Why Unit Testing is Important in Software Development?

Miley on March 2, 2022

So finally you have decided to delve into the software development world, great start! I hope you won’t miss out on the penultimate step that is supposed to be taken before the launch of the software product to the market. I am talking about none other than software testing!

Of course, till now it has been pretty common for businesses to ignore this step due to enormous reasons such as it is not budget-friendly or it’s fine what we need is a properly developed software. More or less, I have heard many people saying that this would lead to no major consequences. Well, what you may miss out on is software testing is a must-do thing as it offers a plethora of benefits ranging from enhanced product quality to improved security, detect compatibility with different devices and platforms and a lot goes more.

However, I am not going to get into the details of what software testing is or why one must look into finding relevant software testing services as I am pretty sure there are many posts written on a daily basis. The following post focuses on what unit testing is and why unit tests are a significant aspect of the software testing space. So without any further ado, let’s begin!

Define Unit Testing?

As the name implies, unit testing can be considered as a subset of software testing where components are being tested individually. In any software testing life cycle model (STLC), unit testing is the very first level of testing and it comes prior to integration testing. In other words, I would say that unit testing is a white-box testing method mainly performed by the developer. However, this is not true for each and every case as of now, developers due to time restraints are unable to conduct relevant tests due to which QA engineers have to barge in.

As mentioned earlier, unit testing emphasizes individual units of the software being tested separately. For example, one can test different computer modules to ensure whether they are fit to use or not. This is mainly done to check whether it’s the developer’s mistake or not. Moreover, you can consider it an approach to check how functionally appropriate these modules are individual.

So what is the main objective behind conducting unit tests?

A part of code can be separated
To check whether the code is correct or not
Thorough check through functionality for smooth procedures
Fix errors and easy debugging process to save time, money, and energy
Enhance code reusability

Types of Unit Tests

The ultimate objective of unit testing as mentioned above is to double-check whether things are working as they are supposed to in the first place. But this type of testing is more detailed checking every module individually. You see, the entire system works wonders only if the individual parts are working in great condition. Now there are two types of unit testing: one is manual testing and the other is automated testing.

Now what happens is software testers most of the time tend to choose the automated method. The reason being it’s quick offers accurate results and best when it comes to performance. Here developers are initially asked to write a specific section of test code so that functions can be tested automatically. On the contrary, The manual approach is a bit time-consuming as here one needs to follow a specific procedure for everything to work effectively.

Importance of Unit Testing in Software Development

Now, why is unit testing important? Well, unit testing offers a wide range of benefits in the entire software development process. Hereby performing unit testing software developers won’t be just going through the components of the software individually but also can spot errors in the unit testing phase. Further in case of any error occurs, developers can debug it right away!

Now many of you often get confused between unit testing and test-driven development. Well, there is a difference! There is no specific way of conducting unit tests. I mean one can write them before the code is implemented and even after that. Now when it comes to test-driven development, many of you have this misconception that it is a testing technique. It’s not! This can be considered as a software development practice where different tests are being implemented just to define the code functions. These codes haven’t been written yet! Unlike unit tests, the main goal of test-driven development is to improve the code right on during the development process. Not to mention that unit testing ensures the creation of bug-free code. Now without any further ado, let us begin why it is important to conduct unit testing

1. Unit Tests enhances the code quality

Software developers generally do is they write unit tests first and then write the code. This happens most of the time while conducting test-driven development. And you know what’s the best part, if the code somehow doesn’t meet appropriate requirements or specifications then the code won’t be added. Moreover, here developers can easily modify the code. Yes, even after such modifications there is no change in the functionality of neighboring units. Everything stays the same yet different.

In case, if something happens to the code, nothing can stop developers from identifying the root cause in the given time. Yes, they no longer will be asked to unwieldy go through the codebase to spot the issue. This is the pure magic of unit testing. Now does this mean the code adheres to specified standards? Absolutely!

2. Makes the Agile Software Development Process

Another crucial advantage of unit testing is it makes the development process more agile. Now in a general scenario what happens is when developers try adding more and more features just to make the software more attention-grabbing, they likely or unlikely are asked to change old design and the code. Now, this is a lose-lose situation. On one hand, you are changing the code and on the other hand, you are running out of your budget. As a solution, to refactor things accurately, it is advisable to conduct unit test cases in place.

Unit testing and agile programming are more like chocolate and peanut butter. So to conduct safe refactoring, choose this combo right away!

3. Documentation

Of course, documentation is extremely important whether it’s unit testing, integration testing, or any other software testing type. And unit testing offers very detailed documentation to assist professionals conducting the software development process. In case, if the developers get stuck or misguided, the developers can go through the document at any point in time.

4. Early Detection of software bugs

Issues found at an early stage are the best way to conduct the development process. Now since unit testing can be conducted before and after code is implemented. It becomes pure bliss for developers as they can find issues, fix them and all this happens without interfering with other pieces of code.

5. Changes and Integration Made Easier

Refactoring the application code, Another crucial benefit worth considering here. Here, once unit tests are conducted by professionals can decipher the code that might be hindering the overall app development procedure. By conducting unit tests, the scalability and maintenance of the code automatically improve.

