Author: appadmin

When you are starting a new business or website, one of the first things you need to do is choose a domain name. This can be tricky since there are so many factors to consider. Especially if you are just starting out, it can be hard to find the right balance between a name that is memorable, relevant to your business, and available.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the things you need to think about when choosing a website name. We will also give you some tips on how to find the perfect name for your site!

What Kind of Domain Name Should You Choose?

There are three main types of domain names:

• Generic domains are made up of keywords that describe your business. For example, if you are a florist who delivers flowers around your city or country, you might choose the domain name “flowerdelivery.com”.
• Brandable domains are unique and can be easily remembered. They are often created from made-up words or phrases. For example, the domain name “Pinterest.com” is brandable.
• Descriptive domains are similar to generic domains, but they are more specific. For example, if you are a florist in New York City, you might choose the domain name “newyorkcityflowers.com”.

There are pros and cons to each type of domain name. Generic domains are often cheaper and easier to find, but they can be hard to rank in search engines. Brandable domains can be expensive and difficult to find, but they are easy to remember and usually rank well in search engines. Descriptive domains are somewhere in the middle – they can be expensive, but they are often easier to find and rank than brandable domains.

Choosing the Right Domain Name Extension

When you’re choosing a domain name for your website, one of the decisions you’ll need to make is which domain name extension to use. There are many different options available, and the right extension will depend on a number of factors.

The most popular domain name extension is .com, but there are also many other options available, such as .net, .org, .info, and .biz. If you’re targeting a specific country or region, you can also choose a country-specific domain name extension, such as .uk for the United Kingdom or .ca for Canada. However, for SEO purposes, ccTLDs will not help you rank any higher in that country’s search engines.

You should also consider the purpose of your website. If you’re running an e-commerce site, you may want to use a .shop extension, whereas a blog or informational site might be better suited to a .info extension. Similarly, a nonprofit organization may be better suited with a .org domain extension.

These days, other kinds of extensions like .io, .co, and .ai are becoming popular as well. If you’re having trouble finding an available .com domain name, you may want to consider one of these alternatives, especially if your company is a tech startup or a new and innovative business.

Do I Need a .com Domain?

When it comes to choosing a domain name for your website, there are a lot of options to choose from. One common question is whether you need a .com domain. While there are other options available, .com domains are still the most popular choice for businesses and individuals.

There are a few reasons for this. First, .com domains are more memorable than other options. They’re also easier to type, which can be important when people are trying to find your site. Additionally, .com domains tend to be associated with credibility and professionalism.

For these reasons, many businesses and individuals still choose to use a .com domain. However, despite the myth that .com extensions are best for SEO, there is no evidence to suggest that they help you rank any higher in search engines. So, if you’re having trouble finding an available .com domain name, don’t worry – there are plenty of other options available and your site can still rank well.

Of course, ultimately the decision is up to you and depends on your specific needs and goals. But if you’re looking for a widely recognized and trusted domain name, a .com domain is a good option to consider.

Tips for Choosing a Domain Name

Whether you’re just starting a website or you’ve been running one for years, it’s always a good idea to revisit your domain name and make sure it’s still the best option for you. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when choosing or changing your domain name:

1. Keep it short and easy to remember

While it may be tempting to choose a creative or clever name for your domain, it is often better to keep it short and simple. A shorter name is easier for customers to type into their browser, and it is less likely to be forgotten. In addition, a concise domain name is less likely to be confused with other similar names.

2. Use keywords

If you want people (and potentially search engines) to be able to find your site easily, make sure to include some relevant keywords in your domain name. This will help people find your site when they’re searching for related terms online.

However, don’t stuff your domain name with too many keywords, as this can come across as spammy and illegitimate. If possible, try to incorporate one relevant keyword into your domain name without making it too long or difficult to pronounce.

3. Avoid using hyphens

While hyphens can be helpful in differentiating between similar names, they can also make your domain name more difficult to remember. Additionally, some people may forget to include the hyphen when typing your domain into their browser, which could lead them to a different site entirely.

Worst of all, hyphens are sometimes a sign of spam domains, which could make your webpage seem untrustworthy.

4. Avoid using numbers

Similar to hyphens, numbers can make your domain name more difficult to remember and pronounce. Additionally, people may mistakenly type in the wrong number (such as a zero instead of an O) when trying to visit your site.

Especially since most web traffic comes from mobile devices these days, typing numbers into a mobile keyboard can be a bit annoying. For these reasons, it’s usually best to avoid using numbers in your domain name.

5. Leave room for expansion

In some cases, choosing something specific is an excellent idea. However, if you’re ever planning on expanding your website or business, it’s a good idea to choose a domain name that isn’t too specific.

For example, if you’re starting a blog about fashion for women over 50, you may want to avoid using something like “50plusfashionblog.com.” Not only is this name quite long, but it would limit your expansion options if you ever decided to write about fashion for a different age group or add additional topics to your blog.

A better option, in this case, might be “agelessfashion.com” or simply “fashionblog.com.” These names are shorter and more general, which gives you more flexibility down the road.

How to Research Your Domain Name

Choosing the right domain name is one of the most important steps in setting up a new website. Not only does it need to be catchy and relevant to your brand, but it also needs to be available. And while there are many ways to find available domain names, one of the most important is to check for trademarks. After all, you don’t want to choose a name that someone else has already claimed.

Fortunately, researching trademarks is relatively easy. The first step is to visit the website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Once you get there, you can use the search tool to see if anyone has already registered a similar name. Just enter your proposed domain name and hit search.

If there are any results, take a close look to see if there are any potential conflicts, such as brandable names that are too similar or names in the same industry. If you’re not sure whether there’s a conflict, you can always reach out to a trademark attorney for help.

