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Cloud-Based ERP System: Benefits and Security Issues

Posted on March 23, 2018 by probytesnextjs

Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP is a set of activities that are used by the companies in order to manage their business easily and efficiently. Cloud-based computing or Software as a Service (SaaS) is a program that allows users to access those software applications that are running on a shared computing resource like a disk or memory via the internet. Cloud ERP refers to an approach that makes the use of cloud computing platforms and services for an easy business process transformation.

However, the biggest skepticism about an ERP system is about its security aspects. But it has got ton of benefits which none other can offer. Can benefits out value data security?

Benefits of Cloud Computing ERP

Using a Cloud Computing ERP is beneficial in a number of ways for a business. While the most relevant one being the reduced cost, there are a number of other ways in which this system proves beneficial to the companies. Some of these are as mentioned below:

Requires lesser IT support as the same is provided by the data center.
No need to pay monthly fees to upgrade the licenses of application software.
Reduced cost of maintaining and supporting the applications as the same is managed by the cloud vendor.
Payment to be made only for the required computing resources.
No change in the monthly rate to be paid by the companies so as to avail the services.
Takes lesser time as no need to install any hardware or software in the user’s devices.
No need to alter the cloud’s storage due to any changes in the company’s storage needs.
Instills confidence in the user by making a disaster recovery plan available.
No risk of data loss.

Flaws in data security using cloud ERP

Cloud ERP offers a number of cost-saving benefits to its users such as pay as you go, easy access to powerful hardware and software, to name a few. But cloud ERP is not just about these benefits as using it may cost heavily to the companies in a number of other ways. Some of the common security concerns when using cloud ERP are as mentioned below:

1. Risk of data loss

Data loss occurs when a disk drive expires or stops functioning without the owner creating a backup of the files.This issue generally occurs when the person who owns the encrypted data loses the key to unlock it.An easy availability of the cloud services over the cloud increases the risk the security risks for the data.

2. Performance risk

When using a cloud ERP, the clients and communication service providers (CSPs) are completely separated and located in different geographical locations. They are instead connected to each other via a powerful internet connection. But there is always a risk of network failure and connection problems that may directly affect the performance of the cloud ERP.

3. Compliance issues

Sometimes, it gets really difficult for the cloud ERP users to comply with the data, energy and environmental standards. There is also a lack in the availability of enough regulations that may allow them to handle any such difficulty that occurs due to such compliances. All such troubles may, in turn, put the data available on cloud at risk of a security breach.

4. Limited functionality

The traditional cloud ERP systems require time to develop into a more stable and reliable ERP. Moreover, it is not always easy to incorporate latest developments and advancements into the system. This, in turn, increases the security threat of the data as it is at an increased risk of breach and loss with outdated security measures.

5. Data sensitivity

Since there are many organizations that consider its data to be private, they generally don’t prefer to store it outside their premises. The lack of reliability on data security at a server located outside is another risk factor for cloud ERP.

Conclusion

While it may seem too many that the data stored on cloud ERP is always at a risk of loss, it is not always true. The ERP system on cloud has a number of positive aspects as well such as rapid implementation, scalability, improved mobility and various others.

It is important to ensure that one should not make a choice of the ERP system based on the details shared by the company. One must opt to take a step forward and research completely about the product so that there is no threat or risk to the data security and safety stored on any cloud ERP. For further queries Probytes, the Odoo ERP Web Development Company Can offer better insight regarding the issue.

Important Stages in UX design Process: Methodology

Posted on March 22, 2018 by probytesnextjs

You might have come across the term UX (User Experience) and might be wondering what the fuzz is about. User Experience design helps understands a product and develops an idea in a better way. A classic UX design is a process in which you provide a personally relevant experience that is derived from product functionality and pleasure.

Over a period, users developed an impression of the product, during which the user’s cognition, motivation, action, and perception form a story. It is based on the idea that when a user derives emotional responses from a product, they find it more satisfying. Here are the stages of UX process methodology.

1. Getting in touch with the client

Get as much as information you can from the client about their products, services, how they started, and their vision. You can start designing a product only after getting to know everything about the client. Begin your question and answer round with general questions and make sure to tell them to bring their products so that you can get a better idea of them.

It is followed by the kick-off meetings. You can conduct on the same day or the following day, but don’t delay it any further. It approximately takes around four to five hours because it is purely a brainstorming session where you get to know the client’s idea behind the product, limitations, and requirements of clients. To get a better idea of the design, more UX designers conduct a Style and Brand Persona workshop, during which they create hypothetical customers, personas, and user journeys.

2. Preliminary research

Now, this is the part where you can’t go wrong, at all. Not only do you have to gather information but also put it in a meaningful way. Preliminary research can take anywhere between seven to ten days depending on the time you want to give the project. If you work in a team, then it would only take around five to six days. This part of the process involves four steps that include:

Setting up interviews – interacting with users from the targeted demography to match your hypothetical personal, user experience, and preference with the real ones.
Competitor research – get to know the client’s competitors and their USP, offers, and limitations. Write down all their products’ features and compare them with your client’s products.
Mood boards – design a mood board for the product, which involves putting images, texts, and materials on board to invoke a specific style or feeling among the customers.
Project tasks – formulate elaborate projects tasks and a weekly schedule for following two months and then monthly plan for the later months.

