DEV Community: Neoito

Why Choose Node.js for your next Web Application Development Project?

Neoito — Tue, 26 May 2020 04:20:25 +0000

The increase in the number of websites could only mean that the demand for web app development will certainly soar in the years to come. While developing a web app, the key factor is efficiency. The longer the project takes, the more costly it essentially becomes. Node.js is one of the most popular cross-platform, JavaScript runtime environments to build scalable and efficient REST APIs, mobile apps, desktop applications, and even IoT-based products.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is not a framework or a library, but a runtime environment, based on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine that helps in the execution of JavaScript code server-side. Moreover, it operates on a single-threaded event-based loop to make all executions non-blocking. The technology was first introduced back in 2009 by Ryan Dahl.

Here are some facts:

1.Node.js is an open-source source atmosphere
2.Node.js is free
3.Node.js runs on different platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux)
4.Node.js uses JavaScript on the server
5.3.5 million+ developers work with Node.js
6.80% of developers have 3+ years of experience in Node.js
7.500k downloads daily on an average
8.What is Node.js commonly used for?

Node.js is used for projects that actively use JavaScript on the front and backend of the project. Here are the most common areas where Node.js can be used:

. Static file server
. Micro-services
. Scripting & Automation
. Web Application framework
. Complex SPA’s (Single page apps)
. Real-time Chat apps
. Data Streaming apps
. Embedded systems
. Command-line apps
. Browser games Hardware programming

After its initial release in the year 2009, Node.JS has had its share of highs and lows. But, the developer’s community has striven to make it what it is now, one of the best web, app, and cross-platform development environment.

Let’s check the reasons why it’s high time to invest in Node.js for web app development: https://blog.neoito.com/node-js-web-development/

15 Best Progressive Web Apps 2020

Neoito — Mon, 25 May 2020 10:13:35 +0000

Here are the best of our favorite Progressive web apps picks in 2020:

1.Starbucks

After launching their mobile app in 2015, Starbucks wanted to create a system that would be universally accessible to the emerging markets and finally created a PWA (233KB, 99.84% smaller than the 148MB size of the mobile iOS app) that looks and feels exactly like a native app.

Features:

Fast and Ultra-responsive
Easy-to-use
Smooth animations
Product customization

Flipboard

Flipboard, an app that curates the world's stories for users to stay informed, and involved. Being the world’s most popular social magazine, Flipboard allows readers to keep up with all topics, news, and events happening around the world at a single place.

Advantages:

Accessible to desktop users
PWA minimizes data usage
Deliver fast browsing experience
68% increase in core engagement

FORBES

This American business magazine features articles on marketing, investment, finance, technology etc.

Advantages:

Ultra-fast page load times
Push-notifications
Instant transitions
Light design
Increase user engagement
6x increase in readers completing articles

MakeMyTrip

MakeMyTrip, India's leading travel company, wanted to make sure its mobile site was reliable for every customer, regardless of the available technology. Thus, launching a PWA was a key to offering seamless mobile experiences to more than 22 million of their customers.

Advantages:

3X Improved conversion rates
More reachability
Offline Access
160% increase in shopper sessions
30% more last minute shoppers
38% improvement in page load time

Have the Next Big App Idea

Uber

With Uber, your destination is just at your fingertips. As the company expands to new markets, Uber launched the PWA to offer a comparable booking experience to its users.

Advantages:

Compatible on low-end devices
Super-lightweight web app
Core ride request app is just 50kB & load within 3 seconds on 2G networks
Convenient offline access to rides

With a focus on international growth, Pinterest started their new mobile web experience by launching their PWA.

Advantages:

Provides a fast, native experience
High-performance solution ensured to all users
Offers low bandwidth usage
Push notifications & offline support
User-generated ads increased by 45%
50% rise in ad click-through rate
Improved user engagement

BookMyShow:

India’s largest ticketing firm BookMyShow, with over 50+ million monthly visitors, encountered high bounce rates and to overcome the issues, they launched a PWA to deliver the best experience possible for their users.

Advantages:

Smooth, seamless movie-booking experience
Super-light app
High-speed
Lower data consumption
Provide reliable performance on slow or unreliable networks
80%+ increase in conversion rates
PWA is 54X smaller than the Android app; 180x smaller than the iOS app
Takes less than 2.94 seconds to load and checks out within 30 seconds

Spotify:

Spotify is an international media service provider that gives you access to millions of songs and podcasts from different languages. Compared to its native-app, the PWA version of Spotify is considerably faster.

