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TOP WEB DEVELOPMENT TRENDS COMING IN 2020

The web development field sees new trends and ideas every year. And those who are about to build a website or web app should be aware of them. After all, following development trends brings better user experience, and improves your website’s performance and ranking.

It also helps you cope with the tight competition in the field.

So here are 8 promising web development trends we’re going to see in 2020. Let’s check them out.

1. Inclusive Websites

Inclusive websites aren’t a new trend in web development, but they’re not going to be less relevant in 2020. Building inclusive sites means building websites that are available and easy to navigate for all users, including those who are differently-abled.

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Here are the basic steps for building inclusive websites:

  • Keep the layout simple and clear, don’t overcrowd the screen.
  • Add large buttons.
  • Enable font size customization.
  • Check if keyboard navigation works.
  • Add video subtitles and transcripts for audio.

If you’re following these steps, you’re making the site more usable in general. For everyone. In turn, you will get more page visits, increase the time users spend on the page, and make it easier for them to buy an item from your e-store.

2. PWAs

The popularity of PWAs (progressive web apps) pushes web devs to make browsing on a website closer to searching in native apps. And this makes the whole process more user-friendly.

What a progressive web app? Simply put, it’s a website that offers functionality close to a native app so that users can get push notifications, use the app when offline, get access to hardware features, and more.

The Global Digital Future report shows that mobile devices are more popular than desktops and tablets. Users spend much more time using mobile apps than using mobile browsers on their smartphones. Users spend 80% of their overall time online using native apps.

But those who choose progressive web app development have a big chance of changing that. By eliminating poor user experience and slow website performance, as well as other common issues, and providing offline access, they can make websites great again.

3. AMPs (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

Google has made giant steps towards providing an excellent browsing experience for mobile users. That’s why they presented AMP in 2015. Today, this is still a trend.

AMPs encourage the creation of sites that load in seconds and work as required on different platforms. Accelerated sites need about two seconds to load, compared with the 22 seconds that regular websites need.

Plus, Google likes fast sites, and the use of AMPs increases a website’s visibility and helps it reach a higher position in search results.

4. Voice Search

Voice search wasn’t so noticeable before, as results were mixed (and often awful). Plus, the products with high-quality voice input were anything but cheap. But now, optimized voice search is going to be first in line for 2020.

Back in 2017, Gartner predicted that 30% of all searches will be made by voice before 2020. And this looks to be more or less true now. Today, you call Uber by voice, activate Apple’s AirPods, and check up Google Home and Amazon’s Echo, or interact with virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa.

And that’s another trend coming from the mobile experience. Introducing text on small mobile keyboards is quite complicated and leads to lots of spelling mistakes. Now, voice search and commands rule over websites too.

5. API-First Development

Today, we have a large number of mobiles, wearables, and other devices that integrate. New products should be ready for connecting with other apps, and APIs are great helpers.

We often see the following: a company focuses on building a web or mobile solution but doesn’t pay much attention to API development. At best, it’s just a side project, not properly designed and tested.

Another reason: API development takes too much time (and thus money).

Here’s the traditional API development cycle:

  1. The R&D team creates a design.
  2. Back-end devs work on a prototype.
  3. QA and front-end devs get access to the prototype (as soon as it’s ready).
  4. In case of any bug or any improvement, repeat the cycle.

API-first development helps to get rid of this circle. Its development happens simultaneously: one part of the team doesn’t need to wait until the other finishes its work. The process is faster since API is a mock and the whole team gets to work on it.

6. Smart Chatbots

We’ve talked about voice search, and here comes another AI use case – chatbots, which are getting smarter fast.

As it turns out, a simple base with a huge array of data isn’t enough. Chatbots don’t work when dealing with FAQs, because FAQs themselves don’t work. They don’t help customers as FAQs contain obvious answers, but people come to support when they’re dealing with complex questions.

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The chatbots of 2020 study customer behavior and understand how to tackle different situations. Many websites already have smart chatbots. Bots are ready for any questions, and they can even pick up the required products and place orders.

7. Dark Mode

Why is everyone crazy about the dark versions? It’s simple – the mode makes your content easier to read. Especially if you’re dealing with blog posts or articles. Making the website as readable as possible is great for stimulating user experience. If a blog has the ‘Dark Mode’ option, there will be less chance of eye strain. That’s why you see ‘Switch to Dark Mode’ buttons more and more often.

