14 Plus(s) of Django Framework

Opting for an appropriate web development framework is quite a hefty task. There are a lot of frameworks present in the market designed specifically according to the needs of the project. Every developer looks for three things while choosing a framework which is: the language used, tools present in the framework and the reputation that it has in the market. Django passes all the parameters with flying colors as it is the best in the class. For many businesses and organizations, Django is an easy choice. Django boasts the label of one of the most popular web-development tools today.

Django is a free, python-based, open-source web development framework that facilitates clean and rational designing of websites driven by databases. It reduces a lot of hassles that a developer has to face during the development of a website. It is used to develop minimal yet smart web applications. Simultaneously, Django enables developers to create web applications as required by fluctuating business prerequisites. Since it is developed by professional developers, it takes care of all the hassle involved in web development so that you can focus on making the application rather than digging the basics.

Pros of Using Django Framework for Web Development

Benefits and Features of Using Django Web Development

Here are a few reasons why Django is the first choice when it comes to web development.

1. Backward compatible

Django offers the provision of working with its older versions and makes use of its older formats and features. Additionally, it has a comprehensible guide that walks you through all the information that you might need to know about the changes and trends of the Django framework, especially when the new changes become incompatible with the former ones.

2. Community Support

Django enjoys the support of a huge and very professional community of developers who have inside out knowledge of Django and are always ready to help. Having a large community has benefits of its own. It makes finding answers to problems much easier as there’s a great probability that the problem faced by you now has occurred to someone else too and now probably has an answer to it on one or the other forums. The community is very quick in answering the issues and fixing the bugs of fellow developers.

3. DevOps Compatible

DevOps is the blend of cultural philosophies, tools, and practices that increases an organization’s ability to deliver services and applications at high speed: evolving and upgrading products at a faster rate than organizations using conventional software development and infrastructure management processes.  Incorporating DevOps in Django is great as it fixes issues faster with enhanced operational support. It uses continuous delivery methodology to increase the efficiency of the system.

4. DRY and KISS compliant

Django religiously follows the ‘KISS’ principle which is “Keep It Short and Simple”.  In Django, it simply means that the code must be brief, easily understandable, and methods should not exceed more than 50-60 lines.  Similarly, ’DRY’ stands for “Don’t Repeat Yourself”, which means that the software patterns that occur quite often can be replaced with abstractions. In this manner, issues related to the code as well as repetition can be avoided. Additionally, reusing the code simplifies the development process thereby decreasing the overall production time.

5. Infrastructure

Django is independent and a complete set in itself. It means that it does not require any other external solution. It is everything, from an ORM to a web server. This enables it to use various databases and switch them accordingly.

6. REST framework

REST stands for Representational State Transfer framework which is a renowned toolkit for creating web APIs. This is an added benefit with Django as it is powerful enough to build a full-fledged API in just two or three lines of code. An additional benefit to it is that REST is immensely flexible. Therefore, data is not bound to any protocol and can return various data formats and manage several types of calls.

7. Secure & up-to-date

Django is constantly kept up to an elevated standard, following the most recent patterns in site development and security. That certainly addresses the inquiry “Is Django useful for web development?” — As security is a ‘number one’ in any to-do list. Django is customarily updated with security fixes, and regardless of whether you’re utilizing an older rendition of the system, its security is as intact as the new one. It’s no big surprise as Django has an LTS (Long-term Support) variant.

8. Simple

Django’s documentation is excellent. It was introduced with excellent documentation, and they are as yet kept intact in the same way, which makes it simple to utilize. Also, one of Django’s principal reasons for existing is to disentangle the development procedure: it covers the fundamentals, so you can concentrate on the details of your project.

9. Suits any kind of project

Unlike C# or Java, Django is no business solution. Still, it is appropriate for all kinds of projects regardless of their size.  A Django application can be a social media application with enormous traffic and heavy volumes of data or it could be a simple web application for handling logbooks. It can build anything as it has everything required to build every type of application. Additionally, Django is cross-platform also compatible with the majority of databases making it highly versatile.

10. Time effective

Django is ridiculously fast. It was built to slide the applications from imagination to reality in a blink. Django applications are both economical and efficient. Thus it is the right choice for developers who have major stakes placed on the due dates.