What to Do If You Can’t Think of a Domain Name

If you’ve been brainstorming for hours and still can’t come up with an available domain name that you love, don’t worry. Here are three things that you can do:

1. Use a domain name generator

There are many different domain name generators available online, such as Shopify’s Free Domain Name Generator and GoDaddy’s name generator tool. Simply enter a few relevant keywords and let the generator do its job.

You’ll likely get a long list of potential names to choose from, some of which may be available. From there, it’s just a matter of finding the perfect one for your brand.

Domain name generators can be a great way to jumpstart your brainstorming process and help you come up with ideas that you may not have thought of on your own.

If you decide to use a domain name generator, it is best to make a list of your favorite names and then say them aloud to see how they sound. After all, the goal is to find a name that is both catchy and easy to remember.

2. Add prefixes and suffixes to keywords

Consider adding prefixes and suffixes, such as “my” or “the,” to relevant keywords. For example, if you’re starting a blog about fitness, you could use the keyword “exercise” and add the prefix “my.” This would give you the domain name “myexerciseblog.com.”

You can also add suffixes, such as “.ly” or “.co,” to create a more unique domain name. For example, a new content marketing agency could use the suffix “.ly” and get the domain name “contentmark.ly.”

Remember, the goal is to be creative and think outside the box. So, don’t be afraid to experiment with different prefixes and suffixes until you find a name that you’re happy with.

3. Use a made-up word

If you’re having trouble finding an available domain name that is relevant to your brand, consider making up a word. This can be a great way to create a unique and memorable name for your website.

For example, the popular social media platform Pinterest was originally going to be called “Tote.” But the founder decided to change it to a made-up word when he realized that few women were shopping on the site.

Keep in mind that you will need to brand your business very effectively if you choose this route. After all, people will need to know what your website is about before they can understand what your made-up word means.

4. Use initials

If you can’t find an available domain name that is relevant to your brand, another option is to use your initials. For example, if your name is John Smith and you’re starting a blog about personal finance, you could use the domain name “jsfinance.com.”

5. Explore different languages

Sometimes, the best sounding words are in other languages. If you’re having trouble finding an available domain name in English, try looking in other languages.

For example, the popular high-fashion brand Vetements is French for “clothes.” And the popular skincare brand Sephora is a combination of the Greek word for beauty (sephos) and the Hebrew word for bird (tzippor).

Keep in mind that you will need to make sure that your target audience can pronounce and spell your domain name if you choose this route. You also need to make sure that it is an appropriate word to use when translated.

I’ve Bought My Domain. What’s Next?

Once you set up your domain, it’s time to think about website design and development. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered. At AppKong, we specialize in creating beautiful and user-friendly websites that are designed to help you grow your business.

If you’re interested in learning more about our services, feel free to contact us today!

SDLC stands for system development life cycle and is the acronym used to describe the construction and integration of information systems that store, process, and output data. This niche of work rests between information technology (IT) and engineering. It utilizes tangible hardware and intangible software elements to create the best systems possible for personal and professional uses.

The term originated in the 60s with the flower child generation. Originally, it was created with very large businesses in mind, such as large universities and famous companies like Microsoft. However, as the technology was improved and spread, it became more accessible to smaller businesses and start-ups.

SDLC requires several general stages of development in order to create a system for an individual or entity. Is it worth it for you to engage in this process?

Is SDLC for You?

SDLCs can be molded to work for the capacity and budget of entities that are of any size. A good rule of thumb is this—if a core part of your company revolves around software development, then you need SDLC. So, farmers, for example, may not want to waste their time and resources on this process. Neither would small coffee shops or boutique retailers.

However, accounting firms and technology companies likely would gain value from learning about and going through the SDLC process for their own system. Or, making sure that they are outsourcing their IT work to a company that knows about and prioritizes this system.

Main Phases of SDLC

SDLC work is typically outsourced to third parties when it is not the core service of an entity. The person performing the task usually has the title of “Software Tester” or “Quality Assurance Analyst,” and is hired by a person with money and idea, but limited tech experience.

There are seven generally accepted phases of SDLC:

• (1) Planning;
• (2) Analyzing feasibility;
• (3) Designing;
• (4) Coding;
• (5) Testing;
• (6) Implementing; and
• (7) Maintaining.

The following section will walk through what each of them entails. Pay special attention to phases 1 and 5, as this is where your participation will be most required. Clients can also take on more responsibility in stages 6 and 7, although this is completely optional.

Phase 1: Planning

When a person has an idea that requires a software system, they can reach out to developers such as AppKong to have the system made for them. Then, together, they will embark on planning. During this stage, the client will explain to the developers what their end goal looks like and what their expectations are.

The third party can also help their client develop reasonable expectations by taking advantage of the opportunity to present novel ideas and possible complications. Here, a potential budget and timeline can be discussed. However, these factors will not be confirmed until Phase 3 once the details are better carved out. By the end of this phase, both parties should have a good idea of what will be produced and when.

Phase 2: Feasibility Analysis 

Once the project’s planning is taken care of, it is time for the person or entity in charge of the SDLC to walk through feasibility analysis. This essentially means that they will check what is possible and the extent in a large cost-benefit analysis. Some of the factors that should be considered in this stage include:

• The legality of the project;
• The project’s cost compared to its potential ability to save/earn;
• Is the client asking for something that can actually be designed; and
• The realistic timeline for completing the project.

If an issue is uncovered pertaining to one of these prongs, it does not mean certain death for the project. It just means that someone—typically the developer—must go back to the drawing board and find a way to tweak the plan in order to solve the problem. For example, if the existing plan is too expensive, the developer will need to find a corner where costs can be shaved.

Phase 3: Design

Once a feasible plan has been created, it is time to get to work on turning the magnificent idea into reality. This begins in the design phase. Here is where specialists will sit down and write out everything that is going to go into creating the system. For example, the required tools will be ascertained, as well as the steps that need to be performed to make the actual build.

