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    Android Mobile App Development: Trends in 2018 and Beyond

    Android apps have become increasingly popular with people and businesses are looking forward to developing and keep their Android apps updated with the latest technology. This has significantly increased the demands for fast-paced Android mobile app development using simple and straightforward development processes. Thus, Android app developers are constantly on a lookout for recent innovations and trends to provide the users with a rewarding experience.

    Newer versions of Android are being introduced over the years and in 2017, analyzing the rising figures, most of the companies have realized that they need to invest in Android app development services to meet the customer demands and boost sales. Following the current trends, companies that want to promote their brand and engage the customers to need to follow the pattern of leading Android apps in the market such as social media apps, Google apps, and lifestyle apps. Here are some of the major Android app development trends that will drive the market in 2018 and beyond.

     

    1. Introduction of Android Instant Apps

    While we may be using certain Android apps on the daily or regular basis, others are used seldom or infrequently. The latter ones occupy the memory and screen space though they are not needed. Google introduced Android Instant Apps in their Play Store in October 2017 to address this issue. Users can tap and use these apps, without any compulsion of installing them in their device. These instant Android apps have become largely popular now as they make the apps easily accessible and can prove highly useful for users. So, we can expect most apps to come up with this additional feature so that users find it easy to use their app even without installing it.

     

    2. Emergence of Kotlin

    During the Google IO 2017, Kotlin was introduced by JetBrains as an official language and has emerged as a programming language that works on the Java virtual machine and is equipped with data classes, Lambdas, extension function, and a good safety protocol. Thus, Kotlin offers an extensive range of features that are common to a modern programming language used for building Android apps and has made the Android app development process much easier.

     

    3. Integration of technologies like AR, VR, AI, and IoT with Android apps

    The increasing number of downloads of augmented reality (AR)-based Android apps in 2018 are indicative of a steady increase in the coming five years as well. Virtual reality (VR)-based games such as Pokémon Go have already taken the Android app market by surprise and continue to do so. However, VR apps have grown less as compared to AR apps, but in 2018, both AR and VR are expected to contribute significantly to Android app development trends.

    Similarly, Artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) has made it possible for the real-life things to be intuitive and knew your needs. It has been predicted that the number of connected things will increase significantly in the coming years. Smart devices are being designed for home and office automation to allow users to interact with them. Due to the larger user base of Android, user experience and interactivity can be greatly enhanced. The efficiency and security of the backend are being targeted to promote smooth, secure, and efficient communication with these devices through Android apps.

     

    4. Inclusion of room persistence library

    Many Android apps need to deal with large volumes of structured data continuously. A database library that is a component of Android architecture and forms an abstract layer to build queries using SQL easily is known as the room persistence library. Using this database library, the developers can split the description into different parts and carry out high-performance coding. The room also acts as a versatile library to easy integration with the new Live Data and RxJava. The main components of the room are the database, entity (represents class within the database), and data access object (DAO). The DAO represents an interface and is the principal component that defines methods used for accessing the database and rendering the UI.

     

    5. Inception of cloud-based mobile apps

    Many businesses and companies have a large amount of structured and non-structured crucial data that needs to be saved securely. Android app developers are developing several cloud computing solutions for their customers to ensure that they get access to the data anytime and in a safe and secure way. This has led to the increased popularity of cloud-based Android apps.

     

    6. Evolution of ObjectBox

    In order to support fast-paced programming, object-oriented API, instant testing, automatic updates of new objects, and flexibility of working with all threads, ObjectBox was released last year by GreenRobot. ObjectBox is a very flexible programming language that is fully compatible with the latest components of Android architecture, latest Android development trends and languages like Kotlin programming language and React programming. It also brings the best NoSQL server databases for mobile app developers to enhance app performance. The reason for the increased popularity of ObjectBox amongst Android app developers is its support for Multiversion Concurrency Control (MVCC) feature that allows concurrent and extremely safe transactions through online apps.

     

    7. Revolutionized mobile payments

    With digital currencies coming to the fore, new payment technologies like contactless payments, wearable payment solutions, etc. are becoming increasingly popular. Innovative and convenient payment solutions are becoming popular in the electronic payment market with the aim to have a cashless society. Android app development companies are analyzing the preferences of the users and innovating new payment solutions accordingly. Though this is a challenging task, it holds the reins of the future of Android mobile app development.

     

    8. Emergence of MVVM pattern

    MVVM pattern has been developed recently for Android app development and ensures a clean architecture by separating modules using design patterns to make UI code simple and boost the capacity of testing the app code. This has made the Android app development easier than ever before and will continue to boost it.

    These trends are going to rein over 2018 and the coming years as well. So, it is essential for the Android app developers to acquaint themselves with these trends and stay updated to build the best Android apps for users and achieve exponential success.

    How to Network Unlock Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ in 4 Easy Steps

    Today’s smartphone market is chock-full of amazing pieces from top-tier makers, but it’s difficult to find a smartphone that offers a better and more holistic experience than Samsung Galaxy S9, and its cousin S9+. The latest iteration in Samsung’s flagship lineup, S9 is quite a sight and packs a ton of top-notch features under the hood. Talk about a drop-gorgeous, edge-to-edge display, bleeding fast multi-core processors, snappy cameras, and great software to boot. And, oh, let’s not forget the curved glass and shimmering metal body that’ll simply knock your socks off.

