Most Common Mistakes That Developers Should Avoid

 

Today, we all know the importance of a website or web app for a business. Web application development has evolved from serving static HTML pages to totally dynamic, complex business applications. There are lot of development platforms available to transform simple static HTML pages into interactive applications. Whereas, development environments catch and fix mistakes that early developers battled with usually. On the way of becoming a skilled developer, several mistakes can be made. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced web developer, you must know some common mistakes that most of the developers make. It just takes one silly mistake to collapse your code. It not only affects the functioning of code but also causes a big loss to enterprise for which a project is built. So you must be aware of the common mistakes in web development. Here we’ve curated some common mistakes, let us have a look.

Most Common Mistakes That Developers Should Avoid-

1. Depending On Website Builders Tool-

These days, most of the companies offer tools to ease the website development with simple drag and drop features. But, it causes an issue in the backend.  With each design decision there is multiple lines of code which slowers the website with time, and this causes performance issues and impact critical functionalities. If you have less time for coding, you can purchase templates at less cost, and you’ll get various responsive and cross-browser compatible templates that are ready to serve your purpose. You just need to include content prior to launching the website. Rather than using website builder tools, it is good to use platforms that offers content management services such as WordPress or Joomla. Aside from seamless hosting of a website, it will serve you various themes that match the purpose of your website.

2. Use Of Outdated HTML-

Developers who started coding in the starting days of HTML may have the habit of using lots or spans and ‘&nbps’s that increases code lines and also causes layout issues in updated browsers like Microsoft Edge. So upgrade your knowledge about the latest technologies and use the latest markup elements like font or center that will ease your job and cleans the code that compiles to the latest industry standards. So concentrate on using HTML to describe your content and use the latest features of CSS3 to design content’s layout.

Also know the best web development trends and technologies for 2020 at- Best web development trends and technologies for 2020

3. Incomplete Input Validation-

It is important to validate user input on the client and server side. We all know the sage advice “do not trust user input” but nevertheless, mistakes coming from validation happen all too often. Common impact of this mistake is SQL Injection that is in OWASP Top 10 years after year. Keep in mind that most of the front-end development frameworks provide out-of-the-box validation rules which are easy to use. Also, major back-end platforms uses simple annotations to ensure that submitted data are adhering to expected rules. Implementing validation might be time consuming but it should be a part of your coding practice.

4. Ignoring Cross-Browser Compatibility-

Those days were gone, when only the internet browser was used to browse the websites. These days, there are lots of browsers available- Firefox, Chrome, Safari are just some of them. These browsers prefer to access sites. So, as a developer, it’s your responsibility to ensure that website looks perfect for all desktop/mobile browsers. In any case, your website don’t work appropriately in your user’s browser, they may lose interest in your website. To avoid all this, make use of cross browser compatibility tools. Also check whether there are any functional issues in any of the browsers and debug those issues in real-time.

5. Bloated Responses-

There is a high chance that your web page can be full of high-quality images that has heavy file size. The Javascript and CSS files are quite huge so the source code can be long and complex too. To avoid this, use minimalistic programming techniques, libraries to simplify the program. Careful refactoring is a way to modify the source code of program while keeping the functionality as it is. Always use compressed images with the help of online tools.

Also know- 7 Best Advanced CSS Tricks That Saves Your Time.

6. Not Ready To Scale Software Product-

In this modern world of rapid development, startup accelerators, and instant global reach of great ideas  is a common goal for most of the organizations. Due to this pressure, sometimes good web development teams often ignores certain issues. Generally, most of the time, scaling is taken for granted. MVP concept is great but keep it too far, and you’ll have big problems. Sadly, Choosing a scalable database and web server and isolating all application layers on scalable servers isn’t sufficient.

There are numerous details you have to consider if you want to avoid rewriting important parts of your application later that turns into a significant  issue. Consider that you choose to store uploaded profile pics of users directly on the web server. This is a good solution- files are quickly accessible to the application, file handling methods are available in each development platform and you can use serve these images as a static content, that implies less load on application.

