Author: deftsoft

The Fusion of Technologies: Exploring Blockchain in IoT

Posted on by deftsoft

The world has wrapped its head around numerous revolutionary technologies. Speaking of which, the Internet of Things and Blockchain are two of the most significant technological advancements reaching their peaks. 

While Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology popular for its high security and decentralization features, the Internet of Things (IoT) is prevalent for its ability to digitize physical devices. Imagine a crossover between the two technologies that harness the power of Blockchain’s data integrity and IoT’s data connectivity. This ultimate fusion of the two technologies is often referred to as the Blockchain of Things (BCoT). 

In fact, both of these technologies are autonomous, distributed, and mostly decentralized systems that can complement each other very well. 
This blog discusses these two technologies, the applications of Blockchain in IoT, and the benefits of consolidating Blockchain and IoT.

What is Blockchain Technology?

Blockchain technology first came into existence in 2008 with the introduction of Bitcoin cryptocurrency. The exchange of Bitcoin was enabled with this technology. Later on, the technology started to exist independently.

Blockchain can be defined as follows:

Blockchain is a distributed or shared ledger technology (DLT) that refers to a shared database that stores any type of data in chronological order of transactions. This data is stored along with the transaction timestamps in a tamper-proof manner.

The transactional data is organized in blocks that are linked through the protocol through hashing and consensus, thus making a chain of hashes. One cannot delete or modify any of these existing blocks.
Known for its high data security and integrity, Blockchain leverages cryptographic asymmetric key encryption mechanisms and mathematical hashing for data security. It is an autonomous, immutable, decentralized (no intermediary), encrypted technology with a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) node-based consensus approach.

What is IoT Technology?

The “Internet of Things”, also known as IoT, was first introduced by Kevin Ashton, one of the co-founders of MIT’s Auto-ID Lab, in  1999. It refers to a series of electronic devices that can share and transfer data to each other, typically through the Internet. 

Numerous Internet of Things devices are available. Smart toys, wearables (like watches and glasses), appliances (including TVs, speakers, and lightbulbs), smart meters (like thermostats), commercial security systems, and smart city technologies (such as those that track traffic and meteorological conditions) are few examples. 

IoT technology is blurring the lines between the digital and physical realms. The connectivity between the two increases operational efficiency, automates processes, and allows for data maintenance via predictions.

Understanding the Importance of IoT-Blockchain Intersection

As discussed before, Blockchain and IoT technologies complement each other. IoT requires strengthening of its security features. On the other hand, Blockchain needs contributions from distributed nodes for its Peer-to-Peer (P2P) consensus model. This is how these two technologies can help each other foster and become more refined.

There are many applications of Blockchain for IoT and vice versa. The convergence of the two technologies offers transformative potential in various domains, such as supply chain management and healthcare. 

Enterprises and business organizations can take advantage of this synergy between Blockchain and IoT to harness the power of intelligent and connected ecosystems. 

To understand the convergence of Blockchain in IoT, let’s take a perfect example of a transactional application of IoT with Blockchain. If you’re a businessman who runs an expensive, well-bred meat business, you can track the location and temperature of the meat as it is transported from point A to point B.

Thanks to the secure database, which is based on blockchain, you can track the location, as the records are immutable. The IoT sensors can also inform you about the temperature at which the meat was kept while being transported. This application explains how middlemen can be eliminated in this process because of the IoT-Blockchain intersection.

What are the Applications of Blockchain in IoT?

Blockchain and IoT are emerging technologies that have already disrupted the industry as independent entities. Since IoT functions by using the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), the technology is prone to privacy and security threats. Blockchain is considered a trust machine because of its P2P consensus methods and cryptographic techniques.

Applications-of-Blockchain-in-IoT

The highlighting applications of IoT with Blockchain are mentioned as follows:

  • Enhanced Security in IoT Systems

 IoT devices work in a network of wireless sensors. The nodes in these IoTs are susceptible to malicious attacks, such as Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) and other malware, injection attacks, etc. Also, IoT networks are mostly leveraged in cloud environments. Since cloud networks are centralized architecture, they can suffer from a single point of failure (SPF). 

IoT devices also collect and generate large volumes of data over the Internet for informed decision-making. Data privacy and security are huge threats to IoT environments, and all these factors combined make IoT systems unreliable.

With the integration of IoT with Blockchain, IoT devices can be secured with decentralization with an immutable record of data.

  • Blockchain and IoT Convergence in Supply Chain Management

Goods can be tracked and managed more efficiently with the integration of the Internet of Things and Blockchain technology. IoT Blockchain devices that function on wireless sensors can monitor the location, movement, and condition of products in real-time. 

The integration of blockchain technology allows the creation of an immutable and transparent record of transactional blocks. Therefore, the technology keeps stakeholders updated on the origin, authenticity, and location of goods and eliminates counterfeiting.

One great example of the application of Blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) integration is how Walmat utilized a Blockchain IoT solution to track the journey of the products from suppliers to store shelves in collaboration with IBM.