11. Time tested 

Django has been in the picture for years and in that tenure, it has emerged as the choice of a lot of businesses for their web applications. This confirms the fact that Django has already made an impression in the market and is here to stay for long. A few examples of applications built on Django are Disqus, Spotify, Instagram, and NASA.

12. Useful additional features

Django comes with everything inbuilt. It has all the features which are required to build a web application from scratch. There’s no need to spend hours on forming a frame since everything is already present in the framework.  It also has tools packages to help in going hands-on with pioneering technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Analysis, and Machine Learning.

13. Versatile

Django is the master of all trades. It is capable of doing everything, from content management to managing scientific computing platforms; everything falls under the umbrella of Django.

14. Works on Python

As mentioned earlier, Django is a web framework which is written in Python. As a result, it brings with itself the simplicity of utilizing the syntax structure of Python and enables developers to build meaningful and viable web applications effortlessly. In this way, developers can easily reduce the development time required for building these web applications.

Summary

To summarize, Django aids developers to compose custom web applications in Python by offering several features, modules, and features. Contemporarily, Django is being rehearsed by various high-traffic websites like Google, YouTube, Pinterest, Spotify, and Instagram. However, Django, like other web systems, has its very own pros and cons. Therefore, the developers must recollect the precise requirements of each venture while evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of Django to choose the best Python framework.

What is Single-Page Application?

A single-page application (SPA) is a website designing approach where the content of every new page is aided not from loading new HTML pages but is produced dynamically through JavaScript’s capability to manipulate the DOM elements on the preexisting page itself. A single-page application approach enables the user to continue interacting and consuming with the page while new elements are being fetched or updated, and can lead to much faster interactions and content reloading. Besides, the HTML5 History API enables us to change the page’s URL without reloading the page, letting us create separate URLs for different views. Once inside of the SPA, the application can dynamically get the content from the server through AJAX requests or WebSockets. This enables the browser to keep the current page open while requesting the server in the background to get additional content or new “pages” altogether. If you’ve ever initiated a search query and had halfway results appear below the input form as you were typing, then you have observed dynamic queries taking place in the background that updated those DOM elements. As a matter of fact, the server queries can fetch any sort of data, time and again, taking the form of JSON strings, payloads, or even HTML elements that are already prepared for rendering.

What is Single page Application

Advantages of a Single-Page Application:

  • SPA is quick, as most resources (CSS + HTML + Scripts) are only loaded once during the entire lifespan of the application. Only data is transferred back and forth. In the case of single-page applications, only the necessary part of content gets updated rather than updating the whole page. This increases the speed of the website considerably. Throughout the entire lifespan of the application, most of the resources like CSS or scripts or HTML are loaded just once. It is only data that gets moved here and there. Now, this can be considered as a great benefit if the web page takes higher than 200 milliseconds to load as this signifies that it can affect the business and its sales significantly.
  • SPAs can be effortlessly debugged with Chrome, as you can monitor network operations, investigate page elements and data associated with it. Compared to Multi-page Applications, here, the debugging is easier as single-page applications come with their very own Chrome developer tools. By using SPAs, you get to monitor the network operations, investigate the page elements, and check the data which is associated with the pages
  • The development is streamlined and simplified. There is absolutely no need to write code to provide pages on the server. It is much easier, to begin with as you can usually kick off development from a file, without using any server at all.
  • Users get to relish a simple linear experience through single-page applications. Just like the web apps, these applications, too, come with a transparent starting, middle layer, and end. Many of the web apps like Trello, Slack, and Spotify offer an outstanding interactive experience to the user by utilizing parallax scrolling, amazing transitions, and effects to depict the customer journey completely. With SPAs, you need not click on endless links, and here scrolling is convenient and uninterrupted. The single-page applications come with a scroll, which makes them the best choice for mobile users who are accustomed to working with scrolling on their apps.
  • A SPA can cache and efficiently use local data. A SPA stockpiles all the data that it gets after it sends a request to a server. It can also work offline by using this data. The server can get synchronized with local data when a secure connection is available in case the user currently has poor connectivity.

When is it better to use the SPA?

How a Single Page Application Can Help Boost Your Business?

