Companies must ensure their website not only looks fabulous but also provides the best user experience. Nowadays, there are so many questions to answer when planning web design, but the most common one revolves around whether to choose a template or a custom design and which is best.

Choosing between a template or a custom website design can be fundamental to how your customers feel about your business. The latest research suggests it only takes 0.05 seconds for users to decide whether to stay or leave your website, so you must make a great first impression.

If you’re struggling to decide to go with a template website or a customer website, this article will cover the differences, the pros and cons of both, and the factors you should consider when choosing the best option that meets your needs. 

What’s the Difference between a Custom Website and a Template Website?

Just like email templates use pre-written text and format where you customize the contact details or amend the bits that you need, a web template is a pre-designed web page that follows a theme. Companies can choose from a vast range of design templates that can even include industry-specific themes or designs. Companies then insert their contact information and content using the templates, with no need for web design or coding skills.

Custom websites are bespoke and designed to meet the specific needs of a company. Designed and coded from scratch, a custom website is unique and tailored to meet your specific requirements. This allows companies full control of every aspect of their website, from design and layout to functionality, which can personalize your website in ways beyond simple color and font differences. Custom websites require skills in web design and coding to create a website that meets your every need.

There are pros and cons to both template and custom websites, so let’s examine them first.

The Pros and Cons of Custom Websites

Pros

Control

Whether you produce podcasts for software developers or you’re an online boutique, when you choose a custom website, you have full control over the appearance and function of your web pages. This means you can design a platform that meets your and your users’ unique needs.

Branding

When you design a bespoke website, you create it in line with your branding, from logos and fonts to color schemes. This means that everything on the website will be consistent with your brand values.

Integration

Because you have designed your site to include the plugins you need, there won’t be any unnecessary code hanging around that may slow loading speeds. Your site will have exactly what you need to give an excellent performance for your users and allow for scalability as your needs change or your company grows.

Sustainability

Your custom web design belongs to you and with the support of the right development team, you will have full control over what changes are made to the design and functions. You are not reliant on an unknown design team who may want to withdraw the template or discontinue functions that are vital to your platform. 

This could mean you can no longer use that template and may have to redesign your website. With a custom website, your web design has long-term sustainability, helping you to build trust with your users.

Cons

Web design skills required

Like building a custom CRM for your business, creating a custom website requires highly developed design and coding skills. Some larger companies may have in-house teams with those skills, but many do not. If you want a bespoke website that meets your every need, you will need to hire a web developer to do it for you.

Cost

Not only is there the upfront cost of hiring a web developer, but you are also responsible for the ongoing costs of maintaining the website to ensure it continues to function effectively, meeting your needs and those of your users.

Complexity

When developing code from scratch, there is a lot more scope for error. Code will need to be tested and bugs fixed, preferably before launch, which can increase the set-up time for your website.

Time

Unfortunately, it takes time to build a fantastic bespoke website that meets your every need. Timeframes can vary, but it could be anything between three and six months (perhaps longer depending on the complexity) to get your website up and running.

You must plan

When you’re spending your valuable budget on a custom web design, you want to know that it will grow and change in line with your business. To ensure scalability, you must apply long-term planning. There’s no point in investing in a website that does not allow for growth and increased traffic.

You may design a website for your currently small enterprise, but what about five years from now when your customer base may have increased and demand is higher? Planning will allow you to get it right the first time and allow for scalability.

The Pros and Cons of Template Websites

Pros

Speedy setup

If you want it to be quick, you can have your website up and running with a few clicks when you use a website template.

A more realistic time frame, however, is two to three weeks, which allows you the time to customize the contact pages with your company’s details, add logos and images, and upload your content.

No special skills required

You don’t need to hire a web developer because the pre-set designs and coding have already been completed for you. You may need to include a plugin or two, depending on what you want your website to do, but there are plenty of online tutorials to help you along the way.

Cheaper

Whether you’re trying to create a CRM on a tight budget or a website, both the above means a template website is much easier on the finances. Plus, the web developer who designed the templates is also responsible for any ongoing costs regarding fixing bugs.

If finances are a problem you could look into other options to raise capital such as revenue share deals, where, for example, a party could put a sum of money upfront for website development and in return receive a percentage of the revenue, or the revenue of one department. 

Simple

Perhaps you don’t need a website with complex functions or design. If you find a template design you like that provides the functionality you require, why not use it? There are hundreds of thousands of templates to choose from, so if you want something simple, you should be able to find it without feeling restricted.

Cons

Less customization potential

While design templates are perfect for those who want to keep things simple, if you’re in a niche market and require highly specific functionality, you may struggle to find a template that meets your every need.

Requires developer support

Templates also require continued support from the developer (who has not been employed directly by you) and who may at some point decide to pull support for your chosen theme. Without regular support and updates to fix any issues, your website could crash, which could damage customer trust in your brand and send you back to the drawing board to rebuild your website.

It’s a good idea to research the template provider and check reviews to see if they have a history of pulling support for their web templates.

Slow performance

Templates have pre-installed code for any potential plugins that companies may wish to add to their sites. These extra elements can slow performance and lead to a poor user experience. Google doesn’t like slow-performing websites and consistently punishes them with poor visibility on search engine results pages.

Common design

Template designs are not unique, so there is the potential for other companies, including your competitors, to choose the same design. This doesn’t help if you want your website to stand out from the crowd.

How to Decide Between a Custom Website or a Template Website

As we’ve just seen, both website types have pros and cons; however, the best choice for your enterprise is the one that meets your needs and provides your customers with the best user experience.

Like a call center installing an IVR phone system, setting up a website is an enormous investment in both time and money and needs to be done right if you want to enhance rather than damage your brand. Don’t forget, your website design and usability can have a tremendous impact on your company’s credibility.

Before you invest in your website, determine the following to help you find out the needs of your enterprise and your customers.

A Budget

As always, your budget affects all decision-making, including your website design.

If you are a small company or a start-up with a limited budget, a template website may be the best choice, with lower upfront costs. A template website can still offer you a beautiful design with the essential functions you need to get your site up and running.

If you have a larger budget, you can invest in a custom website created from scratch by a web developer that meets your brand requirements and incorporates every function you and your customers require. If you are planning to hire a web developer to build a customized website and want to understand your options, then you may wish to attend the world’s leading event for developers. This will enable you to meet numerous developers and learn about cutting-edge industry trends.

But don’t let a limited budget get you down.

Budgets are by far the most important factor in deciding the way forward with your web development.

A meager budget doesn’t mean you will be reduced to using a dull, generic website with poor design and equally poor performance.

If you can’t consider a custom design, a template will still allow you to produce a visually appealing and effective website that provides a good user experience.

Do your research and test templates to find the best one to meet your needs and your budget. Find add-ons that will help you provide the functionality you require without damaging the user experience.

If you care about optimizing your position on search results pages, then try to find a template that allows you to include HTML tags and meta descriptions so that you can make the most of your SEO strategies and help search engines to make sense of your content.

If you want to add certain features that are not included with a standard template, find a template that allowed the integration of third-party applications. There are industry-specific template providers that can meet the additional needs of eCommerce retailers or software product marketing, or perhaps you run a beauty salon and want to include an online booking system.

Don’t forget, you can always upgrade to a custom design as your company grows, and you have more resources to invest in your website.

A Timeframe

If you need to have your website up and running quickly, go with a template. All the time-consuming work has already been done, so once you’ve uploaded your company details, logos, images and content, and any additional plugins you require, you can have your site ready to go within a couple of weeks.

A custom website, on the other hand, requires time and patience to set up from scratch. So, if you don’t have a specific deadline, you can use that time to create a website that requires complex coding and testing to meet your individual needs. Once the website is ready, you can enhance its visual appeal by incorporating high-quality images and eye-catching typography that captivate your audience and provide a more immersive browsing experience.

Functionality

If you just want the basics for your website, such as a blog or simple eCommerce functions, then a template should be enough to meet your needs and be professional and effective. Not every website needs to provide the user with every function, especially if you are a small business.

However, if you need more, like a fully interactive user experience or to allow users to customize their products, a template will be too restrictive. Here, a custom website is the way to go and will allow your web team to create the specialized functions you require. Custom websites are also best if you want to include lots of graphics or provide a customer portal.

Scalability

If you don’t think your website will have to deal with rapid increases in engagement over time that may compromise performance, then perhaps a template is the best choice for you. However, templates lack the flexibility of a custom website and don’t allow you to change the functionality as your business grows.

If you expect your business to flourish and user engagement to increase, then choose a custom website that will allow you to expand its functionality as your company and users grow. You can add new features as and when you need them to ensure your customers continue to receive the best user experience.

Compatibility

If you don’t envisage using a lot of add-ons or need your website to communicate with other business tools like your social media accounts or customer service software, then go with a simple template.

But, if you need to integrate those things, you need your website to offer the compatibility required to ensure a seamless customer experience. When you have more add-ons, you need a website that can be easily adapted to incorporate them. Templates tend not to have that ease of extensive compatibility with other platforms and software.

Exclusivity

Templates can be customized enough to help you differentiate yourself from other companies using the same pre-designed template, so this may be the best option if you’re not too bothered about an exclusive web design.

Custom templates, however, allow you the complete creative freedom to design unique web pages that are exclusive to your company and help you stand out from the crowd. You can ensure your website is in line with every aspect of your brand, rather than having to make it fit as best you can.

Performance

Templates can often come with imperfect code. Without regular updates and maintenance, this can slow performance, which also affects your position on search rankings. If other things like budget take precedence, then go with a template.

Custom sites are maintained by your team of web developers, so you have no excess code clogging up performance and can keep your coding up to date. This will have a positive impact on SEO and search rankings, keeping you higher on the results page and maintaining decent loading speeds to improve performance.

Updating Content

If you want to update the content on your website yourself, such as adding a UK business phone number, then it doesn’t make a difference whether you choose a template or a custom website.

Templates have a built-in content management system and make it simple to update content yourself, but you can also do the same on your custom website. All you need to do is ensure your web developer integrates a content management system or builds an administrator portal where you can easily access and update content.