  • Blockchain IoT in Healthcare Data Management

IoT and Blockchain integration have valuable applications in the healthcare industry. For example, wearable sensors and implantable devices help gauge patients’ health metrics, vitals, health histories, etc. This functionality allows the generation of valuable real-time data.

It is a significant application as it allowed the introduction of IoT-based configurable blockchain. It also enables the creation of personalized healthcare systems with secure data storage and analysis. Data integrity is indeed very important in the healthcare sector, and IoT in Blockchain ensures it.

  • Blockchain and IoT Convergence in Smart Cities

Urban landscapes can be converted into sustainable smart city ecosystems with the Blockchain IoT intersection. These smart cities will be interconnected through IoT devices equipped with Blockchain capabilities that provide high security, data integrity, transparency, and flexibility. 

For instance, leveraging a Blockchain-defined network and a grey wolf-optimized modular neural network to enhance security in smart environments. The technology effectively eradicates confidentiality issues. 

Another important application is the Blockchain-of-Blockchains (BoBs), which is a hierarchical blockchain-based platform created to address data management challenges. It ensures data integrity and interoperability in smart cities. 

The city of Dubai is a real-life example of implementing Blockchain and IoT. The government is actively using blockchain in the city to empower various systems, such as security. It is ready to become the first blockchain-powered city.

  • Blockchain and IoT Aiding in Next-Gen Networks

Blockchain technology can also be utilized to strengthen IoT networks and move forward to adopt the transition toward next-generation networks, such as 5G and beyond. Technology can play a pivotal role in allowing efficient service orchestration in 5G multi-cloud environments and enhancing resource management in 6G upcoming networks.

The next-generation network systems can be made more solid and secure with the integration of IoT Blockchain.

What are the Benefits of Blockchain in IoT?

Benefits-of-Blockchain-in-IoT

Now that you’re familiar with the peculiar applications of the Internet of Things and Blockchain let’s understand the significant advantages of Blockchain in IoT. The benefits are mentioned as follows:

  • Data Security

Due to the sensitive nature of the data, security, and integrity are the foundational needs of IoT networks. Blockchain addresses this problem through its cryptographic algorithms to ensure temper-free data sharing, transfer, and storage. Only authorized devices can access the data, as the Blockchain adds an extra layer of security that is missing in conventional IoT systems.

  • Facilitating IoT Reliability

A single point of failure can cause the whole IoT network to crash down. This means that typical IoT networks are prone to power outages and failure. Blockchain’s decentralized nature removes this risk and ensures the overall reliability of the IoT systems.

  • Ensuring Data Integrity

The immutability of the Blockchain ensures the data integrity of the IoT devices and networks. Every entry on the Blockchain is time-stamped and linked to the previous entry, making it a series of blocks that cannot be altered or deleted. No one can modify the data once stored in the network.

Bottom Line

The collaboration of Blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) is a revolutionary asset to the dynamic world that prioritizes security, confidentiality, and integrity. Blockchain now plays an indispensable role in fixing the drawbacks in IoT devices, networks, and systems. 

The world is about to witness more refined versions of the integration of IoT Blockchain. From smart cities to supply chain management, the two technologies are multifaceted in transforming the way how the world works.
If you’re new to Blockchain and wish to build an immersive Blockchain application of your own, Deftsoft’s refined Blockchain Developers and Engineers can help you bring your vision to life. Reach out to get started!

FAQs:

What is blockchain in IoT?

Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology popular for its decentralized and autonomous nature. The technology’s integration with IoT helps in building secure IoT networks for data collection and sharing. It allows the building of an immutable record of transactions in the IoT networks.

What are the benefits of integrating blockchain and IoT?

One major benefit of integrating blockchain with IoT is enhanced security and data integrity in IoT networks. Other benefits include increasing the reliability of IoT systems, as the blockchain’s decentralization properties remove the risk of them crashing down.

What are the challenges of blockchain in IoT?

IoT devices can range from high to low-power devices. Since blockchain requires large energy resources to function, low-power devices may struggle to integrate blockchain into them. Another significant issue is related to the non-regulation of the blockchain technology.

How are IoT and blockchain used in Fintech?

Blockchain and IoT can be used in financial systems to secure transactional records. The technologies can also facilitate novel and innovative financial services, such as secure online payments with immutable records. It can also make the fintech services efficient, fast, reliable, and cost-effective.

What is the future of IoT and blockchain?

The two technologies can integrate well to build smart cities, revolutionize healthcare systems for better patient diagnosis, and be used in edge computing and upcoming connectivity systems, such as 5G and 6G.

How Tech is Transforming Healthcare: Latest Innovations

Posted on by deftsoft

The intertwining of healthcare and technology is ready to expand the horizons of the industry. The health tech market is coming up with new innovations every day that can transform the entire existence of mankind.

The global healthcare industry is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.27% and reach $21.06 trillion by 2030. These numbers vouch for tech’s growing dominance in the industry.