Also set milestones for the project to motivate your staff and the client to achieve higher goals.

3. Testing usability of the product

This step of the process involves a lot more than just testing the product’s usability. Elements that are a part of this step are:

Sketching – The easiest way to visualize your idea is by depicting it. Always create three or four different version solutions to your problem. You might or might not use any of them but it might race your creativity and keep your mind going. Also, these sketches will help your clients understand the concepts in a much better way.
Prototyping – Once you find yourself a few ideas that you want to go along with, build a prototype and wireframe. If you don’t have time for preparing the prototype on paper, use one of the applications available online to do so.
User testing – Validate your ideas with your user group. It is a very crucial element because you must understand the product is for the users, and if they don’t like it, you need to take up another idea.
Screen flow – you might find it necessary or not but do an additional step won’t hurt you. It would instead save the time you spend explaining everything to your client. Capture a screen flow, so that they understand it themselves.

4. Detailed design

In this step, you show the mood board you created to your user base. Let’s say you are working on an application that runs on iOS and Android both. What you must do first is take a look at similar applications in Google Store and App Store. Get acquainted with the feel and look of a few similar applications and understand why one has more downloads than the other.

Create a blueprint, which you would convert into a full-fledged working application. Get started with designing pixel perfect screens. Most UX designers use Sketch or Photoshop, but you can use any other software according to your comfort. Make sure the blueprint has all specifications that are on your mind. It isn’t necessary to write down every single of it because until and unless it is clear in your mind, it gets the work.

5. Following up

Everyone loves if the product is going in the right direction and you will only know it when you do a follow-up. It is straightforward to follow and communicate with the client if the development process moves forward with the design process, but if it takes place after it, things get a little tricky. However, keep following up and communicating with the client because that can win you long-term deals.

The UX process methodology is continuously evolving but in general, it is same as stated above. You must make sure that when you are creating the design, you should think of the user and not how you would like it to be. Sometimes small changes make a huge difference in the end product. Every UX designer and his team have some particular steps that they develop on their own and are unique to their process. You can compare these steps as heavily guarded secret ingredients of popular fast food chains.

Searching For Hacking Related Movies? Check These 30 Movies Out

Posted on March 12, 2018 by probytesnextjs

In the past few decades, many hacking-related movies have been produced. While most of them are about robbery or mystery, some are sci-fi and romantic giving a new twist to the topic. Though hacking related movies might not have too much action, there’s a different kind of thrill in them that will surely amuse online security and hacking enthusiasts.

If you are curious to know some of the best hacking-related movies, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the best 30 hacking-related movies you should watch:

1. Black Hat

In this thrillers, hackers break into the Chinese nuclear power plant to launch a nuclear reaction and into the stock exchange to steal millions of dollars.

2. War Games

This is the story of a high school hacker who by mistake hacks into a military supercomputer and starts World War III countdown.

3. Pulse (I)

A hacking genius hacks into a mysterious signal and unleashes the evil world causing havoc around him. This movie is a sci-fi thriller and is very innovative, so if you are planning to watch a movie with friends, this one should be your choice.

4. Algorithm

After breaking into a top secret government contractor’s computer, a freelance hacker he downloads all recently created software.

5. The Matrix

The Matrix is undoubtedly the all-time most significant sci-fi movie. A hacker realizes that the world is entirely simulated and therefore, hacks into the machine to make people know it.

6. The Italian Job

In this movie, Lyle is a famous hacker from an esteemed thieves group who manipulates traffic lights and other devices to make the theft a success.

7. Takedown

This is a real-life story of Tsutomu Shimomura, a famous hacker during the 1980s and 1990s who now is an established author, speaker, and IT security consultant.

8. Live Free or Die Hard

In this movie, a hacker breaks into the US infrastructure to transfer trillions of dollars into his bank account.

9. Untraceable

Untraceable is a thriller movie in which a killer kills his victims based on the number of hits he gets on his website, KillWithMe.com.

10. Snowden

This movie is based on the infamous book called The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World’s Most Wanted Man and is a much watch for everyone.

11. Fifth Estate

Julian Assange, a hacker, breaks into many systems including Citibank, Pentagon, and NASA.

12. Firewall

A man’s family turns bankrupt, so he uses his hacking skills to steal from the bank he protects to pay off the debts.

13. Reboot

After a traumatic event, a female hacker wakes up to find a phone glued to her right hand with a countdown timer set. What happens next?

14. Nerve

To get away from her boring life, a teenager joins Nerve, an online game that gives dares and slowly takes over her life.

15. I.T.

The lead actor has a perfect life, but then he finds out that his teenage daughter is being stalked by a hacker and nowhere around is safe.

16. Cybergeddon

In this movie, it is shown how the police try to cope up with hackers but fail every single time.

17. Who Am I: No System Is Safe?

It is a wonderful movie if you want to know more about hacking as it revolves around a group of hackers who want to become famous.

18. Swordfish

Swordfish will take you on a journey of how hackers break into a bank system and take away all the money.

19. Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot is a television series in which an anxious software engineer is hired by a person to break into a huge company.

20. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This movie goes into the technicality of hacking and surrounds the life of a hacker and a troubled investigator.

21. Sneakers

Sneakers is a real deal as it shows how government agencies treat hackers after they are found guilty and the risk that comes along with this profession.

22. One Point O

A mysterious package arrives at the doorsteps of a young computer engineer, and he goes on a mission to discover what it is.

23. The Score

A hacker plans to retire after gaining a lot of wealth from his ill-doings, but he is asked to steal for one more time.

24. Office Space

Hacking is a tiny part of the movie, but the entire plot revolves around it in this comedy movie.

25. Antitrust

After landing his dream job, a man learns about the dark truth of the software company he is working at.

26. Code Hunter

Code Hunter is one of the best hacking movies. In the film, America’s top hacker is pulled into a cyber-terror, and the person behind it steals his identity. He then puts it in the US Most Wanted List and threatens him to cooperate or else he will get the hacker arrested.

27. Prime Risk

A female engineer and her friend start a quest to destroy the entire US monetary system after they find how to crack into ATMs.

28. Ghost in the Shell

In this animated movie, you will find two people search for the most mysterious hacker in the world, who goes by the name – Puppet Master.

29. Twenty Three

This 1998 movie takes you through the real-life struggle of a young group of hackers living in Hannover, Germany. It is set in the 1980s and tracks the life of Karl Koch.

30. Webmaster

The lead actor, who is a hacker, lives a straightforward life out of the hacking world. Then he decides to hack into the most challenging domain called the Stoiser domain but is unsuccessful. Scared that he would be punished, the hacker finds him in surprise after Stoiser, a domain’s owner offers him a job – webmaster.

The weekend is soon approaching, which means you have a great chance to go on a hacking-related movies binge watch with some soda and popcorn. Invite your friends over and host a movie party at your home.

20 Movies That Can Inspire You To Be A Programmer – Infographic

Posted on March 9, 2018 by probytesnextjs

Many might say that, impact of movies is momentary rather than a life changing one. However, there are a considerable amount of people who beg to differ.

Those who argue, states that exceptional movies can sometimes inspire or scar you for a long time. However, even avid movie enthusiasts can be sceptical when it comes to tech movies. But, Those movies which have managed to are indeed gems.

If we analyze the history of tech or sci-fi movies, the movie which made a profound influence on tech enthusiasts for the very first was the iconic movie Matrix, released in the year 1999.

Talking about the movie, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski (Wachowski brothers) has written the movie exceptionally well. The movie became one of a kind experience for audience owing to the conglomeration of talented people working together towards a common goal, to create history.

What’s special about Matrix is that the movie was able to project the idea of hacking and coding into the public in an exciting way that many became inspired by it.

Other movies like, The Social Network, Loopers, Inception, Source Code, Primer etc. are some of the movies which have influenced people see programming in an exciting way rather than boring like they used to.

The list doesn’t end here. Go through this infographic to know more about the profound 20 in the category.

Being a UX Designer: 10 Essential Skills to Acquire

Posted on February 27, 2018 by probytesnextjs

The UX design industry is rapidly growing and is the requirement of UX designers. As a UX designer, you improve a product’s user usability and accessibility with the aim of making the user derive pleasure from it. Most designers want to become a jack of all trades but a king of none, which is wrong. As a fresher, you must know that to move ahead you need to know some necessary skills that will help you to put behind competition climb up on the success ladder.

Here are ten essential skills every UX designer needs to possess:

Rapid prototyping

Software gets updated once in every week or few months depending on the demand for improvement, and therefore rapid prototyping becomes a necessary skill for all UX designers. So how can a designer keep up with the rapidly changing technology?

As a designer, you have to create a rapid prototype for yourself, based on visual interactions. It can be as simple as something written on the paper or in coded format, rather than depending on traditional methods of communication.

Service design

Service design is a complex of many processes that improve the interaction between the designer and client, such that it tracks the end user’s journey. These processes include organizing material components, infrastructure, and communication. However, even if one of these isn’t in place, even the best of all designers won’t be able to make a good UX design.

Make your tools for measuring customer experience as they will help you when a new project, that you are doing for the first time.

Wireframing

Every company is now moving to responsive web design, and that’s why wireframing is an important skill to possess. It will assist you in creating a hierarchy in web design, which in turn will help you create a website that is more practical and usable on every device.

Wireframing also helps the UX designers to stay focused on the project’s primary goal. Eventually, it will help you to find out what exactly the client wants and what you have to provide to satisfy the clients.

Participatory design

It is essential for a UX designer to take inputs from the stakeholders involved in the process and link them to end-user demands. The ability to actively engage these people in your design will make you a great UX designer.

If it is a big project, you can host workshops and discussions with the stakeholders to get a better understanding of the company and what they want to give to the end user.

User research

A good UX designer is the one that knows user behavior and expectancies. You will be told many things in the office or by the client, but at the end of the day, you have the responsibility to guide them properly. If you have done the research well, you won’t have trouble while testing usability.

Analysing user problems is a significant part of user research as you have to guide your clients through your study and help them solve the problems faced.