6. Software Is Tested Prior to Delivery

As a developer what is the prime need while writing the code? To ensure that it operates in the best manner possible. And Unit Testing is one such way that can make this happen!

7. It significantly lowers development costs

Now have you ever wondered what happens if the errors are detected later on? Of course, first of all, high loss of money! Then you have to make several system changes. It may quite interest you to know that the price of detecting an error in a unit test is way lower than the price of doing everything right from spotting to fixing errors on other levels of testing. Performing unit tests is all about high-end savings whether it is in the context of time, money, and energy.

8. Design

Psychologically speaking, writing the tests compels a developer to think hard. Most of the time, the life of developers becomes monotonous and they just start working on the process before writing the code. Unit tests won’t let this happen! Apart from making them think, developers can focus more on creating intimidating designs. You only get to know its worth unless it is being tested in time. Similarly, what is the code’s responsibility? This should be your prime concern before you even begin developing.

9. Unit Test improves Performance

What would any business expect from software? That it has to be best in regards to performance, right? And conducting frequent unit tests definitely results in enhanced performance of the product.

10. Provides a Chance for Continuous Integration

Software development is a continuous process where we see a team of software developers working on several features which are cross-cutting concerns. Now if by any chance a developer makes a breaking change and other members are unable to figure that out what could happen? Fortunately, we have a CI server.

CI servers are pretty much beneficial because it not only handles the merging and compilation precisely but also can run your tests whether it’s a functional, unit, integration, etc.

Conclusion

Again I would say all about the software testing realm is very subjective though it does have a brighter side there are certain situations where it might not be a good fit. At the end of the day, it’s the way you make things work. So that’s all for now! In case you have any doubt or issues, feel free to mention that in the comment section below.

test code, unit test cases, unit testing phase, unit testing ensures, code unit testing, documentation unit testing

Development Insights

Exit Interviews to Reduce Employee Turnover and the Role of Leadership

Miley on February 23, 2022

1 in 4 people quit their job in 2021. The number continues to grow and is not likely to subside this year.¹ As the “Great Resignation” upsets companies across every industry, employers are searching for ways to reduce employee turnover.

The interest in turnover is more relevant than ever. Unemployment levels and job openings returned to pre-pandemic levels. Losing trained workers requires the organization to invest significant time and money to recruit, interview, train, and onboard new hires. Turnover disrupts an organization because it requires managers, peers, and human resources to divert resources and takes time away from the organization’s primary service goals.

As the pandemic played a huge role in upheaval, more workers now cite on exit interviews the desire to stay working remotely as a reason to resign. The contrast is universal. Many worked increasingly long hours at home. At the same time, higher numbers than ever claim less work-life balance as a result of being “always-on”. The lack of opportunity and growth many employees experienced contributes to the mass exodus from current employers. Whatever their specific reason for leaving, workers are confident enough in their job prospects to try something new. What more than 50% don’t want to change, is going into the office.

How has workplace culture changed today?

The days when managers simply “command and control” employees are gone. Organizations have changed. Employees bring different needs, wants, and expectations than just two years ago. As people rethink what work means to them and how they are valued, how they spend their time has greater consequences. There are not enough people to replace the retirees that permanently left the workforce. The common goal for any company today is to retain the valued employees they have. Managers, even unknowingly, can create an environment that cultivates or hinders employee morale, undermining the investment HR or leadership makes in benefits, reward programs, and training.

Managers are hired for both their subject matter expertise and also their “soft skills”. As stressors rose for them as well, some were not able to translate those valuable assets into managerial communication or employee motivation. A study by Life Meets Work found that 56% of American workers claim their boss is “mildly” or “highly toxic”.² The staff enduring high-stress situations can suffer from emotional exhaustion and recurring anxiety, significantly decreasing performance, creativity, and problem-solving. With strong exit interview reports that compare and contrast microculture experiences, disconnects are clearer to see. A microculture is a mix of demographic and organizational aspects that form a unique cultural envelope for a given population. A single company can have dozens of unique experiences that exit interview analysis reveals.

For example, when employees feel supported at work, they are more likely to indicate a highly fair work environment. According to Gartner, creating a better employee experience will be the most important initiative for HR executives in 2022. “To do this, organizations need to go beyond policies and develop philosophies.” (Brian Kropp, Chief Researcher) One of the challenges is not knowing if these manager breakdowns exist, or where they are most prevalent. Organizations that conduct exit interviews with meaningful exit interview questions about direct supervisors, can unlock hidden insights.

Exit interview — Schematic representation of the procedure of the exit interview

Consider…How well do existing employees trust their manager?

How do those same employees feel about your “employer being a good place to work”?

The negative correlation is high. Employees that don’t trust their manager are less likely to promote that employer to others.

What manager insights are built by conducting exit interviews?

Why do so many great employees leave their job?

Only 27% of those who say they have “good managers” are thinking about quitting in the next 12 months, versus 63% of employees who have a “bad manager”. Manager relationships can more than double the intention to leave.