When should you think about using a single-page application? First, if you’d like a fruitful interaction between the customer and your application, an SPA is almost a requisite. Applications like Google Maps make broad use of this approach to provide live view changes as you scroll from a place to another or click on place markers to view pictures of a particular place. Secondly, if you want to provide live updates on the page, you’ll most certainly need to make use of this approach; data streaming,  notifications, and real-time charts require the utilization of such an approach. The server-side rendering method discussed above can mend the situation for load-times, as well as provide some essential readability for users without JavaScript enabled. We recommend at least having base functionality for your content visible for users that don’t have JavaScript enabled so that they’ll have the chance to decide to allow javascript based on what they’ve seen from the initial page load.

Why Choose Anteelo?

Anteelo Design Private Limited - CSS Winner

  • We’ll migrate your conventional multi-page site to a single page site
  • We’ll make your single-page app SEO-friendly, to avoid issues and ensure your website will be successfully crawled and indexed by search engines
  • To ensure your app’s security, we’ll select a web host that offers dependable security measures
  • Our developers are experts in developing single-page applications of both types and will gladly help you choose the kind of single-page app that suits your business best
  • Our dedicated QA team will ensure that your app works flawlessly on all modern devices

Just a few years ago, Single Page Applications were a game-changing technology. Now, they are becoming increasingly popular. To understand their massive impact on web development, it is enough to have a look at the examples which represent best practices of a single page application.

  • Gmail — when you click on a button or a link, the page doesn’t change. JS code rewrites the information and brings forward the message or folder you requested.
  • Google Docs — All changes are real-time. The chances of progress loss are zero thanks to a consistent auto-saving feature.
  • Twitter — You can do necessary activities (tweet, retweet, follow, upload a picture, etc.) without having to leave the page.

A growing number of businesses, including companies in the Retail and eCommerce, Entertainment, Media, eLearning, and Travel industries, depend on their online presence. As a JavaScript software development company, Anteelo provides application development services to support your online marketing, CRM and loyalty programs with up-to-date technology solutions that deliver tangible business value by encouraging users to follow the smart marketing journey you design for them.

New victim in the town: Manipulated TeamViewer Attacks

TeamViewer: The Remote Desktop Software

Government agencies were in a state of shock when they realized that their systems have been compromised with the malicious TeamViewer software. The attacker who was responsible for this attack is a Russian speaking man. TeamViewer is one of the most popular tools for the remote access of desktop, desktop sharing, file transfer between systems, web conferencing etc. The motive behind the attack is probably financially driven. The software was manipulated by adding malicious TeamViewer DLL to the original software. This mala fide software can steal sensitive data and money from even government and financial networks.

A malicious email posing to be sent from the U.S. Department of State was delivered in the inbox of the government employees and had ‘Military Financing Program’ as its subject line. The email had a malicious XLSM attachment with embedded macro.

Employees were duped by the malicious email since the emails coming from the U.S. department of state are generally marked as top secret. Once the victim opened and enabled macro in the decoy document, two files were extracted from the hex encoded cells in the XLSM document. The first one was the genuine AutoHotkeyU32.exe program. The other one was the corrupted AutoHotkeyU32.ahk which is an AHK script used to communicate with C&C server and to download the additional script and execute it.

 

How did the attacker successfully deploy the attack?

Hollywood and Hacking: Into the 21st Century - Real life hackers, computer punks and Hugh Jackman dancing

There are three different kind of malicious AHK scripts including ‘hscreen.ahk’, ‘info.ahk’ and ‘htv.ahk’. These three scripts affect user’s system in different ways.

hscreen.ahk: This script takes the screenshot of the victim’s personal computer and upload it on the C&C server.

hinfo.ahk:  Victim’s username and computer information is sent to the C&C server.

htv.ahk: A malicious version of TeamViewer is downloaded, executed on victim’s system and login credentials are sent to the C&C server.

The attacker hid the genuine TeamViewer interface while the TeamViewer software with malicious ‘htv.ahk’ was being run. DLL in order to take over the control of the software. This allowed the attacker to replace the genuine TeamViewer with the manipulated version.

The attack targeted Public financial sector and government officials belonging to Kenya, Italy, Liberia, Bermuda, Guyana, Lebanon and Nepal.

Earlier in the month of January, a security researcher who goes by the name of FewAtoms found a URL containing a malicious self-extracting archive which is a spyware disguised as TeamViewer.

The researchers have found a link of an avatar connected to a Russian underground forum user known as EvaPiks.

What could have been done?

