WordPress has long been the top platform for self-hosted blogs and websites, but it’s not the only option out there. Some websites are completely custom-coded using PHP, while others use WordPress as their foundation and have several custom pages. When you’re looking to hire a new programmer or development company, it’s important to know what makes each option unique and how you can expect them to work with your project. Let’s take a look at some of the primary differences between WordPress and PHP programming so you can find the one that best fits your needs.
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Use WordPress if You Don’t Need a Custom Theme
If you’re a beginner, or if you just don’t know much about coding and design, using WordPress is probably your best bet. It has built-in SEO and many other features (more than 25 million of them) to make your site easy to navigate, search engine friendly, and dynamic. In addition, WordPress can be customized without any coding knowledge—so you can build a stunning site even if you aren’t tech savvy!
PHP programmers use HTML and CSS to create custom designs and layouts for sites or apps. You’ll also need a database (like MySQL) to store all of your site’s information, from user accounts to content, photos, and more. A programmer can also connect your site to social media like Facebook and Twitter so that users can share their favorite posts on those platforms directly from your site—another great feature for businesses!
Use a Custom Script If You Need Specific Functionality
If you need a particular part of your site to perform certain functions or be built in a specific way, it might be easier and faster to write a custom script than it would be to figure out how WordPress can do it for you through plug-ins. The sky’s the limit when you have full control over every aspect of your website’s code, so it may not make sense to try to hack something that WordPress can already handle.
For example, if you’re creating a social network, it might be easiest to build something custom that uses Facebook Connect or another pre-existing authentication system rather than trying to get WordPress to handle logins itself through some sort of plug-in or user profile page. While it’s certainly possible and not outside of what WordPress is capable of, it would probably require more coding knowledge and time than other options.
Advantages of Using PHP
PHP doesn’t require a web host, because it’s a language rather than a complete website platform; you can use any web-hosting company with PHP. If you want to start making your own custom sites (as opposed to using WordPress), learning to program in PHP will come in handy. Many websites run on custom-programmed code because it gives companies more flexibility and lets them make their sites work exactly how they want them to.
Of course, if you’re just starting out with programming, it’s easier to use a platform like WordPress, which lets you develop sites without having to learn a whole new language first. And if your website needs are fairly simple—maybe you want to design a small personal site or create an online resume that highlights your skills and experience—PHP might be overkill for your project anyway.
Advantages of Using WordPress
You won’t need to know HTML or CSS. You can install and update plug-ins, themes, and updates with a few clicks. With WordPress, you can easily add e-commerce functionality to your site without having to code everything from scratch (this can be a major time saver).
Most of your site design will be handled by a CMS, so you don’t have to hire a designer or invest in expensive theme customization software. You can manage almost every aspect of your website through an intuitive interface.
If your programming skills are limited to beginner-level or if you just want to get something up quickly, WordPress may be right for you! However...
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