    The major downside is that Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ gadgets are often tied to a carrier contract, which is often a huge hassle for those who want to cross over to another provider. Perhaps you often travel overseas and would wish to use local SIMs around the globe. Having a state of the art smartphone that’s network locked is a massive bummer.

    Is a SIM locked Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ giving you sleepless nights? Newsflash: you can unlock Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ network in a jiffy, and the whole process is simple and effortlessly easy.

    Today, we are going to walk you through a full step by step guide on how to unlock Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+. If you insert a non-carrier SIM, and your S9 prompts you for a “SIM network unlock pin,” you are in luck. This method is tried-and-true for unlocking most Samsung S9 variants. It’s super easy, safe, and will 100% unlock Samsung Galaxy S9 network restrictions.

    Step #1: Locate Your Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+ IMEI Number

    The first step you need to take before you unlock Samsung S9 and S9+ is to find the IMEI number of your device. It’s a numerical code that uniquely identifies your phone. This is especially crucial if you are planning to request an unlock Samsung code from your carrier or pay for it from third-party unlocking agencies.

    It’s easy to figure out the IMEI of your device. Firstly, open the dial pad and key in *#06# — and voila! Your phone’s IMEI will pop up on the screen. Unless you have a photographic memory, you probably want to note down the IMEI for later referencing.

    Step #2: Get Network Unlock Code from Your Service Provider (Carrier)

    Again, if you purchased or received a network-locked Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+ as a gift, you will not be able to insert a different SIM card. As soon as you turn it on, it will prompt you to enter “SIM network unlock pin.” That’s why we are here: to unlock Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ locked to carrier’s network.

    So, how can you get your hands on the SIM unlock pin? This is an eight digit unlock code which is often specific to your device’s IMEI number (the code you obtained from step #1). Turns out, the best way to get the code to unlock Samsung Galaxy S9 is to plead with your service provider (carrier) to give it to you. The trouble is that most carriers don’t release unlock codes before six months elapses on your contract. Of course, there are myriads of other ways to garner your Samsung Galaxy S9’s unlock code (more on this to follow).

    What you need to know is that carries have strict policies and requirements you have to meet before they give you the code to unlock your Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+. While this route will cost you virtually nothing, you are required to have owned the device for more than 90 days, your account with the carrier must be in good standing, and the device must be paid for in full.

    Once you are sure you meet these stringent requirements, follow these steps to get unlock code for free from your service provider:

    1. Get in touch with your carrier’s customer service, preferably through the phone
    2. Once connected, ask for the SIM unlock code for your device
    3. You will be prompted to provide your S9’s IMEI number
    4. The code to unlock Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ will be emailed to you within 2 to 5 days.

    Alternative: Buy SIM Unlock Code from 3RD Parties

    Obtaining the SIM unlock pin from the service provider to use to unlock Samsung Galaxy S9 isn’t always a walk in the park. This is especially true if your account is in default or you don’t have money to pay off the outstanding balance on the phone. The good news is that you can get a network to unlock code from third-party sellers. The whole process is easy, fast, and the code will unlock Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ in no time.

    Step #3: Check If the Device Requires an Unlock Code

    Not all Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ devices prompt for an unlock code. To make sure it does, insert a different SIM card from the one that your carrier provided, and turn on your S9. If it detects that it’s a non-accepted SIM card, the device will prompt you with “enter unlock code” or “enter SIM network unlock pin” message.

    Step #4: Unlock Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ with Code

    Once prompted, enter the 8-digit SIM unlock code, and then restart your S9 device. It’s that easy and simple to unlock Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+. It doesn’t matter if you sourced the unlock code from a 3rd party or from your carrier, it should be able to unlock your Samsung S9 device once and for all. This way, you are free to switch to another ISP or use the phone overseas.

    Bonus: Unlock a Samsung Galaxy S6 easily

    Wrap-Up

    It’s worth noting that this method will only unlock Samsung S9/S9+ devices that ask you to enter SIM unlock code. Unfortunately, this will not unlock Samsung devices locked to T-Mobile and MetroPCS networks. You will have to use pre-installed unlock apps to do so.

    Eight Ways to Market your Android Apps Better

    Have you developed an android app? Believe it or not, that’s the easy part. Getting the app to the end-users is a hurdle that can be too difficult to cross. That’s because there are more than one million apps in the Google Play Store.

    A 2013 report compiled by Distimo showed that only 3 percent of the top 250 app publishers in the United States were newcomers. The revenue these new developers took represented an even smaller part of what the Play Store generated — just 1.2 percent. Evidently, app discovery is a big challenge.

    Fortunately, reaching the Google Play Store end-users isn’t an unattainable goal. With the right marketing strategy, your app can get the much-needed attention of the masses.

    So how do you promote your android app? Here are some valuable marketing tips to help you rank in the Play Store search and rake in those downloads.

     

    Build a Useful App

    No matter how much you promote your app, there’s no way people will be interested in it if it’s terrible. For that reason, your first step should be building a high-quality app that will function as advertised. Don’t launch the app before you’ve conducted thorough tests.

     

    Do App Store Optimization

    App Store Optimization (ASO) is similar to Search Engine Optimization. According to the experts at the Webs Union when you choose ASO to market, your primary concern should be figuring the keywords that users are looking for in the Play Store and using those keywords to increase the chances of your Android app to rank highly in the searches.

