Why you should learn PHP today

March 10, 2019

Are you new to web development (or PHP) or interested in freelancing? Then learning PHP is the perfect match for you.

Here are some of the freedoms I've gained from knowing PHP:

  • Build my dream applications from scratch
  • Travel the world
  • Work from home (and work remotely around the world)
  • Find freelance work anywhere I go
  • Always have clients to work with
  • Always have money in the bank

PHP is one of the worlds most in-demand web languages. WordPress is a content management system that runs over 33% of ALL websites in the world, and it is using PHP as its backend coding language. If you decided to learn just one coding language in your entire life, I would suggest PHP because of the high demand for WordPress websites. It's the money-making programming language. JavaScript is cool, but PHP will land you a job very quickly.

But if that's not enough for you, or you've heard that "PHP is Dying", well it's not. And here's proof. Over 79% of all web applications on the internet are using PHP. That's almost 4 out of 5 websites. Remember, this is an optional language to use. Servers don't need to use PHP, but people choose to use it. Whereas JavaScript is the only programming language you can write for your front facing website (frontend), there's no choice there, it's mandatory. So the fact that people still choose to use PHP even though there are other options is what makes this statistic truly powerful.

If I told you that 4 out of 5 people only buy and wear green t-shirts, would you start selling green t-shirts? You'd be foolish to NOT at least offer green t-shirts. This is no different.

And honestly... Companies NEED developers. 4 out of 5 websites are using PHP. And here's some unconventional advice:

If you want to earn a living as a web developer, go where the demand is. Don't try to be trendy and guess what's going to replace PHP.

People have been saying for YEARS that PHP is dying and it'll be replaced by _insert_name_ (Python, Node, Ruby, etc). Every language has tried, and none of them can de-throne PHP from being king the backend languages for the web. (Sorry everybody, PHP has more web development demand than Python and Node.js. That's just a hard fact of life.) People have also said "But it's losing market share". You're right, it is, there was a time when PHP was used on 89% of all web applications. That was YEARS ago. Java is also losing market share and it's still a great language to know. There are legacy systems that simply cannot move away from PHP - those "legacy systems" will always need work, so even if the entire world started moving towards Python or Node.js today, there'd still be a need for PHP developers to work on legacy applications. Or in two words, this is called future proofing your career.

If you know PHP, you can create: websites, content management systems, web applications and it will allow you to create startups like Facebook (Facebook actually uses PHP!).

Everybody is excited to learn brand new languages, but the truth is: PHP runs so many websites it would be crazy NOT to learn PHP. Knowing PHP allowed me to travel the world and start a startup in Ireland (I'm from Canada) — and it allows me to code from a beach, or my bed, or the couch! This is the one language that's enabled me to have a better life.

Why?

  • Over 1 in 3 websites use PHP. 32% of websites use WordPress which is built using PHP, plus there are tonnes of sites that use other content management systems, or use frameworks like Laravel (also built using PHP).
  • 79% of ALL web applications on the internet are using PHP.
  • You can literally find a job anywhere in the world if you know PHP.
  • You can easily supplement your income, or change careers, if you know PHP.

If this sounds like a life you want for yourself, then the PHP For Everybody course is probably for you. Below is a button that us web developers and marketing people call a "call to action" button. Clicking the button below will put the PHP For Everybody course in your cart and walk you through the secure checkout process.

If you're not interested in learning PHP after reading this, that's OK too. At least you can walk away with the knowledge that PHP is king of the backend languages.

Happy Coding!



Kalob Taulien

Kalob Taulien

Web developer and dev teacher

Kalob has a huge passion for teaching web development and has taught over 250,000 students world wide.

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