Transforming Business Dynamics: Leveraging PHP Systems"

What can a PHP development company do for you?

With so many web development agencies working on all kinds of projects using different technologies - it's a real jungle out there, but don't worry. Today's article is focused on PHP development services. It will help you navigate through these uneasy grounds, provide key definitions, show possibilities and give recommendations on what to pay attention to when choosing the top PHP development company that will fit your dream project.

About PHP

Let's start with some background about PHP development and its pros and cons.

The basics

At its core, PHP is a widely used script programming language that enables the creation of websites, online stores and web applications. The first version of the language was released in 1994. Today, according to 2023 data provided by W3Techs, it is used by 77.5% of all websites with identified server-side programming languages, which is a proof of its popularity, versatility and reliability.

PHP advantages for your business

Here are a few reasons why PHP is a good choice:

• It's scalable - one of its biggest advantages and the reason for widespread use
• It's cost-effective - PHP uses an open license, which means it is free, and many of its libraries and frameworks are also free for both private and commercial use. If you use PHP on your website, it can result in significant savings related to software purchases and when introducing new functionalities
• It has a thriving community - many developers share their ideas and support each other, which means you gain free access to a buzzing think tank, capable of providing interesting ideas for improvements and solutions to potential issues
• Works well for web applications as it is designed for web development. A skillfully built solution that uses PHP is characterized by good performance on both desktop and mobile devices, which has a huge impact on user experience and site popularity in Google search results pages
• It's easy to work with for developers - PHP has a simple syntax and operates on objects, which is often very helpful to coders. This, in turn, can result in a better workflow that may positively affect deadlines

The disadvantages of PHP

PHP also has a few drawbacks, especially from the developer's point of view, which is why jokes about PHP are quite common in the IT industry:

• Confusion between different versions - the differences in the naming of embedded methods between different versions of PHP may cause problems for developers
• Little support for clean code practices - any style of coding works, which means the scripts can be difficult to read between different developers
• May need more testing and/or optimization than other solutions - the same results can be achieved in a number of different ways, so there is a need to find and test the one that works best
• Poor handling of errors - it lacks good debugging tools which can sometimes make app maintenance a problem
• Speed and security - PHP might not be the best choice for very large enterprise applications if developers do not follow strictly high standards of coding. While it's possible to write good application in PHP even in complex environment, other languages might offer more sophisticated tools and libraries for these cases.

Popular platforms that use PHP

If numbers alone aren't enough to convince you about the popularity of PHP, then how about a few famous names? WordPress, which is one of the most popular content management systems, is written in PHP. Everyone's favorite source of knowledge - Wikipedia - is also based on this programming language. The most popular social media platform in Europe, Facebook runs on PHP. Probably the biggest marketplace for buyers and sellers of handmade goods and services - Etsy - also uses this technology. These are just a few examples.

The business areas where you can use solutions/systems realized in PHP

PHP is so versatile not even sky is the limit. The language can be used to perform high-level calculations, so for example, in the aviation industry, a system could calculate wind correction angles and groundspeed for a pilot when planning a flight. According to W3Techs, 43% of all websites on the internet are built using WordPress, which is a content management system that uses PHP. It also means that most of the themes and plugins for this CMS are written in PHP, and it is very popular for the creation of online shops - eCommerce is one of the most popular uses for WP. Project management tools are currently a standard for most IT agencies (and many other companies as well) to keep track of information and facilitate communication between different departments and individual employees. The Envato market alone offers more than 300 PHP project management tools, with 5-star ratings and hundreds of sold copies. Another important fact is that PHP web and desktop applications work on all major operating systems. The language has libraries that can be applied in machine learning and artificial intelligence development. PHP is commonplace among cloud solutions. Google itself has tools for PHP developers to facilitate the development of cloud-native applications. Writing PHP apps for Google Cloud is simple and intuitive thanks to idiomatic libraries. PHP is still heavily utilized on Facebook, but the code is compiled using HipHop for PHP, which turns PHP into C++. Many Facebook apps still use PHP though. On the one hand, the language serves as the backbone of server-side backend code, but on the other, it can also be used for graphical user interfaces. With PHP one can create real-time applications, such as chats, monitoring apps, or entire social networks. Cybersecurity is an increasingly important aspect of online presence, and PHP can also help in this area. Using the language, developers can create custom authentication mechanisms, including two-step authentication, access tokens, password systems, cookies, or verification systems similar to the popular CAPTCHA. Not only data protection, but also data acquisition and analysis can be conducted with PHP. The language can be used for metrics' conversions, the development of forums or surveys. Then, the data can be used in databases with other features built using PHP - image galleries and login or search systems. PHP can also be used for visual elements - one can create and edit graphics, or apply image filters. Lastly, entire information and content management systems (like the aforementioned WordPress) can be based on PHP.

