allows multi-level user access and advanced content categorization. This makes Joomla a better choice for businesses requiring intricate structures or those managing large volumes of content. Additionally, Joomla’s built-in multilingual support ensures that businesses can easily reach a global audience without the need for additional plugins. Security is another critical consideration for any business website, and through recent events, WordPress has faced scrutiny over its vulnerability to cyber threats.

Joomla, with its strong focus on security and regular updates, provides a more secure environment for businesses that cannot afford downtime or data breaches. The platform also offers user management features that enable tighter access control, further enhancing overall security. Furthermore, Joomla’s extensive library of extensions and modules offers businesses the flexibility to customize their sites with advanced functionality, making it easier to adapt to evolving needs. While WordPress has a large plugin ecosystem, it can often lead to compatibility issues and performance slowdowns, which can negatively impact user experience.

Given the recent turmoil surrounding WordPress—ranging from security concerns to debates about content ownership—now is the perfect time for businesses to consider switching to a Joomla website. I’d encourage you to explore the opportunities that Joomla can provide for your business in this rapidly changing digital landscape.

The folks at YooTheme have been making great technology for WordPress and Joomla since the early days, and I’d highly recommend taking a long look at their YooTheme PRO when you’re planning out the next website, or considering making the switch off of the WordPress platform. YooTheme PRO has a fantastic visual Page Builder and sets the Admin up with all they need for a Joomla-based solution to be virtually identical to the simplicity of WordPress, but with all of the added power and additional built-in features of Joomla. Additionally, their UIKit and YooTheme PRO are made for WordPress as well.

"This is how I always envisioned our website. Great job!"
Dave Shapiro, CEO, Cartelligent
Read about the custom system we developed for The Oakland Athletics
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