     

    Be sure to follow these steps:

    1. Do keyword research: There are ASO tools that can give you an inkling of what people are searching for. These include Mobile Action, Google Keyword Planner, Thesaurus, and Google Play’s auto-suggest feature. When choosing the keywords that you want your app to target, make sure you follow the R.D.T. (Relevance, Difficulty, and Traffic) rule. That simply means the keywords should be highly relevant and have low difficulty scores and high traffic scores. Mobile Action and Google Keyword Planner provide details on traffic score, difficulty, and relevance.
    2. Use keywords in the app’s title: You can improve the ASO ranking of your app by incorporating relevant keywords into its title. However, since Google only permits 30 characters, you may only use two or three keywords in your title. An excellent title format you can consider following is “Main title-Subtitle (XXX XXX—XXXXX XXXX XXXX)” format. With this format, you could use one or two keywords in the main title and other strong keywords in the subtitle. Take care not to spam the subtitle with keywords. You can also increase your app’s visibility by adding symbols to the title, such as ®, ™, and emojis.
    3. Put keywords in the app description: Google allows your app’s description to have up to 4,000 characters. Take advantage of that by using as many relevant keywords as you can. However, don’t cram the description with keywords in an effort to boost your ASO; that will have a negative impact on user experience. Make sure the description is informative and appealing to people. For best results, it’s advisable to include your target keyword 4-5 times in the description.

     

    Create a Promotional Video

    Google Play allows you to have a promo video that showcases how your app is used. Such a video can help you connect with your target market more effectively. Make good use of this option by creating a video that arouses people’s interest in your app. It should be short, visually appealing, and should highlight your app’s important features.

     

    Ask Your Friends for Feedback

    Your friends, family, and work colleagues know you personally, so you could easily ask them to do you a favor by downloading your app. Let them use it for a week then get back to you with what they liked about it and what annoyed them. If they liked the app, ask them for a quick review and rating on the app store. The good ratings can help you rank higher in search results.

     

    Get Featured in the Media

    From mainstream media such as CNN and BBC to popular android-related websites like the Android Authority and Appbrain, getting any form of media coverage could boost your app downloads significantly. Here are some of the ways you can get press coverage:

    • Press releases: While it may not be the first thing that comes to the mind of a new developer, press releases are a great way of getting media coverage. An excellent press release gives journalists instant access to all the key facts about your app and lets your target audience know that your app is on the market. Some of the highest-rated online press release services you can consider submitting your press release to include Business Wire and PRWeb. Press releases are read more frequently on weekdays, so it’s best to target such days.
    • Contact journalists and influencers: Connect with the journalists and influencers or bloggers in your niche directly. Get them to write about your Android app and add external links to the app page.

     

    Promote on Social Media

    Social media is one of the biggest and most effective forms of marketing. Make sure you tell all your connections on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus about your app. Ask them to re-share your posts on your app with their contacts. The posts should have a link to the app.

     

    Use Mobile Advertisements

    Mobile advertising is one of the easier methods of getting users for your app, but it doesn’t come cheap. Google offers ads that target users as they search on their phones and tablets. The Admob service lets you design mobile adverts and set a daily budget to prevent you from spending too much on the ads. The built-in analytics of the service allows you to see the number of taps, ad impressions, and people that have installed your app due to your ad.

    If the analytic data shows your advert isn’t producing the desired number of downloads, change it. You can also experiment by running different ads simultaneously to see which ones perform the best and then do away with the others.

     

    Use Your Existing Apps

    If you’ve already published other apps in the Google Play Store, consider leveraging them to promote your new app. You can offer them at a promotional price to commemorate the new app launch. Make sure you share the promotion on social media.

    Alternatively, you can get your app modified to promote your new app. Upload new versions of the apps with the built-in marketing material. Users will be notified of the available updates by the app store. You can use a greeting message, built-in interstitial, link on the main menu, or other means to promote the new app.

    If you’re already using mobile advertisements, you can utilize “in-house ads.” Most platforms won’t charge you for the “in-house ads” and will allow you to advertise your new app in the space you’d normally use to promote other products.

    The strategies mentioned above will help position your android app for discovery in Google Play. Remember, these strategies will only yield long-term benefits if you have a compelling app in place.

    Best Methods to Remove Password from a PDF File

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    Some people encrypt their PDF file with a password so that no one can copy, edit or delete the PDF file created by them. To view these files, you are required to enter into the PDF file which has been protected with a password.

    Such PDF files can only be used if you have removed the password. Your PDF files can remain safe if you keep them at a secure location on your computer.

    Simple and Convenient Method:

    There are different methods that you can use to remove password from the PDF file. The most common method is a convenient method. The best thing about this method is that it works in almost every operating system.

    This method to use the PDF file without a password is very easy. All you have to do is open the PDF file and print it as a new file. The new file is a duplicate copy of the original file but without the password.

    Although this method is very easy, there is a limitation of this method. The convenient method of using the PDF file can only be used if there is no Printing restriction with the PDF targeted file. Such files are just required to provide a password to be printed.

    How to Use the Convenient Method?

    • Open the browser
    • Open the PDF document protected by a password and provide the password that it needs
    • Click on the print button in order to view the document protected by the password.
    • Click on change and save as PDF.

    By following the method mentioned above, you will be directly prompted to a new PDF file which is the exact copy of the original file but is not protected by password anymore.

    Official Method:

    There is another effective method for using the file protected by the password. This official method requires you to use the Adobe Acrobat for this purpose. Adobe Acrobat is paid software that works effectively to use the encrypted files.

