A Complete Step By Step Guide To Choose The Best PHP Development Company
PHP is one of the widely used server-side (backend) programming languages. You will be shocked to know that 78.3% of websites around the globe are using PHP for their backend programming. The PHP language first appeared in 1995 and has successfully managed to survive as the queen of programming from the past 25 years. It is not only the most chosen language by entrepreneurs but the software developers are also glued to it for the exceptional features. It is one of the most popular programming technologies (frontend and backend) among professional developers, according to the StackOverflow survey. If you are also considering using this lucrative programming language for your next website development project then you must focus on choosing the right company. There are a plethora of PHP development companies
that require to be tested and checked on various parameters before the final trial. So, here we are ending the confusion of most entrepreneurs who are smitten with the popularity of this programming language. Let’s read this step-by-step guide to choose the right PHP development company.
Steps to choose the best PHP Development Company:
Step 1: Check if the PHP Development company is working on these essential and popular PHP technologies: PHP has survived in this flourishing industry because it is dynamic. New PHP technologies introduce better features that make their survival easy. Being an entrepreneur, you must select a PHP development company that has expertise in the following PHP frameworks to check their experience and knowledge:
PHP framework: Laravel: This framework is one of the most popular PHP technologies. According to the latest statistics, 143, 312 websites are using Laravel. The amazing ORM and advanced MVC architecture make it a powerful framework. It offers robust caching and routing functionalities. You can choo se this framework as it is developers-friendly and allows quick PHP web development services.
PHP framework: CodeIgniter: It is the best friend of developers who is looking for a simple toolkit to develop full-fledged web applications. 126,535 websites are built with CodeIgniter according to the latest data available. It is an easy -to-use framework with in-built libraries. The exceptional performance and clear documents work in its favor. Codeigniter is a framework that is known for simple solutions over complex ones.
PHP framework: CakePHP If you are looking for a PHP web development company that can create complex and large web apps then make sure they have experts fo r the CakePHP framework. This framework provides in-built support for various complex technologies like AJAX. It offers powerful scaffolding and polished MVC conventions. It is often recommended for its simple code reusability.
PHP framework: Symfony A popular website like wix.com (503 traffic rank) is using this PHP framework. Symfony is user-friendly as it offers a number of reusable PHP components that are used for validation, security, templating and many more. It is one of the best PHP frameworks for the development of large-scale PHP web apps.
PHP framework: Yii It is a popular modern PHP framework extensively used for creating web apps and APIs. According to the latest stats,123,917 websites are using Yii. duckduckgo.com website which has 500 million monthly visits is using this PHP framework. When it comes to benefits, the list does not end. It offers fast caching, AJAX support, brilliant testing, and simple configuration. All this allows PHP web developers to make high-performing web apps with the Yii framework.
PHP framework: Zend Framework It is a collection of PHP based professional packages. Zend is most suitable for developing enterprise-level web applications. The flexibility which is supported by this framework allows us to create dynamic web apps. The multilingual features that allow quick debugging ma kes it one of the most robust PHP frameworks.
Step 2: Check if they are providing the following PHP Development Services
Every PHP developer has the potential to develop a website. Can you rely upon each of them? Absolutely, no! You have to find a PHP development
company that can offer a variety of PHP web development services. Some of them are explained below:
PHP based CMS Development: Some of the most popular CMS like Drupal, Joomla, WordPress are written in PHP. Content management systems allow editing, publishing, and modification of content from a central interface. It also allows for easy maintenance activities from the same interface. PHP based CMS development services are in demand for creating websites that contain shopping, blog, news services. So, if you are planning to avail of this kind of web app development then ensure that the PHP web development company you select has experience in creating PHP based CMS.
Custom PHP web development: Every business must have its own USP which allows consumers to find them in the crowd. There must be some unique features that you want to add to your web app. Hence, always select a PHP web development company that supports your needs by offering customized development. When you hire PHP developer team from that company then they must have the ability to understand your requirements and budget. Help them know the features you wish to see in your website and let them work according to your business requirements.