Advantages:

Visually polished
More reactive & adaptive
45% increase in desktop users
40% increase in average listening hours per month
30% increase in monthly active users
Improved in-app animations

AliExpress

AliExpress is a global online retail marketplace mostly popular in Russia, Brazil and America. Along with the mobile app, AliExpress has now introduced a cross-browser PWA to serve its web users as well as mobile users.

Advantages:

Offline work mode
Fast loading speed
Push notification support
2X more pages visited per session per user
Conversion rates increased by 104%
Time spent per session has increased by 74% on all browsers

Twitter Lite

With over 320 million monthly users globally, Twitter is a mainstream platform that helps users find out what’s happening around the world. The Twitter Lite PWA combines the best of the modern web and native features to its users.

Advantages:

Instant loading, user engagement and lower data consumption
65% increase in pages per session
Faster, least expensive, and more reliable
75% increase in Tweets sent
20% decrease in bounce rate
Site loads within 3 seconds for repeat visits even on slow networks

Tinder:

The geo-social networking and online dating application, Tinder is more than just a dating app. Therefore, Tinder’s PWA is one of the best examples on how to build, optimize, and manage a powerful progressive web app.

Advantages:

• Replicates the native experience completely
• Light, fast & convenient
• PWA is approximately 90% smaller than native Android app
• Load times cut from 11.91 seconds to 4.69 seconds
• Deliver excellent user experience

Flipkart:

India’s largest e-commerce site, Flipkart found it difficult to provide a user experience that was as fast and engaging for all type of mobile users. As a result, the company launched Flipkart Lite, a PWA that combines the best of the web and native app.

Advantages:

Fast and streamlined site
"Add to Home Screen" option delivers high-quality visits
Offline work mode
Push Notifications
3X Lower data usage
40% Higher re-engagement rate

Have the Next Big App Idea

Wego

Wego has now found new ways to deliver amazing user experiences on the web by creating an AMP based PWA.

Advantages:

Convenient one-click access and payment features
10X Increase in page speed
lightning fast mobile website experience
49% increase in search-to-conversion rates
95% increase in partner conversion rates
3X increase in ad CTRs

Telegram:

With over 100 million registered users, Telegram is one of the fastest growing cloud-based instant messaging services which is another great PWA use case worth mentioning.

Advantages:

Easy to use interface
Extremely fast
Secure, and Seamless synchronization across devices
Has an in-app browser

Yummly

Yummly is a smart cooking discovery platform that understands user tastes and recommends personalized recipes, shopping list, and one-hour grocery delivery. Along with its native Android & iOS app, the app is also available on web browsers as a PWA.

Advantages:

Offline search engine for food, cooking, and recipes
Access to video tutorials
Provides Smart Ingredient Shopping List
Published in: https://blog.neoito.com/best-progressive-web-apps/

How to Choose a Right Technology Stack for Web Application Development

Neoito — Thu, 21 May 2020 05:14:44 +0000

In a few years, the Internet and especially the World Wide Web, evolved rapidly from a media of information sharing to a ubiquitous platform for several apps like on-line trading, e-government, e-commerce, digital libraries, online banking, etc. Most business processes have become digitized, and most of the organizations have diverse digital requirements. To fulfill these needs, businesses require a combination of different hardware and software products.

So, which programming language should we choose in 2020? What’s the best technology stack for web app development? These are just a few from many of the questions that we often come across from clients and partners. Because the competition level in the web app development industry is very steep, there is no margin for errors. Therefore, the tech stack influences the process of web app development making the entire project more scalable, feasible at reduced cost & time.

To address the most common queries, it’s important to first understand the meaning of a technology stack.

What is a Technology Stack?

A tech stack is a combination of programming languages & software products used to create a web or mobile application. It includes programming languages, frameworks, libraries, patterns, servers, UI/UX solutions, software, tools, etc.

Structure of Technology Stacks:

Front-End (client-side):

Front-end is responsible for presenting data to the user. It happens to be the only part of the app which allows user interaction via different web browsers. Generally, the front-end developers use technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Back-End (server-side):

The back-end is something that gives the power to the front-end and provides business logic or data persistence. This part of a web-app is not visible to the users. In the whole process, choosing the tech stack for back-end development is the most challenging part.

Structure-wise, the backend consists of the following elements:

           * Programming languages - Python, PHP, JavaScript
           * Frameworks- Ruby on Rails, Flask, Django, Swift or Objective-                                        
             CDatabases-MongoDB and MySQL
           * Server providers- Apache, Nginx

Middleware:

Middleware is responsible for the system to system integration between back-ends. Usually, it is installed as a separate application written in C# or JAVA.

Most well-known Web Technology Stack Models:

LAMP- Linux (working framework), Apache (web server), MySQL (database), PHP (programming language).