Usability

Unfortunately, a lot of templates, be they website templates or user management templates, don’t provide the same performance across all devices. 

If you’re constrained to using a template but know your customers will access your website via a mobile device and want to provide seamless navigation, then do your research. Some templates are tailored to look and function equally well across all devices. You just need to test them first.

If you want full control over your user experience with a website that is easy to navigate, whether on a desktop or by simply using a thumb to browse on a mobile phone, then go for a custom design.

Template or Custom—Which is Best?

The answer depends on your needs.

Whether you’re a solopreneur or a blue-chip company in any industry, you want a beautifully designed website that provides a seamless customer experience and generates credibility and trust among your customers.

However, not all enterprises need a website with every available functionality, and many do not have the budget to create it.

If you’re still not sure which is the best way to go, check out the web development services from Flatlogic. Their experienced teams can help you create a top-notch website, whether you’re a new startup or hoping to upgrade your webpages and improve performance.

There are pros and cons to both templates and custom websites, but when selecting the best option for your business, establish the needs of your company, your team, and your customers, and choose the option that meets those requirements. Check out another top-notch article about custom templates and development:

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• AI-Generated Roles and Permissions to Flatlogic Generator
• Decline in Coding: Web App Developers Writing Code Drops to 36.02% in 2024 – [Research Results]
• Exploring the Future of AI Web App Generators
• AI Web App Generator to Make Apps in Minutes

The post What’s Better: Custom Websites or Template Websites? appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

But there are potential concerns and threats for digital startups; especially regarding cybersecurity. You might be offering better prices than your competitors, or have the best product around, but what if you are not aware and defended against cybersecurity risks threatening your business? In that case, your startup is doomed to go down. 

The risk of being attacked by cybercriminals is real, and small digital startups are probably the best target for these attackers. They usually have a small team, a small budget, and not the best cybersecurity structure. On that note, there are some great tips and practices that will boost your cybersecurity game and protect your digital startup from malicious users of the Internet.

Why is cybersecurity important for a startup?

The most obvious reason is that cybercriminals will attack anything that looks easy to penetrate, that’s it. If they were to select victims, it would probably be new startups with small teams managing massive amounts of client data instead of corporations with dedicated IT security departments. 

People usually believe that a cyberattack will never happen, at least to their company, until it happens. If you also do not believe the chances are high; there is a great report shared on BusinessWire that suggests 68% of the startup founders in the study said they have experienced at least one cyberattack. So yes, the chances are high and you might just lose millions of records if you are not prepared.

Another thing that makes cybersecurity particularly important in this day and age is the immense adoption of the remote work model. Digital startups are mostly based on remote work basis and consist of team members worldwide. Cloud computing security is a whole different world where the risks are higher, and so are the precautions you take. If you are providing remote access to your employees and sharing your resources overseas, you are more vulnerable than ever. 

Let’s talk a bit about what would happen if there was a cyberattack on your startup. You can imagine it being costly, so costly that it might cripple your business single-handedly depending on the attack’s impact zone. As a new startup, you might take damage so impactful that it may end things for you before you even start. 

Cyberattacks are also detrimental in terms of user trust in your company, they may even cause issues with legal bodies. Even if you offer competitive prices, users will most likely choose the safest option and not your startup if you don’t have the means to protect them against malicious online entities.

If you do happen to be targeted by a successful cyber attack, it would also most likely escalate to legal penalties due to customers suing the company. With cybersecurity regulations placed by authorities, it is important to know that everyone is being monitored by these bodies. 

The most common cybersecurity threats for startups 

Before we explain the most common threats targeting digital startups, let’s categorize all cyber attacks into two main types; internal and external threats. Although internal risks might not be as apparent with a small team of employees, they are still there. Internal threats are those caused by your team members for various reasons; they may be intentionally contributing to data leaks, or they may simply be a victim of a phishing attack. 

Now the external threats are most likely more dangerous for these small businesses. Cybercriminals who know that a startup has vulnerabilities will naturally target them first. Various outside attacks directed right at your company servers will cripple your business and cause unexpected consequences. Below we gathered up some of the most common cybersecurity threats for you; both internal and external. 

Phishing attacks

Phishing attacks are very simple (although they get more complex every day), but effective. This cyber attack is when a malicious actor on the Internet lures an insider user to share their personal information such as user credentials. 

Most phishing attacks are done via emails; the attackers send out an email to one of the team members in your startup. The email is designed to look legitimate; they make sure to add legit-looking signatures, twist the email providers to look like legitimate companies, and more. 

In some remote teams, these emails might even imitate to have come from one of your supervisors asking for sensitive information. The moment the end-user thinks it is indeed safe to share the information, it may be too late and your network is already compromised with stolen sensitive data. 

Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS)

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are designed to attack the core of company networks and their websites. When you experience a DDoS attack, attackers create immense traffic on your company website using malicious computer systems. These attacks will eventually bring your network down and make your websites inoperative.

Since DDoS attacks are done via compromised systems, they send out bot-like requests that overwhelm your servers, making it impossible for your actual customers to access the website and use your services. DDoS attacks are especially detrimental since it locks out the actual user, raising questions about the ability of your startup to offer operational continuity. 

Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malicious component installed into a device through unknown software sources. The attacker promotes their software as a legit and needed tool, then the end-user is tricked into downloading it to their devices. Once the software is installed, it immediately locks the device or the server it is installed in, preventing the user from taking any action on the resources. 

After the device is locked out, the perpetrator of the attack requests a ransom to give access back to the user. The fee they ask to give you access to your resources is usually excessive and can put you in a hard situation as a new business owner. 

Data loss 

Data loss is a nightmare that may end up losing all of your resources in the worst case. In any potential cyber attack, your resources are at risk of being stolen or terminated, crippling your business from the inside out. Luckily, this is mostly caused out of disregard and can be prevented. 

If your company does not back up the data frequently by either backing up yourself or getting a service from a third-party, data loss will be a real threat to your startup. Any external or internal threats are capable of causing data loss and you need to make sure you have them backed up before it happens. 

Malware attacks

Malware is another malicious code that is designed to gain access to your resources, eliminate the data on your servers, or simply steal sensitive information. Malware attacks are mostly caused by downloading content from unfriendly websites or spam emails that carry trojans and viruses attached to them. 

One of the worst things about malware attacks is that they are contagious. Simply connecting to an infected device might immediately compromise your device too. From a startup’s perspective, infected devices could be a nightmare with how expensive getting them replaced might be. 

If your team members are using their own devices to work (which is common in startups), they are particularly exposed to malware attacks. The lack of proper defense mechanisms and anti-virus tools can cause a significant malware contagion among your devices. 

Insufficient Password Protection

Although passwords are the most basic form of cyber security, many startups fail to implement effective password policies. Weak passwords can be easily guessed, allowing hackers to gain access to confidential data and accounts. Even passwords that are complex and difficult to guess can be compromised by brute-force attacks. 

To prevent this, startups should ensure that they have policies that require strong passwords, as well as regular password updates. In addition, two-factor authentication should be used whenever possible to protect user accounts.

By implementing strong password policies, deploying two-factor authentication, and educating staff about cyber security threats, startups can significantly reduce the risk of attack and protect their data and assets. With the right measures in place, startups can focus on growth without worrying about cybersecurity threats.

Insider Threats

Insider threats are among the most concerning cybersecurity threats for startups. 

On a basic level, insider threats are people with access to an organization’s confidential information, networks, and systems who use that access to cause harm, whether intentionally or unintentionally. This could be a disgruntled employee, a malicious third party, or even a careless employee who makes a mistake. 

Insider threats cause significant financial losses, disruption of services, and loss of customer data – all of which can have a devastating effect on a startup’s reputation and bottom line.

Unsecured Wi-Fi Networks

Unsecured networks are public networks that are open to anyone, allowing intruders to access sensitive data and user accounts. 

Without proper security measures in place, unsecured Wi-Fi networks can be a gateway for malicious actors to gain access to networks and steal confidential data. Hackers can also use unsecured networks to launch a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which can be costly and time-consuming to stop.

To protect your startup from unsecured Wi-Fi networks, you should take a few basic steps such as only connecting to secure networks, using encryption and other security measures when connected to a public network, and disabling your wireless network when not in use.

Data Breach Prevention

Data breaches are a growing concern for startups, as they are particularly vulnerable to sophisticated cyber-attacks. 

To prevent data breaches, startups must take a proactive approach to cybersecurity. This includes developing a strong security policy, evaluating security risks, and implementing security controls. 

Security policies should include best practices for data safety, such as regularly backing up data, using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, and encrypting data. Security risk assessments should be conducted regularly to ensure networks and systems are secure and up-to-date.

 Lastly, security controls should be implemented in accordance with the risk assessment. These controls could include access control, authentication, and data encryption.

In addition to these proactive steps, startups should also be aware of the most common threats and how to respond if an attack does occur. It’s essential to keep your systems updated and monitor for suspicious activity, such as unusual logins or network traffic. 

Best cybersecurity practices for digital startups 

Even though the threats we just talked about seem like a nightmare – and they are – it does not mean that you can’t prevent them. In fact, most of these risks can be mitigated significantly with proper cybersecurity practices. 

Digital startups with small budgets and a handful of team members can too actually adopt effective security tools and simple solutions. If you are new to this, don’t worry since we already gathered up all the best practices you need as a digital startup owner. 

1-) Securing remote connections 

This sounds a bit generic and basic, but there are so many things included in remote work security. Most digital startups will have remote teams to cut down costs, so they need to prioritize how secure their remote connections are. 

Using subscription-based solutions such as cloud VPNs or CASB services are two great ways to ensure a secure connection between remote places. If your employees are working from public Wi-Fi connections while connecting your overseas servers, the transmitted data is as vulnerable as it gets. 

