How to Integrate Big Data into the Backend of Your Mobile App

How to Integrate Big Data into the Backend of Your Mobile App

by | Mar 27, 2018 | Guest Post

How to Integrate Big Data into the Backend of Your Mobile AppA full-featured, sophisticated mobile application these days can have as many as 100,000K lines of code, which should be considered a feat in itself, but the fact is, it?s not. It?s common, not enough. If you know anything about the tech world, you must have come across the term AI-first strategy that aims to make everything smart. In that respect, the massive amount of data that users share with applications is far more valuable than the code it is running on. From social media habits to shopping patterns, apps need not only make those tasks easier but also learn from them.So how do you create such applications? Or to be more precise, how do top mobile app development services integrate such features into their apps? Well, the process is much simpler than most people realize. You don?t actually have to write those long, complicated algorithms by yourself but simply use them according to your needs. Here is how:

Leverage cloud

As users interact with your application, they generate a lot of data that only grows exponentially as the popularity of your app grows. To handle such massive amount of data is a challenging task, but thanks to the advent of cloud services, it can now be managed just by a few clicks.Services like Azure, AWS, App Engine, among others, can store and maintain the integrity and security of your data at a fraction of the cost it would take to create such infrastructure on-premise. Though all of these clouds offer similar services, there are subtle differences that you must carefully evaluate before subscribing to one.

Analytics

Mining big chunks of data for valuable information about customers isn?t a new thing but as these technologies become more accurate, cheaper, and widely accessible, their relevance has risen in the recent times. The data you store in the cloud is useless unless you are able to mine useful information from it, and thanks to the highly specialized and cutting-edge tools available, you won?t have to do it by yourself.No matter which cloud service you used for data storage, there is a good chance that it would also offer analytic services. Depending on your business, you can use the data for many different kinds of analytics, each of which will reveal a different pattern.For instance, if you have social media application, you can monitor the images any user shares and the corresponding response they get. This data, when analyzed for some time, can enable your application to offer customized suggestions before users share an image. From eCommerce to logistics to healthcare, this is one aspect where sky is the limit when it comes to inferring information from the available data sets.

Be Flexible

It is not necessary that what works for one application would also work for you. After all, how can one decide if Netflix?s recommendation engine is better or Amazon?s? Both of them have their own approach towards the same problem and both are fairly successful. So, when it comes to knowing your customers and creating a custom experience, the only rigid rule is to stay flexible.Many businesses still find these features and capabilities that only the top enterprises with deep pockets can deliver. The truth is just the opposite. All these tools are now easily accessible on a pay-as-you-go basis, which means you only have to pay for what you actually use. Furthermore, top app developers from India are renowned for delivering such cutting-edge features at very reasonable costs.
Web Design Mistakes Businesses Still Make in 2018 (and Why You Should Avoid Them)

Web Design Mistakes Businesses Still Make in 2018 (and Why You Should Avoid Them)

by | Mar 26, 2018 | Web Design

The website of a company or a business is much more than a group of pages filled with information about that business and its products. A website acts as the anchor of a business?s online presence. It is also responsible for delivering a good user experience and getting the right key messages across. More importantly, a business website is responsible for converting an audience into customers.With so many objectives to accomplish, the design of a website is critically important. Everything, from good UX to branding, depends on the way a website is designed. Unfortunately, many businesses still make old-school, common mistakes when designing their websites, even in 2018.

Popups!

It?s 2018; are we still talking about when to and NOT to use popups? Sadly, the answer to this question is still a big YES. Many businesses use popups to capture the attention of their visitors, even when they know how ineffective ? and annoying ? popups can really be.Visitors don?t come to your site to see popup advertisements. They are not there to sign up for a newsletter without first getting to know your business. Displaying a popup as soon as visitors open the site is a big mistake many still make in 2018.You can use popups to strategically highlight important calls to action or information. Popups are even useful for streamlining the user experience in certain parts of the site. That said, you have to be extra careful about when to use a popup and the kind of information you display in the popup window.