Think about this stage like it is the planning stage of an essay. It is an outline of everything that has to be done with important steps to follow and tidbits of information to include. However, it is not the actual writing process. That is what comes next.

In addition to collecting and recording information in an organized manner, this is also a stage where the creation of flow charts will be very helpful. By the time this step is complete, the developer should have a master flowchart of everything that the system is going to be able to do and how it will do it all in the proper order.

Phase 4: Coding 

Once designing the system, the hardest part, of the cycle is finished, it is finally time to actually construct the system into something tactile. Here, the developers will turn the design that they came up with into coding. The coding will then act as an instruction manual for the process that the system is running on.

There is no one correct way to engage in this part of the cycle. There are tons of different codes that developers can choose from, such as:

• Java;
• Python;
• R; and
• PHP.

What the developers choose to use is entirely dependent upon the unique call of the project. For example, codes with better security tools may be more suited for a system, whereas a different system may be fine trading in security for cost efficiency.

This stage and the one that comes right before it—design—are the two that should take the longest amount of time if the developers are doing their job correctly. This is where the most costs are incurred though. Expenses include the developers’ labor in addition to the tools required to actually build.

Phase 5: Testing

Once you make it to this stage, you will officially have a system. In a perfect world, the cycle could stop here. Unfortunately, this is not the world we live in. Even the best developers will still likely not be able to design and build a perfect system for their client or clients on the first try. So, they need to test it in order to check for:

• Bugs;
• Mistakes;
• Weaknesses; and
• Opportunities for improvement.

From the end of phase one until now, the client has likely been waiting by the phone for the occasional update on how their project has been coming along. Here is the first stage since then where it makes sense for the client to get back involved.

After the developers edit the code so that there are no obvious errors, they can give the system to their client to test. The client will be in the best system to identify possible errors since they will use the system during testing as they would in real life.

Phase 6: Implementation

Once testing is completed, there are two routes that can be taken. Either the developer can implement the system for their client. Or, the developer can implement the system with their client. This depends on how tech-savvy their client is, and what their clients’ preferences are.

For example, if the client has an IT department, it would be the most efficient for the IT department to help implement since they are their own internal divisions’ experts. Chances are though, if a client is paying for development, they will likely want it implemented for them as well.

Implementation will involve incorporating the newly developed system into the client’s existing digital presence and processes. Because this stage has already been outlined during the planning, feasibility, and design stages, the implementation should be fairly easy.

Phase 7: Operations and Management 

Finally, we arrive at stage 7—operations and management—which is a fancy way of saying system maintenance. Once the developer has completed the project for their client, the client can choose to keep on the developer for help if anything goes wrong in the future. Or, the client can study their system so that when issues arise, such as bugs, or when it is time for an upgrade, they can do it themselves. Again, this stage will vary greatly based on clients’ individual needs and desires.

Something that clients should make sure to talk to their developers about before the project is sealed is scaling. If the owner plans on scaling their project and hiring the services of their developer to do so, they should ask the developer to hang on to their systems’ data. That way, instead of starting from scratch for scaling, the developer will simply be able to pick up where they left off.

Agile Methodology for SDLC

There are different methodologies to choose from when engaging in SDLC. The following section will review the different options to choose from. Then, it will break down the details of one of the most common methodologies that you will probably want to use when it comes to building your system.

There are over 10 different models to choose from to follow the SDLC process when developing your new system. Some of the most popular options include:

• The Spiral Model;
• The V-Model;
• The Incremental Model;
• The Waterfall Model;
• The Big-Bang Model; and
• The Agile Model.

All of these methods were developed because someone thought they were better than one of the alternatives available. It is wise for you to learn about all of them before officially deciding which one you prefer. The Big-Bang method is better suited for small projects, for example, and minimizes the planning stage or cuts it out completely. In contrast, the Incremental Model heavily focuses on planning.

AppKong personally believes that the Agile Method is best, and will explain why below.

Why the Agile Methodology is Best 

The word agile is defined as “able to move quickly and easily.” If you already know about the methodology, then you will find this name perfectly suited for what it represents. The defining feature of the Agile Method, also referred to as AM, is that it consists of building systems in small steps; then, those small steps are tested individually before being added to the system as a whole.

Conceptualize this process as the building of a home. Sure, you can throw the plumbing and HVAC of a home together quickly, and tell your client that if things leak or fail to work later, they can just fix the problems as they arise. However, if you are more careful while building and testing everything to make sure it works before installing it, the chances that problems arise later are reduced.

If this method is utilized, the chances of running into use problems during the main testing stage are significantly reduced. This method places the greatest emphasis on the jobs of the developers and the testing process. And, its goal is to proactively prevent problems as opposed to reacting to issues that arise, which ends up saving resources—especially money.

Chances are, you as a client will not want to deal with the constant headache of unexpected problems popping up because your developers were not careful the first time around. It is best to walk through the SDLC process as meticulously as possible to limit the amount of time and money that will be spent dealing with the problems later on.

Conclusion

Following the SDLC process is the best way to ensure that the creation of an information system runs as smoothly, effectively, and efficiently as possible. If you think that you have the expertise required to do it yourself, more power to you.

However, usually, it makes more sense for an individual or entity to contract out the system construction process to developers who specialize in SDLC. Even if you know how to create your own system, it would probably be a better utilization of your resources to have professionals do this for you while you dedicate your time and energy to managing and scaling your business.

Enlist the Help of AppKong

If you are in the market for a talented development team, look no further than AppKong. AppKong is a Ukraine-based development company that employs some of the most talented software developers in the world. Our employees are fluent in English and can cater to the communication needs of our clients. No matter the size of your business and budget, we have a plan for you.