When your application grows, you need to use more than one web servers behind a load balancer. Despite the fact that you pleasantly scaled your database storage, session state servers, and web servers, your application scalability falls due to profile pictures. So you want to implement file synchronization service to ensure that files are spread across web servers. Basically, to avoid the problem, you just need to use a shared file storage location, database or other remote storage solution. 

7. Using Non-Responsive Design-

These days, ignoring responsive web design will result in a large website displayed in a small screen with small buttons that makes it difficult to click and read content which will lead to a bad user experience. Ensure that you target some devices and resolutions before you start development and writing media queries so that website is displayed appropriately on all devices. Aside from testing in emulators, test your website in real devices too to get the feeling of how an end user experience your website when using a real device.

8. Not Paying Attention To SEO-

Generally, developers depend on marketers or content creators for SEO of website. But for the successful SEO, it must be done through out the development. As a developer, you must ensure that all pages contain appropriate alt tags, keywords, site-maps etc.

9. Processor Or Time Consuming Actions In Request Handlers-

Sending emails based on user action from the user request handler can be a mistake. Minimum request can be carried out easily but what, when you scale your system and get a large number of requests sending sending confirmation emails. You may face challenges like connection timeout or your application response time reduces to the great extent. To avoid this, you must have an external mailing service to send emails or notification.

10. RESTful Anti Patterns-

Almost every web application has implemented some kind of REST services for external use or integrating with external systems. We see broken RESTFUL patterns and services that don’t adhere to expected practices. Two common mistakes made when writing a RESTful APR are-

• Use of wrong HTTP verbs- For instance, using GET for writing data. HTTP GET is designed to be idempotent and safe, means no matter how many times you call GET on the same resource, the response should be same. 
• Not sending correct HTTP status codes- For example, sending error message with response code 200.

 HTTP 200 OK
 {
     message:'there was an error'
 }

You just send HTTP 200 OK when the request has not generated an error. In case of the error, you send 400, 401, 500 or other status code which is appropriate for errors that occurred. 

11. Horizontal Scrolling-

Websites with horizontal scrolling are defying the norms of a standard website and users can miss some important information on your website if you have a horizontal scroll bar. These days, vertical scrolls are used on websites to add all the information on your site. Scrolling a website vertically as well as horizontally at the same time will be inconvenient for your visitors, To avoid this, use only vertical scroll on your website. This is simple to implement and also commonly used. And also users are comfortable to use vertical scroll rather than horizontal scrolling.

Wrap Up-

You must always be careful about the authorization and authentication, scalability plan etc. These are some of the common mistakes that web developers should avoid. If you’re facing difficulty in web development, consult with solace experts. Or if you are thinking of building an effective web solution for your business, connect with Solace and get a free quote for web development. You can also hire skilled PHP developers for your next project on a flexible basis. We will be happy to help you through web development that help you to grow your business.

Remote Teams are The Future of Work- Why?

The world is changing at a rapid pace. Gone are where you could work 25 to 30 years at an organization, and then get a house and a brilliant handshake into retirement. The modern transformation of the mid-1800s brought more people out of the country and into factories and workshops, attracted by a better salary. And while offices were increasing in number in those days, it wasn’t until the twentieth century that office culture turned into a mainstream phenomenon. Now with the arrival of the internet and, more recently, blockchain we are seeing another move in the manner individuals work.

When employees carry out their duties away from the workplace, that is remote working – also called working from home and telecommuting. And in 21 st century, remote working is on the rise. Remote working has indicated healthy growth with an 80% increase in telecommuting employees from 2005 to 2012. And there is no sign of dropping these numbers. Here you will get to know the reasons behind this growth of remote teams in the future.

Remote Teams are The Future of Work- Why?