Tools such as data encryption or private tunneling (both are offered by remote connection VPN services) make remote work easier and safer for these businesses. When thinking about securing these connections, it is important to remember that data will always be in danger while it travels. As we said in the beginning, this is a wide subject with lots of tools and frameworks, so it is better to check NordLayer’s guide on remote work security to learn in-depth. 

2-) Use multi-factor authentication and SSO

Using passwords as the only method of authentication for users is now outdated. No matter how many policies you have on setting up strong passwords, they might fail. They are easy to be compromised or stolen, and usually are the keys to the whole business resources. 

If you have a digital startup with a remote team, this threat becomes even more significant with issues such as stolen devices or even identity theft. That’s why using multi-factor authentication (MFA) or Single Sign-on (SSO) can prevent password-related accidents. 

MFA enforces users to provide a second or third way of authentication in addition to their passwords. These might be fingerprints, one-time passwords (OTP), or authentication apps installed on their smartphones. 

SSO on the other hand uses an already verified account to sign in the user. In most basic terms, SSO is when a website allows you to sign in to your account with your Gmail account. They don’t require any additional passwords, and they utilize these trusted services for verification. 

3-) Managing roles and permissions

Even if you have a small team, you should never allow access to the whole company network. Your users need to know their roles within the startup and have access permissions accordingly. 

This is probably the most effective way to prevent internal threats. If you have users who can just wander and access all the resources (including sensitive information), this leaves an open door to criminals who can exploit user permissions to steal data. 

The best thing to do in a digital startup is to define a few core users that can access customer data, payment information, or other valuable resources. The rest of the team should only have access to what they need based on their roles. These can be done through solutions such as Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools.

4-) Get an SSL certificate

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is probably the most straightforward security protocol for all web-based businesses. If you have a website that you serve your customers with, having an SSL certificate is simply an obligation. 

SSL encrypts all the information being sent or received by your website and your servers. Since most digital startups will store customer information or even their payment information, SSL certification would be a must for these businesses. 

Having encryption on this sensitive information prevents malicious users from peeking through your website and servers, and ensures that data is secure when it is transmitted. What’s even more important is that most tech-savvy users know about SSL, and will prefer companies that have it. So it will also potentially increase brand reputation and customer trust. 

5-) Keep software updated and back up your data 

These two simple practices might just save your newly started business. As we already talked about, the best way to prevent data loss is to frequently back up your servers. You can do this with simple external storage if you have a really small business, or get assistance from a provider. 

In regards to the software you use every day, you need to make sure they are always up to date. Outdated software will cause vulnerabilities in your system that can result in malware attacks, viruses, or trojans. Having robust online apps can be as simple as just keeping them updated.

6-) Comprehensive Security Policies

Start by implementing comprehensive security policies and procedures, such as restricting access to confidential data, providing regular training to staff on cybersecurity best practices, and conducting regular security audits. 

7-) Investing In Technologies

Startups should also consider investing in technologies such as data loss prevention (DLP) solutions and user activity monitoring tools which can help detect suspicious activity and alert administrators in real time. 

Security Awareness

Finally, it is essential for startups to promote a culture of security awareness in the workplace by encouraging employees to report any suspicious activity they may come across. With the right security measures in place, startups can greatly reduce their risk of falling victim to an insider threat.

Conclusion: Protect your digital startup against cyber attacks 

Digital startups are threatened by cyber criminals, and as a business owner, you need to do something about it. The first thing to do is to realize and acknowledge all the threats targeting you, and then understand how to prevent them. 

It is a hassle to manage a small business, but if you disregard your cybersecurity needs, it is deemed to fail right from the beginning. It is highly advised for any company operating online to adopt the practices we mentioned in this article. Remember, protecting your digital startup against cyber attacks is one way to lead to success. Check out another article to make your business safety place:

• Free Open-Source CRM Software For Small Business
• AI-Generated Roles and Permissions to Flatlogic Generator
• Decline in Coding: Web App Developers Writing Code Drops to 36.02% in 2024 – [Research Results]
• Exploring the Future of AI Web App Generators
• AI Web App Generator to Make Apps in Minutes

The post Top Cybersecurity Practices For Digital Startups appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

To put it simply, accessibility control is the process of determining who can use your program, how much they can use it, and what they can do once they have access.

Incorporating user management controls is essential for business software, enhancing security, operational transparency, and user experience by efficiently managing access and activities within the application.

User management controls embedded in applications simplify for businesses the process of monitoring users, authenticating identities, managing permissions, and setting usage time limits, ensuring the security of the business and its data, while providing comprehensive oversight of app modifications and fostering a seamless user experience.

What exactly is user management?

User management is the process by which new users are added to, and existing users are deleted from, a database. A user management system, whether it be a proprietary tool embedded in the company or a connection to an existing system like Any system that aims to support a large number of users must use Open Directory or the other authentication method as one of its core components.

User management is not just determining whether or not a user has permission to access limited resources, but it even stores identifies and if done properly, may be the only source of identifiers inside an organization.

You may exercise control over the in-app profiles of your customers by going to the User Management page, which is integrated with the Customer Tagging section.

It lets you:

1. Include newly created user profiles in the application.
2. Find a user’s profile by searching for it.
3. Add user tags to each of the profile users.
4. Restrict and remove the ban users
5. You may export the information about your registered users.

All features of user management are available for exploration and expertise

1. Control of Accessibility for Users

It’s easy to activate and restricts users by selecting through a dropdown section.

2. User Property Control

Every user in this program is described by user attributes. You may specify that characteristics are necessary and which are uncompelled using Backend less.

3. User Directory

 Receive a list of each of the information that is associated with your users in a single spot.

4. User Access Control

It’s easy to go active and disable customers by selecting from a dropdown menu.

5. Add fresh handlers

With the help of the User Registration API, you may add new users to your app.

Below are the advantages of a user management app

1. Since we are aware and have an understanding of user management, it is much simpler to comprehend the way user management systems handle the conundrum of adjusting several users’ access to a variety of resources.
2. IT supervisors may control resources and accessibility depending on the needs of the organization using UM, which results in increased safety for digital assets. This event guarantees a smooth understanding for the end user, which considerably improves the consumer’s overall impression of the product.
3. The introduction of cloud-only computing made it possible to enhance user management by facilitating access to a greater number of online apps. Because users now have access to a much larger number of digital resources, user management that is hosted in the cloud has swiftly become the resolution of choice. In addition, efficient management of user identities sets the groundwork for enhanced control of individuality access, which is a key component of information security.
4. An efficient user management method helps businesses to effectively continue their user-based license compliance, which in turn allows for a wider variety of software applications to be used to the extent of their capabilities. UM may also assist businesses in saving money on different software licenses by providing a rundown of the number of installs and activations that are still available for a specific piece of software and eliminating the need for further purchases of the program.
5. User management may even assist companies in budget planning by pointing up possible software expenditure areas that need to be funded. Companies can determine, with the help of UM, which locations or users need new certificates and when they are needed.
6. This not only assists users but also lets corporations know when users no longer need a particular piece of software, allowing them to label it to recover the material or rent it out to other users who need it.
7. Too many usernames and passwords are required for your users to remember. The User Marking page is used in combination with the Access Management page. The User Management app allows you to modify the in-app credentials of your users. You can do so here if you would need further information on the User Labelling page.

Thus, user management needs supervisor access. That meant providing their accessibility to the server side in its entirety. Make and control accessibility for specific groups of users getting with the UAM tool. This could be helpful for businesses that have workers in different parts of the world or have departments that operate independently of one another. 

A User Profile Management System is a basic application that is used to handle all of the people’s access that pertains to an organization’s employees. Sensitive information is stored in it and also checks identity, including account names, ID numbers, first or last names, first and last beginnings, phone numbers, work location, department, job title, and other information. In addition, all websites, apps, and java web development services are accessible to users’ panels and could add, remove, and edit users as needed.

Please take the following steps:

1. To build a new role, choose the Roles option in the page footer (which is Store Manager). Build a Central Branch, an East Branch, a Western Branch, a northern Branch, and a Southern Branch for each one of the five shops.
2. To build more modules for the Central Branch, first, choose the role through the drop-down menu, then click “Edition role” in the below right. Put storage Roles” in front of the name of this brand-new category. It should be done similarly for the other sections like all north, south, east, and west. This can make a new role that is specific to the app and not part of the global structure roles.
3. To make a new app, visit the Apps menu and select “Designing a New Application.” Apply a name (such as Store customers) and then choose “User Account Controlling” from the “Application type” drop-down list. With the App Editor, you can have a form filled out for you with all the necessary information.
4. ‘User Account Managing’ and ‘Token Permission Management’ are two of the new options available in the ‘App type’ section in Flowfinity Actions 20.1. Choose “Data Assembly” to begin making a flowfinity or information collection app. Only the greyed-out field properties are locked and cannot be changed; others, such as the label, are editable.
5. To assign the role of Store Manager, open the section of Roles on your form. You can set a computed value as the default for such a field by going to the “Custom Roles” page. Type in “self-roles” and then choose the mobile and web app type that suits the position you want.
6. You must be assured that “Store Roles” is selected in the class drop-down of the Role menu and that “Allow multiples” is not checked. The platform now has an app called “Store Users” where fresh users can take control and can participate and get registered. Go to the Operations menu and click “Authorisations” to make sure where just the store managers can make new records.
7. Consider including a shortcut for your view on that portal screen if it won’t be accessed via the Configure tab. A store manager can simply access it on both mobile and desktop devices as a result. Click “Add view” on the Viewing tab after selecting that option.
8. Your user account management system, whether it’s on a desktop computer or a mobile device, should now include a page named “My Store Users.” This view will only show items if they are relevant to the manager’s position at the shop, such as the particular location of the branch. Put a checkbox in the box that says Store Manager, then add the My Store Users category to the Filter tab. additionally, ensure that the relevant fields are included in the Element type, and provide the layout with a name such as “My Store users.”
9. By creating a special view only for these users, you can guarantee that the shop manager will always have access to all of the users who belong to the same branch. Those who have the Store Manager job will only be able to see this view on mobile devices and laptops running Windows 10

Author Bio – 

Ethan Millar is a technical writer at Aegis Softtech, especially for computer programmers like Asp.net, Java, Big Data, Hadoop, dynamics AX, and CRM Solutions for more than 8 years. Also, have basic knowledge of Computer Programming. Read the last articles about React stack to build your user management app:

• Free Open-Source CRM Software For Small Business
• AI-Generated Roles and Permissions to Flatlogic Generator
• Decline in Coding: Web App Developers Writing Code Drops to 36.02% in 2024 – [Research Results]
• Exploring the Future of AI Web App Generators
• AI Web App Generator to Make Apps in Minutes

The post How to Build a User Management App? appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

Unfortunately, not every developer has the necessary skills and experience to consistently write clean code in JavaScript. Without further ado, here are the best tips to follow to write clean functions in JavaScript.