System development is one of our specializations. And, our employees have been practicing SDLC since before some of you were even alive! If you need more convincing, just take a look at some of the customer testimonials on our website. Hear from our clients how reliable and talented our staff is.

So, what are you waiting for? Contact AppKong today to get started on Stage 1 of your system development life cycle—planning!

PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor, is a coding language that is helpful in website development. It is used by lots of well-known companies, such as Facebook, Wikipedia, and Harvard University. It is trusted by these major entities, so you can feel comfortable giving PHP your own green flag.

The acronym originally stood for Personal Home Page. However, when the coding language was created in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf, its new meaning took off. Since its genesis, the language has been improved and updated. Today, it looks very different than it did the first time it was used in the mid-90s.

The following article is going to teach you all about what PHP is, as well as why it is still used in 2022 despite all of the other amazing coding options out there. It will also review the pros and cons of utilizing the language in your custom web development. Finally, it will cover AppKong’s experience with PHP and what we can do for you regarding your development. By the end of this article, you will be an expert on the subject.

PHP and HTML

You now know what PHP stands for and what it is generally—a coding language. Now, it’s time to review the specifics. One of the key things that helps the language stand out amongst the crowd is that it can be directly embedded into HTML (hypertext markup language). This means that you can write them at the same time side by side and they will work together perfectly.

Integrating HTML and PHP is done using the keyword “include.” By putting “include” in your PHP coding in the proper manner, the word will instruct the program to use whatever HTML data file you want it to in conjunction with what is already written. For example, you may want to write HTML for side banners on your site, and then include these in your PHP code. Fortunately, this is possible.

Website development is not as complicated as it may seem. Basically, programs such as Safari and Google Chrome are interpreters of code. If you were to click the button “see source code” in your browser, you would be able to see all of the code that went into creating the web page you are viewing. Much of this would likely be PHP code! Browsers just translate code like PHP to make it visually appealing and understandable to the average layperson.

Getting Started with PHP

There are a bunch of different places you can download the necessary tools to begin programming with PHP. And, they are nearly all free due to the fact that PHP is an open-source language. But, more on this later. For now, know that you just have to download a few files, and then you can get started using it.

Once you download the necessary files, you will want to choose a text editor. This is the space where you will actually be typing in your code and will allow you to save a .php file. Then, once you have a place to code, you can begin working on your site development. PHP allows coders to use many of the techniques they are already familiar with. For example, if statements, loops, checkboxes, and arrays can all be worked into PHP. You do not need to have a coding background or technology degree to learn how to use PHP, though it would be extremely helpful.

Why PHP Is Still Popular in 2022

Though this particular coding language is not amongst the ones that are raved about today, it flies popularly under the radar. Just about 80% of sites that are live today utilize PHP, with its most popular version being the 7.3 version. This means that millions of sites are relying on PHP on their hidden back-ends. The language is what professionals refer to as server-side language. Server-side languages aid in making languages more powerful and facilitating user interactions so that it goes more smoothly.

There are a plethora of reasons that PHP is so popular today. The primary reasons are as follows:

• PHP is an open-source coding language;
• It is easy for beginners to pick up;
• The language is incredibly versatile and compatible with HTML;
• PHP was designed for website development; and
• More!

This section will unpack the above reasons, explaining why they make modern-day development a breeze.

Open-Source

Open-source is also sometimes referred to as OSS (open-source software) and means that it is publicly accessible software. Anyone who has access to a computer, or even a smartphone or tablet can start using PHP. Individuals can use it as is, or they can modify it if they would like to. All you need to get started is the proper software to begin coding.

There are many places you can download the free necessary coding tools to begin putting PHP to work. Some of the most popular options include:

• Laravel;
• Symfony;
• WordPress; and
• CodeIgniter.

Of course, any free software you find will do. The one you choose will be based on your individual preference. Because it is free to obtain and use, PHP is the preference of many developers. Some examples of private languages include Gravity and Imba. While these languages are not necessarily less effective than PHP, they are less popular due to the barriers to access.

Easy and Quick to Learn

Do not worry if you have not had formal training in software development. Professional training or years of experience are not prerequisites to mastering PHP! There are a ton of super helpful guides that you can find online for free in either text or video format. Many famous YouTubers actually have entire courses online that will teach you everything there is to know about PHP from start to finish. And, they will walk you through how to use the language while coding your websites for personal or work purposes.

Most of these available courses do not extend beyond 5-10 hours. This is really all it takes to learn the basics. It is so easy to learn that many people teach themselves PHP just for fun! Its ease of use is just one of the reasons and the limited time dedication it takes to learn it contributes to why the language is so popular.

Designed Specifically for Site Development

PHP Version 1.0 was born when Rasmus Lerdorf was writing codes to maintain his own personal homepage. He wanted his code to be compatible with website forms and databases. He initially called his finished product “Personal Home Page/Forms Interpreter.” Rasmus wanted to recruit others to assist in identifying the language’s bugs and accelerate the improvement of the language, so he posted it online. From then on, early adopters took to using PHP to manage their own personal homepages. And then, they began using it in all types of website development.

Because PHP was specifically designed for website development, it has grown over time to master the task. It has just about every tool you could ever need to develop a full site. Think about it in terms of tradesmen.

Let us say your Toyota car engine is having trouble. If you go to see a general autobody car mechanic, he will be able to fix up your car to an average standard. However, he will not be able to do as good of a job as an engine specialist at a Toyota car dealership service garage. PHP is like a website developer specialist, helping you to do not just a good job on your site, but the best. This is why people choose PHP over the other available languages.

PHP Benefits

There is no shortage of benefits when it comes to developing online presences with PHP. A few of these benefits have already been mentioned above as the primary reasons that PHP is so popular today despite the recent tech boom making other languages obsolete. The following section will walk through some major benefits of utilizing PHP, as well as why they outweigh the cons.