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But it should be an actual switch – give visitors a chance to use the ‘light’ or ‘dark’ theme, whichever they like. You should treat the mode as a good-to-have secondary option when it’s appropriate for the context and use – like Hulu does.

Conclusion:

Web development trends aren’t that different from those of previous years. But if you’re planning to update your website and make it ready for 2020, it’s surely a good idea to take a glance through the modern trends and find out which might come in handy with your web product.

mvc
MVC – Why it is better?

MVC is an acronym for Model, View, and Controller. It’s a product development architecture. The traditional approach of programming works on Input -> Process -> Output approach while MVC works on Controller → Model -> View.

During, the traditional approach of programming, the UI coding, business logic, and application data domain was written into a single file which creates a lack of maintainability, testability as well as scalability of the application.

With the emerge of MVC approach, it helps you create applications that separate the different aspects of the application (input logic, business logic, and UI logic), while providing a loose coupling between these elements. The pattern specifies where each kind of logic should be located in the application. The UI logic belongs in the view. Input logic belongs in the controller. Business logic belongs in the model. This separation helps you manage complexity when you build an application because it enables you to focus on one aspect of the implementation at a time. For example, you can focus on the view without depending on the business logic.

The MVC model or “pattern” is commonly used for developing modern user interfaces. It provides the fundamental pieces for designing programs for desktop or mobile, as well as web applications. It works well with object-oriented programming since the different models, views, and controllers can be treated as objects and reused within an application.

Below is a description of each aspect of MVC:

1. Model

A model is data used by a program. This may be a database, file, or a simple object, such as an icon or a character in a video game.

2. View

A view is the means of displaying objects within an application. Examples include displaying a window or buttons or text within a window. It includes anything that the user can see.

3. Controller

A controller updates both models and views. It accepts input and performs the corresponding update. For example, a controller can update a model by changing the attributes of a character in a video game. It may modify the view by displaying the updated character in the game.

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IMPORTANT BENEFITS OF MVC MODEL

1. Accelerated Development Process:

How can you increase the development speed by adopting MVC architecture? Whenever an MVC architecture is being employed in developing a web application, one developer can concentrate on the view component whereas the other can focus on controller and create business logic. Therefore, when compared to other development models, the MVC model results in higher development speeds i.e. up to three times.

2. Develop Multiple View Components for your Model:

The MVC architecture empowers you to develop different view components for your model component. As you can witness an ever-increasing demand for new ways to access your web apps, MVC architecture is your one-stop solution for developing different view components. Also, the MVC model limits code duplication and separates the business logic and the data from the display.

3. Supports Asynchronous Method Invocation (AMI):

Undoubtedly, MVC architecture works cohesively well with JavaScript Frameworks. As a result, you can run MVC apps on desktop widgets, site-specific browsers, and PDF files. The MVC architecture supports asynchronous method invocation (AMI) that bolsters developers in building quick loading web apps.

4. Modifications do not Affect the Entire Model:

Your web app’s UI gets new updates every now and then than your actual business model/rules. These include optimizing the color, layouts, font family, font size, and additional support for mobile/tablets. As already said, since the model, view and controller are independent components, making changes in the MVC architecture is very easy. Moreover, making changes in the model component will not have any adverse effects on the architecture.

5. MVC Model Returns the Data Without Formatting:

You can use and call the same components and put them into use with many interfaces. For instance, you can format data with HTML.

6. Ideal for Developing Large Size Web Application:

MVC architecture works exceptionally well when your web app demands the support of a huge developer team, and for web designers who require complete control over the app’s behavior.

Therefore, MVC architecture is a one-of-a-kind approach to building web apps. As the MVC frameworks come packed with the above-mentioned advantages, it is easy to implement in your framework. The adoption of MVC architecture results in the lesser expense of time & money, and the ability to create multiple views makes it the best architecture for web app development.

11october-1
Freelancer vs Agency: Who Should You Hire?

With every technology update and advancement, the world is coming in much closer and is bringing everybody together. For each and everything we see out there, there is a website or a mobile app related to it, be it a product or a service. The individuals or organizations working on these updates and advancements also need to be in sync with each other. In order to grow the business, they will need to put out more websites and mobile apps.

For these software developments, we need specialists to help us create the best possible product. If you need your car fixed, you go to a garage and get it fixed by the one who is an expert in cars. The same applies to the software development industry. You will have to find a professional you can trust with the design, development, and deployment of your software.