Crowdsourced design

Crowdsourced design goes hand in hand with participatory design. As a UX designer, you must know how to use the internet as a resource to collect data for your projects. There are many UX tools available today that help you find the right kind of data.

Also collect feedback from your clients and their end users, so that you learn about your errors and rectify them in your next project.

Revising skills

Taking constructive criticism to review your skills will help you in the long run. Communicate with your old clients and take their feedback seriously. Sometimes, companies might ask that if you would’ve done something different with the product, what would that have been, and you have to give a valid response.

Also, be flexible to the demands of your clients because you are going to get more projects from them or their friends if they like your work.

Responsive design skills

In today’s world, everything has become user-friendly and having responsive design skills have become a priority. Make your concept more responsive and fluid by giving more importance to the emotions and thinking of the end user rather than just the technical aspects of the app or product.

Ditch those Photoshop frames, enhance yourself from sketches to prototypes, and create modular designs to become a successful UX designer.

Communication

Communication is one of the core skills every UX designer should have. It not only involves interacting properly with your clients but also trying to convey your idea to stakeholders about the end user requirements.

Keep aside visual communication for a while and strengthen your powerpoint presentation skills and your speech conduct. When you speak confidently and look into the person’s eyes, there is no way the person in front of you will reject your proposal.

UX writing

No, we aren’t talking about coding here. Pick up an application that you have created and see if you like reading what’s written in it. The language should be crafty, such that it keeps the end user engaged.

Language is still the most used form of communication and required right from convincing the user to download the app till convincing them to keep it on their phones forever. Apple and Dropbox have the best UX writing displayed throughout their concept.

Remember, you are an end user as well, so put yourself in those shoes while thinking your project’s concept. The only way you can see if your end users are happy is by checking the number of downloads and ratings the app you created makes. Less number of downloads or fewer star ratings is surely going to make you sad, so avoid that by being empathetic towards the end users.

You should also be able to visually communicate your idea through your concept to the stakeholders and end users. Coding isn’t a necessary skill, but having it will take you beyond your capability. So, work on all these skills and become the best UX designer version of yourself.

25 Stunning Website Designs of 2018 That Will Blow You Away

Posted on February 23, 2018 by probytesnextjs

The New Year has been a great start for people looking around for some of the best existing projects and web designs incorporated last year. From functionality to the framework, the year 2018 is expected to bring revolutionary changes that will alter the web development scenario.

Talking about websites it is indeed mandatory at this juncture of time that

We’ve gathered a huge list of 25 best website designs of 2017 which can help you make a great project work successfully. They follow all the latest design trends and have the same modern look.

Let’s take a look:

Saturized

A professional digital creative agency, Saturized stays true to its name, focused on creating and delivering a high-quality interactive experience. The website is no less than what they claim to be. The website looks more focused on the user-experience which understands the everyday challenges of many other competitors. The website hence stands out to be successful in today’s digital world.

2. Opacity Design Group Ltd.

Opacity Design Group (ODG) is a boutique branding and creative firm offering an ideal blend of approach, design, and technology that makes something amazing. The website was designed by their own team that suits their day-to-day activities which have turned it into a unique website and users enjoy visiting.

3. Lightbox Digital

Lightbox is a digital agency that mainly deals with small and medium enterprises enabling them to create digital products and campaigns to transform their brand. Their website is a luxury view for their enormous clients across the globe with consumer-driven digital experience. They are also in a process to build their E-commerce website. It will certainly be something interesting to get hold of.

4. Versett

A product engineering and design studio, Versett has a web design for future web experience. Navigating through their website is easy and fast with a new redesigning experience. The website’s homepage consists of some of its best and interesting to note case studies which showcase their right process.

5. Spindel

A website designed by a freelancer top showcase her portfolio, spindle runs around a very simple but classy design, turning the complex content into a very beautiful and interactive experience. The website itself is a big turnover for the freelancer with unique and beautiful responsive design.

6. Abingworth

Abingworth is an international investment group in the field of biotechnology and life science. The website is designed by a team of super talented designers that have crafted the concept rightly through its design. The business can be easily explored without disturbing your attention on the main business.

7. Jardan

The website indeed is a mind-blowing concept by its developers. Jardan has been in business since long and offers a wide range of furniture designs. The interactive layouts and design make its presence felt among all other designs. The website has a great design and is well optimized to be run on any devices easily.

8. Fueled

Known for its award-winning portfolio, fueled was developed by its own team that beautifully emphasizes its design, functionality, and strategy to engage its customers. Not only this, the website is periodically upgraded to new and innovative designs to give you a good user experience. Worth a check.

9. Daesk

Daesk is a team of freelancers and agencies that help you get strategic insights into your business making you concentrate on work that matters most to you. The website includes eye-catching images with easy navigation and insights into their business. The website won’t make you sick or waste your time with its elegant and simple user interface.

10. Shade Master

Shade Master is an Australian firm that specializes in a wonderful range of quality roofing solutions for your living. The dedicated team of web developers has turned no stone down in bringing the blend of the business objective with user needs. The website gets across what exactly you are looking for and giving you insightful outcomes.