Continuously Improving Thanks to Being Open-Source

It is amazing that PHP is open-source because this allows lots of people to work on improving the code simultaneously. Remember when Rasmus posted the first version onto an online forum in 1994? This means that since then, thousands of brilliant minds have touched the raw materials of the code.

As a result, the coding language continues to get more and more useful and high-quality as time passes. In contrast, private tools that have to be paid for often stand stagnant where their original creators left them, and fade into history. Not only does this help weed out errors and make the language itself better; it also ensures that the language remains compatible with the other modern options.

Compatibility

Because PHP is continuously being improved alongside other types of site-developing tools, coders are always working on making the tools compatible. PHP’s compatibility with HTML has already been discussed at length. However, this is not the only way in which the language is superiorly compatible. It is also compatible with:

• All types of technology, from laptops and desktops to smartphones and tablets;
• Virtually every browsing program on the market;
• Popular processors like Apple and Windows; and
• Many different types of coding text windows.

The versatility of PHP increases its widespread use since it can be used by anyone anywhere. Even if they do not have technology at home, they likely have access to a public library with free computers and the internet. And, this versatility means that you will not have to worry about replacing technology with a different brand, or switching your web browser and having to learn an entirely new coding language.

Scalable and Easy to Maintain

There is no size limit on the text and development that you perform with PHP. Thus, you can start out with a small, one-paged website, and grow it to as many pages as your heart desires, and your broadband allows. Coding with scalable text is important even when you are maintaining a personal blog. When it comes to coding for professional reasons, though, such as running a site for a business, it is pertinent.

As they say in business, if you are not growing, you are slow. Unfortunately, as businesses grow, sometimes, their websites become unable to handle the increased traffic. With PHP, you can constantly be modifying your site to accommodate new products, services, and information.

You can also increase your site’s ability to handle more daily users and more intense communication. And, it is super easy to go in and edit the coding whenever you would like to. Having scalable and easy-to-maintain coding is essential in website development.

Plus, multiple people can edit the same website code so long as they use the same software and login information. Thus, PHP is great for teamwork! Or, as you will learn, it enables you to hire teams to do your development work for you.

Cons and Alternatives

Like everything in life, PHP does have its cons. Some of the cons include the fact that it is not as secure as some other private languages. The open-source nature of PHP means that people know how it works, and how to hack it. That being said, there are still ways to code securely to minimize this risk.

Another con of PHP is that it is less conducive for sites that are heavy on content such as images and videos. It might load slower than some alternatives, and/or take longer to code. Lastly, PHP has fewer error-identifiers and “debuggers” than some other types of languages. Other types of popular languages include:

• Java;
• Python;
• Kotlin;
• Swift;
• Go; and
• C.

These programming languages all have their own pros and cons as well. It is up to you to weigh the benefits and cons of each language against your own unique needs, and choose the option that makes the most sense for you. That being said, PHP is a great first option to experiment with, as it is free and easy to learn. If you do not like it, then you will not have wasted any resources testing it. However, chances are you will love it and continue to use it.

How to Understand if PHP Is Good for Your Project?

Wondering if this coding language is going to be a good option for your upcoming or existing projects? The short answer to this question is that if you are performing website development, then yes—this instrument will be helpful to you! It is used in 80% of sites for a reason. Thanks to its ease, flexibility, and widespread use, there is no limit on the tasks that it will prove helpful for.

If you do not have at least a little bit of previous information technology (IT) experience, then it may be hard for you to pick up PHP overnight. That is why AppKong is here to help! AppKong has a large team of technology experts, many of whom have been taking advantage of PHP since it came out. Whether you already have an online presence that needs a tune-up, or you are starting from scratch, AppKong is here to help.

PHP allows AppKong to give you the biggest bang for your buck since it is fast to write and is extremely compatible with other development techniques and tools.

Conclusions

Now that you know more about what PHP is, as well as the pros and cons of using it, you probably want to try it out. If you are an expert coder, you may as well get on your merry way. However, if you are primarily a business owner, do not waste your valuable time and resources working on your own code. Let AppKong help you!

AppKong can handle all of your PHP coding for you, that way you can focus on improving your business and raking in more revenue. Though hiring AppKong will cost an initial investment, you will save money down the road by utilizing your resources more efficiently and letting experts do your PHP work for you. Fortunately for you, AppKong has packages that work for all sizes of business because it believes that everyone deserves custom webwork.

Reach out to AppKong today to get your PHP site development into motion. Your future self will thank you!

Designers and developers often work together. Designers offer designs and images that are attractive to guests. The developer then combines all visual elements into one website and ensures that all features work properly. But otherwise, these terms refer to two fundamentally different aspects of the website-building process and require two distinct skill sets. It is important to know the differences when you are looking for someone to develop and design your company’s website.

Website design is the process of creating websites and web designers need to understand the user. Developer – on the contrary, it is a more technical occupation.

 

This article will explain the differences between web designers and web developers so that online business owners can better understand each profession.

What role does the web designer play?

Web designer is an artists. His work is often considered a digital piece of art. That’s the basic profile. Your job is to transform ideas into images.

Designers can be consulted on all aspects of website branding, including logo, color palettes, fonts, images, and overall visual experience.

The web designer is not responsible for the functionality of an online shop. Web designers are responsible to create the website’s visual and aesthetic elements.

They also control what users see on their screens, both mobile and desktop. Web designers design the layouts and can help you choose the right colors or fonts for your images.

Their knowledge of UX/UI is a key part of their expertise. They can help you design a landing page or home page that will keep your users coming back to your site, and possibly convert them.

What skills a good web designer should have?

It is not an easy job. You need to be creative, inspired and able to comprehend what your customers want. This requires imagination and creativity, which can sometimes be difficult.

Design requires an in-depth understanding of proportion, whitespace, balance, visual hierarchy, as well as extensive experience with digital media as both a creator or user.