Auto-play Videos and Sound

Another mistake that annoys the majority of internet users is the use of auto-play video or audio on a website. It is even worse when the video or audio player isn?t easy to find; some sites even go as far as hiding the video or audio player at the bottom of the page or on the sidebar by design.Stop forcing your audience to consume your content. Visitors coming to a website with auto-play videos tend to mute or stop the video immediately. Even worse, they are already so annoyed by the auto-play video that they don?t even consider taking the content of that video seriously.Another thing worth noting about auto-play video and audio is the fact that Google Chrome and other browsers will soon punish sites with this type of content. Even the search engine arm of Google is ranking sites with auto-play videos down as an added punishment.

Small, Grey Text

A couple of years ago, almost all big sites used a shade of grey as the main color for their text. The same sites also used a smaller font size to give the appearance of a modern and clean website. Those same design trends no longer work in 2018, yet many sites stand by them still.Forget about grey, small text. What you want is content that is pleasant to read, and that means using black font against a white or light background and keeping the font size big enough for everyday users. Anything above 14px is recommended.It is also recommended to keep lines separated and to pay close attention to the font family you use. Some fonts are designed for maximum readability, while others are more suited to short texts like headlines or menu items.

Enough with the Carousels

Yes, sliders must go. Animated sliders may seem like a good way to display more contents, but they are outdated, look old, and aren?t as effective as you think. According to web design experts from designbypelling.co.uk, sliders and carousels disrupt the flow of user experience more than they add to the UX.In fact, this UK web design agency reveals that the first slide gets more than 80% of the visitors? attention, while the remaining slides receive no more than 2%. The click percentage of sliders is even lower than that. It is clear that sliders are no longer the way to go.Visitors prefer simple and straightforward web design where all functions are clear. Instead of using sliders, find ways to deliver the information and key messages you want to get across using simple layout and web elements that are pleasant to use.

A Different Design for Mobile

There are two approaches when it comes to making a website friendly for mobile users. You can either have a dedicated mobile page or use responsive design to accommodate mobile users. Regardless of the approach, you take, creating a consistent user experience is a must.Many businesses still fail to implement this simple principle. They incorporate a completely different look and feel to their mobile site, creating an uncomfortable experience for the users. Sticking to the branding and design guidelines is all you need to do to avoid having the same problem with your mobile site.As you can see, most of these common mistakes are petty, but they are annoying and disruptive in the eyes of internet users. Make sure you avoid making the same mistakes to deliver a smooth, streamlined user experience with your business website.
How to Make Your Blog More Engaging to Your Readers

