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Introduction
In today’s tech-advanced business world, skilled, adept, and professional web developers are in high demand. Entrepreneurs, whether they are producing a new web app or upgrading their operating systems, seek their assistance immediately. Among various programming languages available, PHP has become a keystone for server-side scripting and web application development.
When hiring a PHP programmer, ensure they have adequate experience and advanced PHP programming skills to develop an impactful website. Remember, every thriving web app has a powerful team behind its development.
Our ultimate guide presents the top 5 crucial skills to look for when you hire a PHP Developer. Analyzing these key competencies helps you find a potential candidate capable of meeting your project’s demands and driving your web development initiatives forward.
Benefits of Choosing PHP for Web Development
About 18.58% of developers use PHP for robust web development and take advantage of its benefits. Let’s explore these benefits in brief.
- Free and Open-source Framework : PHP is a free server-side language used to create different types of web solutions, such as eCommerce stores, websites or web applications. Additionally, PHP development is less costly; you do not need to purchase expensive licenses or software.
- Compatible with all Operating Systems : PHP can run flawlessly on multiple operating systems, such as Mac, Windows, Linux, etc. In fact, this framework is useful for creating cross-platform apps that can function on any system, regardless of the device's operating system.
- Dynamic and Flexible Technology : Websites built using PHP are very secure with effective encryption. These security and scalability factors make this language completely dynamic and flexible. PHP-based applications can load automatically and can be customized to fulfill any business needs or requirements.
- Availability of Libraries and Integrations : There are plenty of tools, libraries and integrations to extend the functionalities of PHP apps and websites. Popular PHP libraries include Guzzle, Monolog, PHPMailer, PHPUnit, and more. Besides, utilize numerous third-party integrations to develop feature-rich, secure, and scalable applications.
- Easy to Understand : The PHP framework makes web application development simple and automatically coded. PHP framework view controller enables the code to be easily stored and used. This framework builds an outstanding foundation for creating robust and scalable web applications.
5 Essential Skills to Look for in PHP Developer
PHP skills are the developer's ability to write clear code for server-side applications. However, one should know how to apply these skills to obtain incredible results. Here are the top five skills to look for:
Technical Proficiency in PHP
- Core PHP Knowledge: Core PHP knowledge involves a good understanding of essential concepts needed to write efficient PHP code. These include PHP syntax, control structure, functions and scope, error and exception handling, sessions and cookies, etc.
- PHP Frameworks: Check whether the potential developer has experience with popular PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, or CodeIgniter. Laravel is known for its expressive syntax, which simplifies coding. Symfony’s reusable components can be combined into any PHP project that reduces development effort. CodeIgniter requires minimal configuration, which is perfect for beginners to get started.
- Understanding of PHP Best Practices: An effective implementation of PHP best practices ensures secure, efficient, maintainable and scalable code development. One must focus on code organization and structure, coding standards, consistent naming conventions and more. Besides, it must include secure coding practices, such as input validation and sanitization, data encryption, etc.
Proficiency in Front-end Technologies
- CSS, HTML, and JavaScript: Knowledge of common front-end technologies such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) to create accessible web pages, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to style HTML elements, and core JavaScript concepts is vital. Popular CSS frameworks include Bootstrap or Foundation, which is used to create responsive and visually captivating layouts quickly.
- Experience with Front-end Frameworks: Developers should know popular front-end frameworks and libraries. These include React, which creates reusable UI components and handles state in single-page applications. Vue.js builds reactive user interfaces and effectively manages complex application logic. Lastly, Angular helps produce dynamic, feature-rich web applications that operate flawlessly.
- Integration of Front-end and Back-end: It involves building a connection between the client-side and server-side elements. Programmers should understand client-server architecture, RESTful API development and Data Exchange and Formats (JSON and XML handling).
Database Management Skills
- SQL and NoSQL Databases: Developers should know popular SQL ( SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB) and NoSQL (CouchDB, Redis, MongoDB, Cassandra) databases. Both types serve different purposes and can be employed to satisfy unique application needs.
- Database Design and Optimization: PHP developers should be well-versed in effective database design, schema management, and optimization tasks. Whether designing normalized databases to decrease redundancy or creating database schemas to represent the app's data requirements, they must be able to do it all. Besides, they must know how to optimize SQL queries, implement caching, and understand load balancing and database replication.
- Knowledge of Backup and Recovery: When you hire a dedicated PHP developer, ensure they can create and implement regular database backup strategies to keep data safe and recover in case of data loss. One should test a disaster recovery plan beforehand for a quick recovery after a failure.
Experience with Version Control Systems
- Git Proficiency: Git is the most popular and widely used version control system, famous for its flexibility, speed, and distributed nature. This knowledge contributes to efficient collaboration, effective code management, and seamless project workflows.
- Understanding of Branching and Merging Strategies: These are vital concepts in Version Control Systems, which enable various programmers to work on different project parts simultaneously without affecting each other’s work.
- Collaborative Development Practices: PHP developers with good VCS knowledge can leverage it to enhance collaborative development. They must know approaches such as pull requests and code reviews, continuous integration/continuous deployment, and more for top-quality code production and streamlined project management.