These are the skills that web designers who have been successful:

• Understanding sales and marketing strategies is key to understanding how they can be translated into design work.
• Strong basic art knowledge and good aesthetic sense.
• The ability to recognize the latest design trends and to make informed decisions about when and how to use them.
• Pure designers should be able to comprehend the basics of the languages used for implementing designs, such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

What are the various design tools?

Web designers can use a wide range of design tools. Adobe Creative Suite is the most used. Our AppKong’s designers use these tools, for example:

• Adobe Photoshop for creating and editing graphics
• Adobe InDesign for layout and typesetting
• Adobe Illustrator for creating vector illustrations

There are many other drafting software options, both paid and free. These are some of the most popular:

• Sketch is a vector drawing and animation program that many app developers use.
• CorelDraw is a CorelDraw program for photo editing, layout, and typography
• Adobe XD is used to design website mockups, apps, and content graphics.
• Affinity Designer is a vector graphics and illustration software
• Adobe InDesign and Affinity Publisher are available for eBooks, digital magazines, interactive PDFs, posters, and digital marketing magazines.

What is the role and responsibilities of the web developer?

The web developer creates all functionality for the website. Developers write the code that provides the server and browser with all the instructions necessary for the website to function. You can click a button to open a page or retrieve data using an SQL query. This is all part of the daily work of a developer.

The technicians are developers. Web developers can be classified into one of three professional groups depending on their role in building websites and the languages they use.

• Front-end Developer
• Backend developer
• Full-stack developers are rare in their true form.

Let’s take a look at these roles.

Front-end Developer

The user interface developer is also known as the client side developer. The person who stands between a designer, and a backend programmer. Front-end developers created all the visual elements of the websites we see.

Designers work closely with front-end developers. Designers help choose colors, fonts and graphics, and offer guidance on user experience best practices. The front-end developer then applies these elements to bring the website to life. Front-end developers style these mockups to be used as website interfaces. Designers create static images.

The WordPress front-end developer works primarily with the theme of the site and can also create custom themes to meet the client’s requirements.

These programming languages are used by front-end developers:

• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
• Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
• JavaScript (JS)

Backend developer

Backend work can only be seen by website visitors as data. This includes a button’s text and post headings. The backend work is responsible only for the data, not the appearance of the website button. The job format of the backend developer is what allows this data to reach the user. Analyze, analyze, change, save.

Back-end developers also manage the user management system. This is where users can be authenticated and data stored. Third-party APIs can be created, which makes it easier to register users.

You can sign up for a newsletter by entering a website. Your email address and name must be entered. The front-end developer and the designer have created a form for you to fill out your information. This information must be stored on the server and can be retrieved later. A backend developer does this.

Back-end developers are responsible for maintaining WordPress’ core code. It is free to download and use. Developers use the WordPress core code as a base and create plugins or theme functions using it.

The most popular backend languages include:

• PHP
• Java
• C#
• C++
• SQL
• Python
• Ruby

PHP and SQL are the most common languages used in WordPress. JavaScript, a new trend in the WordPress world, is also used more often on the server side to manage WordPress content and display it.

Full Stack Developer

A full stack developer is someone who knows all aspects of a website, both the front-end and back-end. Full-stack developers are not able to build everything. It can be difficult to master and learn even one programming language. Developers often pick one or two programming languages and concentrate on them.

Full-stack developers must also choose a specialty, but he should be able to understand and know all the steps involved in building a website.

Conclusions

Web designers and web developers play very different roles, as you can see. However, they must work together, especially on large-scale projects.

It is crucial to have a high-quality design and front-end as well as back-end work when you are looking for an online business solution that will generate millions of views. A professional agency like AppKong can be your best option if you dont have have any development or design team that could help you build and scale your projects.

A web portal is a web-based interface that allows various participants in a business to access data according to their requirements and positions. An institution’s data and information traffic may be better handled with increased efficiency using a web portal.

Creating a web gateway reduces reliance on traditional means of transmitting critical information, such as phone calls, faxes, and even emails. Depending on the objectives you want to achieve, several iterations of portals can be developed to serve your specific functions, spanning varieties like customer portals, vendor portals, partner/associate portals, affiliate portals, and more.

Although the terms “website” and “web portal” are sometimes used interchangeably, there are important distinctions. Building a web portal differs from developing a website.

We will talk about developing web portals, as well as varying types of web portals, to understand not just their purpose but also the potential applications for a variety of users.

What Are the Types of Web Portals

There are several types of web portals with different purposes. Each purpose defines how we build web portal functionality and the result. Let’s talk about the most recurring portals:

eCommerce portal

B2B and B2C eCommerce portals are created to make interaction and payments between merchants and buyers easier and faster. These portals are sales, marketing, and customer/client support tools. They are incorporated into the company’s digital infrastructure and supply chain process.

B2C portal
B2C portals are popular and quite common. In contrast with simple online stores where customers can browse the product categories, buy something, and go, B2C portals give users more features to promote customer retention and improve the user experience.

The extra features include e-Wallets, offers, discounts, an account to manage aspects like rewards and order history, among other eCommerce-oriented tools.

B2B portal
A B2B eCommerce portal is a self-service portal that allows businesses to purchase and buy items while also managing connections with suppliers and associates. Wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and other firms wanting to minimize costs, improve the purchase process, and boost efficiency are increasingly turning to vendor and partner portals.

Health/hospital portals

eHealth portals for patients and physicians have had a significant impact on healthcare performance, particularly in terms of patients’ satisfaction and outcomes.

Patients can use patient web portals to gain safe access to their data, including test results, medical history, appointments, and more. It also enables connection and communication with healthcare practitioners such as physicians, clinics, and hospitals. Making appointments, checking medical history, communicating, and refilling prescriptions are the most prevalent patient portal services.