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#1 Know When to Take Your Mind Off Coding

Most of the tips in this article are technical in nature, but there are some tips that can help you change your mindset when coding which will improve your overall performance as a programmer. You need to know when to take your mind off coding – listen to podcasts for software developers, read interesting textbooks or industry journals, and so on. You can take such breaks while coding to reset your mind and then come back to your functions refreshed.

#2 Focus on Describing When Writing Code

The best way to write variables that you will instantly identify when you come back to coding after a break is the descriptive ones. Shorter names can look simpler and take up less space visually, but descriptive variable names will be clearer to you. This way, you won’t end up making mistakes or spending time trying to figure out which variable stands for what just because you took a break and forgot where you left off.

#3 Use Tools and Services to Help You

Some of the most efficient coders are the ones who use different tools and services to help them. This can be said for other professionals – for instance, content creators hire experienced writers from the writing services reviews site Rated by Students to help them write content. You can get similar assistance by using different software development tools and services that could help you in the coding process.\

#4 Utilize Shorthand Wherever You Can

While making variable names longer by making them descriptive is essential, it doesn’t mean you can use shorter names for other things. In fact, it’s best to utilize shorthand wherever you can as it will save you both time and space. Here’s an example of how a function changes when you use shorthand:

// Original
if (x !== “” && x !== null && x !== undefined) { ... }


// Shorthand
if ( !!x ) { ... }

#5 Outsource to Maintain Productivity

As mentioned earlier, using tools and services is a good way to become more efficient at what you do. But in addition to that, you can also actively outsource some of your tasks while you focus on coding. You can hire an expert writer from the custom writing reviews site Top Writing Reviews to write reports or documents for you and find a virtual assistant who can schedule your meetings, send out emails, and so on. This way, you will be able to maintain productivity while coding because you won’t have to spend any energy on other tasks.

#6 Catch Up on the Latest Trends

The best writers at the most successful writing services are the ones who keep up with the trends. And the best programmers are the ones who keep up with JavaScript trends and other news in the industry. You don’t necessarily need to jump onto these trends, but you still need to know what they are at any given time and how you could use them in your own work if you decide to utilize them.

#7 Follow Common Best Practices

Instead of trying to invent something new, you can simply check the most common best practices used by JavaScript coders today and improve your skills as you get more experience. Here are the practices and principles you should start following:

#1 Object Destructuring

Object destructuring is used to take fields from an object and assign them to variables. This way, you will need fewer code lines to extract object properties. Moreover, your code will become much cleaner and easier to understand. You can use destructuring for cases with multiple object properties, the same property multiple times, and a property deep in an object.

#2 Arrow Functions

Utilizing arrow functions is perfect for writing cleaner code as this means that other elements like curly braces parenthesis become optional. You will be able to resolve the issue of accessing “this” property inside callbacks and write concise functions at the same time. Here’s an example of a regular function and an arrow function:

// Original
function myOrder(order){

console.log(Customer need ${order});

}

// Arrow
const myOrder = order => console.log(`Customer need ${order}`);

#3 Multiple Parameters

Every time you are declaring a function, you need to use multiple input parameters instead of using single object inputs. By doing so, it will be easier to understand the minimum quantity of parameters that have to be passed by checking the method signature. This practice will also result in better application performance! That being said, make sure to switch to object parameters if the quantity of input parameters increases.

#4 Spread Extension Operator

The spread extension operator is a feature in ES6 that can be used to expand literals (e.g. arrays) into individual elements in the form of a single line of code. You can use this operator to put an array or object into a new array or object. You can also use it to combine multiple parameters in the array.

#5 Template Literals

Another tip is to use template literals (literals delimited with backticks) for string concatenations. With these, you can create multiline strings as well as perform string interpolation. An example of this principle in practice is defining a placeholder in a string in order to get rid of unnecessary concatenations:

// Original
var name = 'Peter';

var message = 'Hi '+ name + ',';

// New

var name = 'Peter';

var message = `Hi ${name},`;

#6 Avoid Callbacks

This practice is something you probably know about if you are up to date with the trends. Using callbacks used to be a popular technique for expressing and handling asynchronous functions. Now that ES6 and ES7 introduced solutions (Promises or Async/Await) for working with asynchronous functions, you no longer need to rely on callbacks and can make your code cleaner and simpler.

#7 Early Exit

When writing any kind of function, aim to exit it early. If there are any options for you to do this, you will notice that exiting functions early will make them more concise, saving you both time and space. Try to use fewer indentations, avoid unnecessary pieces of code, etc.

#8 For-Of Loops

There are different kinds of loops that you can use, including for-of, for-I, forEach, and for-in. However, unlike the other loops, for-of loops have some clear advantages that you can benefit from. These loops have fewer characters, are much easier to read, and even have the ability to continue, return, or break from the loop. This is what using for-of loops looks like in practice:

// Original

for (let i = 0; i < cars.length; i++) {

const car = cars[I];

}

// New

var name = 'Peter';

var message = `Hi ${name},`;

#9 String Interpolation

When writing code, aim to use string interpolation over concatenation. Doing so will make your code more readable to interpolate. Here is an example of how you can do this:

#10 Avoid Double Negatives

In some cases, double negatives can be very subtle, so you need to be particularly careful. Avoid them at all costs because they can easily lead to bugs along with making your code too convoluted.

#11 Maximum Two Arguments

Every time you work with arguments, you will need to order them in a logical way. Unfortunately, this is difficult when there are three or more arguments. This is why you need to try to avoid declaring functions that have more than two arguments.

#12 Use Try-Catch with Await

Rather than using a tree of .then() calls, try using async await. It will make your code much more readable and clean. However, keep in mind that the awaited values could throw rejections that you will then have to catch.

#13 Avoid “Magic” Numbers

Last but not least, avoid using “magic” numbers. Strings and numbers that have meanings that aren’t immediately obvious have to be declared as separate descriptive variables. Here is an example:

// Original

total += cost * 0.0375;

// New

const serviceFee = 0.0375;

total += cost * serviceFee

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the quality of your JavaScript functions depends entirely on you. If you make the effort to write clean code and use the tips above, you will definitely improve your skills and become a better specialist at your job.

Author: Nancy Howard

About blog

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• Free Open-Source CRM Software For Small Business
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• Exploring the Future of AI Web App Generators
• AI Web App Generator to Make Apps in Minutes

The post How to Write Clean Functions in JavaScript appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

Options for sending emails in Node.js

One of the most popular methods of sending emails using Node.js is setting up an SMTP server to handle your outbound emails using Nodemailer, a Node.js module.

Another way is to send email using API. You can also connect multichannel notification services to support communication via other channels in a single place.

Besides general email-sending capabilities, these methods also provide other features, like bulk email, template building and deliverability rate tracking. But of course, each option works differently, hence providing both benefits and drawbacks. 

So to figure out which method of email sending is the best fit for you, let’s dive into each of those deeper.

Sending emails with Node.js and SMTP

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and is one of the most widespread methods of sending emails. Emails sent via SMTP go through the following steps:

1.     You compose an email, which is essentially a text file, in your email client, like Gmail or Outlook.

2.     You click Send and the email is uploaded to your SMTP server for outgoing messages.

3.     The server performs several stages of authentication to make sure you’re a safe sender and your message can be treated accordingly.

4.     If it is authenticated successfully, the inbound SMTP server of your recipient’s email client receives the message, authenticates it and sends it to the user’s inbox

As you can see, the process is pretty straightforward, which is the reason behind its common use. But there are different sides to sending emails with Node.js and SMTP.

Image source: SocketLabs

Benefits of using SMTP

One of the main advantages of using SMTP to send emails through Node.js is that it is easy to integrate into a web application. By just indicating your server configurations as you code the app, you can set up an SMTP server for your outbound mail.

Another advantage of using SMTP is that your email address is protected from being blacklisted. The reason is that SMTP requires email address authentication. This means that your address is constantly checked whether you’re a spam sender to make sure your sender reputation remains positive and consistent.

Eventually, SMTP helps you keep your deliverability rate at a good point with effortless integration into your web app.

Disadvantages of using SMTP

As discussed above, an SMTP server uses several stages of authentication to verify the sender and the email. This makes the path of an email message from the sender to the recipient much longer than when using a transactional email API. And while this may not be a drastic difference for a single email, the time will add up when you send bulk campaigns.

Another drawback of using an SMTP server is that it will most likely be a frequent target of DDoS attacks, data breaches and phishing.

Of course, you can take measures to increase the security of your SMTP server, like constant server maintenance and long-term security monitoring. But not all organizations can afford ongoing server maintenance, so the risk of insecurity and cyber attacks remains a major disadvantage of this method. 

Sending emails through Node.js and email API

A transactional email API is a service that allows sending emails using Node.js apps via an email API service. This means that you don’t have to host and maintain any servers on your own, like with SMTP. Instead, you use ready-to-go API from third-party providers.

There are many transactional email API services out there, from Amazon SES to Mailtrap Email API and SendGrid. While each service offers different features and functionality, they all are great assistants for managing email sending and deliverability.

Naturally, this method of sending emails with Node.js has both advantages and drawbacks.