Problem-solving and Analytical Skills
- Debugging and Troubleshooting: These skills help programmers determine, diagnose, and fix problems within the code. They should know multiple debugging tools, such as IDEs, Xdebug, phpdbg, Zend Debugger, and more. These tools streamline the debugging process and ensure the credibility and performance of PHP applications.
- Code Optimization and Refactoring: Code optimization improves performance, speed, and efficiency, while refactoring enhances the code’s structure and clarity. Some PHP code optimization strategies include algorithmic efficiency, database optimization, caching, etc. Major refactoring techniques in PHP include extracting methods and functions, simplifying conditional expressions, improving variable names and comments, and more.
- Analytical Thinking in Code Design: It involves applying logical reasoning and structured approaches to create well-structured and maintainable PHP applications. By leveraging this skill, developers can consistently produce high-quality solutions that surpass user expectations.
Acquire Your Dream PHP App. Hire a PHP Developer Today!
PHP Developers Hiring Tips
Many entrepreneurs are turning to hiring PHP developers to acquire dynamic web apps. Here are quick tips that help you hire a dedicated PHP developer.
Outline Your Needs: Determine your unique project scope and also specify PHP frameworks, database technologies (relational and NoSQL), CMS platforms (like WordPress or Drupal), and other elements relevant to your needs. Considering all your needs, prepare a detailed job description comprising all the technical and soft skills.
Find Professionals Online: You can connect with PHP developers through various freelance platforms (Upwork, Freelancer, Toptal, and Fiverr), job boards and tech communities (Stack Overflow Jobs, GitHub Jobs, or Indeed). Besides, you can leverage professional networks and communities, such as LinkedIn, Xing, Reddit, etc.
Shortlist Candidates: Collect and review applications received from various sources. Carefully screen resumes: verify educational background, certifications, and experience. Based on initial scrutiny, shortlist a few candidates for the next round.
Assess Technical Skills: Check the candidate’s core PHP knowledge, including classes, functions and syntax. Evaluate their experience with popular PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony and more, as well as database technologies. Assess their familiarity with version control systems like Git for effective code management and collaboration.
Review Past Projects: Check PHP developers' previous projects and assess their roles and contributions. Reviewing portfolios offers clarity about the coder’s experience and skills and helps you determine whether they are the right fit for your specific project.
Organize an interview: Schedule an on-call or face-to-face interaction with the prospects. During the consultation, check their communication skills and ability to work in a team environment. Also, consider cultural fit and soft skills, which should align with your company’s values and culture.
Offer Competitive Compensation: Offer competitive monetary compensations and benefits to the candidate considering their skills, experience and location. Additionally, accentuate any perks or opportunities for career growth and development within your organization.
Check References and Background: One should contact references provided by candidates. They will provide you with clear information about their work ethic, reliability, and performance. Besides, conduct background checks of candidates to verify qualifications and experience, and determine suitability for the role.
Make an Offer: Once you are satisfied with any candidates, make an offer to them. It should be detailed, comprising all the necessary information, such as joining date, salary, intellectual property rights, termination clauses, and more. And don’t forget to sign NDAs.
Why Approach AIS Technolabs to Hire a PHP Developer?
At AIS Technolabs, hire a dedicated PHP developer for your specific project needs. All our developers are fully experienced and can understand your project requirements to deliver the best solutions possible. With expert guidance and a professional mindset, our pre-vetted developers can guide you in the right direction.
Get a 15-day risk-free trial to evaluate our developers’ capabilities and proficiency. Here's what we can do for you:
- PHP Web Application Development
- PHP Hybrid App development
- PHP Database Integration
- PHP E-commerce Development
- User-Friendly PHP CMS Development
- Seamless PHP WebSocket Integration
Conclusion
It is vital to discover a suitable PHP developer for your web application. This guide has shown five essential skills that you must consider before hiring coders for your unique project needs. It includes technical proficiency in PHP, front-end and back-end technology, database management, version control system, and more. Whenever you hire a PHP developer, consider these details to make the entire process easy.
FAQs
A number of ways can be used when looking for a PHP developer, such as searching on online job boards and freelance sites or by referring to different agencies.
The best PHP developer for your organization could be one who knows different PHP frameworks and is a good cultural fit.
Usually, Indian web developers charge between $20 to $50; However, this may vary depending on the level of experience, location and project requirements.
If your organization is looking to develop a robust and high-end web application, then you must hire a dedicated PHP developer. They work faster and more efficiently and help make superior final products since they are committed to your project only.
You can hire PHP developers from online job boards, freelance Marketplaces, IT staffing agencies, or professional networking platforms. You can also hire experienced developers from companies such as AIS Technolabs.
Harry Walsh
Harry Walsh, a dynamic technical innovator with four years of experience, thrives on pushing the boundaries of technology. His passion for innovation drives him to explore new avenues and create pioneering solutions that address complex technical problems with ingenuity and efficiency. Driven by a love for tackling problems and thinking creatively, he always looks for new and innovative answers to challenges.