Famous Hackers and How They Got Caught | Alpine Security

  • Ensure that the AHK script is compiled with ahk2exe, which is the part of AHK distribution.
  • In order to prevent de-compilation, provide a good password.
  • Always check the extension of any attachments present within the email.
  • Organizations should implement a multi-layer defense and put mitigation protocols in place to detect intrusions and act against them.
  • Enhance settings for macro malware attached emails.
  • Ensuring the application of these methods so that the program runs normally. It will also ensure that attacker would have difficulties in modifying the program.
  • However, the most effective strategy is to empower employees against social engineering attacks and provide periodic knowledge imparting sessions.

The human element: Weakest Link in Enterprise Security

The human factor: top tips to strengthen the weakest link in the information security chain - Information Age

Have you ever heard the term that employees are the weakest link in the security of the organization? If yes, then it is completely true. IT security is one of the tricky set of scales. No one is resistant to make an error, and making a mistake will take only one forgotten step or an incorrect click to bring down your complete system. As technologies are mounting up hackers are setting digital traps ubiquitously to profit from the employee’s one mistake, so the odds are frequently more in their goodwill than yours for productively.

If your firm is like most, and you are spending a lot of your budget on security: to protect your organization then you must be aware of the facts that spending on products is useful if the weakest link is attentive about the latest cyber security trends. The expert consultant’s help you understand where your weaknesses lie and sort out the expected mess when something goes incorrect. This approach can work, but it fails to prove that the weakest link in your security fence: are your employees.

The risk of cybercrime has created a noteworthy increase in concern on the matter of cybersecurity, with organizations spending dollars to shield themselves against this growing array of present and possible future threats. They frequently forget the menace exposure created by their own employees and customers.

Unfortunately, business heads don’t realize that the biggest threat is the human element in spite of the fact that barely a day goes by without news any data breach. It’s secure to say that we work in a risky environment with risky people. But there’s a mounting recognition that cybercriminals aren’t the only risk to an enterprise. So it’s also necessary to educate employees about increasingly complicated phishing and vishing techniques and also to carry out Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing(VAPT). It is imperative to carry out standard and systematic education and cyber training sessions to keep everyone up to pace on the most up-to-date threats and best practices. All the mandatory compliances also ensure the reduction in the cyber risk.

‘6 Mistakes of Web Design’: What to Avoid?

Starting up with a website designing business is relatively easier, but keeping the game up for security becomes the major concern. The primary motive of your web design business should be to get those clients who are willing to pay for the services you are going to provide them. Security is one such aspect of this business that gets generally neglected and is not given that due attendance, which it deserves. Many startups offering web design services think that their business is too small to practice any serious security measure, or they find it useless to invest in cybersecurity plans at such a small level. By the time their business starts rising to the mid-level, they realize that it is now too late to implement security measures.

One breach in the security policies of your company can harm it to the level you might not have imagined. If we look into the survey reports from the National Cyber Security Alliance, we get to know that more than 70 percent of hacking attempts are done on small businesses. On average, a data breach of a small web designing company can cost Rs 35000 to Rs 50 lacs. Approx 60 percent of small businesses shut down in less than 6 months after a security breach as it becomes difficult for them to recover from the loss in business both financially and emotionally.

Security Mistakes to avoid with your web design business

Most Common Web Design Mistakes That You Should Avoid

To protect your web design business, and to maintain its security, ensure that you are not committing any of these mistakes.

1. Making use of personal devices for business purposes

When starting with any new business, there are many challenges that come in your way. The first one is the budget constraint, which often tempts people to use the technology or devices which they already have without spending more money on these products. It is all fine if you are using that device dedicatedly to meet your business goals and have stopped using them completely for your personal use after deleting all the personal data from that device.

It is of utmost necessity to set up a line between your personal and professional data, especially when there is an involvement of customer information. Mixing up these data can pose a real threat to the security policies of your organization. It is a tendency to ignore security measures when it comes to personal devices as compared to professional ones. Employees should also be refrained from using their devices for business purposes as it is really difficult for you to control your business then and can breach your security policies by exposing customer’s data. When an employee resigns from a company, the information on their devices also goes with them, that is why it is always better not to use personal devices for business purposes.

2. Overlooking the importance of data backup

Everything related to your business should be backed up, even the things that you think don’t contribute to the growth of your web design business. The data should be protected with a multi-tiered backup system involving data available both online as well as offline. A significant amount of time goes in to recover the lost data, and being a part of the web designing business; you cannot afford to lose significant data or spend time recreating data because of poor backup systems.