PHP eCommerce development As per industry predictions by Statista, retail e-commerce sales are expected to reach $ 4,927 billion by 2023. The flourishing industry seems lucrative to many businesses. So if you are also planning to start an eCommerce store then PHP can be the best choice for the same as PHP programming can assure fast loading speed, flawless scrolling, and high-end memory management.
Corporate website development Corporate website development is not similar to other websites. It requires extensive hands-on experience before taking a new project. Corporate websites demand a thorough adherence to the demands of your business. Moreover, to safeguard corporate data, when you hire web developer, he/she must ensure the high-end security of the website.
Before finalizing any PHP development company for this purpose, make sure they have developed a corporate website using PHP before and their developers are proficient enough to offer high-grade security.
Portal web development If you are planning to get a web portal developed then you must be aiming at a platform that can accommodate large traffic. Portal acts as a customized library that caters to information from different sources. Such a portal can be developed using PHP programming language. Creating a portal is a daunting task and requires expert assistance. If you are looking for user-friendly portals then make sure the web development company has experience in creating PHP based web portals.
Support and maintenance Nothing works right if it does not get constant support and timely maintenance. Similar to humans, PHP websites also require proper attention to run without any glitch for the long term. In the best PHP development company guide, this point is quite obvious. You cannot risk choosing a web development company that has little or no experience in providing support and maintenance services for the PHP website. Make sure they ensure the seamless performance of your site with their maintenance services.
PHP web marketing What if someone makes chocolates every day but has no on e around to offer? Similar is the case of a website that is not promoted. Without a well-executed marketing strategy, your PHP website may not reach its final users. Therefore, it is mandatory to check if the company you are choosing is ready to take their PHP web development services to another level or not. Will they be offering PHP web marketing? Choose them only if they have a well-crafted marketing strategy for your PHP website.
Step 3: Make sure the PHP development company you choose is offering these FEATURES After following the first two steps, you will be able to shortlist the PHP website development companies which are offering services that you require. By following this step, you will find the companies that are offering the best PHP web development services. Here are the features
that you must keep an eye on:
Agile development: The modern approach where a client and cross-functional teams work together with a collaborative effort is known as agile PHP web development. This offers great advantages for both the client and the developers. When you choose to hire PHP developer from a company that follows the agile process, you will be able to provide quick and regular feedback on their work. Moreover, you will always stay connected to share your views at every stage of the PHP development process. This gives security and improved outcomes after the seamless execution of PHP development services.
High security Any kind of website development is incomplete if it is not highly secured and no business can beat its competitors without safeguarding their confidential data. As an entrepreneur, you need to ensure that your idea and data are kept confidential. Whatever is shared between the PHP development company and your team should be assumed to be under high-security. You need to get assurance from them that each and every developer, tester or any other professional working on your project will keep your information protected.
Supreme quality You can get a glimpse of the quality which a PHP development company is capable to offer by having a look at their portfolio. Apart from this, you can check their development process. There is no other way to get assurance about high-quality. You will surely get a supreme quality of PHP development if they follow a stringent quality checking process.
Rigorous testing PHP development is incomplete until the website undergoes a thorough testing process before the final launch. To provide users with a bug-free web app, it is mandatory to test your website rigorously. Multi-level scrutiny before the final launch will ensure that there is no technical glitch. This protects your PHP web app from failing after the launch.
Technical proficiency
What if the PHP web development company you hire is not proficient in using the latest PHP technologies? It is one of the most important things that require your attention. The company that you finalize must be integrating their custom PHP development with high-end features. When you hire PHP developer associated with such a company, they will have knowledge about the frameworks mentioned above and possess experience of all the related programming technologies.
Step 4: Let’s take a sneak-peek at the BACKGROUND of the PHP development company: In this step, we have included the major factors upon which you need to weigh a prospective PHP development company. These factors will let you get an idea about the general background of a company. Have a look:
Experience in your niche There are a plethora of PHP website development companies offering PHP development services but not all of them have worked in your niche. You can check this by either checking their portfolio or asking them directly. There is a twist at this point, there might be companies that you like in every way but they have not worked in your niche. There is no harm in trying these PHP website companies but you need to ensure that they have extensive PHP development experience in a variety of niches.