So, the best exit interview questions include and inform specific manager actions and unearth areas for which an underperforming manager can see gaps to develop. Most helpful on an exit interview template include:

Accessibility
Fairness and equality
Trust
Respect / Appreciation
Nature of feedback
An inclination for career development

The role of supervisors is key to an employee’s job experience. They control the degree of structure and potential conflict in the work itself. Managers provide informal and formal feedback to staff on their work behavior and control rewards and even the job security that the employee may enjoy. All these parts of the job experience are particularly important to employees who are trying to adjust themselves to a volatile environment.

Millennial employees are especially less tolerant of mismanagement. Those who feel stifled by their manager are far more likely to quit. They desire an environment that allows them to grow, accept, and use their ideas. Millennials desire greater freedom and trust, and consistently quit jobs when they don’t feel that with their manager.

Managers must be sensitive to the desires of all generations of workers, not just millennials, and must treat all fairly and with respect to avoid issues such as age discrimination.

How can you prevent staff turnover with exit interviews?

What can exit interviews do to slow staff turnover and retain top talent? Those exit interview questions are a crucial step in the offboarding process. An employee’s experience contains valuable information and is the cornerstone of any long-term retention strategy. Good exit interview questions anchor the data that can drive specific changes across:

Benefits
Compensation
Staff Training
Recruiting
Recognition Programs
Manager Coaching

Exit Interview Action Items

Employee turnover triggers a complex chain of events within organizations. When similar exit interview trends are reported across departments, titles, locations, divisions, we have a compelling argument for change. How do the managers of those departments or locations compare?

Learning the precise gaps in management skills allows leadership to fill those gaps with targeted training and support tools. Helping managers to master interpersonal skills gives them the ability to hone their positive influence as well as curb negative impact. Increase the chance that your managers are one of the 27% who is “good managers”.

Author Bio:

Reka Barna is a Senior Talent Management Associate at Retensa, the world’s leading innovator of employee retention strategies, that provides the tools to predict and prevent breakdowns across the Employee Lifecycle. Her work at Retensa focuses on supporting retention consulting projects on staff turnover, employee engagement strategies, and composing Talent Management research. She is a graduate of Touro College School of Health Sciences, New York, and pursuing her master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

References:

Viser. (2021). Outsmart. Retrieved from Four Things We Learned About the Resignation Wave- and what to Do Next: https://www.visier.com/blog/trends/four-things-we-learned-about-the-resignation-wave-and-what-to-do-next/
Abbajay, M. (2018, September 7). Harvard Business Review. What to Do When You Have a Bad Boss: https://hbr.org/2018/09/what-to-do-when-you-have-a-bad-boss
Retensa. (n.d.). Blog. Avoiding Managerial Dysfunction in your Workplace: https://retensa.com/blog/avoiding-managerial-dysfunction-in-your-workplace/

Everett Spain and Boris Groyberg ( 2016, April) Harvard Business Review. Making Exit Interviews Count: https://hbr.org/2016/04/making-exit-interviews-count

SaaS

How to Become a Pro at Web Designing? All the Dos and Don’ts

Miley on February 7, 2022

What’s the first thing that you notice on a website? Is it the design or the layout? Or are you more interested in how user-friendly the interface is? Priorities of a web design vary according to designers’ preferences. However, there are certain elements that every designer should take care of. Your top priority should be making them fun and enjoyable.

For the newbies in the industry, it can be a bit of a daunting task. If you find yourself lost and aren’t sure what are the dos and don’ts for your web design, you’re in the right place. As the experts of affordable web design services, we have curated a list of all the dos and don’t that will surely help you in your journey as a web designer.

Let’s Talk About the Dos First

1. Keep the Interface Consistent

One of the primary principles of a good UX is to maintain consistency throughout the design. The overall look across the website pages should be similar rather than being majorly different. Consistency of color schemes, navigation, and writing style will positively impact the UX.

Simply put, consider your consistency a double-edged sword. If it’s not designed properly, the outcome will result in a poor design when you try to make the other parts consistent. So, make sure your design is usable and then move forward with consistency.

2. Should be Easy-to-Navigate

Easy navigation is the foundation of usability. When your website is easy to navigate, it acts as the primary interaction technique. Without it, the visitors cannot find what they are looking for and will leave disappointed. Try to keep too-level navigation for the essential navigation options and sub-navigation with clear and specific categorization. You should also ensure using clear labels for better navigation and easy words to ensure everyone understands them.

Furthermore, your website should be built in a way that takes the users to the destination with a maximum of three clicks. If it takes them more than that to reach their desired option, you need to make some improvements. Including navigation options in the footer is also a good idea. When people can’t find what they are looking for in the tabs, they turn to the footer. So, make sure it has all the essential labels.

3. Make Scanning Easy

Truth be told, no one likes to read everything on the website. When someone visits, they expect everything to be right in front of them, and they can find their desired option by quickly scanning through. Your job as a designer is to ensure that everything is clearly visible and the visual hierarchy is top-notch. By visual hierarchy, we mean that elements should be arranged according to their importance, such as where the eyes should focus first, second, third, and so on.

To make scanning easy, here’s what you need to do:

Avoid text walls – rather than stuffing the page with a lot of text, arrange the information in the form of chunks to make it easier to skim through.
Highlight what’s important – you should put more visual weight on the critical elements. For instance, the call-to-action buttons should stand out, so they catch the visitors’ attention right away. You can use different fonts or colors for highlighting.
Stick to a grid – Scattered information won’t do you any good so, try to make a grid layout. A grid will allow you to organize information and make it look more presentable. It will make it easier for the visitors to get the information and prevent them from getting lost.