3. Overlooking basic security protocols

A very simple but often overlooked element in web designing business is cybersecurity. By adhering to the basic protocols related to security, one can safeguard their business from being hacked. According to a survey, approx 75 percent of employees do not secure their computer, approx 73 percent of employees use weak passwords in both their professional as well as a personal account. To safeguard the data, a web designing company should create internal mechanisms asking employees to change their passwords often and to disable logins of the employees who leave the company immediately. Passwords should be handled carefully and should reach only to authorize personals. Setting up security protocols like firewalls, anti-virus software, and malware protection is equally important to protect the company’s data.

4. Not using a virtual private network (VPN)

Being a web designing company, you need to develop websites for multiple clients, which means you are given an ample amount of sensitive information. To safeguard the data which your clients have entrusted to you, you should use a virtual private network to reduce the potential of any breach. A VPN encrypts all the data that is being sent over a network, making it virtually invisible to potential hackers.

5. Designing it all by my mindset

While setting up a company, it is viable to get involved in multiple roles to learn things and to save some extra bucks. As web design is an internet-based occupation, you might think that there is no need to hire a network designer, and you can do this task all by yourself. But hiring a network professional not only saves time but also you get to know things from a professional perspective, which guides you towards the best security protocols to safeguard the company’s significant data and hence save you from expensive problems in the future.

6. Not creating a proactive shield

When clients trust you with the development of their websites that forms an important part of their business, they expect you to include all possible security elements in that project. In many cases, website developers or web designing companies are held responsible for the security breach on a client website because of the irresponsible attitude of the developer in creating appropriate security protocols on the website.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity may not seem important at first, especially for small businesses, but it plays a very important role in determining the success of any company. By avoiding some security mistakes, you can ensure the safety of your company’s data as well as the client’s data. By following simple security protocols, you can grow your business exponentially without worrying about the theft of significant data.

What to Consider when Choosing a WordPress Hosting Plan

Global WordPress Hosting with OnlyDomains

While dedicated WordPress hosting is available from many service providers, the features offered can vary considerably from host to host. Knowing what to look for can help site owners make informed decisions about which provider to opt for, a choice that can have a significant long-term impact on the success of the website. Here, we discuss the essential features you should look for in a dedicated WordPress hosting solution.

WordPress optimised servers

24 Tips to Speed Up WordPress Performance (UPDATED)

The key difference between a standard hosting package and dedicated WordPress hosting is the server. By only hosting WordPress websites on a server, the service provider is free to configure it to boost the performance of the WordPress platform. This will include optimising the server with features like NGINX cache, PHP7+OPcache and HTTP2. The NGINX caching engine delivers frequently requested website files to users’ browsers in milliseconds, PHP7 together with OPcache enhances performance and the latest HTTP/2 protocol increases website responsiveness.

Another feature to look for is MySQL database management which, when powered by MariaDB, enables the server to be optimised for the read-heavy workloads which occur in WordPress. Users should also have access to tools like PHPMyAdmin, which enable easier management of their MySQL databases.

While PHP 7 currently provides the best performance, some WordPress sites still need to use older versions of PHP to maintain compatibility with legacy versions of WordPress, plugins or themes. The server should be configured to cater for these sites and the hosting package should give you the option to choose a version via a PHP version selector.

Additionally, users should also look for SSD storage, which offers far superior read-write speeds compared to more traditional HDD drives.

Advanced security

5 Web Security Ideas That Will Make Your Business So Much Better – News Anyway

Used to create 35% of the world’s websites, the popularity of WordPress makes it a regular target of cybercriminals. A good web host will know this and ensure that your WordPress hosting comes with first-rate security. This will include a WordPress application firewall that will detect and repel attacks from hackers and bots.

The most advanced service providers offer WordPress security toolkits, accessible on any device, that enable you to manage a wide range of security features from anywhere at any time. These toolkits will scan your website for security issues, let you know if you are following best practice and warn you when you need to carry out updates. For additional ease of use, look for 1-click hardening capabilities that ensure you follow best practice without having to put it into place yourself. This is ideal for those new to WordPress.

Beyond this, look for a hosting solution that provides free SSL certificates to encrypt data sent between your server and a user’s browser and which ensures the secure padlock icon is displayed next to your web address on browsers. Finally, to protect you against data loss, choose a host which carries out daily backups so your data can easily be recovered.