11. Ufo Mammoot

Now, this is an interesting one. Though the site looks a bit complicated in nature, the idea behind its design and the tactics used are far beyond imagination. The site is recently built with WebVR, Chatbot and WebGL – and whatever you name it. The website is a perfect blend of idea and technology in a unique and innovative workpiece.

12. Bold Earth

Are you looking out for an adventure travel website? Well, you certainly need to check this one out. Bold earth is about a group of adventure teens who organize travels around the world. The website is itself a unique selling point for the brand. The website showcases environment, confidence, boldness and much more. You are going to have an un-forgetful adventure in exploring their interactive website.

13. Melted Subs

Who doesn’t love subs, but we love this website too. True to its name, melted subs gets your mouth watering with their attractive and easy to navigate menus, along with some mouth-watering HD images. The website looks fresh and pretty cool. It is designed in plain HTML5 and CSS without compromising in its user experience.

14. Chaptr Studio

Chaptr studio is in the field of web development and visual content. The website is beautifully crafted, has an intelligent content and offers a great digital experience. The content is collaborative and strikes across a good brand identity. The black & white combination of color gives prominence to the content of the site and stands out with rest of the designing aspects.

15. RedBytes

Redbytes is app development company and the website they have created is specifically designed by keeping wanted to convey to the audience in mind. The design is practical and looks attractive as well. They have managed to advertise themselves effectively on the home page itself by highlighting what should be. There is an animated GIF on the front page which is more than enough to convey the business of the company.

16. Magicleap

A start-up company, magic leap works on head-mounted virtual retinal display, a 3D computer-generated imagery over real-world objects. The website turns out to be a nice, pretty and new animation-related theme that is designed for retro-futuristic people. The whole website is designed in a way to make you feel comfortable and organic.

17. Johos

Joho’s design has a magnificent visual design that progressively explains the story of the business. The layout is interactive, imagery, and all, in all sound engineered. All these raw material comes together to give you that perfect recipe for what a web design should be like. In addition, it is one of the sites that bring about the story telling concept of how’s the journey of a coffee bean.

18. Brain Pickings

Coping up with your boredom doesn’t mean you surf the internet to read any kind of stuff. Try expanding your knowledge by reading out some really interesting blogs written by Maria Popova, which are based on her real-life experiences. She does all the research by herself and they are certain to look out for.

19. Ximena Vengoechea

The sweet, simple and elegant design makes this website one of our favorites. The color and texture used really help us understand how the website is helping the personal website grow. Plus, the content stands out giving out a clear action for people to reach out to.

20. Oddee

love reading weird content. This website is the place. You get a strange feeling being in there, all lost reading out some seriously strange blogs. The website also has many videos which resemble a modern-day design challenges which have now attracted over 10 million users and subscribers.

21. myst

With more and more people preferring watching videos instead of reading the text, myst stands out with its cinematic experience with a complete scenario of voice and video on its homepage. You also have an option to toggle that sounds on and off since not all users prefer such designs. This kind of designs is pulled back by many, but when presented thoughtfully, can bring beautiful design trends to the industry.

22. Allendjal

Are you a fan of parallax effects? They were once in trend in the year 2016 and designers who actually practiced it got wiser with the mouse-based events. The trend continues with Allendjal, with more impressive and fancy parallax effects. The more real the effects on the screen, more are the numbers of users visiting the website.

23. y7k

Haven’t you heard about the kaleidoscopic effects of websites? It means having some complex patterns and multicolors with psychedelic effects. The y7k illustrates what’s exactly said. The website has a fresh, two-tone look and a modern design that takes your breath away. While it may seem a bit jarring at first, do navigate to check out what the offered to the web designing world.

24. Newacton

Graphics has always played an important part of many websites today. But for some, it’s more than just graphics. Newacton with its minimalistic design and simple illustrations touches to the business having the perfect reason to be on the list. The website displays just an absolute design elements.

25. Thibault Pailloux

The website rolls around the concept of text overlapping the images and vice versa. The website has been designed by a creative freelance art director and stands out with vibrant and colorful designing patterns and pages. The websites hit the personality with vivid colors to uncomplicated designs.

Conclusion:

Businesses never get a second chance for capturing a first impression. What makes a website brilliant is the purpose it serves its customers. From the above list, it’s certain that each website excels in its own way and serves a unique purpose. That means not all of the above websites is conversion machines which sell their ideas and products. Instead, they are an inspiration to some great designs that are created from various corners of the world.

Designing and Developing a Public API: 8 Crucial Questions to Ask ?

Posted on February 21, 2018 by probytesnextjs

Application Programming Interfaces or APIs have come a long way from being a simple tool for niche developers to the center point of business strategies ranging from customer service, partnerships to sales and marketing.

In spite of being business driven tools, public APIs are intricate pieces of software, which should be approached like a project of software development, concerning its planning and designing. If you are all set to avail the services of an expert API developer, then make sure that you have answers for the top 8 questions before proceeding.

Top 8 Questions While Developing and Designing a Public API

What Would Be Your Public API’s Business Vale?

Private APIs always aim at enhancing the internal software and back-end systems. But, before designing public APIs, it is essential to pay attention to the first step of establishing API’s business value to help you get an idea about the project’s structure.