Professional PHP frameworks like Symfony and infrastructure solutions like AWS (Amazon Web Services) allows developers to create fully scalable and secure enterprise applications (intranets, CRMs, financial services, ...) with good performance and modularity.

With so many different possibilities, it's no surprise that PHP is still one of the most popular programming languages.

What cooperation model you should choose with a PHP agencynbsp; (outsourcing/projects)

There are many ways cooperation with a PHP web development company may look. One of the most beneficial forms for both parties is outsourcing. The Client can either request specific PHP developers (and/or other specialists) to augment his team and fill in the gaps, or an entire team, often with a dedicated PM. These solutions expedite the recruitment process and help optimize costs. The Client may also focus entirely on developing the business while the outsourced team works on the project.

When it comes to project flow itself, there are also many ways of conducting work. Time & Material and Waterfall are among the most popular choices. We'll now briefly describe these two approaches.

Waterfall

In the Waterfall approach, the price for the project is set upfront. At the beginning, a single predetermined schedule is prepared, which includes inflexible deadlines both for the Client as well as the PHP development company. This means that if the Client fails to deliver specific content on time, the entire process may be put on hold. When using Waterfall, the technical assumptions cannot change once they have been established, and basically any change will mean a pause in the project as the technical documentation will have to be updated and a new estimation will need to be formed. Any change will also most probably cost a lot. In this approach, you do not receive individual elements for approval as the project progresses. Instead, you receive the complete project for review at the end of the development process. The final result is a project that will fulfill the initial assumptions made at the start of the cooperation, but it may not work business-wise if the environment has changed. You should consider the Waterfall approach when you understand your business essentials, including the necessary components, integrations and procedures. You need to know exactly what functionalities you will require, and you have to be able to determine the base and final elements of the system which will be tested. It's a good choice when you can wait with the beginning of the development process until all technical documentation is created and approved. If you have a fixed, precise date of completion for the project, then Waterfall may also be a good choice.

Time amp; Material

In this approach, you only pay for the hours of completed work. The main milestones for the project are set, along with the needed time. The tasks are created on the basis of sprints, and the Client is involved in the planning process, making sure the targets are realistic and adapted to his needs. This approach is flexible, project guidelines may evolve during the entirety of the development process and you may reorder priorities with every sprint. The Client is involved in the entire process and has a real influence on what happens and how. Client needs are subjected to an analysis and translated into developer tasks conducted by the team. The company developing the project submits the individual elements of the work to the Client for approval. The final result is a project that may differ from the initial assumptions, but it will always conform to the final expectations of the market and the Client. Contrary to Waterfall, the flexible approach means that there is no fixed cost provided at the early stage of the cooperation. The Client should strongly consider T&M when his business environment changes rapidly, if he is unable to define a closed list of functionalities that will be needed, or when he wants to have a real impact on the project during every stage. Time & Material is a good choice when the Client wants to be close to the development team, to conduct joint decisions, when the system is to be subjected to continuous verification and adaptation, or when the Client wants to give himself the opportunity to further develop the digital product.

You can read more about outsourcing in our other article here.

How to choose the perfect PHP Agencies for your business

This is a question every reasonable business owner would ask. One of the easiest and at the same time most reliable ways of finding a leading PHP development company is to browse the lists of firms at Clutch.co (we are ranked there too). The platform lists more than 250 000 vetted businesses from around the world. How are these rankings different from similar ones available online? The reviews at Clutch are written by the clients of these companies. Each review features a lot of details on the specific projects the companies have delivered, so you will get an idea of what you may expect from the cooperation. The companies that submit their profiles are carefully analyzed by the platform's staff, and there are periodic achievement badges for the best companies in a given time period and in their specific categories. Based in Washington, DC, the platform has been around for several years, and it boasts over 1.3 million leaders who use it every month to connect with reliable business partners.

You can also investigate the PHP development companies on your own. Visit their websites, check how comfortable they are to use from the user's perspective, and whether the performance is good on both desktop and mobile devices. After all, optimizations are an important part of user experience and one of the key ranking factors for Google. Check the companies' portfolio, visit the websites they have built, or download the apps they have developed. If possible, you can get in touch with their contractors and ask for their opinion on the cooperation and its results.

How to choose what your business really needs

If you are unsure of the best way to proceed with your idea, it is best to consult a software development agency, or actually even a few of those to see the available options, different approaches, methodologies and who makes the best first impression. If you are not a programmer, do not pretend to be one. Similarly, if you have little experience in business or project development, requesting professional advice will help you optimize your resources and time. A good PHP web development company will have worked on a number of complex projects and should be able to advise on both the technical and business aspects of the endeavor.

Conclusion

If you've reached this point in the article, then you should have a better understanding of how custom PHP development services work. At createIT, we have been working on PHP projects for nearly two decades. If you are looking for an experienced team, or are in need of technical or business consultations, give us a try and contact us using your preferred method.