Ease of use features

IBM Takes Cognos to the SMB with Low Price Points, Ease-of-Use Features

Ease of use starts with a user-friendly control panel. Ideally, this should be a fully-featured toolkit that is accessible on all devices, enabling you to manage your websites wherever you are. With this, you should be able to install and manage multiple sites and the installation should be easy, using a one-click installer that can get the task completed in less than 30 seconds. Also, look for a plugin and theme manager that will allow you to install, patch and update themes and plugins directly from within the control panel.

Users should be able to easily carry out a wide range of other tasks from within the control panel. These include enabling automatic patching for WordPress core; creating development environments to test things like new plugins before going live; and cloning sites for use in development and staging and syncing these to production. To prevent major development issues, you should also look for features that enable you to create snapshots which you can restore to should changes not go to plan, putting the site into maintenance mode with a single click and having a debug mode for debugging code. Another helpful feature to look for is the ability to create, schedule and automate tasks using an inbuilt cronjob manager.

Service and support

Application Maintenance and Support at Esprit Solutions

First and foremost, you should expect that your web host provides 24/7 technical support. This will mean that, whenever you have an issue, a WordPress expert will be available to deal with it and help you put things right. You also need to look for guaranteed uptime, storage capacity, unlimited or unmetered bandwidth (data transfer) and the number of websites and mailboxes you can create in your package. If you are moving from another host, finding a web host that offers inbuilt migration management and who will migrate your site for free is a big plus.

Conclusion

WordPress is a unique CMS and has its own particular needs when it comes to hosting. A dedicated WordPress hosting package should fulfil those needs and make it easy for the site to be managed. Hopefully, the information given here will help you find a WordPress hosting solution that is right for you.

The laid out path to responsive web design

With every second person using their mobile device to access information over the Internet, there’s no option left for business houses than to build websites customized for smaller screens; because if they don’t, they risk losing out on a substantial share of potential customers.

But building a website that fits on a smaller screen is a challenge in itself since with the variety of mobile devices currently available, there are a plethora of screen sizes for which websites need to be customized.

So do organizations need to build a different website for every different screen sizes?

Well, of course not!

That’s where an approach called Responsive Web Design comes into the picture. Using this approach, an organization can suffice with creating one website that can fit onto any screen size. There are some code changes to be done to the programming of the website to make it mobile “responsive,” and that’s it!

So what is this Responsive Web Design approach, and what are its key benefits? Let’s find out.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive website design - adapt, respond and overcome

Ethan Marcotte was the first person who came up with the term “Responsive Web Design,” and he also contributed significantly to developing the first mobile responsive websites. The man has deeply explained the basics of the design approach in a book called Responsive Web Design and also in this article on A List Apart.

According to Marcotte, a truly responsive website is one that “responds” or adapts its layout according to the screen size on which it is being viewed. The layout of a website changes based on the size and capabilities of the device being used. For instance, suppose a website has content and images laid out in three columns on a desktop. Now for that website to become responsive, it needs to automatically show the same content in a layout with two columns on a tablet and one-column on a Smartphone.

For any website to deliver optimum user experience, it must be responsive. Imagine what impression a potential customer would carry of your organization if, on his first visit of your website on his Smartphone, all the images you carefully handpicked appear at haphazard positions with content broken up and displayed at non-matching locations.

We’re guessing it wouldn’t be that appealing!

Is a responsive website and a mobile website the same?

What is a Mobile Friendly Responsive Website? - Digital Consulting

Not really. A responsive website is one that changes continually and fluidly based on several factors and device capabilities. In such a case, the same website is equipped with code which enables it to transform its layout at run time to fit any screen size.

Alternatively, a mobile website is one that is explicitly built on a new domain for mobile users. Such websites have their code, which is usually pretty lightweight, but often barred by constraints like obtaining two separate domains (one for desktop and one for mobile), browser sniffing, and more.

While several organizations opt for having two separate websites to serve two different sets of customers, it is not a great idea to have a different mobile site for your business. Having the same site adapt to smaller screen sizes is better since it maintains standardization and upholds your brand’s unique identity through a common portal.

How to make a webpage responsive?

Responsive websites: 30 examples and 5 best practices - Justinmind

We need to program HTML and CSS to automatically resize, hide, shrink, or enlarge the webpages to make them look good on all the devices so that the website becomes responsive. To start, you need to include a meta viewport tag in the document’s “head” section, which acts as an indication to the browser instructions as to how to control the displayed page’s dimensions.