4. Pay Attention to your Content

The design and visual appeal of your website are not everything. Sure, it helps grab the viewer’s attention, but if the content inside is low-quality, there is nothing that will encourage the visitor to stay on your page. So, to give them something to stay for, you need good content. If you want to make your website a good one, both visuals and content are equally important. Make sure that the web design complements the content and fulfills all requirements.

Only add the content that’s relevant to your website. Irrelevant content will only kill your website’s image and confuse your visitors. Every word should be valuable for the visitors and offer the information they are looking for. You should also avoid the use of unnecessarily complicated terms. The website is supposed to be easily understandable by everyone, and using difficult words won’t make it look fancy.

Now We More Towards the Don’ts

1. Don’t Test Your Visitors’ Patience

Did you know that 54% of people expect a web page to load within 3 seconds? If it takes longer than that, they’re likely to abandon your website, and that’s something no web designer wants. So, if you want to ensure that your visitors stay on the site, you shouldn’t test their patience. Your web page should load in 2 seconds or less. That’s why high loading speed should be your priority. If you pay attention to the loading time, the chances are that 79% of the people will revisit or even share your website!

2. Don’t Confuse Internal & External Links

You might not know this, but visitors expect different behavior from internal and external links. Therefore, you should keep a clear distinction between them both. Your internal links should open on the same page, so the users have the option to use the back button and return to the initial page. Even if you want to direct them to a new tab, add a warning before automatically opening it. The notification can go along the lines of “opens is a new tab.” On the contrary, all external links should open in new tabs so users know that they are now entering a new source.

3. Don’t Include Too Many Typefaces

As a beginner, you might find it tempting to use too many typefaces; don’t give in to your temptations. Using five or six different fonts and uploading your own fonts is a rookie mistake. It makes your interface look childish and doesn’t give it the classic appeal that you want. Keep it classy and simple, as too many variations can be distracting and confusing. Look at your website from a viewer’s perspective, and you will agree that significant variations in the typefaces can be borderline annoying.

Summing it Up

That being said, your website is your brand’s image. If you fail to satisfy the visitors, they will move on to your competitors, and that’s the last thing you want. So, with every decision, put yourself in the viewer’s shoes and then proceed accordingly. When you ensure offering a delightful experience to your visitors, you will thrive as a web designer.

Author Bio:

Sophie Handrix was born in New York & has vast experience in the designing industry. She is working at Adravity.

Insights

Is a Gas Plumber the Same as a Plumber?

Miley on January 27, 2022

Do they really need a gas plumber or any ordinary plumber will do? This is a question that often confuses homeowners and they often end up making the wrong choice. As a matter of fact, some plumbing services do offer gas fitting services but homeowners are required to understand that plumbing natural gas lines are an area that requires specialized knowledge.

Plumbing services normally deal with water and sewer lines and gas plumbing is only a specialized area in the field that requires special knowledge and training on the part of the professionals.

What is plumbing work?

Defined by Australian standard regulation plumbing services can undertake operations or work-related with installation, repairing, replacement, maintenance, and removal of pipe systems and fixtures that carry clean water inside a house and liquid waste out of it. In Australia, every plumber is required to undergo a four years apprenticeship at the completion of which he can apply for a professional license for offering Plumbing Sydney services.

Basic gas fitting is included in this course and plumbers are required to procure an interim gas license to qualify for undertaking gas works. But they can still operate only under the supervision of a gas fitter who is fully qualified.

What is gas plumbing?

Australian standard regulations define gas plumbing as operations or work-related with installation, repairing, maintenance, or replacement of gas installations and for undertaking such projects plumbers are required to procure a full license from the department of mines and energy. For getting this license and operating as gas services Sydney professional plumbers are required to complete certificate IV in plumbing.

For obtaining a full gas license, plumbers are also required to work on an interim license for a minimum period of 12 months after successfully completing level IV certification.

Important differences between a plumber and a gas plumber

Some of the notable differences between plumbers and gas plumbers that homeowners are required to take into consideration are –

They are different occupations with different training and qualification requirements
It is the building construction commissions those issue plumbing license
Gas licenses are issued by the department of mines and energy

When to call a gas plumber?

There are a number of situations for which homeowners should seek services from licensed and fully qualified gas plumbers for ordinary plumbers are not qualified to handle those projects. Some of those situations are –

Issues with furnaces or HVAC systems
Water heaters and dryers
Stoves, outdoor grills, or fireplaces those run-on natural gas
For repairing gas pipeline leaks etc.

Advantages of hiring a qualified gas plumber

Some of the major advantages of hiring qualified gas plumbers when there is a situation are –

They can safely handle all-natural gas projects
Ensuring all your gas-powered appliances are correctly installed and safely operating
They are capable of doing work to the code that is required for passing building inspections
Most professional gas plumbers in Sydney are known to offer excellent customer service and guarantee their work so you don’t have to worry about the safety of your appliances or family members.