How to Make Your Blog More Engaging to Your Readers

by | Mar 21, 2018 | Business, Social Media, WordPress

In many ways, setting up and running a blog is easy, and just about anyone can have their site set up in just a few minutes and start posting content. However, although setting up a blog can be easy, getting readers to the site can be more challenging. There are a few ways that you can engage more with current and new readers in an attempt to build your following and create a site that makes you proud.Create Good ContentIf you have done your research on blogging, you will know how important your content is. No matter what your niche may be, you always need to provide something your readers want to know. One of the best ways to do this is to try and find a different spin on an existing topic. Find a popular or trending topic that fits in with your niche and look at it from a new perspective. People are always interested in differing opinion, even if it's controversial, so thinking of a different angle can get you noticed.Be Visually AppealingYour blog is the face of you and what you want to say, so make sure it appeals to your readers. Many visitors like to have pictures or video to look at as this is more visually stimulating. However, there are also other ways to get your readers attention. Try adding documents or slides to your posts to reiterate a point or show a trend. There are sites such as DocRaptor that will help you convert these documents without any complications.Be Helpful to Your ReadersAlthough your visitors will like to read what you have to say, you can make it even better by offering them a solution to a problem. There may be something within your niche that has always been difficult resolve; this gives you a great opportunity. By thinking about possible solutions, you will be giving people something they haven?t had before. Not only will this be engaging to your readers, but it will also be something they will want to share with others. You might be able to make it your angle, to try and solve those seemingly impossible problems.Monitor the TrendsWhatever your blog is about, there will always be certain topics within it that are trending, or at least getting a lot of attention. To stay relevant, you need to find out what?s happening in the realm of your blog topic and write about it. TrustMyPaper For example, if you are a writing a music blog and a new band hits the scene, then you should be writing something about it. Readers will be eager to hear what you think, and it will make your blog relevant.Social MediaSocial media is by far the best way to reach your readers, not only because there are billions of potential people out there, but also because this is where the trending stories are. It is no coincidence that the clear majority of bloggers are hugely active on their social media accounts. They are all trying to gain a greater following and a larger readership. As with your posts, anything you share to social media should have a photo as these posts are more likely to be clicked statistically. You shouldn?t just use social media for sharing your content; you also need to get involved with conversations and get yourself out there. The more people see you, the more likely they are to follow you and then see your blog posts.Offer Them SomethingThe promise of free information will often lure visitors to your site. If you can develop a short eBook or perhaps a PDF file with useful information or a ?how to? guide, then you will find people eager to read and download it. You need to make it your own and offer them something they cannot get from anywhere else. If you are looking to generate income from your site, then offer the first part for free and then make any subsequent parts available for a fee. If the content is good enough, then it will encourage people to pay for it.Monitor Your TrafficSometimes gaining visitors to your site is a matter of trial and error. You can write something that is amazing, but it will only get a few readers, while something simple gets thousands. To find out what makes your readers happy, you need to analyze your visitors after each post to see how they react to it. You can then start to develop a strategy that you can incorporate into all your posts. Another reason for monitoring your site traffic is so that you can find the perfect time of day to post your content. Depending on where your visitors are located, they will be reading your latest post during their lunch break or when they are at home. By keeping your posting times the same, readers will anticipate it.Keep Your Layout SimpleHave you ever been on a website that is so cluttered by options that you don?t know where to start? For many readers, seeing a site like this will be enough to put them off wanting to explore. You must keep the design of your site simple yet enticing, use images and buttons but keep the writing to a minimum. Most bloggers like to have their posts on the front page because its easier for the visitors to see it. While this is a good idea, it isn?t essential, if there is something else you want on your front page then do it. You must remember though, that you should make your blog easy to find from any page.Whatever the reason you write your blog, make sure that you are interested in the subject matter. There is nothing worse than writing on a topic that you don?t like, it will make you demoralized, and this will show in your content. There are plenty of potential readers out there for everyone, so don?t delay.
Appeal To Your Audience: 3 Ways To Use Apps For Marketing

Appeal To Your Audience: 3 Ways To Use Apps For Marketing

by | Mar 19, 2018 | Marketing

Apps are more than just a toy. Companies are finding a growing use for them in the business world with apps designed to help with everything from project management to accounting. Apps can also be particularly effective when it comes to marketing. Here are just three ways to use apps in marketing.Display ads on appsIn-app advertising is the fastest growing form of mobile advertising. Many apps display a picture and video ads within them ? by getting your ads displayed in apps that your target audience uses you could help to attract more customers. Smartphone screens are smaller than PC screens and so ads need to be smaller and simpler to stand out, which could require hiring a specific in-app advert designer. Videos are likely to be more expensive to produce than picture ads but could help to make more of an impact. Companies like MoPub can help you to target specific apps using real-time bidding. This can often be more effective than standard pay-per-click advertising in which impressions can be a lot more random.Download apps to help with your marketingThere are a number of apps that can help you with your marketing. Social media sites such as Facebook, Linked In and Twitter all come with their own apps, which could come in use for social media marketing. You can also make use of apps such as Buffer which can allow you to schedule posts for specific times on multiple social media sites. Meanwhile, there are apps like MailChimp that can allow you to manage mass emailing from your phone. You can even download apps for WordPress, which could allow you to write blog posts and edit your company website using your mobile device. All of these apps can allow you to handle digital marketing on the go. This could be great for business owners that are rarely in the office, but still, need to keep on top of marketing.Create your own app for marketing purposesYou can also create your own app as a form of marketing. If you own a store and want to encourage return customers, you could create a digital loyalty card app that gives people point and rewards every time they buy something at your store. If you?re a takeaway restaurant, you could create a menu app that people can order directly from. You could even offer discounts to app users as an incentive. There are several ways to go about creating your own app. If you?ve got programming knowledge you may be able to make your own from scratch. Alternatively, you could seek out an app development company to build an app for you. There are also app builders out there such as Appy Pie, which can allow you to build your own app with little or no coding knowledge for free. This option is ideal for those only wanting a simple app, whilst the former options may be better suited for those wanting to create something a little more complex.
Key Trends In User Identification Technology