To make a webpage responsive, add the following <meta> element in it:

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

What this command does is this:

  • The “viewport” tag tells the browser that an instruction to control its width and scaling follows
  • “width=device-width” matches the screen’s width in device-independent pixels
  • “initial-scale=1.0” works to form a 1:1 relation between device-independent pixels and CSS pixels

Attempt to deliver the best user experience, mobile browsers render non-responsive pages at desktop screen width first and then attempt at making the content look better fit by increasing the font size and scaling it as per the screen size. Thus for such pages, the font-size may appear to be inconsistent, and users may have to double-tap or pinch-and-zoom to read clearly.

However, if you include the code mentioned above in your webpages, mobile browsers match the screen’s width in device-independent pixels. It enables the page to reflow content such that it matches varying screen sizes, whether displayed on a Smartphone or a desktop.

While this is just the first step towards making a website responsive, there are several other aspects involved, like auto-scaling images, text, and CSS, to become truly responsive. Here’s an excellent resource where you can read some more about this.

The Basic Principles behind Responsive Web Design

Key Principles of Effective Responsive Web Design | Web Design | Graphic Design Junction

The three critical principles detailed below are what makes responsive web design services possible:

1. Flexible Images

How many times have you visited a webpage where an image is so large you have to scroll horizontally to view it completely? While it is possible to view the image in this way, doesn’t it ruin the whole UX? Thus, resizing images such that they fit entirely into the screen on which they are being viewed is a necessity for making websites responsive.

A great way to make images responsive is to use CSS’s max-width property. Using this property ensures that images load in their original size unless the viewport is narrower than their width. If you set the width to a maximum value of 100 percent of the viewing area, images shrink proportionally as the screen or browser becomes narrow.

2. Fluid Grids

Fluid grids stand for grid systems, which scale based on a user’s screen size as opposed to fixed-width layouts that always appear the same. Although the term is frequently used interchangeably with “liquid layouts,” fluid grids ensure that all elements on a page resize concerning one another.

3. Media Queries

A majority of the modern browsers support CSS3 media queries that enable websites to collect data from individual visitors and apply CSS styles conditionally. The media feature “min-width” lets designers implement particular CSS styles once the browser window falls below a specified width.

Say hello to a few Responsive Web Design Frameworks

Best Framework for Responsive Website Designing

A great way to introduce responsive within your websites is by using existing CSS Frameworks that offer responsive design. Such frameworks are usually free and easy to use. Here’s a quick look at some great responsive web design frameworks:

1. W3.CSS

W3.CSS is a responsive stylesheet which makes it easy to develop sites that look nice at any size; desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone.

2. Bootstrap

Another popular framework is Bootstrap. It uses CSS, jQuery, and HTML for making responsive web pages.

Key Benefits of Responsive Web Design

10 Essential Benefits of Responsive Web Design - KeyCDN

Responsive Web Design brings many benefits to the table. Some of the most important ones are:

  • If your websites don’t distort at the change of screen size, there are more chances of users sticking around
  • Making a website responsive takes less time and resources than building a separate mobile website. It is also easier to maintain
  • A responsive website usually loads faster than a non-responsive one since it is optimized for smaller screen sizes
  • Responsive websites offer improved online as well as offline browsing experience

Along with the above mentioned vital benefits, having a single responsive website helps a business achieve better SEO rankings, analyze traffic reports better, convert more customers, and reduce bounce rates.

Summary 

Responsive web design means making websites that automatically adapt to the size of the visitor’s viewport. Modern businesses need to make websites responsive so that content can render them appropriately on the screen, depending on their size. The activity aims to ensure that visitors have an optimal experience no matter how they access a website. The key advantage of this strategy is that websites load quickly, and they do so without any distortions, such that users don’t need to resize anything to view content manually.

Outsourcing your app? Ask Right!

When it is about outsourcing application development work, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. It’s all about looking for the right partner that is the most appropriate fit for your team. As per the Computer Economics study IT Outsourcing Statistics 2014-2015, 62% of big organizations are outsourcing at least a part of their application development work.

As time-to-market needs increase and IT budgets decline, the trend of farming out development work is both rising and broadening to contain new services. In response, service providers have extended their offerings to comprise of product, technical, and process services. Notably, this runs the gamut from product management, information architecture and quality automation, analytics, and more.