    The benefit of the official method over convenient method is that it can also open those files which have printing restrictions.

    How to use the official method?

    • Open the PDF file in adobe acrobat
    • Provide the password to view the document
    • Click on the lock icon and click to view the permission details of the file
    • Click the ‘’security method’’ and choose the option of no security. Click ‘’OK’’ to remove the password
    • Click on the ‘’save changes,’’ and your file will be saved

    The official method is one of the best methods to be used for opening the restricted password files. It should be kept in mind that every method of opening the encrypted file will be difficult if you don’t know about it.

    Online PDF Unlocker

    Another easy method is the use of online PDF Unlocker. If you are really interested in online unlocker, you can get one fromsodapdf.com/unlock-pdf.

    Google Follows in Apple’s Footsteps by Cleaning up its Play Store

    Introduction

    Developing apps has become too easy nowadays. There are a million mobile applications available online, each with distinct features and innovative interfaces. The applications are not just restricted to games or financial and banking applications. Developers are trying to outperform each other by launching smart apps quite frequently. There are many resources available online that can help users to develop new apps. Automated tools, app development wizards, and templates can be accessed online for free. Many of these resources have turned amateur programmers into full-time app developers. App development has become the theme for many new business startups. Other small business units turn to such app developers for marketing their products using smart apps.

     

    iOS App Cleanup

    The Apple application store was flooded with many redundant applications. Apple decided to clean up their app store after its Worldwide Developers Conference. The Apple management decided to ban some of the apps from its play store and perform a thorough cleanup. The ban was enforced mainly on apps that were created using automated commercialized template based wizards or through automatic app generation services. This cleanup was aimed at reducing many of the spam applications. These applications generally included low-quality applications and clone apps which were used to market small businesses. The ramifications of Apple’s decision to clean up its app store mainly hit small business enterprises and iOS App Developers.

     

    Google to follow Apple Strategy of app store cleanup

    Google also followed suit to apps decision to clean up its online store. Google has also released a new developers policy specifying a new set of guidelines for publishing apps. This policy follows the strategy adopted by Apple. Google has decided to clean up its play store and remove spam applications. On a broader scale, the ban covers applications which are used to mine cryptocurrencies, applications that promote the sale of firearms, and also automate app development tools and wizards which provide standardized templates for designing new apps.

    The primary reason to target such applications is to maintain a higher integrity of applications available on the play store. If low-quality applications keep growing exponentially and they keep passing off poor content to the consumers, it does affect the overall quality of the play store. In a way, this does raise questions about the integrity of other applications in the store. Many spam apps lead to a clutter in the play store, which affects all users worldwide. Undoubtedly, there are genuine apps designed to support the growth of small business units. But there has to be some distinction amongst such apps and low-grade apps which spam the internet space. Google has implemented a blanket ban, which covers many of the apps created for the purpose of marketing small businesses. Applications created for promoting local restaurants and clubs are some instances which promote local business. But these apps are generally poorly designed because of lack of expertise. Such entrepreneurs do not have any app development designs, not any in-house app designers and they end up using the standard app making wizards.

     

    Effect of Change in Policy

    Google has made some changes in its developer’s policy with the intent to clean up spam apps and redundant installable lying in its play store. The policy specifies guidelines on submission of apps to Google. Previously, many of the business and service providers used automated wizards to create applications. But when they submitted this application, it was from the account of the business unit. This made the app seem genuine as if the business unit has created a specialized application. However, this impression given to the users was not true. As a corrective step, Google has made some amends in the developer’s policy. The new policy lays down some guidelines about who can submit the apps to Google. Google reserves the right to publish or discard any app on its play store. The new policy states that such applications will be published in the play store only if they are submitted by the developer of such applications. If a business develops an app it has to compulsorily publish it in the name of the developer and not from the account of the enterprise.

     

    Google Policies vs Apple Policies

    Apple was the leader in raising the concern of app store spamming out to the world. Apple took the first corrective measures to clean up its application store. But Apple decided to implement a blank ban and cover all applications that were created using an automated tool. This affected not only small business enterprises but many application developers as well. This was met with a lot of criticism and many prominent people ended up questioning Apple’s intent to clean up the store. It felt as Apple did not want small business to compete with the bigger brands using the iOS platform.

    Google came it up with its new developer’s policy. Google did take into consideration some of the opinions voiced against Apple Inc. Google decided to target apps which were poorly designed or which were designed with mal-intent. Google decided to primarily ban cryptocurrency applications. There were quite a lot of apps which used the user’s resources to mine cryptocurrencies. Many such apps were disguised or marketed as utility apps. But in the background, these apps used the user’s resources to mine crypto-coins. Such apps generally had shady extensions which were used to mislead users.

    Google has also extended the ban to cover applications that sell firearms and ammunition, explosives and firearm accessories. This step is inclined towards taking a moral stand against gun control related risks. Applications that sold conversion kits for firearms, ammunition magazines, and Gatling triggers were also rounded up by Google under the blanket ban.

    There were some applications in the play store that appealed to children and minors with adult-themed apps. Such applications raised integrity question on the developers and service providers and the play store became the platform to market such products. Google policies focus on raising its application standards by cracking down on such apps.

    Blog Design: Does It Have An Impact On Your Success?

     

    These days, every person with an internet connection seems to be into blogging. According to Statista.com, Tumblr is home to 350 million blogs, while the undisputed CMS ruler, the WordPress, generates over 91 million posts each month. The numbers do not lie and they give rise both to optimism and caution among the ranks of bloggers.

