There are over a 1.7billion websites on the internet today and more than ever, businesses now see the need for a website to yield more effectiveness. Developing a website has now become a priority for most companies, as it could help put them ahead of their competitors if the SEO performance is applaudable.
However, beyond owning a website is how well it is developed, as that could help brands scale better. Although there are different programming languages for web development today, choosing the one to work with is often due to different reasons, which includes who the developer is and the kind of website or app that needs to be built.
PHP Scripts are mostly accepted today to develop a website and according to W3tech’s data, it is currently used by 79% of all websites today, including popular sites like Wikipedia, Slack, and Etsy. Due to the growth of WordPress sites in recent years, most freelance web developers have also embraced it as a favorite tool to work with.
Although PHP might prove difficult to manage and troubleshoot, it is considered safe and reliable and offers lots of advantages.
Below are 7 important reasons why PHP is important:
1. PHP is Everywhere
You will find PHP everywhere on the web, as it is a popular programming language that you can always count on wherever. This makes it easy to use. WordPress uses PHP and it currently powers about 35% of the web, according to the web technology survey firm W3tech. There are also other sites like Joomla, Mediawiki, ExpressionEngine, Drupal and more that uses PHP. Also, consider available PHP application frameworks like Laravel, CodeIgniter, Symfony, CakePHP, Zend, Falcon, and more.
2. PHP Boasts Simplicity
PHP is generally regarded as an easy programming language, especially for beginners learning how to program. Many developers liken it to writing an essay, except that it is written in codes to help create and run websites efficiently. Like every other programming language, PHP has its rules of coding, abbreviations, and logarithms that might make it seem complicated but with the right tips and resources, you can learn how to master it.
3. PHP Works Exceptionally Well with CMS
Content Management Systems simply helps create and modify digital content and with PHP, it has gotten a whole lot better. This is because of how vital adaptive content has been lately and is now considered the future of CMS. Adaptive content simply creates personalized content for the site’s visitors, in order to give a personalized experience for each user. PHP makes this easier, as developers could easily customize and integrate the code into the CMS to match each customer’s data. Popular sites like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla already have PHP integrated, which makes it easier for developers to transform.
4. PHP has Gotten Faster
PHP might not necessarily be the fastest, but with the improvement over the years, it has gotten a lot faster compared to other programming languages. Programmers using this language can easily integrate various catching systems which would help enhance the speed of PHP apps. PHP is evolving and gradually gaining easy abstractions for functional programming.
5. PHP is Learning-friendly
PHP is a scripting language that is considered beginner-friendly, as it is easy to read and understand how the codes work. The Stack Overflow Developer Survey ranked PHP as the most loved programming language both in 2016 and in 2019, which proves that it is in high demand and more people are beginning to embrace it. PHP isn’t dead yet and with the number of websites using it today, it will dominate for a longer time. Every programmer is encouraged to learn and master PHP and it is worth it if you choose it as your first server-side language.
6. PHP Is Less Time-consuming
PHP components are reusable, which helps save more time and effort. Each of the frameworks, including Laravel, CodeIgniter, Symfony, CakePHP, Zend, Falcon, and more, has its functionality in specific fields. You can also work with PHP package developments that help structure your code to become more manageable and easier to test. It also helps you document your packages easier and have reusable software components. In addition, PHP is well optimized to make web apps easily and consists of already built-in functions to make the codes more efficient. This means less time for the development of the website.
7. PHP allows Extensions and Add-ons
PHP is a scalable programming language that allows the integration of extensions and add-ons in order to fit perfectly into the site’s requirements. With these extensions, developers can easily add newer features and functionalities to help the site run effectively.
Conclusion
Web design and development is one of the first things that prepare a site for business and with PHP integrated into the most popular sites, it is one programming language that should not be overlooked. It has greatly improved over the years and its advantage to web development cannot be overemphasized.