If a mobile application is developed and executed in the right manner, it has the capability of offering increased efficiency, growth, and revenue for your business. That’s why development is so essential, as faults in this phase can lead to the development of a dysfunctional app that wouldn’t give you the preferred results.

To attain success in mobile app development, you need clarity of purpose and focus. To make this possible during outsourcing, you and your team have to sit down and ask some crucial questions before outsourcing, so you can attain success and avoid some of the most expensive pitfalls.

Things you Should Know Before Outsourcing an Apps

Here are some of the most critical questions that you must ask to select the correct partner for your organization’s specific outsourcing needs.

1. What is the purpose of the mobile app?

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Are you developing an app just for building an app or because you are caught up in the hype about mobility? Will your application be a business version of your website, or will it have a particular purpose? Asking yourself the intent behind developing a mobile app can help you come up with a capable mobile app that aids a definite purpose. To make your mobile application successful, it must be extraordinarily focussed and address a specific purpose/function. You can discuss with the outsourcing team and narrow down on a definite problem that it is going to resolve or the particular purpose of your app. Ponder about why your mobile app is needed, how your customers can profit from it and how the application can be a more convenient alternative when compared to your website.

2. What should be a probable deadline for the completion of the app?

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Narrowing down to a deadline for the app is very important if the mobile app is to be developed for a particular event or occasion. If the mobile app is not finished before the event, the entire development is futile. Even a delay of a few days might make an enormous difference and cease the mobile app from serving its purpose — moreover, the plan for the release schedule for the app. In case your application is released in different versions, you have to prepare for the release date accordingly.

3. What programming methodology do you want?

Top 12 Software Development Methodologies & its Advantages & Disadvantages

How do you wish your end-users to interact with your application? This supports the outsourcing developers to create an appropriate wire-frame. Also, think about the visual design needs and User Experience. Briefing the developers about the non-functional and functional needs of your application can help them to develop product backlog. You would also want to explain the required programming interfaces, outside services/systems, and third-party vendors, sharing such details is important.

4. How do you need the app to be hosted?

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Do you need your mobile app to be plugged in to a new or preexisting infrastructure? Ponder about the hosting space that you would want. Brief the outsourcing developers beforehand about the post-launch support that you might need to fix the bugs and tweaks that you may get from users.

5. From where do you need the app to be downloaded?

How to Download and Update Apps on Android Phones and Tablets

Did you have an idea that the delivery channels of an application can significantly affect the design of the application? Getting listed on the App Store and Google Play is essential. You need to inform the developers in advance about your requirements for listing and get them talked at the development and design stage itself.

6. What level of security is needed?

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Tell the developers that you are expecting security protocols that ensure that is the app is protected and secure from hackers trying to attack and breakthrough code vulnerability. Also, ensure that you get the privacy policy of the application drafted.

7. Does your application need to adhere to guidelines?

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Ensure that your business app adheres to corporate guidelines like consistent screen design, design of icons, and branding conventions.

8. What are some of the risks involved?

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Through the course of mobile application development, you might face risks and uncertainties that can hinder the project. To steer clear of such hazards, make sure that you build a risk register at the onset of your application so that you can file the actions at every step. This way, you can hold your stakeholders responsible for each risk factor.

9. Who are the main stakeholders involved in the development process?

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It is crucial to identify the main stakeholders who are involved in the development and usage of your mobile application. Who would be funding it? Who would be owning it? Who would be benefiting from it? Who would keep the app active? Who would maintain the app daily? Asking such questions and trying to understand the involved decision-makers can lead to the successful development and running of the app. By comprehending the needs of the stakeholders, attaining clarity about their role, and taking responses to help in developing a successful application.

10. What budget can be allotted?

Budget, Budgeting, Budgetary Control - BBA|mantra

Many times the budget is overlooked when it comes to developing mobile apps. This is a significant reason why it becomes tough to estimate one. Make sure to sit down with the developers and discuss the various variables at play, be it multiple operating systems, testing environments, and more.

Summary

If you have made your mind to outsource your software development, you must have found some software development companies that you’re considering working with, and you are on the horns of a perplexity of making the correct choice. There is nothing better than talking to them and satisfying every query that you might have. Choose the web development company that passes all your parameters and comes out as reliable and trustworthy as a lot of your business now lies in their hands.

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