The important question is, how do you find the right fit at the right price? Would it be better to hire a freelancer to do multiple jobs or an agency with specialized skills?

Freelancers vs. Full-Service Agencies

Building a world-class website requires a team of experts with many areas of expertise. One person simply cannot do it all (or cannot excel in all areas). Why? Here is an example.

Would you hire just one person to build an entire house for you from the ground up: obtaining permits, architectural design, foundation, plumbing, electrical, roofing, painting and decorating? Can you imagine the finished home at the hand of one individual attempting to fulfill all these elements of construction? A world-class website, the kind of website that can actually achieve your business goals, is not a one-man job. It takes a small army of professionals, each with their specialty, working compatibly over an extended amount of time.

Step By Step Guide

  1. Successful business websites require business-minded project managers who can delegate projects effectively. They work with market research professionals who study the needs of your customers.
  2. Usability experts create user-centric experiences. Following this phase, art directors and designers transform these plans into effective designs.
  3. Coders and programmers convert designs into a functional website, which, in turn, is tested by quality assurance teams.
  4. Driving traffic to a website is the job of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Optimization (SMO) specialists.
  5. System administrators ensure the website is fully operational around the clock, and account executives manage client communications.
  6. Some projects may require additional services from photographers, illustrators, videographers, voice-over artists, post-production specialists, animators, data entry personnel, mobile marketers, IT strategists and security experts. The list of specialists grows depending on the complexity of the project.

If you hire a single individual to complete your entire project, it is likely they will have to outsource some of the tasks. If they focus strictly on cost-effective measures and cut corners on talent and resources, the unfavorable result will fall on your shoulders. You may find yourself managing efforts in an industry where you lack expertise.

Hiring an Agency

  1. Skills. An agency makes more effort at learning new skills. They constantly update themselves with new technologies and try to offer you the best possible tools for development.
  2. Consultation. Because you are working with a team here, you get tips and advice for almost every part of your project as the team will consist of people from different backgrounds with different expertise.
  3. Accountability. When you hire an agency, a project manager will be tasked to handle your freelancers. The project manager handles the team, tracks the hours, and provides feedback. It’s easier to go through a project manager who watches the team, than individually checking each freelancer. This gives you more time for other important things like client meetings. Also, you don’t have to worry about freelancers dropping your project. They can provide replacements if emergencies happen.
  4. More coordination. Handling one person can be extremely easy. But when there is a team that handles the whole project, you don’t need to worry about the coordination as the team will have different members assigned for different tasks and this is managed internally.
  5. Long-term work relationship. Finding the right team helps you take on more projects in the future. Since you already have a team with a set of special skills, you’ll be more confident to accept bigger projects.

Hiring a Freelancer

  1. Availability. Freelancers have flexible schedules. They are location independent and can work anywhere, as long as they have a strong internet connection. However, this can be a problem if you are in a different time zone from your freelancer. There might be times that he’s unavailable if you urgently need them.
  2. Work overload. A solo freelancer works for many clients. Sometimes, the tasks and deadlines pile up on his desk. This can affect the freelancer’s performance. The projects might be rushed and not properly done because they are too exhausted. This can bring less satisfying results.
  3. Looking for a replacement can be difficult. One of the common freelance hiring nightmares are workers who disappear or quit completely. Though a huge chunk of freelancers is reliable, emergencies happen sometimes. Certain factors and reasons can cause a freelancer to quit the project. You can hire a replacement in a breeze, but that means you need to go through step one again. Also, if the freelancer is already halfway in his work, it can be hard for the new freelancer to continue it.
  4. Managing multiple freelancers can be tough. If you need many specialists, you’ll need multiple freelancers. For example, if your project needs a writer, a coder, and a graphic designer, you need to hire three people. Handling them all at the same time can be a daunting task, especially if they live in different time zones.
  5. Less Control. When you work with an individual you will have to trust whatever information is provided to you. Sometimes the information given to you is outdated or not beneficial. But there is not much control over it.
  6. Confidentiality. Freelancers often don’t sign contracts. When there is no contract, there is also no non-disclosure agreement. Because of this, there are chances of your ideas and designs being leaked out.

Conclusion

Hiring an agency is advisable if:

  • The project is complex and requires multiple work streams and phases to manage.
  • Need multiple specialists.
  • Tight deadline.
  • You can’t manage multiple freelancers.
  • You are always busy and can’t always keep up with the team.

 

So, should you hire an individual freelancer or an agency?