Image source: GetResponse

Benefits of using a transactional email API

There are different advantages to using transactional email services. First of all, they usually come with a lot of documentation, so it’s extremely easy to set the API up in your Node.js application and start using it.

They also offer better security because you can use API keys, which reduces maintenance demand for this solution when compared to using SMTP. As a result, you get a secure way of email sending with lower engineering resources.

Besides, transactional email APIs offer diverse functionality for email management. You get extensive analytics to build reports on how your emails are delivering, what bounce and open rates are and other metrics. In the long term, this translates into actionable insights into your email marketing.

And speaking of long-term, transactional email API services offer great scalability opportunities. APIs allow sending high-volume campaigns, which become a must as your business expands.

Disadvantages of using a transactional email API

Despite all the benefits, there are some significant disadvantages to using a transactional email API to send your emails with Node.js. 

One of the drawbacks is that you have to completely rely on a third-party service provider. While this may be helpful for troubleshooting, the dependence may pose a security risk for your data. Besides, you can’t control the service’s performance in case any issues occur on the provider’s end.

Another drawback of using this method is that you have to integrate different channels separately to set up notifications for the users. 

For instance, if you want to set up SMS and chat app notifications along with push ones, you will have to configure each of the channels additionally. This means that more engineering time and effort have to be involved, which may not always be worth it.

Of course, you should do your research before choosing the provider of your transactional email API to choose a reliable one. Make sure to consider the features and guarantees they provide, as well as the deliverability rates and API documentation they offer.

Sending emails in Node.JS and multi-channel notifications services

Multi-channel notification services enable sending notifications across various channels, such as email, SMS, Slack, etc. via a single platform. They allow you to streamline your communication with the audience and notify them in the ways they find convenient. 

Some notification services allow bringing your own email transaction API service or sending emails via an SMTP server so that you can manage all channels in one place. You can also get features like workflow creation and real-time delivery status.

Benefits of using multi-channel notifications services

The major advantage of using a multi-channel notification service for sending emails with Node.js is that you don’t have to add any new code or edit the existing one to add or remove channels. 

Instead, you can just add those to the service’s settings and start using the new channel immediately. This means no time and effort to change up your multi-channel notification set-up, which makes it effortless to use. 

Also, non-tech users can adjust their settings and change the look of an email in the app with no need to dive deep into how everything works. The same goes for analytics and email preview.

Lastly, you can use the same email transactional API for different channels, which makes multi-channel notification services a great addition to the API email sending.

Disadvantages of using multi-channel notifications services

The main drawback of using the service is the same as using API — you have to rely on a third party for the app’s performance. While this can be convenient and easier, this can also come with a number of risks, like the service’s security, speed and availability.

Sending emails in Node.js with Nodemailer

There are many modules you can use to send emails via Node.js since it is a server-side tool. But Nodemailer is the easiest module to install and use for email sending. 

Nodemailer also provides a lot of features you’ll need to send different kinds of emails. From the support of HTML emails and attachments to the enabled use of SMTP, you get a lot of opportunities to customize your email sending.

To start sending emails with Node.js and Nodemailer, you have to install the module first. Follow the next steps to do that.

Step 1. Create your application in Node.js by running the following in the terminal:

mkdir nodemail-smtp

cd nodemail-smtp

npm init -y

You can skip this step and start with the next one if you have already created an app.

Step 2. Install the module using npm, which manages packages for Node.js, by writing the following command in the terminal:

npm install nodemailer

This will install the latest version of the Modemailer module. If the installation is successful, you’ll get a message similar to the following:

added 1 package, and audited 2 packages in 2s

found 0 vulnerabilities

Step 3. Now, we can start coding the app by importing it into your Node.js application:

const nodemailer = require('nodemailer');

Step 4. Create a Nodemailer transporter object using the createTransport method:

const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport(transport[, defaults]);

This method accepts an object with the configurations you set, like SMTP configurations, and returns a transporter object, which will be required to send emails later.

Next, we are going to use Gmail to show an example of how to send an email using Node.js and Nodemailer, but you can integrate other email clients, too. Since Gmail doesn’t allow direct email sending via Node.js because of security concerns, there are 2 solutions: 

• making the Gmail account less secure
• using Oauth2 security authentication

1. Making the Gmail account less secure. You can access the Less secure account configuration by visiting the page and switching the toggle to ON. 

This now allows creating the transporter object we started in Step 4 with the credentials to our Gmail account. To do this, run the following:

const nodemailer = require('nodemailer');

const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({

service: 'gmail',

auth: {

user: secure_configuration.EMAIL_USERNAME,

pass: secure_configuration.PASSWORD

}

});

Of course, you have to replace the credential values (user and pass) with valid ones.

2. Using Oauth2 security authentication. To set up this authentication method, we have to get the following values:

• Client ID
• Client Secret
• Refresh token
• Access token
• Credentials (username and password)

The next steps will guide you on how you can do this.

A. Go to Open Google Cloud Console and sign up (or sign in), then go to API & Services to create a project. 

B. Register your application in the OAuth consent screen, choose the External user type and add a Test user.

C. Go to the Credentials selection page to create credentials, specifying Web application as the type of your app. Also, add a redirect URL as OAuth Playground from this list.

Great, you now have your Client ID and Client Secret available, as well as user credentials. Let’s get the rest of the data we need

D. Open the Oauh2 Playground to get Refresh and Access tokens. Go to Configuration and check the ‘Use your own credentials’ box. Insert the Client ID and Client Secret you got from the Cloud Console in Step C. 

E. Select Gmail API and authorize it with the credentials of the Test user you added in Step B.

F. Get your Refresh and Access tokens by clicking on the Exchange authorization code for tokens.

Now, we have the correct values to use in our transporter object:

const nodemailer = require('nodemailer');

const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({

service: 'gmail',

auth: {

type: 'OAuth2',

user: secure_configuration.EMAIL_USERNAME,

pass: secure_configuration.PASSWORD,

clientId: secure_configuration.CLIENT_ID,

clientSecret: secure_configuration.CLIENT_SECRET,

refreshToken: secure_configuration.REFRESH_TOKEN

}

});

Step 5. Before actually sending an email message, you have to set up email configurations. This includes specifying what you are sending, to whom, etc. These configurations are set up using key-value pairs, like in the following example:

const mailConfigurations = {

from: 'sender@gmail.com',

to: 'receiver@gmail.com',

subject: 'Sending Email using Node.js',

text: 'Hi! There, You know I am using the'

+ ' NodeJS Code along with NodeMailer '

+ 'to send this email.'

};

If you need to send an email to several receivers, just separate the receivers with a coma:

to: ‘receiver1@gmail.com, receiver2@gmail.com’,

And there you go — you are ready to send your simple email via Nodemailer. To do that, you can use the sendMail() method. 

Using the sendMail() method requires a transporter and a configured message, which we have already created in the previous steps. So we can send our email by running the following:

transport.sendMail(mailConfigurations, (error, info) => {

        if (error) {

            return console.log(error);

        }

        console.log('Message sent: %s', info.messageId);

});

Of course, you will get a notification if the message has been sent successfully, as well as you’ll get an error alert if something goes wrong.

How to send emails with SMTP

If you want to send your emails via your hosted SMTP server, you can easily set it up using the Nodemailer module. To do that, stick to the steps below.

Step 1. We assume that you have already created your Node.js app and installed Nodemailer. But you haven’t run the following in the terminal to create your app:

mkdir nodemail-smtp

cd nodemail-smtp

npm init -y

And to install Nodemailer:

npm install nodemailer

Step 2. Now, create a “nodemailer-smtp.js” file and fill it in with the following:

const nodemailer = require("nodemailer");

async function main() {

  let info = await transporter.sendMail({

    from: '"James Swanson" <foo@example.com>',

    to: "", 

    subject: "I love SMTP!",

    text: "Here's a text version of the email.",

    html: "Here's an <b>HTML version</b> of the email.",

  });

  console.log("Message sent: %s", info.messageId);

  console.log("View email: %s", nodemailer.getTestMessageUrl(info));

}

main().catch(console.error);

Note that at this point, you need to have your SMTP server’s credentials ready so that you can set up the configurations in your code. In particular, you need the following:

• Server address
• Port
• Credentials for the server (username and password)

Next, we’re going to fill in this SMTP information in our code.

Step 3. Go to your SMTP configuration, copy the info from the list above and insert it into the async function main() {} object in your code. You’ll get something like this:

const nodemailer = require(“nodemailer”);

async function main() {

  const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({

    host: “smtp.ethereal.email”, 

    port: 587,

    auth: {

      user: “sender@ethereal.email”,

      pass: “YOUR_PASS”,

    },

  });

  let info = await transporter.sendMail({

    from: ‘”James Swanson” <foo@example.com>’,

    to: “sender@ethereal.email”, 

    subject: “I love SMTP!”,

    text: “Here’s a text version of the email.”,

    html: “Here’s an <strong>HTML version</strong> of the email.”,

  });

  console.log(“Message sent: %s”, info.messageId);

  console.log(“View email: %s”, nodemailer.getTestMessageUrl(info));l

}

main().catch(console.error);

Note that we’ve also added your email address in the “to” field. It is the test email address that you can use to see whether the emails reach the destination inbox successfully. 

Step 4. Go back to the terminal and run your application:

node nodemailer-smtp.js

If everything went well, you get a notification similar to the following and see the email in your test email address’ inbox:

Message sent: <a153d06b-4b62-df6b-08d5-b9e755b8e0cf@example.com>

View email: https://ethereal.email/message/Yn08JBjWtKQFtVIQYn0-fjRYXoiZYQBGAAAAA.ty0T2jOGponZjUaXLFoWU

Congrats! Now you can send emails using Node.js and SMTP.

How to send emails with transactional email API

There are lots of services you can use for transactional email API setup that we listed earlier. Today, we’ll show how to send emails using SendGrid API. 

Step 1. Sign up for SendGrid and create a SendGrid API key in the Settings menu. Name the key and, under Permissions, select Full Access. Then, by clicking Create & View, you can copy your API key.