    Namely, there is a big difference between casually blogging and doing it successfully. Only a small fraction of bloggers make a living out of it.  One of the ways they manage to gain an edge is with the help of compelling design. Indeed, in a saturated blogosphere, visually standing out is a great tactic to get ahead of the game.

     

    Window of opportunity

    Writing quality and engaging posts goes a long way, but is it really enough to hit it big? Well, recent studies on reader preferences are quite telling. Among factors that add the most credibility to a blog, good web design (17%) is second only to quality content (30%). So, to nobody’s surprise, content remains the king and that is not going to change any time soon. Yet, this is not to say design should take a backseat. To demonstrate its pull, let us get into behavioral psychology for a moment.

    The human brain is wired to processes visual cues way faster than text. That has always been the case, but today, people also have incredibly short attention spans. The appearance of the website is paramount because it can communicate complex concepts and ideas in an instant and imprint them into people’s minds. From a blogger’s perspective, this means one thing: there is not much time to make a good first impression and project a positive brand image.

     

    Pulling them in

    Alas, this is just the first step on a digital journey. We all know that just making a temporary positive impression does not cut it. Repeat traffic is what makes or breaks blog’s success and to really entice people to keep coming back for more, one has to provide a swell blog experience. The problem is that the importance of design declines as return readers start paying less and less attention to it. And at one point, things may get stale and prompt visitors to look further for something new and exciting.

    That is when you need to influence their behavior using cool visuals. The good news is that nowadays, bloggers can quickly spruce up their blog pages and drive more traffic their way. There are thousands of different themes for major platforms like WordPress. However, notice that they are not all created equal. There are many free themes that offer little more than a generic and dull look. Contrariwise, if we take a look at top-performing blogs, we see that they tend to use custom theme designs.

    So, now we know that unique design poses a powerful blogging weapon. The million dollar question, though, is how to achieve it.  Well, let me tell you right away that your personal preferences and taste do not account for much. On the other hand, trend awareness and open mindset certainly do.

     

    On top of the game

    Despite what some assume, blog design must not lag behind general web design. This nothing but a poor excuse for lack of effort. Therefore, if you mean business, educate yourself. Check out some of the most stunning website designs of 2018. Get inspired, but refrain from merely copying what others are doing. Your design choices should be governed by your brand mission, goals, and values. For example, in case your objective is to tap into social media audiences, then you need to figure out how to integrate social buttons and comment section.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Should you struggle to come up with pro-level results, you might want to outsource design tasks. This investment is likely to pay dividends down the road.

    Furthermore, stay up to date with game-changing trends such as mobile-first indexing. Mobile traffic has dethroned desktop-driven searches (it now accounts for 52.5% of total global traffic), and that has a profound impact on design. Main design elements now have to adjust seamlessly to smaller screen sizes. Nobody wants to see unreadable blocks of text scrambled with non-optimized images and layout. Thus, take advantage of responsive design, a technique that boosts both the visual appeal and functionality of the blog.

     

    A match made in heaven

    Our final point has everything to do with the complex relationship between content and design. Understanding it is paramount.

    There is a lot of ground to cover here, but in a nutshell, a design should complement the content instead of overshadowing it. For instance, bloggers must not let the visuals impede the readability of articles. Images that reinforce core message are always better than the ones that flamboyantly distract. Likewise, empty space, infographics, and other elements can help bloggers break bodies of text and turn them into easy-to-digest chunks.

    The color palette is the next key design element that affects the readability of text, sets the mood, and guides the reader’s attention. Recent years have taught us that a nice way to improve user experience is to have the background and text colors match each other. A subtle difference usually does the trick, although sharp contrast (black text on a pale backdrop) is wildly popular. It is also used to highlight and separate important design staples from other, less relevant elements.

    At last, fonts are another interesting example that sheds the light on the psychology behind great design. It is by no means accidental that powerhouses in the league of LinkedIn and Google embrace Sans Serif typeface. It is a clean solution that oozes professionalism and authority: it evokes a certain emotion. This, however, does not mean that it is a one-size-fits-all solution. Beauty, lifestyle, and photography blogs often stick to the script font family, while Display fonts embellish logos across industry sectors.

    The main takeaway is clear: Keep up the pace with trends, but do what makes sense for your brand, specific niche, and target audience. Put in hard work and loads of creative energy without cutting corners. That is the best shot you have to pierce through the immense noise out there.

     

    Success by design

    Blog’s design may not be the single most important piece of the success puzzle, but it sure is up there. You can think of content as the main dish and design an icing on the cake. What is as clear as a day is that they need to work hand in hand. So, to avoid getting snowed under an avalanche of better-looking blogs, master the art of visual storytelling. Follow the best web design practices and explore various creative ideas.  Make sure to align your brand-driven design with your content strategy.

    Following these tried-and-true steps, you should be able to build a stable and loyal readership.  It is time to put together a killer, bespoke blog design.

     

     

     

    Mistakes to Avoid When Developing an eCommerce Website

    In this modern era, the eCommerce business is ruling the web. A great number of tech companies are running their e-commerce business today but only some of them are successful.  So we can say that running a successful online eCommerce store is hard work. You need to attract visitors, keep them revisiting and convert those prospects into buyers.

