Factors to Consider Before Choosing a PHP Developer

There are millions of PHP developers around you today. But choosing to hire PHP developers possessing the right skills and knowledge is important. And here are the factors you need to consider for this. 

 

PHP is the most flexible open-source server-side programming language that powers more than 81 percent of the active websites now. You would be surprised to know that some of the most popular websites like Zoom, Wikipedia, Facebook, MailChimp, Tumblr, and more, are all built with PHP. And the reasons are the robustness, secure features, huge community support, open-source nature, support for so many web development tools, and frameworks that make PHP development efficient and effortless. All these reasons and features of the language have made innumerable businesses have their PHP websites today. And with this huge number of websites created using this language, the competition level has also increased to a great extent. Business owners who are planning to get their sites built with PHP and who want an edge over their competitors, for them choosing to hire PHP developers with experience, knowledge, and skills, is extremely important. 

 

And here are the factors that can help you in finding the right PHP developer for your project. 

 

Count the total years of relevant experience:

You can categorise the developers as beginners, mid-level developers, or senior developers depending on their total years of relevant experience as a PHP developer. Ask about the total experience the programmer has in this field and categorise accordingly. Get the answer and make sure to choose a senior and highly experienced one for your project. Remember, only experienced professionals can ensure to resolve all complexities with ease and easy yet high-quality web development making the best use of the language and its features for your project requirements. 

 

Consider the technical skills:

The PHP programmer you are choosing should possess some of the essential technical skills and abilities like knowledge of JavaScript, Ajax, HTML, CSS, MVC architecture, MySQL, database management, and of course must have excellent coding skills. The developer should also be able to use APIs, build websites for Linux and Windows, and should be able to use XAMPP. Apart from these, knowledge of all the available PHP development tools like Eclipse, PHPStorm, Aptana Studio, PHPDebugbar, etc., is important. 

 

Knowledge of PHP-based frameworks:

PHP supports a wide range of frameworks like CakePHP, CodeIgniter, Laravel, Symfony, Yii, and more that make PHP web development more effortless and efficient for the developers. So, make sure the programmer you are choosing for your project has practical experience in using these. The developer should be able to choose the right framework as per your requirements as well. This will help the professional to create an effective and customised website easily and smoothly using the framework. 

 

Ability to adapt:

PHP keeps on updating itself and it frequently comes up with new features. Even new and advanced PHP development tools and technologies also keep on getting introduced. And developers must be able to learn and adapt to these changes and advancements for better and competitive web development. The professionals must have learning and adaptability skills. 

 

Communication and Time-management skills:

Easy communication and excellent time-management skills are also the two most essential qualities of a good PHP developer. An experienced and professional developer will always ensure to offer easy and professional communication with the clients and will guarantee to deliver the projects within the deadline no matter what the requirements are by maintaining a well-planned time-management strategy. So, look for this trait as well while choosing your programmer. 

 

Though PHP is a great option for beginners in the web development field as well, choosing an experienced one having strong knowledge of the language, its features, frameworks, and tools can ensure the best-in-class website development. And, considering these factors can help you in finding and choosing a well-versed and proficient PHP developer for your website development. 

 

Jonathan Paul is a dedicated and proficient PHP developer associated with the best PHP development company in Australia, PHPProgrammers. The author has written this article to help you hire PHP developers with advanced skills and in-depth knowledge for your project.