Doctor portals serve as an online hub for medical practitioners to access vital information about their patients and business functions. It is frequently combined with web EHR (EMR) and practice management systems as part of a wider healthcare management system.

Finance/banking portal

Banking portals are some of the most commonly used portals these days. They provide users with an account to manage their banking services and facilitate fast and efficient transactions. The portals may be made in different ways to cater to different parties in the financial business.

For instance, investors and brokers have their own portals for tracking the markets, news, and analysis.

Student portals

Student portals are among the most common web portals used in online learning. Colleges and universities use them to offer students important information regarding curriculum and academic programs and assist them in organizing the educational experience and monitoring their progress.

Employee portals

Employee portals allow employees to quickly access employment information (such as skills training, calendars, and process data), as well as project management and collaboration tools. B2E portals, like other forms of web portals, are often incorporated into a company’s infrastructure and, in some situations, are only accessible through private corporate networks.

Community portal

Community portals are not all the same but are built with the same intent for different purposes. They can organize the community, inform members of crucial developments, manage assets, and more.

Public/government portal

Across the world, governments have transitioned from using paper processing to offer services or enable access to public resources. They can be used for accessing and interacting with essential information like employment, taxation, law, immigration, and more.

Common Features Included in Web Portal Design

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it contains features that are often part of the web portal development process regarding design.

Personalization

Personalization is critical to the web portal’s effectiveness and the delivery of pertinent information to users. Personalization enables users to view just the information that they require in a web portal when access is restricted according to their function.

Navigation

Any program, including a web portal, has to have intuitive or easy-to-use navigation. By including this functionality in your web portal development, you can encourage individuals to interact with the portal more frequently by making it simple to understand.

Notifications

Push notifications act as reminders that show up on a user’s desktop without opening up the portal and checking constantly. It assists the user in receiving or knowing about the most recent changes or information given in the web portal while the user is not actively using it.

Responsiveness

The web portal should be able to respond to changes in the environment. The user may not utilize it if it takes too long to load. It should be fast and easy to use. This isn’t a fad but a requirement in any portal.

Step-by-step process for Web Portal Development

As we have seen from the types of web portals available, what they can do, and why they’re built, it is time to talk about how to develop a web portal. In the development world, templates work just fine, but only up to a point. Developers are well-placed to remove these limitations.

When building a portal, we have an exhaustive process that can be condensed into the following steps:

Web portal planning

Like any other development process, we start by planning out the project. The process has to consider several crucial things to properly cater to the target audience and serve the objectives for which the portal is built.

In our planning stages of how to create a portal website, we consider:

The primary purpose of the portal

It is critical to analyze the underlying problem and fix it for your web portal to deliver the most value and achieve its purpose. While your motivation for developing or purchasing a gateway may arise from a specific problem, this is likely a side consequence of a larger problem.

When dealing with this ‘symptom’ on its own, you wind up with an inflexible solution that may have trouble merging with other components or operations.

Delving to the root of the problem allows you to see what other aspects of your company are affected. This increased visibility will enable you to develop functionality encompassing the whole problem, lowering the danger of neglecting any associated challenges.

The desired outcomes

Setting goals is a crucial part of creating a successful web portal. Ultimately, your solution’s results should be in line with your goals. You want to be as straightforward as possible when establishing your build goals, comparable to how you would achieve those goals for your organization.

First, identify the essential measures that will be used to assess the project’s performance. Using quantifiable qualities ensures that your solution directly tackles challenges.

The audience

Polling users is a great way to find out what they expect to use frequently, to form a baseline of features and functionalities to include. It’s crucial to remember that not all of your users will require the same features from your online portal. Take notice of these distinctions to ensure that your functionality is accessible to your whole user base.

Potential integrations

A major benefit of using online portals is combining data from many sources. The smartest approaches take into account essential systems and your whole data landscape.

Mapping all of your company’s current legacy systems, apps, data warehouses, and technologies will aid in determining integration needs beforehand.

Web portal architecture

At this point, we have learned how to make a portal site through careful planning and determined your business and technical needs. After that, we detail the high-level and low-level portal design stages.
An overview of high-level and low-level portal architecture
The high-level portal design explains the system’s architecture and the foundation for the solution’s low-level design. Furthermore, the high-level design must explain a logical architecture that fits the specified business and technological requirements.

The logical architecture is divided into sections based on the different applications that make up the system and how users interact with it.

The high-level design is the initial iteration of an architectural strategy to satisfy business and technological needs. The high-level design considers issues like:

• Is the suggested architecture capable of meeting both commercial and technological needs?
• Is there any way to improve this design?
• What is the system’s physical structure?
• What is the relationship between the components and their interconnection?
• What is the logical definition of the various kinds of users and the systems and applications they have access to?
• Are there any other architectures that could achieve this?
• Is there room in the architecture for more hardware to be added to the system as web traffic grows over time?

The low-level design specifies the methods and standards we’ll use to develop the portal as well as the solution’s actual hardware and software components, such as:

• The portal complex’s connection to the “outside world.” We also look at security concerns, protocols, bandwidth, and links to other programs or external sites.
• User interfaces, content presentation and categorization, data sources, feeds, and all parts of the information architecture.
• Organizational, sub-organizational, role, group, and user strategy and design crucial to long-term success.
• The portal’s integration approach, including how it works as a hub for aggregating and integrating different types of data and bringing people together in innovative ways.

In simple terms, this level entails laying out the design of things like a contact form, a search bar, fonts, images, colors, and more.