Have a look at their portfolio and website Be it a person or a company, no one can tell about them as much as they can themselves. Before selecting a PHP web development company, you need to scrutinize their website and portfolio. It will tell a lot about their business values, approach, and professionalism. Anything that they provide on their own website has authenticated information about them. The first-hand source to gather any information is the most reliable one. Hence explore this source as much as you can .
Scrutinize the market reputation Do you ever hire someone in your company without checking their background? The previous clients of a PHP development company will always have a story to share. Retained customers itself is a certificate of reliability and supreme quality. Apart from this, the overall market reputation can also be checked by checking reviews and ratings on search engines. From these sources, you
will get an idea about the potential of their team.
Step 5: Ask these 5 questions to the team of the PHP Development Company
What if a student never raises his/her query to the teacher? Since childhood, we have been taught that things get better when we communicate. The same applies to this PHP web development company guide too. Being a prospective client, you must ask these 5 questions to a PHP development company directly and here is what you need to expect as answers!
1. Are you using the advanced toolkit for PHP development services? Ideal Answer: We understand that PHP is getting upgraded at a fast pace. Our team uses an updated toolbox for delivering PHP web development services. The PHP developers in our team have technical proficiency and extensive experience in tools like PHP 7, MySQL, CSS, HTML5, MongoDB, jQuery, and AWS.
2. Will I get a responsive PHP website?
Ideal Answer: Yes we will create a website that will be responsive in design. Our developers will ensure an optimal experience for all the users. The navigation of your PHP website will be seamless on all sizes of devices.
3. Which approach do you follow for PHP web development? Ideal Answer: We give maximum efforts in understanding your business needs. For us, every project is unique. We follow an agile approach where you will be involved in every stage of development. The team will ensure that our custom PHP development solution gets synced to your requirements aptly.
4. Will you give me the option to select the design for my PHP website? Ideal Answer: Based on your business requirements and objectives, we will create a few designs for your PHP web app. Out of those designs, you will get a choice to select one or advise changes in the same.
5. How will I communicate with your developers? Ideal Answer: You will be connected with our developers throughout the PHP web development process. Popular communication channels like Skype or email can be used.
Step 6: Review your final choice of PHP development company under these three parameters Once you have done a thorough check of all the prospective PHP website development companies by following the above steps, you need to look into some obvious details. These parameters are so obvious that you will never find their mention in any other PHP development company guide. It is crucial to check the PHP development company on these parameters just before making the final decision:
Size of team: To be honest, the size of a PHP web development company does not matter when you have to decide their proficiency. But it does reflect on their experience and authentication. If they have 100+ developers working with them then you can get assurance about their experience. This will also suggest that there might be some developers who have worked in your niche. In a nutshell, you will get variety if the team is considerably big. The size of the PHP website development company
speaks volumes about its reliability and reputation.
Communication Under communication skills, you need to check if there is any kind of understanding or linguistic issues between you, your team or developers of the PHP website development company that you are hiring. Make sure they understand your needs, goals, and objectives. A smooth conversation is a prerequisite for an agile development process. Real-time communication will ensure flawless execution of app development.
Passion and Enthusiasm Software development is a strenuous task that needs dedication and zeal. Without these, nothing can be done right and extraordinary. More than the potential and experience, the willingness of developers to work on your PHP web development project matters. Before considering to hire custom PHP developer, make sure they are enthusiastic to work for your project. This is the only way to get an innovative outcome.
Step 7: Make the final decision
After reading and following the six steps given above, you must have understood that PHP development is all about evolving with time. Your PHP web development company must be as dynamic as the PHP programming language is. The team should have experienced PHP developers who have extensive knowledge of all the related technologies and the latest PHP frameworks. Remember, you are not hiring a PHP web development company just to get a web app developed on time. Your motive is to avail of custom PHP development services which can make your web app outshine the competition. For this, it is crucial to hire PHP developers who are dedicated and passionate to provide end-to-end PHP development services according to your needs.