Step 2. Install the SendGrid client using npm and create a file named sendgrip.js:

npm install –save @sendgrid/mail

touch sendgrid.js

Step 3. Add the following to the file you’ve just created:

const sendgrid = require(‘@sendgrid/mail’);

    const SENDGRID_API_KEY = “<SENDGRID_API_KEY>”

    sendgrid.setApiKey(SENDGRID_API_KEY)

    const msg = {

       to: ‘test@example.com’,

       from: ‘test@example.com’,

       subject: ‘Sending with SendGrid Is Fun’,

       text: ‘and easy to do anywhere, even with Node.js’,

       html: ‘<strong>and easy to do anywhere, even with Node.js</strong>’,

    }

    sendgrid

       .send(msg)

       .then((resp) => {

         console.log(‘Email sent\n’, resp)

       })

       .catch((error) => {

         console.error(error)

     })

Step 4. Create a sender identity to verify your email address with SendGrid. Then, insert that email address in the “from” field in the code in Step 3. 

Also, paste the correct recipient’s email address in the “to” field. 

Lastly, replace the SENDGRID_API_KEY variable with the SendGrid API key you generated in Step 1.

Step 5. Test whether your app works by running your application in the terminal:

node sendgrid.js

If the email was delivered successfully, you will see a sent email notification in the Activity section on SendGrid’s dashboard, which you can find on the sidebar. You will be able to see whether the email was opened, too.

And that’s it — you can now send emails with Node.js using a transactional email API service.

Sending HTML emails 

Nodemailer supports sending HTML emails; in fact, it’s very easy to send HTML emails with this module. 

To create an HTML email in Node.js, just add the HTML attribute to the message:

message = {

from: “from@email.com”,

to: “to@email.com“,

text: ‘Hey there, it’s our first message sent with Nodemailer ‘,

html: ‘<b>Hey there! </b><br> This is our first message sent with Nodemailer’

 };

There you go — now you have an HTML ready to be sent. Again, you can use the sendMail() method to send this email.

Creating an HTML template

Nodemailer also allows creating email templates that you can use later for bulk HTML emails. Let’s consider an example of how to create a template to welcome new users.

We are using pug, the default option, to install the template engine via npm:

npm install email-templates pug

Next, we need to create 2 different files, one for the subject and one for the HTML body of the template. To do this, run the following:

subject.pug:

= `Hi ${firstName} ${lastName}, happy to see you at My App!`

html.pug:

   h1 Hello #{firstName} #{lastName}

    p.

Welcome to My App! Now your test emails will be safe. We just need to make sure your account is real.

Please, click the button below and start using your account.

a(href=’https://example.com/confirmation’) Confirm!

Then, add the files we have just created to your app directory:

app.js

emails

welcome (the template name)

html.pug

subject.pug

text.pug

Be sure to add the text part of your message, otherwise, it will be created automatically.

And now, we can gather everything together to add transport. Note that we’re using the Mailtrap Email API to send our email based on an HTML template:

const Email = require(’email-templates’);

const email = new Email({

 message: {

   from: ‘hi@example.com’

 },

 send: true,

 transport: {

   host: ‘smtp.mailtrap.io’,

   port: 2525,

   ssl: false,

   tls: true,

   auth: {

     user: ‘1a2b3c4d5e6f7g’,

     pass: ‘1a2b3c4d5e6f7g’ 

   }

 }

});

const people = [

 {firstName: ‘Diana’, lastName: ‘One’},

 {firstName: ‘Alex’, lastName: ‘Another’}

];

people.forEach((person) => {

 email

   .send({

     template: ‘welcome’,

     message: {

    to: ‘test@example.com’

     },

     locals: person

   })

   .then(console.log)

   .catch(console.error);

}).

As a result, you will get a preview of your message in the browser.

And that’s it, you have an email template you can edit to create complex dynamic emails using CSS, tables, media and other additions.

Sending emails with attachments

Nodemailer also enables sending emails with Node.js that contain attachments. In fact, you can send any kind of attachment with your emails, but make sure that the email service you use accepts them.

So to add an attachment to your email, start with specifying email configurations:

const mailConfigurations = {

from: sender@gmail.com’,

to: receiver@gmail.com’,

subject: ‘Sending Email using Node.js’, 

Text: ‘Attachments can also be sent using Nodemailer’,

Then, start adding the attachments:

attachments: [

Depending on their type, you’ll have to use different properties:

• a UTF-8 string as an attachment (besides a string, it can also be a buffer or a stream):

{  

filename: ‘text.txt’,

content: ‘Hello, receiver!’

},

• a file that can be accessed from a path on your machine (it’s the best way to add large attachments):

{   

path: ‘/home/mrtwinklesharma/Programming/document.docx’

},

{   

filename: ‘license.txt’,

path: ‘https://raw.github.com/nodemailer/nodemailer/master/LICENSE‘

},

• a URL with a comment as an attachment:

{

url: ‘mylist.example.com’,

comment: ‘My new list!’

}

]

};

These are some of the most popular kinds of attachments you may need to use in your emails when you send them with Nodemailer and Node.js. You can add as many attachments as you need, but note that you have to separate each attachment with a comma.

To Sum Up

And there you have it — now you know how to send emails using Node.js with an SMTP server and a transactional email API service. Sending emails through Node.js is simple and versatile. Because there are several options you can choose from, it won’t be a challenge to find the one that meets your needs best.

Author: Sofiia Kasianenko. Software Engineer and Mailtrap Contributor. Sofiia is interested in information technologies across all industries, from marketing to healthcare. Besides writing, she is passionate about creativity, professional growth, fitness, and well-being.

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We are listed among the Top 20 Web Development companies from Lithuania. Fill out the form on the right corner of the main page and feel free to ask! If you are Professional Developer, check out other articles:

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• Exploring the Future of AI Web App Generators
• AI Web App Generator to Make Apps in Minutes

The post The Most Advanced Tutorial on Sending Emails in Node.js appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

The choice between Vanilla JS and React.JS is pivotal in the development of business software, as it influences the project’s scalability, maintainability, and overall performance, requiring a careful evaluation of each technology’s features against the project’s needs.

In this article, we will provide you with a better understanding of the differences between Vanilla JS and React.JS and will know how to make an informed decision as to which is the best choice for your project. You will also get a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each JavaScript technology and the implications of their use.

What is Vanilla JS?

Vanilla JS is a plain JavaScript that has no addition of libraries. It is used without any in-built objects or functions. The best part about the framework is you don’t have to download any added library to make the object work. 

In short, it is something ordinary or standard without any added features. However, plain JavaScript makes it more lightweight, and you can create any web app with it. 

Moreover, you can create sites using basic and uncomplicated scripts that save time. Some popular sites that use the framework are – Facebook, Amazon, and YouTube. 

• Developers can use Vanilla without any codes and the use of libraries. It is a kind of scripting language that does not set any kind of rules. 
• As there are no rules to the framework, the developers can define the data in the application. However, it may not provide an optimized result for the application. 

Vanilla JS is famous amongst the developer community, as it’s one of the easiest frameworks to work with. It is a quick cross-platform JS that can create robust and amazing JavaScript applications. 

What is React JS?

React JS is the best framework you can use to create front-end applications. It features many box tools that make it a breeze to work with. It is attributable to its best adaptability and offers the best performance. Just like the Vanilla framework, it is also a JavaScript-based UI library. 

It is most popular for site creation, even though it is not a perfect language that enables the creation of user interfaces of isolated components. React JS can help in the development of faster and more dynamic websites. 

• It gives the coders the added resources for developing reusable and integrable UI components that reduce the development time. 
• React JS provides a responsive user interface for the website. It offers an extensive collection of UI components that most front-end developers use for creating different customized interactive elements. 

It centers on the view layer of the application. The best part about React UI is it features a robust ecosystem – completely flexible. Additionally, you can create clean codes with strict structure and rules and unidirectional data flow. It becomes effortless to maintain and test web apps. Plus, it is the best framework for developing native mobile apps. 

Vanilla JS vs React JS: Popularity 

• Vanilla JS was developed in 2012, and React JS was released in 2013. So, there isn’t much difference in the development time of the two frameworks. 
• The Vanilla framework is ideal for faster adoption of frameworks, saving time for new developers, whereas React JS is ideal for web applications and mobile applications.
• Vanilla offers a real DOM, and React JS offers a virtual DOM. However, both frameworks offer a smaller application size, so they are not an ideal choice for extensive apps. 
• The Vanilla framework offers high performance, and there are no issues. React framework offers great performance without any bugs. 
• Vanilla JS offers a direct updating of UI elements, and React offers direct linking of states. The best part about Vanilla is that it offers two-way data binding but React offers one-way data binding. 
• Vanilla offers a moderate learning curve, so developers can learn the language quickly. On the other hand, React JS offers a steep learning curve, so new developers may take some time to learn the language. 
• Vanilla JavaScript code can work as a scripting language. It does not set any rules on how the data can be defined. You can change the UI in the framework to make it more flexible. 

Additionally, the apps that are written without libraries can be easily customized. Coming to React, it is a library that defines the way applications are written. It sets clear rules about how the data flows through the application. Here the UI will change as a result of changing data. Plus, many libraries help to set similar boundaries. 

• The UI rendering feature of Vanilla is slow if you compare it with React JS. React offers a faster rendering, as it uses the virtual DOM. Both frameworks offer open-source features, so there is no issue in the setup. 
• Vanilla JS is great for full code understanding, as it’s fully customizable. In many cases, it is easier to understand than other complex languages, which saves time.
• Most importantly, it offers better performance as compared to other frameworks. On the other hand, you can choose React JS for the speed it offers. It is flexible and performance-oriented, and you won’t have any issues while developing an application with React JS. 
• Additionally, it helps developers build rich user interfaces, which make all the difference in the usability of the app. 

Now, let’s move to the detailed comparison of React JS vs Vanilla JS –

Vanilla JS vs React JS:

1. Performance benchmarking 

React is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library that helps to build various user interfaces based on different UI components. 