Web portal development

Developers concentrate on creating a web-based platform that consumers may utilize to control various functionalities as needed. There are several tools and platforms used in the development of portal solutions and apps, including:

• MySQL (SQL), Cassandra (NoSQL), Oracle (SQL), and AWS are examples of databases (cloud).
• Amazon Kinesis, Azure Stream Analytics, and RabbitMQ are examples of real-time data processing solutions.
• Back-end technologies like Node.js, Python, and.NET are supported by cloud platforms like AWS, Rackspace, and Digital Ocean.
• Mobile platforms such as IOS, Android, Flutter, and Cordova.
• Front-end technologies such as HTML5, Meteor, and Angular CMSs such as WordPress, Magento, and Salesforce

Your needs and our previous experience developing effective portals will determine the tool or platforms we work with. Our development focuses on proper UI & UX, image placement, optimizing for all devices, intuitive navigation, offering relevant information, and more.

Testing

Testing and maintenance are the last stages of the web portal creation process. Testing aids in the detection of flaws created during the development phase. Conducting a variety of Quality Assurance tests helps to work out minor flaws and faults, resulting in bug-free portals.

Load testing, software testing, integration testing, and other tests can be performed while building a web portal. These tests will determine whether or not your portal is ready to go live and be used.

Before launching a web portal, we do:

• Documentation testing. The process reviews the documents provided to see the final layout of the site and make plans for further tests.

• Functionality testing. Functional testing ensures that each website feature works as expected according to the required definition. Testing the operation of the website demonstrates “What the system does.” It focuses on checking things like:

• Testing links – Outbound links, internal links, self-referencing links, email links, pages referenced, and broken links.
• Forms testing – Forms are used to interact with users and should be checked for input data validity, allows values for the field, invalid inputs for the field, and option for deleting or modifying form data where applicable.
• Cookies testing – We test the portal when it has enabled and disabled cookies, verify cookie encryption before writing it on the user’s machine, check security aspects when cookies are removed, and check cookies with a duration of action on whether they are active for the time indicated.
• HTML/CSS Validation – This phase tests HTML syntax issues, verifies the portal is visible to search engine users, and makes sure the page has an accurate map in HTML and XML format.

• User experience (UX) usability testing. Usability aims to check that the portal works as intended by availing it to test users who will look at navigation and content, for the most part. For more usability evaluation, check if the portal is understandable and convenient, what impression it may leave on a user, and if it has bloat that needs removing.

• UI (User Interface) testing. User interface tests to ensure that the graphic user interface achieves the intended effect on the users. We check to ensure that it complies with the best practices, the design elements (layout, font, text, label, colors, font size, buttons, captions, icons, links, etc.) serve the portal, and that different screen resolutions display the portal properly across tablets, PCs, and smartphones.

• Compatibility testing. Compatibility testing checks for software and hardware configurations, including operating systems, browsers, and databases. This phase includes cross-platform, cross-browser, database, and printing compatibility checks.

• Performance testing. Performance testing checks how responsive and stable a portal is under various loads. The portals undergo stress, load, stability, volume, concurrency, endurance, page load speed testing.

• Security testing. Security testing focuses on the surfaces exposed to find and fix every vulnerability that may lead to leaking personal data. For this, testers do penetration testing and vulnerability testing to try and breach the site to identify any cracks.

• Change-related testing. After all the testing mentioned above, changes to found bugs may not stick and may produce new problems. To hedge against the damage this could cause, the developers do re-testing (confirming fixes) and regression testing (checking for new defects).

• Mobile-friendliness testing. More people use their mobile devices to check things online than use PCs. For that reason, the portal has to be optimized to work as fast and efficiently as possible on mobile devices. The experience must be checked to ensure that it does not have limitations or cut features and conveniences that PC users enjoy.

• Beta testing. Beta testing means availing the portal to users who are not part of your team to evaluate it for weaknesses that your team members may not have noticed. It also allows the developers to get feedback on what may need changing in the portal to ensure that when it gets to the users, they have the intended experience.

Web portal management

When it comes to web portals, you can opt to pay a third party to do it for you. However, if you do it yourself or use an in-house team, you’ll need to know a few things about managing web portals.

Let’s go through some of them for your checklist of how to make a web portal work for you.

Choose a favorable solution
Ideally, you want a solution to give you a custom experience tailored to your specific needs. Customization allows a business not to compromise on its processes, customer engagement, or stated objectives since it creates a portal that follows your requirements, with the ability to change to accommodate its own evolution over time.

Ensure you have drag and drop functions
Drag and drop functions allow you to manage the items in the web portal with simple clicks. Changing elements to fit a specific layout require only drag & drop. The function allows the dragging of any CRM field to a form, using point and click editing tools.

Page templates
Page templates allow the admin to apply styles and branding on all pages easily. It also allows for the creation and addition of widgets and other elements to a page, using very little time from start to finish.

Permissions
Security is a big part of the process, so permissions and roles have to be clearly defined from the beginning. For easy management of authentication and data access, use tools like dynamics CRM and Dynamics 365 to control which contacts can see the information and what information it is.

The appropriate tools can also allow you to reset passwords when an account seems suspicious, define user names, define security roles and apply changes to specific pages or individual page elements in the portal.

Forms
Creating and editing forms is a significant aspect of web portal management. Ideally, you should have a drag & drop function to create new forms for purposes like facilitating the creation of user profiles. You should have easy control over the layout and field placements on the forms. The fields on the form and items should also be easy to add or remove.

eCommerce
If the portal is intended for business, adding capabilities like payment gateways is crucial. Along with that, you should build pages for the checkout and product listings. For commerce, you need to define shipping options, automatically calculate the shipping costs calculation and configure payment choices with payment processors.

Final Thoughts

The process is undoubtedly a long one with many challenges to overcome. When followed correctly and by professionals, the process should be helpful and serve to expand the portal’s usefulness.

If your KPIs and criteria are met, you can expand the portal’s user base and track performance in real-time. Working with a good portal application development firm may help you design a portal that runs well without losing time, money, or damaging your user reputation.

When it comes to developing web portals, we recommend using the services of professional developers with the experience to get it right.