Find out what would be the business value that you wish the API to deliver, such as monetization or improved market penetration. Understand what kind of business outcome value you are expecting from your public API. You can try to identify the business value of the API by identifying potential revenue resources, revenue venues for the future, use cases, interface to interact with your clients, streamlining, user stories, increasing the value of the partnerships, and organizing the vendor management.

Also consider holding a cost and benefit analysis, as APIs can be expensive. Make sure that you stay aware of the challenges in the process of in-depth planning and consider if this effort will be fruitful for your business in the long run.

What Is The Nature Of Your API Audience And What Are Their Demands?

It is imperative to know who your API audience would be to help in determining the right request and response model to cater to your API. To have your Public API specially designed for your audience, pay attention to the expectation they might have to structure the data that is efficient and organized.

User Experience (UX) is a crucial factor in the success of a Public API, and aids you make better technical decisions. Make sure that you offer enough documentation to the developers, as they are considered as the major consumers of public APIs.

How Resourceful Would Your API Be?

How vital your API will be for the people at present and in the future? Determining the structure and security of the API will help you get an idea which assets are essential. When you are keen to build an API for streamlining your way of working with your partners or supply chain, it will help you determine the areas of permissions.

For those of you doing business having specific regulatory norms and compliance requirements, this period is crucial for performing a double check to know which assets must be granted access for sharing.

What Would Be Your Data Format And Software Schema?

Always remember that it is impossible to build public APIs that work with, “one size fits all’ principle. Consider the use cases for deciding the software schema design that is very effective for organizing your API efficiently.

Also know how the data will be formatted and choose from JML or JSON, the compact choice for API that can be a perfect interface for the web apps that are based on JavaScript. XML is a compelling option but demands a lot of work from the programming side.

Is It Important To Have Usage Limits Set For Your API?

Both the private APIs and public APIs require minimum line of defense to prevent abuse and overuse for protecting the control and server expenses. The application limits can range from the cost limits, call volume, throttling to the level of data transmission.

You can also hold a discussion with the developer and customer service teams to decide on the usage volume and arrive at the limit that would be beneficial for your business as well as for the users.

Which Style of Writing for Your API?

The writing style of API communicates with its architecture. There are two types of writing styles for Public APIs, such as Simple Object Access Protocol or SOAP and REST API paradigm where each API writing style is loaded with distinct benefits. The HTTP Protocol based REST is a simple style of writing that can be used for scaling and building API efficiently while SOAP is a complex architecture.

Do You Have Plans To Monetize Your Public API?

API acts as the layer which links services and latest applications to robust, multifaceted digital platforms while helping the online businesses scale high at a swift pace. Know why you have to build a public API and find out the outcome value it will bring to your business, such as monetization.

It can be identified by checking the potential venues for revenue, user stories, improving partnerships, enhancing your interface style with the clients and streamlining the vendor management. When someone prefers to make more calls than the ones offered by the current agreement, then you can ask them to pay for the extra calls.

How Will Be The Success Of The API Measured?

When you are ready to decide the ROI for the public API, it is essential to know which metrics should be gathered for the analysis. These metrics would enable you to realize the means of informing you how the API is performing. With some specific metrics as the parameters, it would be easier for you to know the rate of success of your public API in an accurate fashion.

As soon as you complete building your public API and assets are exposed for the developers to work on, pay attention towards maintaining stability as well as performance. Remember, the developers rely on your public APIs to improve the functionality of their apps and to equip it with evenly distributed processes and fully functional features.

Freelancer VS Full-Time Web Developers

Posted on February 16, 2018 by probytesnextjs

In today’s world, a website has become the face of every company, small or big. Hiring a web developer on a full-time basis or as a freelancer is a very debatable topic, but it apparently depends on what the company’s end goals are. Either way, hiring the best web developer is always a struggle.

Statistics of the job market are changing, and people are gradually ditching full-time jobs to become freelancers as it broadens their horizon and lets them work on the different project. Also, they get paid well after the initial struggle to find gigs and work according to their comfort.

If you are confused and can’t decide whether a full-time or a freelance web developer fits best for your company’s interests, here are some differences that will help you:

1.Skills

Full-time web developer

It is evident that a full-time web developer will have some hands-on coding experience. And if the person is a fresher, he will have the support of senior developers at the office, which can help whenever needed. If you have an IT company, hiring a full-time web developer is the best decision since you will need the developer all the time and not just for specific projects.

Freelance web developer

When you post the requirement of a freelance web developer on any site, many freelancers will boast about having individual skills, which he might not. There is no way you can judge their work because they can lie. However, you can start asking your friends who are freelance web developers to design your website. If your company isn’t an IT firm and doesn’t require a web developer for anything other than a site, hire a freelancer.

Job portals, today, have made the task easy by testing the freelancers before they upload their profile on their site. It makes the work easy for you and lowers the risk of you getting cheated.

2. Dedication

Full-time web developer

A full-time web developer is undoubtedly more dedicated to the given task than a freelancer because he works only one project at a time. As an employer, you’d know his strengths and give him a job that he does well.

Freelance web developer

Freelancers have many different projects in hand and might not dedicate their whole time to your project. Usually, a freelancer works on multiple projects from various clients at the same time, while a full-time web developer can work on the dedicated plans based on your priority.