    There should be a proper eCommerce marketing strategy for ecommerce web developers which can prevent loss to the traffic, higher bounce rate and a decrease in conversion rates. Hence, there will be minimum chances to lose a potential new client. So, what these eCommerce marketing mistakes are you doing currently? Which are the most important mistakes you should consider immediately and need your time & resources?

    In this blog, we will discuss these mistakes and their corresponding remedies that will help your e-commerce business to grow rapidly.

     

    Mistakes:  

    Use of Poor Quality Product Images

     

    A product image plays an important role in an eCommerce business. The customers can easily get the required information about the product by seeing its image. The image helps them to choose what they want to buy for themselves as they can not touch or feel the respective product. Hence, if you use quality images on your eCommerce website then it can comprehend the user’s search for the product precisely. This is one of the best ways to improve your e-commerce web design.

     

    How to fix it?

    Always make sure that you are putting a good number of quality images for the products in various domains. For instance, if the product comes in variant colors then make sure to deploy images of those options as well. In fact, you can also switch the color of the respective images.

     

    No Social Media Presence

     

    A competent e-commerce web development company can provide you a good website design, but there is more than a good e-commerce web design which can bring your eCommerce sales. A good e-commerce site cannot bring you success until unless you have a strong social media presence. In fact, social presence offers brand awareness, building a connection with your old customers and increasing sales via social media paid campaigns.

     

    How to fix it?

    You can choose Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. in order to promote your site along with products. In this way, you can also have words with your target audience and can meet their needs directly by asking them. For this, e-commerce developers need to deploy social sharing buttons on all of their product pages.

     

    Lack of Responsive Design


    In this world of eCommerce, people use different types of devices to shop and gather knowledge about products and services they need. Therefore, responsive designs become a necessity to grow your business globally. With responsive designs, your clients can get the benefits of online orders and payment which will help you in retaining satisfied clients. A responsive mobile web design can get you lots of sales from your eCommerce website.

     

    How to fix it?

    The mobile is the future. Hence e-commerce developers must ensure that they make a mobile-optimized or device-agnostic website for today’s customers.

    Not Using Sufficient Product Descriptions

    Similar to the above-discussed product images, it is an equally essential part which should not be neglected by e-commerce web developers. The product’s description should be capable enough to answer the questions as given below:

    • How is the product made?
    • What does it do?
    • How the product functions?

    Hence, there should be a detailed description of the product that covers all your product’s selling points. This helps in gaining the attention of maximum users and also increases the reliability of the products you sell to them.

     

    How to fix it?

    In order to use sufficient product description, you must incorporate a listing of those materials which have been used while making this product, techniques or manufacturing processes and also inform customers whether the product comes with a warranty or not.

     

    Not Providing Shipping Options


    E-commerce developers often forget to embed multiple shipping options for their customers. With a single shipping option, it makes inconvenient for the customers to make a good purchase from your store as it costs too much for them to buy that product. With more shipping options, the customer website experience gets improved. Therefore, each e-commerce website development should provide multiple shipping options to their customers for better shipping service.

    Another major benefit of diversifying shipping options is that it helps in the work stoppage or in the event of a natural disaster. It means that if one shipping channel gets blocked, you still can order your products via switching to any other vendor.

     

    How to fix it?

    You must give your best in order to provide multiple shipping options in terms of delivery time and the price.

     

    Poor Website Navigation


    A poor website navigation can discourage your customers. This includes too many font types, colors, lack of informative buttons which ultimately makes your customers unhappy and results in no sale. With easy website navigation, users can navigate images to the product page, can click on top of the header in order to return to the home page and can see more information about the product.

     

    How to fix it?

    E-commerce developers should focus on developing easily navigation websites with interactive and attractive layouts.

     

    Lacking a Good Search Options


    A faulty search bar can badly affect your customer website experience. If you have numerous products to sell then it becomes important to you that your customers would search for using a few keywords and get the required information instantly. It has been observed that customers who use online searches for finding the products are 3 times more likely to make an online purchase. This also increases the conversion rate.

     

    How to fix it?

    You must ensure that you have enhanced the product descriptions with appropriate keywords and tags for a better SEO (search engine optimization). In fact, many eCommerce website design companies are already doing good SEO for their business growth.

    Conclusion

    So we have seen the various eCommerce website development mistakes done by e-commerce developers and their respective solutions. If you avoid such mistakes, then it would surely bring success to your ecommerce website development company in the near future. By improving the above mistakes, you can design a good e-commerce website and can deliver the best e-commerce web design services to your clients.

    In this way, you can make it effortless for your customers to get the things at any time from anywhere at just one click to your site. The only thing you need to do is to avoid the above mistakes.

    Best App Stores For Android Smartphones – Top Google Play Store Alternatives

    App Stores are an integral part of an Android Device. They do not, however, offer every app for free. Therefore, people look for other alternatives to PlayStore as well. Sometimes, a person wants to get the premium version of the app and doesn’t want to pay for it and that is where other app stores come into play. Another reason is that the application is available only on iOS devices and thus, to enjoy it on Android, alternative app stores come in handy.

    To install the app, you have to enable downloads from unknown sources. To do so, go to settings > security > ‘unknown sources’

    This will enable you to download app stores for your Android device.

     

    SlideMe

    SlideMe is one of the most popular app stores for Android devices and why not? It comes with loads of features which attracts customers because of such features. SlideMe offers both, paid and free apps but what makes it special is that SlideMe provides you with apps which have not been launched on PlayStore or App store yet and thus, you will be the first ones to enjoy the applications. Thus, if you are a kind of person who wants to try the new thing before anyone else does, you shouldn’t look beyond SlideMe. They are usually uploaded earlier than PlayStore because they gave Android Open Source Project (AOSP) OEM’s.