Insights

How to Protect Your Data When Working from Home

Miley on January 25, 2022

The health crisis has caused many companies to decide and let their employees stay at home and work remotely. Businesses have been forced to adhere to strict social distancing measures and implement health protocols to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Although the transition to the work-from-home setup appears seamless to many businesses, there are unseen security risks that come with it. To ensure business continuity, they have to provide their employees with the necessary tools and technologies to make it possible to work from home. This is obviously a challenge to the entire business, not only for their respective IT departments.

Now, employees, on their part, can do something to make the WFH transition seamless, and at the same time, minimize the security risks involved. In this article, we’ll enumerate some handy tips to protect any forms of data when working from home.

Tip #1: Protect your home office

Cybersecurity and information protection must begin with the physical setup. The same as when you shut down your office computer when you wrap up your day, you have to do the same when you’re working from home.

At home, there is a chance that your devices can get stolen. So, when you go out for lunch or when you prepare dinner, lock the screen of your device. This is an important tip to secure your home office.

Tip #2: Secure your router

After protecting your home office, the next thing you should do is to secure your router. Cybercriminals nowadays take advantage of the default passwords of routers because not many users bother to change it. As a result, their home network becomes vulnerable and at risk.

Changing the password of your router from the default to something strong and unique is an easy step to protect your network from threats. Once you have changed the password, you can take further security measures, such as installing firmware updates.

Tip #3: Keep personal and work devices separate

This may sound easier said than done, but it is essential to set boundaries between your personal and work life, especially when working from home.

Yes, there are instances when you need to log in to your device to perform a quick online transaction. But as much as possible, keep your personal and work computer separate. Otherwise, both personal and work information will be compromised in the event of a data breach.

Tip #4: Make sure to encrypt your device

If your device hasn’t been encrypted yet, enable it as soon as you can. This can help in reducing the risks involved when devices get stolen or lost. When encryption is enabled, strangers and cybercriminals cannot access files and information without the PIN or password.

How you enable encryption depends on the device that you are using. For Windows devices, you can use third-party tools and apps like BitLocker. For macOS, FileVault can be used.

Tip #5: Update your operating system

Ensure all the devices you use for work are updated. If security patches for the operating system are available, install them right away. Though some modern devices will automatically install the updates for you, sometimes you need to manually restart your PC to apply the changes.

Tip #6: Keep your applications up to date

Always remember that operating systems are not the only aspects that can be exploited by hackers. Any applications or programs can also be targets. So, just like your operating system, it is important to keep any installed program or app up to date.

Tip #7: Set your device to automatically lock when not used

If you are on break, lock your computer or device. While many already practice this, by nature, humans tend to forget. So, to prevent the worse from happening, set your PC to lock automatically when unattended.

Set a specific amount of time that is reasonable. For desktops, five minutes is ideal. But for mobile devices, 30 seconds is recommended.

Tip #8: Use a strong password

All the previous tips will be useless if you don’t use a unique password. If possible, do not use a password that is easy to guess. Also, do not repeat number sequences nor use common passwords.

When generating passwords, you can use a password manager. This way, you can keep yourself from using any information that is related to you, such as your contact number or home address. A strong password is one that looks random to any stranger. Think you’re safe? Here’s how long it takes a hacker to guess your password.

Tip #9: Install an anti-malware suite

An anti-malware program can protect your PC from threats like spyware, ransomware, Trojans, and other malware entities. As the name suggests, an anti-malware suite is a program designed to work against threats. It can identify threats and remove them from your system.

Tip #10: Enable two-factor verification

Two-factor authentication is a new authentication method that only grants access to a user when two pieces of evidence are presented to an authentication mechanism. This method has been used to reduce the risk of malware infections and phishing scams. With this authentication method, the attackers cannot log into an account because they don’t have access to another piece of evidence.

Tip #11: Clean and wipe any devices before sharing or disposing of them

Yes, you can always clean up your junk files and folders, but that isn’t enough. Expert hackers can still access your data when you just delete them temporarily. What you should do is return your devices to factory settings should you plan to lend, give away, or throw them.

Tip #12: Use a VPN

The woman is holding a tablet with a VPN sign-up tab opened

If you are trying to access data from your company’s servers, make sure you use a virtual private network. This private network secures your data, allowing you to send and receive packets safely, anytime, and anywhere. A VPN establishes an encrypted network over the internet, so all your traffic is routed through it.

Wrapping Up

We can never tell how long this COVID-19 pandemic will last. What we can conclude at the moment is that this health crisis will force people to continue working from home. So, to adapt to the new normal and keep information secure, consider these tips and equip yourself with basic PC repair knowledge.

Martech

5 Tips for Creating Engaging Content

Miley on January 24, 2022

By now, everyone understands the importance of content creation to the success of an entrepreneurial venture. However, publishing material online that will attract the intended audience can be a colossal undertaking when you consider the sheer volume of articles, blog posts, and other pieces of digital content, all vying for the attention of the targeted users.

So, how do you make the content you produce compelling enough to stand out amongst the competition? You’ll be happy to know that the answer is much more straightforward than you think. In this guide, we’ll discuss five simple tips to ensure that yours is as engaging as possible.