A Freelancer can outsource the work to other freelancers and might not guarantee the same quality. Many experienced freelancers hire freshers and get the job done at lower costs.

3. Communication

Full-time web developer

There are no communication problems when working with a full-time web developer. But you do need to take efforts and discuss every progress in their department regularly. Communication becomes all the more important when the web developer has recently joined your office.

Freelance web developer

Communication works both ways. If you feel that you have no issues in communicating with someone who works remotely, a freelancer is an excellent choice as it also cuts costs. You have to pay a full-timer every month despite the amount of work done, while you pay a freelancer on the project basis.

4. Security

Full-time web developer

An in-house web developer provides maximum security. It becomes a significant concern if you have an e-commerce website. Projects done inside a company get added security of top-notch technologies used by the companies.

Freelance web developer

With a freelance web developer, you don’t have much control over the security they can provide. Also, the person can block your website if you haven’t paid them on time and might even steal information in extreme situations. Finding a trustworthy freelancer is the key to resolve this issue.

5. Support

Full-time web developer

A full-time web developer works based on your needs. He can fix any issue that occurs in production immediately. If the problem arises during non-working hours, he can manage his timings and take care of them accordingly.

Freelance web developer

You can never predict when a web developer works. Freelancers don’t provide you with a warranty period, but they are most definitely responsible for fixing bugs on the website on the priority basis when you demand. If there is a bug, which you don’t find during the test run, but later, a freelancer has to do that.

You often get extra hours of support from a freelancer. The support can get extended when the freelancer works in a different country and the time difference is huge. When you need him, during your off-working hours, the probability of his availability can be questionable.

6. Meeting deadlines

Both, a full-time or a freelance web developer don’t have issues with meeting deadlines. A full-time web developer has daily tasks that he needs to give in, whereas a freelancer is given deadlines within which they have to show the complete work.

Both of them are undoubtedly focused on work. However, one disadvantage of hiring a freelancer is that if he falls sick, there is no one to take over. In case a full-time web developer falls ill, his co-developer can take over for that small amount of time.

Conclusion

Choosing a full-time web developer is also more advantageous than hiring a freelancer. However, if you have a start-up and your budget is meagre, you can start by hiring a freelancer and get work done on a project basis as it is very cost-effective. As your company grows, you can switch to a small team of full-time web developers.

Email campaign for your e-commerce website – What to consider?

Posted on February 12, 2018 by probytesnextjs

Email has been around for a while now, and smart business owners know it is here to stay and is an integral part of marketing businesses. Your email list is a prized possession for any business that takes time to build and maintain.

An email list adds significant value in several ways and helps in selling your business. It lets you contact people directly who have either purchased a product or service you sell, are interested in your product or are inclined towards learning about your industry or niche. Keeping in mind the long-term interest and growth of any business, building an email list should be a top priority. Especially for e-commerce businesses, email marketing is the key to their success.

Importance of an email list

Most people who visit your website may not return to it unless you do something to keep them coming back. Building an email list helps you get this done and retain more of the traffic you worked so hard to earn. Your email list and campaign drives help to bring traffic back to your website by providing an incentive to return like with discounts, valuable content, new products, etc. It also ensures direct communication on a regular basis. If your e-commerce business hasn’t taken the time to adopt email marketing, then it is time to buck up now.

Content marketing through Email

A strategic way of marketing is through content marketing, where businesses communicate original content to their audience. Gone are the days of traditional advertising with potential customers, nowadays businesses aim to draw attention by delivering relevant information and entertainment which creates a buzz for the brand as well as builds trust with the audience.

It makes collecting email addresses from your visitors a critical ordeal. It allows you to keep in touch and follow up with your audience over time and ensures more than just one-time visits.

Build relationships with your customers through email

Social media and search engines may offer an easy way for potential customers to discover you. However, email is the best way to maintain and to cement a relationship over time.

It is common knowledge especially for those who are well-versed with online shopping that you’re more likely to buy from the websites that you are more familiar with and have already formed a relationship.

Email Drives Traffic and Sales

Email is an effective and efficient way to reach and communicate with customers and potential customers on your email list, in a wide variety of ways. The kinds of marketing content that can get delivered through email are newsletters, drip campaigns, individual occasion emails for holidays, birthdays, and other personal events, etc.

Choosing the Right Email Marketing Platform

To send your customers promotional and offer related emails you need first to select the email marketing service and set it up. There are many email marketing services out there for you to pick. Ultimately, you need to choose the one that would work best for your business and goals, and that can integrate easily with your website. These email marketing platforms allow you to maintain your mailing list as well as automate the production and sending of your emails.

Some of the things you’ll also want to consider while choosing your platform are if it offers customizable email templates, audience segmentation to send targeted emails based on customer profiles, opt-in forms that can be embedded on your website and detailed analytics to measure your email marketing campaigns.

Opt-in forms

To grow your future email recipient list, you need to get creative. Making it easy for anyone to sign up is one of the preliminary things you should try to incorporate. Attractive offers need to be clear and concise with a simple action item: the opt-in form.