    You will be able to access fully developed applications with high quality and you can analyze the app. Therefore, you can be sure that your phone is in safe hands even if you try half cooked applications.

     

    Amazon Appstore

    All New Amazon App Store Banner

    Amazon Appstore is one of the most widely ranged alternatives to the PlayStore for Android smartphones as it houses over 300,000 apps of all sorts, thus giving you a variety to look forward to. It provides apps for free and legitimately as well. Every app is not free, but they have a unique feature where they offer their users a paid premium app for free, which is refreshed every day. So, when you check their app every day, you might get what you have been looking for or even better. This is one of the most trustable alternatives to the Google PlayStore which makes it a very popular option for the people.

    They work extra hard to make sure that you do not get malicious software. Along with various apps, they also are a home to a collection of books, movies, etc.

     

    GetAPK Market

    GetAPK Market is one of the most popular applications which the people use as a replacement for the PlayStore. It is one of the best app stores for Android Smartphones as it has a vast collection of free premium applications. You get everything for free here.

    People almost always scroll past the app which they see is paid as they do not want to spend money to get an app on PlayStore. For this reason, the GetAPK market has made its name in the market as it gets you all the paid premium games and applications absolutely free of cost. Also, there are over a thousand apps available for download. With the simple interface it has and the number of applications available there, it is one of the best App stores for Android devices.

     

    APK Mirror

    APK Mirror is a store that has only free apps and there is no paid application which the APK Mirror houses. If you’re looking for free applications under one roof, APK Mirror is where you should go to. You can filter the apps showing to you according to your needs including alphabetical order, most downloaded, etc. Over the years this app has become one of the best app stores for Android because of the free applications as well as easy to use UI.

     

    AppBrain

    AppBrain is another perfect app store for Android devices as it has premium applications which one can have for free. However, AppBrain is slightly different than most other app stores as it offers free premium apps only for a limited time. At one point of time, only a few premium applications are free of cost while others are still paid applications. The reason behind this is that AppBrain still isn’t as popular as other apps and therefore, this is their marketing strategy. Random apps become free at random time and all the apps are from the App store and play store only.

     

    Conclusion

    It is, therefore, important that you download the best app store alternatives on your Android devices so that you can experience the ultimate editions of the games and apps.

    Will the Target Vendor Read your Website Design RFP?

    It is time for some change. A new website can turn the business around for a company. Depending on how user-friendly and tech-friendly a site is, the visitors are likely to dedicate more time and spend some money on your products. When you notice the need for a new website, you should approach a design company with design ideas and a quote. However, it is not as simple as browsing cabinet designs online and picking out one for a new bathroom. Website design is intricate, and it will determine the user experience (UX) significantly.

    The beginning of a website design is a request for proposal (RFP). The quality and nature of your RFP will determine the success of your website design project. It should be transparent, easy to understand and informative. The vendors should be able to estimate the time, cost and labor of the process before making their proposals.

     

    The harsh truth about RFPs

    Plenty of RFP templates can guide you through the process. However, most of them miss the mark by a hair’s breadth. You need a website design RFP that will be articulate, precise and interesting. “How to write a RFP” is an easy question, but the answer requires considerable research, practice, and review. The vendors should not look at it and feel the need to chuck it in the trash. While it requires elements of commerce, it should not read like a blatant sales pitch. An excellent RFP should cover your preliminary requirements, and it should also ensure that you get positive responses from the vendors you approach. The voice, tone, and language of your RFP will have a significant impact on the outcome of the proposal.

    Do not feel discouraged, but some of the most popular website design companies do not like going through RFPs or responding to them. Unless you have something compelling for these parties, you can forget getting a second look. They are notorious for not participating in the process once they receive the RFPs. Therefore, while writing your proposal, always highlight who you are, what your brand values are and what kind of services you include. It is not just another business proposal. It is a mode of communication with the website owners and designers. You should include enough reasons in the proposal for them to give you a second thought.

    What is the preliminary structure of a RFP?

    Apart from adding structure to your proposal, you need to add a few touches of expertise to it. The structure of a RFP is standard for a myriad of website types and purposes. It should include –

    1. Intro and project overview
    2. The company overview
    3. Introduction to the audience of the site
    4. The objectives of the new website and an honest review of their current site
    5. Details about their e-commerce features
    6. Transparent details on the budget
    7. Timeline details of the project and RFP

    Including these elements in your RFP structure will help it meet the professional norms. It will not make your proposal exceptional. These are standard practices for all web design RPFs. So, what do you need to include to make your proposal stand out from the crowd?

     

    Establish the new website goals

    How will the new website differ from the older one? Will your new web design meet the objectives of informing and educating the target audience? Will it help you sell more products? Will the ROI increase in the next few months owing to the new site designs? A business website should have multiple goals, but you should be able to prioritize them. While writing your RFP, always put the primary goal on top, although you can include several secondary objectives.

     

    Always be honest about the site you have now

    Do not criticize your current site too harshly and do not promote it without enough reason. For example – you cannot just state that your site is not working well enough for your brand or business. You need to explain why you believe your site is not meeting your business goals. That will help the vendors understand what your new site requires to meet the business objectives. If your current site receives regular complaints from your customers or users, you need to be able to highlight those in your RFP. These are the things you can hope for your new website to exclude.