Key Trends In User Identification Technology

by | Mar 19, 2018 | Guest Post

As the internet becomes more and more an integrated part our day to day lives, becoming as commonplace to us as the radio, electricity or zinc, the dangers of it are becoming more apparent. Not just the danger of wasting valuable time watching kittens when you?re supposed to be working, but serious dangers such as cyber-attacks, loss of data, or even the theft of one?s identity.It used to be you could impersonate anyone you wished on the internet, but developments over the past decade have helped ensure that our identities are more protected than ever.So listed below are some of the key trends we?ve spotted over the past couple of years within the realm of user identification technology, and how they can help protect you and your identity whenever you?re using the internet.Two Factor VerificationUsually, when you sign up to a website or something similar, there?s just one line of user verification. Most usually, this is the password. The problem is that even 12-character alphanumeric passwords with one lower case, one upper case, and one special character are actually very easy to bypass. And as most of us ? perhaps unwisely ? link most of our accounts to a single email address, if you find one breach the whole system is at risk.As such, many sites are now employing two-factor verifications when signing up for an account, making important transactions, or when adjusting your account?s details. For example, as well as having a password, the website may also require a verification code sent to an email address or a mobile phone before any further action is taken.This provides an extra layer of security so that even if someone has managed to guess your password they still can?t make any major adjustments to your accounts or your data without getting past that second layer. This at least delays them, and for casual attacks, that?s often deterrence enough, and can also alert you personally when they occur.Use of Mobile PhonesWe already mentioned that the two-factor system may ask you to link your account to a mobile phone so that verification codes can be sent if someone tries to access or adjust your account. In general, the growing universality of mobile phones has meant that many websites and companies are making use of them to protect their users and their identities.Popular games developer Blizzard, for example, offers the option of a mobile phone verification app when users sign up to their online gaming platform, Battlenet. Whenever the user?s account is activated by a new device, a verification code is needed before access can be granted. Likewise, if anyone attempts to change the account?s password, or make any online purchases.As it?s highly unlikely that the user?s mobile phone will be in the possession of the attacker, it provides a layer of security very hard to overcome.Some companies, such as Cognito, have started offering similar services for a number of websites. Using their app, you can connect accounts to your mobile phone, thus ensuring they can?t be accessed without a special ID code.BiometricsBiometrics are nothing new ? customs and immigration officers have been using biometric data to verify passport holders for quite a long time now. However, we?re starting to see biometrics see more use in our daily lives as well.Most mobile phones now have the option to be secured using biometric data, typically a fingerprint or facial recognition. The phone then cannot be unlocked without that input, at least in theory. Many phones also maintain a typical pin code or pattern security system, as biometrics are notoriously finicky and do not always work as intended.While not foolproof by any stretch, they provide a very convenient and quick means of providing user identification for our mobile devices.New Methods of Data StorageRecent events in which personal data has been acquired and illicitly disseminated across the internet due to the actions of hackers have also caused a rethink on how data storage is managed. If a hacker can access important personal information, such as your date of birth, address, or mother?s maiden name, they can use this to bluff their way into your accounts and cause all kinds of damage.One solution is to ensure that no one organization has access to all your information, a process called blockchain. Instead, data is added sequentially in blocks using a ?hash? of data from the preceding block.? Already used for bitcoin transactions, it?s a highly effective and secure method of protecting personal data.