The strategic placement of these opt-in forms is an essential element that drives your website. Opt-in forms are nothing but those email sign-up boxes you see on almost every site.

Opt-in form generators offered by popular email marketing software solutions will provide you with a fragment of code that you can just paste into various places around your site. Adding multiple opt-in forms to your website may seem like going overboard, but it’s not. Every visitor that comes to your website does not look at every inch of your site from header to footer so it would be justifiable for you to place these forms at different spots.

Audience segmentation for better engagement

Sending the same email to everyone is most often one of the common mistakes many businesses make with their mailing list. Not all subscribers on your mailing list have to get engaged with the same content you send to all.

For example, if you are selling items in different categories like women’s clothing, men’s clothing and kid’s clothing not every subscriber will find the mailed information relevant or exciting. It doesn’t make sense to send the same message to everyone as it needs to be engaging with your subscribers. You want your emails to be relevant to the recipient as often as possible. While it is not possible to customize an email for every individual subscriber on your list to cater specifically to them, you can create emails based on particular criteria using segmentation to increase engagement and conversions.

Segmentation allows you to ideally sort your contacts into different lists or “buckets” based on their engagement, interest and the information you have on them. You can differentiate your contacts in the following ways such as customer type, gender, interest, location, and behavior.

Converting Subscribers into Customers

If you want your subscribers to stick around and open your emails, you have to regularly provide them with value—via discounts or useful content. Along with promotional emails, it is crucial also to include nurturing emails as not every subscriber is ready to buy. It is essential to get their interest first with relevant information.

How To Create An Impactful About Us Page For Your Website

Posted on February 7, 2018 by probytesnextjs

The First thing that people would like to read about on your web page is the about us section. It gives an idea of which you are, and what you do, so it is crucial that you convey all that in an exciting yet concise manner so that the reader doesn’t get bored. The about us page holds a lot of marketing potential and plays a significant role in creating a first impression on the customer.

So the obvious question here would be, how?

Let’s have a look

Set Yourself Apart From Competitors

The about us page is where people come looking for information about your company or venture so explain with facts and not hype. You can talk about the history and evolution of the company, the years of experience and the way it developed over time. There may be websites similar to yours, selling related products and goods, you have to set yourself apart with an about us page that makes customers think you are different from others. It needs to explain what is unique to your company and that should stand out to your audience.

Make It Visible

It is as simple as it sounds. Sometimes website creators hide the about us page link at the bottom of the page in a small font where it is not immediately visible to a visitor. The about us page should be placed on the top level tab considering the importance it holds. People usually come looking for information about your brand or company and will be quick to exit the page if such necessary information is not readily and immediately accessible. Sometimes creators try to bring in creative alternatives to the title ‘about us’ such as our journey, Inside the company, etc. which is often misleading to readers at first glance. So it is better to keep it simple and understandable with just calling it ‘About us.’

Talk In The First Person

It is said that using third person tense gives a formal appeal to the content, however true this may be, writing the about us page in the first person gives it a more personal touch. Writing in the third person sounds very official and may not be that interesting to read as it may just look like a declaration rather than an interaction. It makes the reader feel like they are having a conversation with you and also helps to get a deeper understanding of what your company does. You can use ‘I’ or ‘We’ depending on which is more apt for your business.

Give The Right Start

Many people have trouble with how to begin writing the about us section. It is advisable to start off with an interesting fact, asking a question, using an anecdote, etc. to make it more appealing to readers. Rather than just boringly stating facts, finding an exciting way to introduce the section is sure to keep the reader’s attention until the end.

Company History Through A Timeline

Timelines offer you the convenience of presenting a significant amount of information in an exciting format other than just text which is more likely to engage your audience. You can show them how you started, how far you have come, and everything your business has accomplished along the way. Crucial and relevant milestones can be presented in a visually appealing manner. A vertical timeline presentation is sure to attract readers and give them information in a fun way.

Include Customer Testimonials

A few quotes or testimonials from longtime customers or clients who are happy with your services will boost the credibility of your brand. Customers who visit your website will be more convinced of your company’s authenticity and reliability as it would offer those experiences of real people.

Say It With Pictures

You can use images that go along with the write up on the about us page. They don’t have to be formal pictures but can photos of your work environment and even employees. The will make the visitor feel more familiar and connected, and they will be able to acknowledge the realness of your presence.

Include Team Member Profiles

If the about us page includes team member profiles it gives a real human-like quality to the brand. People would like to know the faces of the success of the company, and this helps them connect better. It gives an approachable vibe to your audience which is sure to improve the credibility of your business.

Multimedia Content

Another creative and engaging way to make the about us page stand out is by using multimedia content. If you have an exciting story about how your company developed, you can create a video that speaks for itself with a compelling visual narrative. Today’s technology allows for easy integration of video & multimedia elements into your web page.

Match Your Organization’s Personality

The tone of your about us page should reflect the nature of your organization so people can relate to it better. For example, the about us page for a coffee shop could be something more fun and quirky, while that of an NGO would be more formal and factual. The style and tone of your website should match the profile of your company and make sense to the audience.

The about us page is one among the many components required to create a useful website. If the foundation is laid right, then the rest of the building blocks can be arranged in-place more effectively.