Beware of the Code!

What the heck does that mean? It means that when you are looking to contract a developer for your website be sure to know what platform they are using and why they feel that is your best solution.


It all sounds like Greek to me, so how do I know what is best for my business? If you are planning a small, graphics and text only site it does not much matter to be honest because it will most likely be done in HTML or by using a template and theme in Word Press or something else off-the-shelf that won't do well with the search engines, but is cheap to get started with. However, if you are looking to do anything complex such as log-in and customer profiles, online ordering, databases to track and display data or anything else that requires advanced coding then you will want to know if it's PHP, ASP.NET, Cold Fusion, etc... as each has it's own advantages and disadvantages.

Generally the pros and cons go as such:

PHP -

Pros: Open source code with a lot of free and reliable scripts that interface with other software such as MySQL, java and other platforms. Large number of developers.

Cons - Open source that may have something that allows hackers a way in. Best to use scripts and sources known to be trustworthy is the caveat here.

ASP, Cold Fusion, Ruby and the rest-

Pros: These languages are usually platform specific (what kind of server they reside on) so if your business is dedicated to Windows and wants to host your own site then ASP.NET has features and choices that may set it apart. ASP.NET is supported by Microsoft directly, which the others do not enjoy, so it should be a staple for many years to come, while you cannot say that for the rest as they may be like 8-track players down the road.

Cons: Licensing and the lack of available support can cause these solutions to be much more expensive than others. There are also occasional "bugs" that happen that allow hackers entrance, but no system is perfect to be totally forthright.

So which solution is best for my company? Contact us and we'll discuss your needs, goals and options and then set your business on a cost-effective, sustainable path to success!