PHP and WordPress, the two most popular technologies have been competing since their inception and till now the game isn’t over yet. More and more businesses are leveraging technology and digitization to enhance their situation. Earlier, the objective of a website was simply doing what everyone else was doing henceforth static websites were quite known. Today, it’s all about having a well-crafted and strong online presence instead of a poorly designed website.
Also, this brings us to the how part, how to create an ideal, well-streamlined, highly scalable website? Now developing a website can be insanely tricky at times especially when you are a newbie or a non-techie. You will come across a plethora of options around, and picking anyone on a random basis can lead to unwanted repercussions. One of the basic elements of a website development project is choosing the right tech stack. Now there is a wide range of technologies available but a few of them manage to stand out from the crowd.
However, most people get confused about whether to select PHP web development or WordPress web development. You see there are times when WordPress might excel in the expectations and times when PHP could excel. For example, WordPress is the most tried and tested option around but PHP is one kind of technology that can be seamlessly customized and ensures a high range of flexibility and scalability. So let us understand each one of these in detail.
Meet WordPress
The first and foremost contender to consider is WordPress. This is one of the most popular content management systems which is meant to develop, design, as well as manage website content in the easiest way out. Generally, content management systems tend to come with a pre-designed style for the website and all you need to do is make use of relevant tools, plugins, and themes to enhance the project. And a WordPress-based website is no different, this one is available with several eye-catching themes, the pre-installed ones. Apart from these free ones, there are several other paid premium plugins available that can be used to develop your website more subtly.
The popularity of WordPress is no joke, I mean anybody, even a non-techie, can create a website using WordPress. Overall, WordPress turns out to be an extremely powerful CMS featuring a wide range of benefits and alluring millions of daily users across the globe.
Why Consider WordPress?
As mentioned earlier, the CMS turns out to be powering more than 40% of all websites and there is no denying the fact that it somehow stands out among the most incredible options such as Joomla, Magento, and Shopify. Further, I would like to mention some of the most crucial benefits of considering WordPress.
1. Opensource
One of the leading open source software to take into account is WordPress. Here it is possible for users to successfully install, modify, and distribute in the way they want. Now the source code can be easily accessible by everyone, no wonder experts are found developing more tools and extensions that allow for the use of commoners. In other words, the CMS has the potential to grow faster than any other software. So whether you are developing a personal website or willing to create an online presence for your startup with a lesser budget, this turns out to be the most perfect choice.
2. Scalable
The next benefit of considering WordPress over other available technologies is it turns out to be extremely scalable and flexible. Any kind of website can be developed using WordPress from individual blogs to huge exclusive corporate sites such as Sony Music, The Next Web, Time Magazine, and Microsoft News. These examples vouch for the CMS being extremely scalable with the right range of infrastructure and resources in place. Also, another interesting aspect to consider here is that the platform has an incredible way of serving thousands of logged-in users and sustaining millions of monthly page views.
3. Easy to Get Started
Another crucial advantage of using WordPress is that it is pretty easy to get started with. As I mentioned earlier, WordPress can be used by even non-techies, which means anyone can develop a fully functioning website. Also, it comprises a user-friendly dashboard.
If you haven’t used WordPress before, the dashboard is pretty easy to use – all the menus are listed in a sidebar, so whether you want to create a new blog post or install different themes and plugins, nothing seems tricky at all. In other words, familiarising with WordPress won’t be a problem at all. Within a few minutes, you will feel confident about developing a website. And if you don’t know where to begin with, simply start tweaking the admin dashboard right away.
4. SEO-Friendly
The next benefit of considering WordPress over other options is SEO-friendliness. Now as we all know we are no longer developing a website just for the sake of it, I mean you do want your business to rank well right and this is where SEO-friendliness offered by WordPress helps.
Gaining a sustainable amount of traffic is very important and with WordPress, it is easy to deal with. WordPress is one such platform that certainly works wonders with numerous search engines and SEO tools. Moreover, here you will come across a wide range of built-in capabilities that work well with Google and other search engines. Technically speaking, search engines can crawl your website content and index them on the most relevant search result pages.
Now even though this is an SEO-friendly platform, it is still advisable to use other additional plugins such as Yoast SEO and All in One SEO leading to more efficient outcomes.
5. Large Community
Last but certainly not the least is a large community. WordPress tends to have a large community of programmers, and developers who have amazing knowledge and experience in offering the best outcomes with the help of the platform. It has a huge community of users where members tend to actively discuss as well as look for ways to make the most of the content management system more effectively.