1. Diversify your content

While carefully produced blog posts remain the standard, it’s crucial not to limit yourself to written pieces. After all, other mediums for the delivery of information like podcasts and videos are growing in popularity, and if you don’t take advantage of them, you’ll miss out on opportunities to reel in your audience. For this reason, you must diversify your content offerings.

The addition of infographics, illustrations, and many others might sound like more work — and in reality, it is. However, it’s an investment of time and effort worth taking when you consider the fact that you’ll reach a broader audience by doing so.

2. Make it more accessible

Many businesses forget that not everyone has the same level of access to digital content. For example, the disabled community can’t engage with articles, videos, and other types of content in the same way that everybody else can. Therefore, you must make sure that yours is as accessible.

From the use of automatic video captioning software to keep those with hearing problems in the look for your video content, to alt text for images to accommodate people with vision impairment, making your content more inclusive can go a long way in improving its engagement.

3. Create compelling titles

Whether or not it’s fair, users tend to judge content based on its title. Most people these days have limited time and attention span, making them more likely to scroll past material that doesn’t strike them as immediately compelling. And for many, the most common indicator of this is the title of the content. As such, you must make sure that yours is compelling.

For example, instead of a title like “How to Organize the Workplace,” you can use “Beautiful Ways for Organizing an Office.” This may not sound like a significant change, but you’ll be surprised at how much more enticing it’ll be for users. Always remember to tug into the emotional strings of your audience whenever possible. As long as they react to it, any emotion you inspire will always be a good thing.

4. Look at your competitors for inspiration

Competitor's website — Schematic representation of the relationship between your and a competitor’s website

There’s a good chance that your competitors are producing content of their own. If their material is engaging users in ways that you’re not, it’s always a good idea to look at what they’re doing and see if you can adopt some of the strengths of their content creation practices. You may even find new ideas for topics and subjects to produce content about.

5. Make the content interactive

Last but not least, one of the best ways to create more engaging content is to make content interactive. Whether it’s a visual element that’s displayed whenever the mouse cursor hits a specific part of the page or including a few buttons or links on it, interactivity can make a difference when it comes to engagement.

Conclusion

Drawing in an audience is one thing. Keeping them engaged is another. When leads and conversions hinge on engagement, it makes sense to craft material that’s engaging to users. By following these tips, not only will you attract your audience, but you’ll be able to keep their interest too.

Development Insights

How Technology Can Help Your Business Stay Environmentally Friendly

Miley on January 6, 2022

Globalization embodies growth and progress but it also has major negative impacts on the environment. The production, importation, and exportation of goods produce waste, carbon emission, and pollution, and consumers are being alarmed by this matter, now more than ever. This amplifies the need for conversation and action towards becoming environmentally friendly, from the smallest ways to bigger commercial and industrial-scale initiatives.

From a macro perspective, major corporations have been making pledges to be more environmentally friendly, especially in cutting their carbon emissions. But the pressure is also on smaller startups, who must consciously work to avoid increasing the carbon footprint. Ambitious goals like going green can be costly but have become a necessary consideration for businesses to serve customers in a way that does not harm the environment.

How Technology Can Help Businesses Stay Environmentally Friendly

Go Paperless

About 399 million metric tons of paper was consumed globally in 2020, and these numbers are projected only to increase yearly. As wood is required for more paper production, going paperless and saving trees can help reduce emissions.

Going digital can be a huge adjustment for any company considering the time, cost, and learning curve. But it doesn’t have to be a major leap. There are simple tools and solutions for a business to transition from paper to paperless. Starting with easy-to-use web-based project management and customer relationship management systems can help reduce the need for paper forms and files.

There are also communication solutions that leave minimal physical paper trails in processes, especially cloud-based telephony systems or VoIPs. To learn more about how VoIP is used in business, a quick search on what is VoIP lists its numerous advantages.

Work Remotely to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Almost 25 percent of the global carbon emission comes from the transport sector, and among the major contributors are cities with business districts and heavy traffic. One way to reduce your business’s carbon footprint is by considering remote work—even if it’s once a week. Eliminating the need to commute to work also reduces the usage of office facilities and energy while also empowering your employees to support a significant cause.

Use Renewable Energy

Any business in almost all industries requires power to operate and produce products or deliver services. However, electrical energy, which is commonly used globally, negatively affects the environment, but there are several alternative sustainable energy sources.

Renewable or clean energy basically comes from sustainable sources or materials that do not deplete. This includes solar, wind, water, and biomass. These energy sources generate electricity with lower carbon emissions. It may need a significant investment, but switching to clean energy is an ideal step if the goal is to be eco-friendly on a larger scale. It can also help cut costs on energy bills, generating a long-term benefit for a business.

There are renewable energy systems that can be used in today’s businesses, like wind, solar, and geothermal power, but this will depend on your business’s location. It is also important to note that some jurisdictions require regulatory and legal permissions before using or installing renewable energy technology. So be sure to plan and research what renewable energy will work best for your business.

Improve Office Recycling

Among the most known ways to be environmentally friendly is the “3 Rs”: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Even in business, this still applies and must be employed. Prioritize implementing responsible waste disposal and strengthening recycling initiatives in the workplace. You can invest in waste management technology, like bins with sensors, and this can make recycling more interesting for employees, encouraging more enthusiastic participation.

