I am proficient at XHTML and CSS and need to start creating dynamic sites as well as CMS. I need them to be search engine optimized as well. Is there any reason why I should not start using Joomla! I would need to create my own templates most of the time because I do custom work. Is this a bad work flow idea? Can you develop in Joomla! without having the site live? Thanks
Yes, you can develop in Joomla without having the site live. My company has developed many Joomla based sites, and have added alot of customizations to these sites. With all the modules & components available, it's a great platform. There are also lots of SEO type enhancements that you can do as well. Templates are readily available. There's also a template maker for Joomla.