Python-Django- Python-Django is dependent on the Python programming language. It additionally utilizes the Apache web server and MySQL database

MEAN: This stack includes MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, Node.js. MEAN is an execution of the "JavaScript all over the place" feature where the same programming language is used on both the customer side and server-side.

MERN: MERN incorporates MongoDB, Express, React/Redux, and Node.js.
Things to Consider while Choosing the Right Stack:

Web-based applications may turn out to be quite complex, challenging, and multi-dimensional. Therefore, unless you’re an experienced software developer, you probably would have no idea how to choose a tech stack for web app development. And that’s okay. The best advice we can give is simple: work with someone who has built similar apps & can provide invaluable expertise. As there are several kinds of tech stacks available for web developers, how do you choose the right ones?

Here are some guidelines:

Type of the Project:

Identifying the type of project you’re planning to work on is always a determinant in choosing the right tech stack.

Small Projects (MVP or single-page apps): If the project is small and if the requirement entails a working prototype that has to be delivered within a strict timeline then usually technologies like CMS or WordPress can be used. For portfolios, single-page sites, digital magazines, presentations, other small web solutions, etc. you can also rely on design tools like Webflow, Readymag, Python or Node.Js.

Mid-range Projects: Government projects, online stores, digital multimedia, enterprise apps require a more complex technology stack that might include a combination of programming languages and designing tools. As these kinds of apps involve multiple systems, they have to be implemented using various frameworks or cross-platform integrations.

Complex Projects: Trading platforms, social networks, marketplaces are considered large or complex projects. Such projects require more speed, serviceability, and scalability. Due to the high scope of functions, these projects require a combination of multiple web app development technologies that may involve several programming languages.

Team Expertise & Knowledge Base:

A web application is normally developed based on the target platform. It can either be mobile, desktop, or both. So, it’s necessary to have deep architectural and technical experience for picking the right stack.

Rather than experimenting on new technologies, it is always better to go with which you can work confidently. However, at the same time, be careful that you do not give preference to technologies and tools that are outdated and ineffective.

Scalability/Extensibility

For any kind of web app project, it’s important to have the feature of upscaling. Mainly there are two types: Vertical scalability- the ability to add new functionality via different modules for a bigger audience and Horizontal scalability refers to the ability to process more requests while retaining the same amount of features.

Whether it is scaling upward or sideways, the architecture should be scalable as it is the core factor that determines whether the project can handle heavy loads without lags & going offline. Tools like Angular, React, Node.js, Golang, and Ruby on Rails have excellent scalability.

Maintainability:

Web apps generally incorporate important business assets and therefore, maintainability is another important factor to be considered while choosing the tech stack. In particular, there are 2 types of app maintainability: Architecture (should support reusability) & Codebase (should be clean and concise).

Like overtime, different people would be working on the project for both maintaining current behaviors and adapting the project to new use cases. So choose tech stack wisely because developers should be able to work on it productively.

Time to Market:

Time to market is the period between the ideation to the availability of the product to the consumer markets. If your project needs to be launched in a short time, you may consider starting with an MVP. For this, you can rely on agile development practices, ready-made solutions, or frameworks that enable easy integration.

Development Cost:

Before setting out on this venture, you need to have a clear idea of what you expect out of your web app. Right from hiring the correct team of developers to the maintenance after app deployment, everything needs to be allocated enough space in your budget.

So, while choosing the technology stack, first and foremost consider your team. Because choosing a stack your developers don't have experience on, would doom the need to hire third-party developers. And this might cost you double the budget. Hence, sit with your team, understand what’s appropriate, and then end up on a sound decision.

Licenses:

When deciding on a technology stack, make sure you implement solutions that are open source. Picking open-source technologies ensure lower initial development costs and availability for use with limitless modifications.

Bug testing:

Untested or broken codes can create the biggest mistakes while working on a web app project. Therefore, to avoid bug fixes and to save time, try to include technologies where testing is easier. Test automation framework Selenium, Katalon or Cypress.io, etc. can be used for the speedy delivery of quality web apps.

Security:

While complete security and invulnerability from hacking is impossible, be sure to thoroughly analyze the security measures while implementing the technology stack. If proper security guidelines and best practices are implemented then, the vulnerabilities hiding within the code can be kept to a minimum.

Conclusion:

As I’ve already pointed out, choosing the right technology stack is the main aspect of building a successful Web application. For this, you have no universal solutions but some beneficial tips to pay attention to. A proven tech stack in the hands of skilled developers can create better web app development success stories. Therefore, choose wisely!

Are you looking for someone whom you can share your web app idea and know the perfect web tech stack for your new project? Our dedicated cross-functional team at NEOITO will walk you through the entire process and suggest the best tools. https://blog.neoito.com/how-to-choose-technology-stack/