Using recycled products like pens and notepads for your daily business needs also encourages the eco-friendly efforts of others. It just needs mindful planning and research to find the materials that will work best for your business.

Committing to becoming an eco-friendly business requires long-term efforts. More than the potential positive impact on your brand, making your business more environmentally friendly is also a social responsibility. Studies suggest that environmental and climate issues will only progress as time passes. The combined efforts of individuals and businesses can drastically slow down climate changes. And as you grow your business, relish the opportunity to be part of the solution in facing and addressing environmental issues today.

Martech SEO

How Small Businesses Can Make it to the Top of Google

Miley on December 30, 2021

How do you search for a business?

You will likely ask someone you know or Google it!

Reports depict around 97 percent of consumers learn more about a local business online. Out of these, 72 percent of consumers visit a store within five miles.

That’s how powerful the largest search engine, Google, is.

If you are an SMB owner, you would already know the immense competition on Google.

Not to mention, there are over 212.98 million SMEs worldwide.

So, even if you have quality products, your business might be getting overlooked due to the well-established enterprises nearby dominating the top SERPs.

In this post, we have shared the best strategies that’ll help SMBs reach the top of Google rankings and enhance their conversions and ROI.

1. Create a Google Search Console Account to Identify Your Website SEO Health

Google Search Console or GSC is a free-to-use SEO toolkit offered by Google.

With GSC, you get free access to crucial SEO KPIs like the following and more.

The total number of organic clicks.
Impressions your website is getting on Google.
Keywords that users are searching for to search your business.

So, if you don’t have a GSC account, add it to your priority list.

All you need to do is sign in to GSC using your Google account. Post that, enter your website’s domain name and verify it.

The process is quick and doesn’t take more than a few minutes.

2. Perform In-Depth Keyword Research for Your Niche

Keywords can improve your SEO game in no time.

Choose keywords that are relevant to your product offerings.

To find the best keywords for your niche, you can use the GSC tool. Besides, there are plenty of keyword research tools available in the market like – Ubersuggest, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer, and Google Keyword Planner.

Here’s a screenshot that depicts how Ubersuggest offers crucial keyword information such as its search volume, SEO difficulty, cost per click, and more.

Implementing such a keyword tool will help you optimize website content with keywords that appeal to your target audience.

3. Write Relevant and Useful Content for Target Audience

Google has long stated that content is a vital ranking factor.

To ensure your website gains visibility, write quality content that’s relevant and informative.

It must stay true to Google’s E-A-T ratings – Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. This practice will add value to the content, helping you reach the top of SERPs.

4. Open Google My Business Account to Get Discovered in Local Searches

Google Local Pack displays the top three businesses along with their details.

Google My Business (GMB) account increases your chances to appear in the Local Pack. It can help your business gain better visibility in local SERPs. Check out this insightful infographic by Ronkot for detailed information on local SEO.

To set up your GMB account, add the following details.

Business location
Services/Offerings
Operational Hours
Phone Number and Images

5. Ask Your Customers for Google Reviews and Respond to Them

Google reviews can affect your business image.

While searching for any business, customers also check the Google reviews.

Hence, you must ask your customers to leave feedback on Google.

Thank your customers for leaving a response. Also, don’t ignore negative reviews. Make sure you hear out what the customer has to say and respond with a clear solution to their problems. Finally, thank them for giving you an opportunity to serve them.

Responding to reviews, negative, positive, or neutral, will send a message that you care for customers, thereby strengthening your GMB presence and local rankings.

Conclusion

The strategies shared in this post have great potential to offer better organic traffic and visibility to SMBs. So, go ahead and implement them to hit the top results in Google rankings!

Development Martech Products

Five Ways to Learn More About Tech

Miley on December 29, 2021

Are you in the technology business? Do you simply want to learn more about technology to improve a business that doesn’t involve tech directly? Whatever you are doing, learning about technology, engineering, and mathematics is always helpful. It can really supplement your overall knowledge and open the door to new opportunities. Technology is the future of our society. It is changing the way we live and augmenting modern life. Below are five ways you can learn more about technology.

Learn about Computer Programming

When it comes to computer programming, you can learn a lot on your own. You don’t need to go to college to learn how to program. First, think about what you are doing and how knowing a little bit about programming will help you grow and improve. You can take an online course, read up on blogs, and practice coding and programming at your home. Some people don’t need to know how to program, but it will facilitate your life if you are working in the business of technology.

Take Online Math Courses

If you are like a lot of people in the United States, you didn’t get a great education in mathematics. When you are in technology or are trying to get into the business of it, you should know more about math. There are plenty of options for learning mathematics. Taking a linear algebra online course will supplement your knowledge on the subject. Whether you’re a physicist, an engineer, or a technologist, knowing math is pivotal. Even if it doesn’t directly apply to what you are doing, taking online math courses will facilitate the process of learning more about technology.

Work with Engineers

Technology takes a lot of engineering. If you aren’t trained in the field, you should work with engineers and learn from them. It’s imperative to learn more about engineering if you want to learn about technology. There are all kinds of sectors in engineering. Employ engineers, network with them, and ask them questions. If you’re an engineer yourself, you know that it’s invaluable to gain knowledge from engineers in other areas of the field. Whether you’re trying to become a huge technology company or are specializing in a niche, working with engineers is very important.