On the other hand, Vanilla is a cross-platform framework that builds powerful JavaScript applications. React JS makes a better choice for handling different UI updates as it features a virtual DOM. 

For every update, it makes a comparison with its regular DOM. Additionally, it helps to shift out the changes made in the regular DOM. At times, the process becomes so fast that developers may think of performance issues. But React solves every performance issue that comes in the way of development. 

Vanilla JS is faster than other frameworks. It provides better performance than all the other front-end frameworks. Moreover, it renders the UI thirty times faster than React JS. In Vanilla, the handling of the UI state is simple. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, Vanilla performs better than React. 

2. Testing 

You can easily test the React JS code, as you do with a simple JavaScript code. Besides, it provides different testing libraries used for testing. The best part is that you can test React components without relying on the implementation details. 

However, while testing the React code, you will need to set up the best testing environment. On the other hand, most people aren’t aware that they can test the Vanilla code without issues. 

The developers install Jest, which is a JS framework and works on a simple approach. Testing in Vanilla is easy. If the developers want to test in Vanilla JS, they will need to ensure the Yarn is installed on the device. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, Vanilla and React JS both excel. 

3. UI performance 

As React is free and open source, it is easy to build UI components with React JS. Plus, you can use different components in your project. React JS uses Ant design, which is the world’s second most used framework. It provides enterprise design UI language with high-quality components of React. 

Ant design offers extensive documentation with the help of different frameworks and examples. Moreover, you can use material UI, a faster and more reliable web component. It is used by many developers as its the most popular framework. The framework provides material design ideas, which are given by Google. 

On the other hand, Vanilla uses many different UI libraries you can use. These libraries can help to enhance the web application. There is a specific JavaScript library used for Vanilla JS, and it’s quite popular among the developer community, as it offers amazing documentation. 

Additionally, the 3D library is easy to use and offers better performance. Cheerio is a popular JavaScript library that can be described as fast and flexible. Plus, it is designed for better implementation of core jQuery. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, React JS offers better UI performance. Developers don’t have to enter the DOM, as it updates automatically.

4. Security

React JS framework is adept at building different web applications. It has lesser attacking points compared to other frameworks. However, it is not completely secure, as there can be a few security lapses. It is compatible with various security components and does not have default security settings. It is vulnerable to security threats. 

On the other hand, Vanilla JS requires some credentials for APIs, but the framework is unable to provide short-term tokens. You will have to follow the middleman approach if you want to ensure that there is no security lapse in Vanilla. 

However, Vanilla JS is a simple framework that builds powerful web and mobile applications. It is also the most popular choice for developers due to this reason. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, Vanilla JS stands out in the security feature.  

5. Updates 

React JS provides timely updates, and developers use the updated version. It provides many features like – automatic batching, client and server rendering, transitions, and new hooks. 

With all the regular updates – it becomes easier to develop web apps with new features. The use of new technology makes a difference in the working of the app. 

Vanilla is a simple framework, and developers don’t expect many updates in the framework. Moreover, developers prefer to use many frameworks instead of choosing only Vanilla for development. It does not provide constant updates like React JS, so that makes it less reliable. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, React JS is a clear winner as it offers constant updates. 

6. Maintenance

The maintenance of React framework is simple, as it checks for different web applications. It ensures that the speed, performance, and other aspects of the web apps are good. 

Moreover, if a developer wants to keep the app updated, it provides good maintenance service. React provides three different types of maintenance services – Startup, Professional, and Business. 

On the other hand, developers avoid Vanilla because of its maintenance costs. If developers are coding an eCommerce website using the Vanilla framework – the maintenance may cost more. One of the reasons why developers prefer the framework is it is easily available in the market. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, React JS is better than the Vanilla framework as it provides great maintenance.

7. Developer’s convenience

React JS is the most powerful JavaScript framework and is globally used by web developers. The framework is convenient and flexible for developing various web applications. 

Besides, it is one of the best JS libraries used to create different pages. Apart from the library function, it provides different virtual DOM and JSX. React provides complete features to create high-quality interfaces for apps. 

Vanilla is the first choice for developers who want to use it as a simple framework. If the developers need to write simple code to manipulate the DOM in the browsers, they can do it with Vanilla JS. For complex web applications, React framework is still a better choice. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, both frameworks are convenient for developers, but React is a clear winner.

8. Development cost

The first thing that a company takes into account is – budget. Depending on the budget, a framework or a web application cost is decided. It is a complex process, and you will need to figure out the cost of the two. 

In most cases, React developers charge a marginal amount to develop the app. Plus, it depends on the application type and features. Of course, big web apps may cost more than smaller apps. Moreover, most people still prefer to hire React JS developers to develop a web app. 

Talking about Vanilla, the cost is higher than React JS. Vanilla JS developers can cost more to build an app. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, React developers are cost-effective – Vanilla developers can charge more, depending on the app’s needs. 

9. Interface creation 

React has a fixed HTML file, which makes a difference in interface creation. The UI gets defined in the browser and gets loaded into a blank container. Moreover, it is defined by the components in JSX, which allows writing the HTML in React. 

All these components get rendered into the DIV component with the react DOM feature. On the other hand, Vanilla JS is created on the HTML server. It directly renders on the page, so you don’t need JS for it. It has a fixed HTML file, and you can save time on development. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, Vanilla JS is a better choice, as it makes your process simple. 

10. Data storage 

React uses different controlled components, which help to set the value in JavaScript. It creates store to-hold feature to create the input value. Whenever the developer changes the input – it will be set in the dynamic layout affecting the development process. 

Additionally, it does not rely on the DOM to store the current application state, making it easier to use the user data. It makes it easier to pass the value to other UI elements since it stores the data in the regular JS variables. 

Vanilla stores the data in the Document object model (DOM). Besides, it is created and maintained by the browser and maintains different HTML nodes. If the user types the input, the value is stored in the browser, and when the user submits the form, the developer will have to manually remove the value of the input by looking at it in the DOM. After that, the value can be extracted, but it can be a tedious process. 

Verdict: Feature-wise, React is a better choice for data storage. 

Why should you choose React JS framework? 

React JS is the best solution for front-end web development. It’s easy to use, and setup hardly takes time. Even new developers find it easy to learn and use. It helps to build richer user interfaces for the users of the application. 

Moreover, it offers a fast rendering option, so minor changes are reflected in no time. React JS provides the facility to reuse different elements that you may use to build a new project. 

The most vital aspect is that it provides strong community support. Most developers prefer React because of the community support it offers. 

Why should you choose the Vanilla JS framework?

Vanilla is the first choice for developers who have no coding knowledge. As it does not involve complex coding structures, it is easier to use the framework than React. The best part is; that developers can create high-quality codes while developing new web applications. 

Besides, it can adopt new libraries and frameworks that increase the development speed of the application. Vanilla will stay forever as it stays for a longer time than other frameworks. However, the libraries and frameworks can be replaced in Vanilla JS.

Author: Harikrishna Kundariya, a marketer, developer, IoT, ChatBot & Blockchain savvy, designer, co-founder, Director of eSparkBiz Technologies, A Software Development Company. His 10+ experience enables him to provide digital solutions to new start-ups based on IoT and ChatBot.

The post Vanilla JS vs React.JS: Find the Best JavaScript Technology appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

But just like with anything else, software development requires proper planning to create a product successfully. Hence, here’s why you need a software development project brief and how you can write one yourself.

What Is a Software Development Project Brief?

A software development project brief is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a project brief or plan for developing some kind of software – a program, app, or online tool. A software development project brief is necessary to plan out how you will be developing your software and what you will need for it.

At the same time, such project briefs are often used in communication between software developers and people who need software to be created. In some cases, clients will approach software developers with complete project briefs. In other cases, a client can explain their ideas and a developer will make their own brief. Then, both parties will need to agree on the project details and finalize them through the brief.

As you can see, software development project briefs play an important role during the negotiation and planning stage of software development, so they shouldn’t be overlooked. Without further ado, here’s how you can start writing your own software development project briefs:

#1 Write Down Ideas for the Project

First of all, you need to make a list of ideas you have for the project. If a client approached you with their own ideas, then you will have to propose more of your own and discuss them together. For example, you could propose some React app ideas if they are interested in something like this. Sometimes clients know exactly what they want while in other cases they will only have a vague idea of the software they need to be developed by you.

If you have the opportunity to create the said software from scratch, then you should definitely take the lead and propose ideas. Not all the ideas you write down while brainstorming will be used, so having a longer list will give you more options to choose from. It is important to keep in mind your own abilities and resources when listing ideas so that you don’t end up working on a project you don’t know how to handle.

#2 Decide How Many People You Will Need

Some projects will require more people to complete while others can be done by a single software developer. This depends both on the scope of the project and its complexity. Moreover, it can also depend on the type of software being developed and even whether or not it is developed from scratch or it is a remake of existing software.

For example, if you are developing an online tool, you will need to choose hosting and a domain name for it. But if the tool exists already, you will need to work with it and improve it instead of building it from nothing. Some projects are therefore better handled by one person while others will need to be completed by a team of software developers and other professionals (e.g. UX designers).

#3 Consider Getting Professional Help

Speaking of working in a team, you might want to consider getting professional help for writing your software development project brief. If you are a software developer, you may not be very familiar with writing practices and conventions. It could be better to let a professional writer handle the brief while you supervise the writing process.

You can hire an experienced writer from the custom writing reviews site Best Writers Online. Working with a professional writer who has background knowledge in software development is the best way to create a project brief that includes all the relevant details about the project and helps you communicate with your client effectively.

#4 Prepare the Information You Will Need

In some cases, you will need to do some research before you write the project brief. Preparing this information before you start writing the project brief will help you make important decisions already and write a detailed and organized brief.

The information you may need is usually about the software you need to develop. You can look at similar programs or apps and find resources about this specific type of software (e.g. listen to podcasts for software developers that could have some relevant information for you).