     

    What will be the core functionality?

    How can you design a RFP without mentioning the core functionality of a site? Each website has some priorities and core functionalities. You cannot hope to impress a website design house or attract their attention with an average proposal that does not pay any attention to the list of preliminary features of a site. At the same time, including the optional features that will be a part of the site as well or aid the primary functionalities. For example – a store locator is a primary function, but the interactive map that comes along is a secondary feature.

     

    Showcase your personality

    Like people, brands have archetypes or personalities. The type of personality will determine the colors, navigation options, animations, and transitions on your site. For example – an attorney’s website will exude a reliable, professional and credible personality. These websites command standard web fonts, muted colors with a touch of maroon, brown or blue. A website can set up the expectations of your audiences, and you should be able to communicate your personality through your RFP.

     

    Speak about your budget openly

    Not mentioning your budget can throw the vendors in a tizzy. Website designers do not like to work with companies, who cannot discuss the expenses and payments from the first point of interaction. Your RFP should ideally include your costs expected along with objectives and necessities. That will help you find the vendors, who fit your bill. You will be saving the time and effort of the ones that are above your budget.

    Always include a cheat sheet. That is a set of relevant information like deadlines, timelines, budget, launch date, contact information and current site details. You should always include that on top of the proposal. That will help the vendors go through every bit of essential aspect at one glance. An excellent proposal has multiple factors. Perfecting one takes time and tons of research. Apart from social media, you should be able to gain insights on the ideal RFP by asking your peers about their web design experiences.

    5 Best Free Screen Recorder Software for Windows

    Screen recording apps offer an easy solution to help you record all important data effortlessly. You can use these tools to record presentation, webinar, capture screenshots, record video, record games and more. Here, we have discussed 5 best free screen recorder software for Windows you should use this year.

     

    ActivePresenter6

    ActivePresenter6 is powerful screen recorder software for Windows that helps you create screencast and interactive eLearning content effortlessly. Here, it allows you to capture & record screen, software simulation, video editing, quiz building and more. Using this powerful solution, you can record screen in a jiffy, create eLearning games & courses and edit screencast videos instantly. Using its smart capture feature, you can capture every single screen for detailed information for tutorials. You can even use it to record the screens as a full motion video. You can use its speakers & microphone options to record audio from system audio and microphone simultaneously while recording screen. Further, it allows you to edit videos with zoom-n-pan, animation effects, annotations, voice-over and closed captions.

    ActivePresenter6 - Screen Recorder

     

    Tiny Take

    Use this powerful screen recording software to capture screens, record video and share them in the fastest way. This free tool offers intuitive screen capture & video recording options where you can capture screen or video images, add comments, add notes, and share all this effortlessly. You can use this tool to record video of your screen for up to 120 minutes. You can also use it to record videos via webcam. It allows you to record specific region, complete window or entire screen as per your need. While capturing images through webcam, you can open, annotate or and share it easily with others. In addition to that, you can copy your work to clipboard or share a link of saved work. In other features, it offers to zoom in/out, videos in cloud option, store screenshots, custom short-cut keys and more.

    Tiny Take - Screen Recorder

     

    Icecream Screen Recorder

    Icecream Screen recorder allows you to capture any part of your screen as a video file or screenshot. This powerful tool offers a user-friendly solution in the form of a complete suite of options & tools. It is useful to record screen and audio with professional quality. Using this tool, you can record games to share with your friends, record Skype videos in HD, record webinars for records and more. It is also useful to capture screens, create screencast, video instructions, software & website video reviews, record games in full-screen or window mode and more. In other features, it offers screenshot to URL, display hotkeys used in videos, save screenshots to clipboard, schedule screen recording, convert the format of recorded videos, trim recordings and more.

    Icecream Screen Recorder - Screen Recorder

     

    Ezvid

    Ezvid is a meticulously designed screen recorder tool for Windows that works on advanced techniques to help you record all important data effortlessly. It offers abundant useful features to capture all important details. Using its different features like FaceCam, screen drawing, voice recording, voice synthesis, and speed control, you can get the best results instantly. It allows you to capture screen, record games, paint programs, capture web pages, apps & maps, and more. Here, you can upload this data easily on YouTube and share it with friends or official purpose. Using this tool, you can create HD movies with high-resolution features with instant effect. Further, you can edit your videos with multiple options where you can re-arrange it, add text, make speed changes, include image slides and more. This smart solution works on C++ binaries where it supports advanced multi-core CPUs and video cards. It even allows you to draw directly on screen using one of its features.

    Ezvid - Screen Recorder

     

    Filmora screen

    Filmora screen is powerful screen recording software for Windows that offers abundant useful features to make your work seamless. Using this tool, you can record fast-paced games (up to 60 fps for Mac) and access full editing suite features that allows you to edit clips using different professional tools. Here, you can capture screen from your system and webcam simultaneously. It allows you to import video files & images and other media files. Using this tool, you can draw circles & arrows, make a full or partial recording, custom recording fields, add text and elements, annotations, import over 50 file formats, Picture-in-Picture (PIP) support, full editing suite and more.

    Screen Recorder

     

    Conclusion

    Using best screen recorder software for Windows, you can easily save all your important tasks on your system. Here, we have discussed some of these useful tools in detail. If you know more such tools, feel free to comment below.