What About Marketing?

Technology and marketing are colliding, converging. Marketing is no longer simply tangible; it is increasingly digital. Search engine optimization (SEO) is becoming more and more vital in the age of digital marketing. SEO is the process of creating content and using metadata to land web pages as high up on search engines like Google and Bing as possible.

By using keywords, hyperlinks, and engaging copy, companies of all kinds can inform their customers, direct them to contact and purchase hyperlinks and use keywords to be seen when people type them in on search engines. If you are in tech, you should use it to learn more about who is successful and why. SEO provides education in all that is technology marketing. It will teach you a lot.

Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Network — Schematic display of the network

Finally, if technology is our culture, machine learning and AI are at the forefront of it. The ability for machines to teach themselves new things without humans is incredibly valuable. Can they automate on their own to produce results and find new solutions to problems? Your whole company and outlook on tech can be changed by this. When you are interested in tech and know a lot about it, the final frontier is AI and machine learning. If you learn about these subjects, you will be able to create success. A good place to start? AI writing software and apps that can make your life easier.

Technology is evolving. Life is changing. Things are moving. Whatever you are interested in and whatever you do for work, learning about technology will enable you to get more done. Whether you want to create a game-changing tech business or want to use tech more effectively in your non-tech company, doing your best to learn more about it will do you a lot of good. What are you waiting for? If you need to learn more about technology, it’s time to get started. It is the future of modernity and, as they say, the future is now. The longer you wait, the more of an uphill climb it will be.

Martech SaaS

5 Examples of Progressive Web Apps

Miley on December 27, 2021

Progressive web apps are increasingly finding favor with companies globally. It allows companies to engage better with their clients.

You may ask, what is a Progressive web app?

These are websites that look and function like an app. They use the latest technology to offer the users’ app-like experiences right in their browsers.

To explain to you in detail how progressive web apps helped companies achieve their goals, I have listed some real-life examples here.

Top progressive web apps that achieved their goals

Tinder

The first choice of the millennials when they are looking for a dating app is Tinder. If you look at the structure of this app, you will find that its main focus is mobile users.

Recently, this immensely popular online dating app decided to invest in a progressive web app to target new markets.

While building this app, one of their key goals was to maintain 1:1 feature parity with their existing native application. And if you look at their newly launched progressive web app, then you will find that they have succeeded in this task.

The key points of this app that make it a grand success include the following.

The size of this app is just 10% of the existing native app.
Short development cycle.
The number of users swipes and messaging increased.
The session time of the users also increased significantly.

AliExpress

AliExpress is another example of how the progressive web app helped a company to significantly improve the users’ engagement online.

This hugely popular e-commerce website was struggling in its effort to offer a highly engaging web experience to its users. The company experimented with the concept of using its mobile website to attract non-app users to download their app – this experiment did not give them the desired results.

To rectify the situation, AliExpress looked at various types of web apps and then decided to create a cross-browser progressive web app.

This decision was a smash hit with the users and the overall performance of the website increased significantly.

To help you understand the level of success of the new progressive web app of AliExpress, you need to look at its key performance indicators.

The conversion rate increased dramatically by 104%.
The number of pages visited per session also doubled.
The number of time users spends per session also increased by 74%.

Pinterest also chooses to go with Progressive Web Apps as it aligns well with its business goals and objectives.

The planners at Pinterest were stumped on how to offer highly engaging service to those users who were struggling with low bandwidth or have a limited data plan.

After analyzing the viewer’s activity on their mobile website, they discovered that only 1% of the new users either signed up or logged into their account.

To meet this challenge, they launched their progressive web app and were astounded by the results. Some of the important highlights of their progressive web app include the following.

A huge jump of 103% in active weekly users numbers YoY.
The session length also increased dramatically by 296%.
The rate of signup YoY also saw a gigantic jump of 843%.

Starbucks

Starbucks always believed in offering its customers a great experience and a good value for their money.

Therefore, with the rise of mobile users, they quickly identified the potential and decided to offer a highly engaging mobile-first experience to their users.

They decided to do this through their progressive web app and the engagement statistics of the app show that it was a big hit among the users.

Some of the points that would buttress my argument regarding the massive improvement Starbucks saw after investing in a progressive mobile app are as follows.

It offered the users ordering offline ordering options.
The performance of PWA was significantly faster than the legacy native app.
The users used the app from their home screen an average of four times a day.
The session time was more.

Twitter

Twitter is a hugely popular social media giant with a user base of several million.

Twitter from its early days focused on offering a mobile-first experience to its users.

However, in the emerging market, they faced the problem of users with limited bandwidth as well as legacy mobile devices.

For them, progressive web apps offered an optimum solution of offering their new users in the emerging markets a solution that offers feature parity with their existing mobile app.

The result of this investment was dramatic, to say the least. Twitter saw an overall improvement in all performance indexes of their progressive web app some of which include the following.

The number of tweets sent increased by 75%.
The length of each session also increased by 65%.
The bounce rate was brought down by 20%.
The frequency of tweets by average users increased to 4 times a day.

Conclusion

The examples I have put together in this article show conclusively why companies all over the world are slowly switching over to the progressive web app.