1. Remote employees are more productive–

You have heard it many times- How can someone be more productive while working from home? There are unlimited interruptions and no supervision to keep them on track. These are genuine concerns, however something they will manage on a personal level. It won’t affect your business. Remote workers value the flexibility and convenience that originates from remote jobs. They are ready to go the extra mile to make it work. It implies they are ready to invest additional effort at night time, weekends, even holidays to make up for the wasted time. The weekly or monthly average working hours of most employees have been quite consistent. Most of the employees work around 40 hours a week even during holidays or when they call in sick during weekdays. According to the survey it has been analyzed that, 23% of employees said that they are willing to work for longer hours to get more done, 52% said that they are less likely to take time off and 30% reported accomplishing more in less time. Overall, 77% confirmed improved productivity while working from home.

Not having somebody to look out for isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, numerous people perform worse when working under a consistent watch. The comfort of the home allows them to work without pressure. Similarly, the interruptions are not always bad for productivity. At times, concentrating excessively hard on an issue can trigger mental blocks and make them difficult to solve. Some of our best thoughts come when we are away from work. representatives feel they are progressively profitable in a remote workplace other than the efficiency, work fulfillment and turnover improved also. Employees feel they are more productive in a remote workplace. Other than the productivity, work satisfaction and turnover improved also.

You can know- Top 5 tips to improve productivity while working from home.

2. Remote work option is the best way to attract and retain top talent-

The annual study confirms that 50% of the millennial workers are now freelancing in one way or another. And it is not just about millennials. People of all age groups love freedom and flexibility that comes with remote jobs. In fact they are willing to work at lower salaries or fewer perks with work from home. The affection for the remote jobs was obvious according to the survey. Nearly 42% of working adults said that they are ready to give up some salary if they are allowed to work from home. 62% of employees considered flexibility to be the most important factor when they are looking for a job. Work-life balance and flexible work schedules are the biggest demands of recent graduates. It’s not only because of the flexibility. Remote work suits them in many ways. Also, they can save money and time from not having to travel every day. Then there are other expenses like professional attire or eating out. Also, they are ready to stay with an employer who permits remote work. Hence, remote work will help you with employee retention also. Even when they need to stop working altogether.

Consider an example, a woman who wants to stay at home and take care of her children. Research has indicated that WFH alternative and flexible working hours can make these women reconsider their decision. A study  found that more than half of women needed to quit or reduce their working hours subsequent to having a child. However, work at home mothers were only half as likely to do that. Also employee turnover or job attrition was reduced by half when they were offered remote work options. A team of researchers analyzed working from home effects on performance and found that offering employees to work from home can be as good as cash bonuses when it comes to motivating and retaining employees.

3. Remote employees help you save cost-

Read more at- https://solaceinfotech.com/blog/remote-teams-are-the-future-of-work-why/

Best web development trends and technologies for 2020

All of us continuously search for creative approaches to adapt in this continuously changing world. As latest trends develop, new open doors will open. Staying over the top of latest web application development technologies could help developers and organizations the alike. Each new year comes with modern innovations, new ideas, and new web development initiatives that is deserved; from current developments in artificial intelligence to machine learning, Blockchain and cryptocurrency impacting the worldwide economy. In terms of software technology, everything is unpredictable and variable.

From time to time, progress shock and change our world. The digital development keeps on defining trends and introduce us with new innovations. All of us are always excited for the most recent and popular  languages​​/frameworks, just as the latest updates on website design and software applications.

Also know- How you can Boost Your Web Application Performance?

Web development trends and technologies for 2020-

1. Personalized UX Design-

User Experience (UX) design is a popular part of web development and online content as a whole. Websites without curated UX will have a hard time reaching new audiences in 2020 and beyond because of a shift in users’ desires. Simple basic elements, for example, route bar placement, native advertising presence and an absence of diverting popups can do wonders for your traffic and conversion rates. So as to customize your web development’s UX as per your product or service portfolio, you should lead demographic research beforehand. Make customer profiles so as to monitor who your audience is before making big improvements to your UX or UI. When you are sure of the type of user who commonly visits your website, customizing its UX will be an untimely idea.