#5 Start with the Basic Details for Your Project

Once you have gathered all the relevant information for writing the project brief, you can actually start working on it. Once again, you can hire an expert writer from the writing services reviews site Writing Judge to help you write your project brief in case you don’t have experience in something like this. In any case, it’s best to start with the basic details of your project, including:

• Company Information – The name of your company, the company website, the type of activity the company is involved in, the company’s location, and contact details.
• Software Overview – The basic details about the project and the software that will be developed (you will go into more details later on).
• Project Budget and Timeframe – The project budget, deadlines, and goals (you will describe these in more detail in later sections).

#6 Plan Which Tools You Will Be Using

The next thing you should decide is which tools you will be using for developing the software. There are quite a few tools for software developers that can be helpful for working on all kinds of projects, but you will also need to decide which specific tools you will need for this specific project.

Choose the tools based on the type of software that needs to be developed (program, app, or online tool) as well as its requirements. Likewise, consider your own proficiency in using the tool so that you don’t have to spend time learning how to use it.

But remember that not everyone you work with will have the same technical knowledge you do. When collaborating across departments, consider integration platforms to connect multiple tools, like syncing Asana and GitHub, Trello and Jira, and more.

#7 Focus on the Project Details and Requirements

Next, you can get into more details about the project. This will be the bulk of your project brief, so you might want a specialist writer from the writing agency Trust My Paper to handle it for you. There are quite a few aspects of the project and the software to think about such as:

• Type of Software – Will it be a mobile app? A program for Mac computers? An online tool? Or something else?
• The Core or Concept – What is the software about? What is its main purpose?
• Target Audience – Who is the target user of the software? What are their interests, preferences, skills, and pain points?
• Features and Benefits – Which features or functionality will it have? Which problems will it solve for the users? What benefits do the users get?
• Technical Details – Which devices will the software run on? Is there a need for data synchronization? Will it work offline, online, or both? Will the software be integrated with other software?
• Design Details – What will the software look like? How will the design correspond to the functionality?
• Extra Details – Will it be free or paid software? If it is free, will there be monetization methods used (e.g. in-app ads)?

#8 Consider the Techniques You Will Be Using

Another thing to consider is your method of software development or rather which techniques you will be using to develop the software. There are ways you can improve your productivity as a software developer which will already help you streamline your workflow and complete the project faster.

On the other hand, you should also think about the more technical side of the project and which methods you will need to use to develop the software. It is crucial to decide this now so that you don’t struggle with it once you start developing the software.

#9 Set Deadlines and Determine the Budget

Setting deadlines (along with project goals) and determining the budget is one of the last but most important parts of writing your software development project brief. The deadlines you set need to be realistic and in line with your goals for the project.

Likewise, try to be reasonable when estimating your budget needs. If there are any extra resources you need, note that down. Consider any unexpected situations where you may need to have a backup budget to spend.

#10 Proofread and Edit the Project Brief

Last but not least, proofread and edit your project brief carefully. Before you send it to your client to read, you have to make sure that there are no linguistic or factual mistakes that could make you look unprofessional.

In addition to that, check that the project brief is formatted properly. If you need to, include any supporting visuals (e.g. screenshots of existing software that you use as an example of what the end product will look like).

Final Thoughts

All in all, creating a software development project brief is not that hard after you’ve done it a few times and know what you are doing. But if you are only starting out, then you should use this guide to help you figure out how to create a detailed and useful project brief.

The post How To Write The Software Development Project Brief appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

What you get by becoming a Flatlogic guest writer

• The opportunity to include 3 do follow backlinks
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How it works

Step 1

Send us links to your previously published articles

Step 2

Get a task for a new post from our editors

Step 3

Write a post and send it to us for review

Step 4

Revise and edit your text (if needed)

Step 5

Wait for publishing

However, we have some rules

• The content may be based on research, facts, or experience
• When quoting others, you must cite the source
• We reserve the right to add affiliate links or advertising in or around a guest post
• > 2500 words
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*Generated automatically

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• The essence of the problem and solutions are revealed
• Examples of successful solutions are given (from our case studies or other sources) – at least 2 (with links)
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  • Learn in Chapter 4 “How to describe “20+ tools” topic in a blog post”
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  • Segmented into methods/types/etc.
  • Each method or solution is a separate chapter (H3 subheadings).

4. How to describe “20+ tools…” topic in blog post*:

*Blog post in this case is a list of different items (e.g. list of companies, tools, books, places, organizations, courses, etc.)

**ideally, it covers 3 obligatory points + 2-3 additional points 

<h2>Item Title</h2>

1. Item image <img> – obligatory

2. Item description – obligatory

Describe the item in 1-3 paragraphs.

____________

One of the options below is obligatory

Option 1

3.1.1 Item pros:

Describe the item’s pros in 2-4 sentences

3.1.2 Item cons:

Describe the item’s cons in 2-4 sentences

Option 2

3.2 Key features:

• Feature 1
• Feature 2
• Feature 3
• etc

__________

Additional 

*Single out the main points of the product/item you’re writing about 

• Price (e.g. for tools, books, etc)
• Website/source link
• Demo link 
• Size (e.g. for the company, organization, etc)
• Location (e.g. for the company, organization, etc)
• Language
• Author, etc 

5. Conclusion

• Sum up the idea of the article, make an overview of what was described 
• Add call-to-action for subscription/consultation / etc.

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Although user interface design is multi-faceted, its major components can be summarized into three modules, namely: visual design, interactive design, and information architecture. 

Before we understand why good UI design is integral to the functional web, it is important to comprehend what it is composed of. Therefore, let’s briefly discuss its three main components right here: 

Visual Design

Just because we are discussing it first doesn’t mean it is important than the other two. In fact, when we talk about functionality, its role is only that of a mediator between the product and the user. However, in terms of the ease, familiarity, and satisfaction it provides to the consumer, it deserves the top spot. 

The visual design takes care of how your website will look. Its colors, fonts, elemental style, icons it’ll use, the way all that will be displayed, it all comes under the umbrella of visual design. It’s the first thing that people notice about the website, so make sure the site more-than delivers on the visuals to solidify a great first impression. 

Interactive Design

When we click a button on a website, it performs a certain action for us. When we check a box on an online form, it responds to us. When we miss an important field in the same form, it becomes highlighted. All this is taken care of by the interactive side of UI design. It presents the user-interface in such a way to us that we know or can learn how to interact with it. The more successful a UI design is, the easier and more productive its interactive design is.

Information Architecture

It handles the structuring and organizing of the website in a way that makes it easier for users to find the information that they are looking for. It involves labeling, creating site flows, adding organizational hierarchy of web pages, adding categories and other details that enable easy and smooth access to, and use of, the site’s content.

Why does UI matter in web development?

Now that we are better informed on what UI is, let’s learn how an effective UI plays its role in creating functional websites.

 It helps clarify your brand vision.

Your customers are at the center of your UI design and your brand vision, both. Learning their behaviors and preferences, you not only refine your UI, but you also become clearer on who you are as a brand and what you want to offer your users. This not only gives your branding efforts direction but hands you valuable competitive edge, too. 

Combining visual plus interactive design with information architecture provides a seamless experience.

Not all UI is good UI. Good UI design anticipates customer needs and molds itself to user demands. It learns from the user’s behavior and becomes intuitive. To achieve such sophistication, a good piece of user-interface design must include all of its three main components: visual design, interactive design, and information architecture. 

Even if one piece of this puzzle is missing, UI falls flat on its face and becomes ineffective. But when done right, it enhances user-experience exponentially and becomes practical and organic in its ability to help users perform task-accomplishment easily. 

Anticipates customer expectations and delivers on them.

When sufficient and thorough user-research has gone into the UI design, it becomes adept at anticipating what action a customer might want to perform next. Accordingly, it comes with features, functions, and elements that deliver on those anticipations. 

Makes site navigation a joy.

A functional UI means that it is simple to use, has elements and features in familiar places and there is no learning curve involved in the usage of it. When the UI is built on these principles, site navigation becomes a joy. Elements are clearly labeled, menu and page links aren’t hidden, and everything you want to find on the site is easily accessible within 3 clicks or less. 

Improves customer satisfaction.

Web user-interfaces that are designed simply and with a focus on usability, add greatly to the UX part of the process. It increases customer satisfaction and ensures that every time a user comes on the website, they are able to perform their intended task with complete success. A site that is easy to use and which looks good will ultimately make returning to it a desirable possibility. 

On the other hand, sites that are visually appealing but don’t do much in terms of user experience, end up creating customers that are frustrated and dissatisfied. 

Increases site usability.

As I mentioned previously, good UI depends on a thorough and deeper understanding of how your users will interact with it, and then molding your site’s functionality to fit or improve those patterns. With consistent and regular customer feedback, good UI ensures refining its processes and improving itself to make the site more and more enjoyable and easier to use. 

Aids in SEO and site conversion.

When sites deliver on customer anticipations, make task-performance easy and successful, and are a joy to return to, you ultimately start noticing an increase in conversions too. User-Interface that’s successful in its functions and aesthetics will lead directly to improved conversions and higher ROIs. 

It is also important to note that good UI design also helps in SEO. Webpages with high bounce rates and low dwell times tell search engines that the site isn’t worth visiting – hence, low search rankings. This happens when people go to your site as a result of a keyword search but then cannot find what they are looking for, and leave sooner than intended. It results in a higher bounce rate and low dwell time for your site. Enough people do it and search engine interprets it as your site not having relevant content to that keyword, demoting your search ranking as a result. 

To make sure your site performs optimally on search engines, make sure its content, functions, and visual design is useful and helpful to the end-user.

Summing up

Good website and UI design depend on insightful customer feedback and meaningful UX design. Only by combining these three integral elements can we create a high-performance user-interface design that aids the business’s bottom-line and isn’t there to just look good.  

Author Bio 

James Spark is a creative content writer who works on freelance projects with specialty in branding, conversion optimization and digital marketing. He’s been in the field for the past five years, helping small businesses and startups getting online and profiting it. His friend friends are his cat Tommy and the laptop. 

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