All websites, with the exception of very simple static sties, utilize at least one programming language in addition to HTML for website development. Any site with ecommerce, online registration, CMS, or even simple database integration will need to use some type of programming language in addition to HTML. Some of the more common web development technologies are .NET, PHP, Classic ASP, Cold Fusion, J2EE, PERL etc. However the real question is, which one is best? If you ask this question to three different developers you are likely to get three different answers. Generally the one they develop in is professed to be the best followed up by a lecture on a list of flaws with all the other technologies.

I prefer to take a little different approach to this topic. I believe with the hundreds of projects I have been involved in, most of the time there is no specific technology far superior to the others. I say this only because most projects can easily be accomplished with a talented developer who specializes in any of the above technologies mentioned. This should imply that the developer is much more important than the language they are developing with. It’s similar to how an artist is more important that the type of paint they are using, water colors vs oils. If you are a fan of water colors, you will probably like a oil painting from a great artists more than a water color from an artist without any talent.

However, there are a few things to consider which may show why one option is better than the other in your specific situation. For example, if your website needs to be hosted on an Linux based server then .NET or ASP would not be a good solution since these require windows servers. If budget is a concern then cold fusion may not be a good choice as it needs cold fusion server software which can run up to $7500.

One of the most critical factors to consider on a larger application which will be in service for many years is additional development for support and upgrades. I have had several calls over the years from companies looking for another development company to take over their existing project. Many times we had to turn them down because we don’t specialize in the technology required. Some of these callers were contemplating redeveloping their sites as they could not find any local development companies with the necessary skill sets able to take over their project. With a little upfront research, problems like this can be avoided.

My suggestion is to find a development company that specializes in more than one technology. They can then look at the requirements of the project and your organizations specific situation and propose the best technology for the job. At Linear Method, we focus most of our development on Microsoft.NET and PHP. These two technologies were chosen not only because they are probably the two most widely used technologies today, but they cover the two most common platforms. .NET is the most common programming technology for Windows and PHP is the most common web technology for Linux. Along with these two technologies, the databases used are Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL which are the two most widely used databases for web development.

These technologies will leave the client with options once the project is complete. In addition, since .NET and PHP are very common web development technologies, existing code modules can be leveraged for most projects saving both time and money during development.

With all this being said, if you have a developer you trust and a fairly simple site that won’t need ongoing maintenance and have the flexibility to host on any server environment then just about any technology should be sufficient.