2. AI Content Curation-

The merit of a site is estimated by the content it can give to its users. Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms will manage the curation process from editors so as to better match content with the end client. The production process won’t change regarding research, writing, and optimization, users will have an easier time finding relevant content than before. AI content curation will viably remove undesirable, uninteresting or unappealing content from an individual user’s browsing experience while they are available on your site. For instance, an SEO expert won’t really be keen on printed advertisement blog posts, viably triggering the AI to place SEO-related content to the cutting edge. It is necessary for web developers to allow users to opt out of AI curation should they need an additional hands-on way to filtering their own content similar to the case in today’s internet browsing.

3. Voice-Enabled Navigation-

Regarding high search engine result page (SERP) ranking, web developers should focus on high accessibility. As more people like your content, the more your chances will be at positioning high in search engines, for example, Google, Yahoo, and Bing. In that regard, voice-enabled navigation takes priority since it offers an accessible, leisurely and user friendly option for individuals of various abilities. It has become common to make web content accessible to more people, regardless of whether through content localization or voice-enabled browsing technologies. A few people may be not able to use traditional mouse-and-keyboard setups because of various medical reasons. Others might need to browse your website while walking down the road and lack time to stop and type, swipe and click. Voice navigation can furnish your users with a plenty of personal satisfaction upgrades and should discover its way into your web development plan before 2020 moves around.

4. Full GDPR Compliance-

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been in effect for previous years and has made a serious effect on web developers over the globe. As the European internet policy is currently a standard for all online services which work on the continent in any capacity, it has become more than initial addition. This implies you should enable GDPR regulations on your next web development projects, regardless of whether they are service based, centered on eCommerce or web application production.

Websites and services with GDPR present are already accepted better than those without these guidelines enabled – and for valid reasons. The oversight of GDPR implies that a business is either reluctant to comply with the guidelines or doesn’t follow web development trends – both of which are warnings according to web users. With internet data privacy in such short supply nowadays, allowing users to control the manner in which you handle their personal data is a requirement in 2020 and further on.

5. AR-Enabled Features-

Augmented Reality (AR) technologies have seen a spike in application development integration in the previous few years. Pokemon GO is just the most prevailing example of AR which overwhelmed the world and presented the potential of this innovation when it is implemented effectively. AR is gradually finding its way into web development and it will allow designers and developers greater flexibility and creativity subsequently. You can interface your business’ or client’s smartphone applications or messaging platforms to the main site in fascinating ways through AR. It’s additionally conceivable to place real-world and exploratory elements into your web development project through external platforms, for example, Google Maps. While not industry standard, AR will allow websites to stick out from the challenge with consistent, barrier-breaking features which will fill the gap between virtual and reality in 2020.

6. Thriving Push notifications-

Similarly, as in mobile applications, a web application with push messages can bring you to a large number of viewers. Also, you can exploit it in the online marketing business. Push notifications are demonstrating to be one of the most compelling services so as to attract the attention of customers and visitors. You should avoid using excessively. They allow you to inform clients about attractive discounts, their helpful activities and so on.

7. The Promising concept of RAIL-

The most recent design concept Response Animation Idle Load (RAIL) should be in demand in future. This concept is linked to a faster loading time (less than one second) and the exceptional performance of web applications. The main advantage of this concept is it gives an advantageous and charming user experience. RAIL separates the user experience into activities of tapping, dragging, scrolling, and so on., and sets performance objectives with a valuable structure for better execution.

Wrapping up-

From all this you have got an idea of recent technologies in web apps development. Many software companies are using these technologies to stand out in the industry. These trends and technologies will definitely make your web app more innovative to stay ahead in the competition. Are you looking to incorporate these trends in your web apps, connect with solace experts. Team is well experienced in new trends and technologies to give you the best web solution. Develop your modern web app with solace. We will be happy to help you.