Also, WordPress comprises active forums that include a wide range of discussion topics featuring news, how-tos, and plugin requests. Once considered as a blogging platform, WordPress now serves more purposes such as being considered as an eCommerce development platform no matter how complicated it is.
I guess now you know why and how WordPress has managed to attract millions of users and power the majority of websites. Well, I can go on and on with WordPress, but now we need to switch to another contender which is PHP.
Also Read: How to Change Font in WordPress
Meet PHP
Hypertext preprocessor popularly known as PHP is another technology highly recommended for developing full-fledged websites. Now PHP is a huge concept, it is a programming language that makes website development pretty easy to conduct and highly suitable for every kind of development needs. Some of the most common PHP frameworks include:
- Laravel
- CodeIgniter
- Symfony
- CakePHP
PHP framework is more like a bare-bone foundation that is used to develop any website. The only issue is these development projects cannot be held by non-techies, here you require proper coding skills and a proper budget to conduct a successful project.
There is no denying the fact that website development now seems to be pretty complex and demanding which compels business owners to look around for more important options. The PHP framework features a wide set of guidelines that assist developers in creating more reliable and consistent applications. Also, the framework comprises a wide range of built-in libraries and tools which speeds up the development process. Also, here you will find robust security measures that assist in the prevention of cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection attacks.
Benefits of PHP
It may quite interest you to know that WordPress and PHP are pretty much closely related so the benefits are close enough, still worth considering such as:
1. Opensource
One of the leading benefits offered by PHP is that it is an open-source platform that can be accessed seamlessly by everyone. In other words, one can easily download, install, and access. Not to mention much like WordPress PHP is pretty easy on your wallet since you no longer have to pay for its license and other additional costs involved.
2. Flexibility
The next benefit of PHP is that it offers immense flexibility, you see PHP scripts are way more compatible with different devices including PCs and tablets. Also, it is highly compatible with a variety of databases. PHP ensures easy integration with JavaScript, XML, HTML, and web servers such as Apache server, IIS, and others.
3. Security
As we all know security breaches keep on happening now and then and with PHP it is very easy to enhance overall application security with the help of a wide range of built-in features and different configuration choices. Safe coding techniques are pretty much considered to address different ever-evolving security concerns.
4. Maintenance
Another benefit offered by PHP is that it offers quick and easy maintenance and long-term support, regular updates, and dedicated support from a development team or community. So this works well with bug fixes, security patches, and several technological advancements ensuring long-term maintenance of the development website or app.
5. Large community
They have a broad range of learning materials, guidance, and community support to take advantage of the framework’s third-party ecosystem, which includes templates, plugins, and add-ons. Several documents, veterans are accessible to assist you in navigating any issues that may arise.
PHP and WordPress – Which one is Better?
Now as we have witnessed both technologies do manage to offer distinct advantages, it’s time to think of which one is a better fit for your website.
1. User Experience
A user experience is a very important concern for all website owners especially if you want to develop an in-house site. Now the PHP framework is designed for developers so UI and UX are pretty basic whereas for WordPress, the low technical entry point for developing a website, attaining an attractive graphical user interface (GUI) is the key.
2. High Security
Another aspect to consider is high security. As mentioned security breaches keep on happening now and then which means you need tech which can ensure seamless high-end security like never before. I mean there is no point in developing a website that fails in security no matter how amazing it seems to be. Not to mention this can lead to numerous financial and legal issues. Among WordPress and PHP, WordPress could be more secure than PHP. However, there is always scope for adding security features within the basic functionality of the site.
3. Upgrades
The next aspect to consider is constant upgrades. Of course, developing a website is not just it, you need to ensure it keeps on updating constantly and bug fixes. The wheel keeps on spinning more efficiently. Here at WordPress, you may find numerous near–perpetual updates for adding a new range of features, bug fixings, and improved security. PHP updates do not happen now and then since it mainly focuses on enhancing different functionalities.
In a Nutshell
Both PHP and WordPress are of a kind! I must say these two technologies are two tales of two approaches and mindsets. It depends on you whether you want to stroll down the well-paved path of user-friendly design or embark on an adventure into the intricate world of coding craftsmanship.
WordPress and PHP are not adversaries; they are tools in your digital arsenal, waiting to bring your online vision to life. So make sure you don’t make any random decision and pick a technology that assists you in developing a virtual space that resonates with your purpose.
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