Should I Use Joomla for my website?

1. Joomla is a wonderful Content Management System (CMS) for business or individuals who want to be able to update webpages on a frequent basis.
2. Joomla is also good for those that don't really understand a whole lot about web design or web sites, but are able to use a word processor.

If you need a website to be updated several times a week, by a variety of different people, or you need a "dynamic" website (database driven) to sale merchandise, etc., then Joomla is a nice option.

I must admit though that there are problems with Joomla (or at least problems result).

• Some folks never want to take the time to really learn how to use Joomla. For them Joomla will be frustrating. There is a real learning curve to be able to do more advanced things like add menu items, and some of the "backend" administrator "stuff."
• Joomla occassionally has glitches or problems. I have found that the core program is very stable, but some of the components/ modules/ mambots  (the extensions or extras like calendars, payment systems, etc.) are sometimes error prone. Both you and your web designer may be frustrated at times till you find the best add-on component. 
  
  Here is an example:  I have frequently been unhappy with the various components that produce the nice looking URLS (instead of the default "computer" looking urls like... index.php?com_add/.... that make no sense).  The "friendly" URL's are good for a variety of reasons (easy to remember, good search engine optimization, and more).  Some SEF components though produce duplicate urls, and a  variety of other problems.  One which I used to really like (Open-Sef) is no longer being upgraded/worked on and I have finally stopped using it.
• Joomla and its components/extensions must be updated frequently.  Like any program used on the internet (whether a forum, calendar program, etc.) there are security issues and problems as well as "bug" fixes that must be patched often. If you don't keep your program updated (whether Joomla, Wordpress, etc.) its really just a matter of time till your website gets "hacked" and defaced... or even worse, your client data stolen. 

As with any decision, there are positives and negatives.  Talk with your web designer about what your really need your website to accomplish and you may save yourself money and aggravation in short and long term!