In 2024, the healthcare landscape is evolving rapidly, and tech is revolutionizing every facet related to the healthcare domain. This blog encapsulates the latest innovations and new tech in healthcare that have the capability to revolutionize the world.

What are Health Tech Innovations?

 No industry has been left untouched by recent abrupt innovations in the technology landscape, and healthcare is no exception. The term ‘health tech’ emphasizes the importance of technological innovations in healthcare.

Whether integrating AR and VR to aid medical professionals with real-time patient information or implementing the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), the healthcare industry is ready to witness groundbreaking innovations at the intersection of healthcare and technology.

The goal of the tech innovations is to improve medical implementations, leverage medical data for technical advancements, research for the diagnosis of various diseases, and improve the quality of patient care.

Exploring Groundbreaking Innovations in Health Tech

Let’s explore some of the most state-of-the-art and pioneering innovations in the health tech industry.

1. Telemedicine

You must be wondering what telemedicine is in healthcare. According to WHO, half of the globe’s population does not have access to medical facilities. In the face of such adversities, telemedicine is a revolutionary technology. It refers to remotely accessing interactions with healthcare professionals, even living in another corner of the world. 

This technology has transcended the physical barriers as patients can be diagnosed remotely. This health tech application was extremely helpful during the pandemic.

2. Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) refers to a collection of devices and applications that can be deployed through WiFi. It is a part of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

This connection allows machine-to-machine communication to carry out various tasks, such as performing surgeries, tracking patient medication orders, leveraging Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) to care for patients with chronic diseases, consolidating patient data from wearable devices, and much more.

It is because of IoMT that the concept of telemedicine has been brought to life. 

3. 3D Bioprinting

3D printing in healthcare is opening the doorway to a more specified methodology for treating patients. For example, the technology has allowed the creation of lightweight prosthetics, casts, and bionics for treating patients’ body fractures. 

In fact, the volume of 3D bioprinting opportunities is estimated to cross $6 billion by 2027. Another important application of 3D bioprinting is that medical professionals can make bio-compatible implants using this technology. 

Some other prominent advantages of 3D printing are as follows:

  • Customized bionic prosthetics for knees, skull, etc.
  • Synthesis of high-grade implant materials.
  • 3D-printable life-saving implants for neurological and cardiovascular patients.
  • Reduction in the cost of prosthetics, implants, and bionics, thus making them more economical.

4. Robotics and Automation

Robotics and Automation

There is a massive gap in the availability of healthcare workers in the market. This is where the role of robotics and automation is becoming indispensable. The technology is an excellent method to save time by automating repetitive tasks. 

Some of the notable applications of robotics are mentioned as follows:

  • Robotics and automation technology can automate tasks such as logging patients’ information and vitals.
  • It can also be used in keeping a historical record of their medical history, managing insurance claims, and much more. 
  • For instance, service robots can help the clinical staff deliver supplies and medications, assist in carrying out surgeries, and follow instructions for completing trivial tasks.

5. Health Wearables

Health wearables are another budding segment in the health tech industry. One great example of a health wearable is the Apple Watch, which allows you to monitor your vitals, such as pulse rate, cardiovascular activity, steps, sleep cycle, menstrual cycle, etc. Yet, this is just the beginning.

These wearable devices use biosensors and digital biomarkers that monitor the user’s data consistently. When they find unusual data, they instantly indicate the user. The latest GWI data indicates that 3 out of 10 working-age Internet users own “smart wrist” devices.

Some other wearable devices apart from smartwatches include smart hearing ads and bio patches. The bio patch technology is revolutionary as it does not require an individual to wear any smartwatch to monitor the vitals. 

6. Personalized Medicine

The concept of personalized diagnosis and medicine is touching new horizons. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies have enabled life-changing innovations in healthcare. These technologies have allowed the creation of precision medicine by examining patients’ genomic makeup and molecular profiles.

Because of this transformative technology, patients can be treated with personalized medicines and treatments based on their family history, genetic makeup, immunity levels, etc. The health tech industry is also leveraging the power of prediction models to synthesize personalized medicines based on genetics, biomarkers, demographics, and drug levels.

Therefore, personalized medicine is a revolutionary emerging tech in healthcare that allows for catering to the varying factors that affect patients and offering them personalized treatments.

7. Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is gaining rapid traction in the health tech industry and is indeed a new tech in healthcare. The nanotech has reached a market value of a staggering $ 68 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $183.7 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.0%.

The technology has two major applications in the healthcare industry. Let’s take a look at the major applications.

  • Nanotech devices

The first application is the miniaturization of electronic components to develop more efficient and powerful devices. For example, nanosensors can detect proteins, DNA, or any other small particles binding with proteins for disease diagnosis, drug discovery, and genetic screening.

  • Nanomedicine

Another important application of nanotechnology is nanomedicine. As the name suggests, nanomedicine refers to nano-sized particles that can be absorbed easily by the human bloodstream because of their small molecular size. This technology enhances drug efficacy and accelerates healing. Technology in healthcare is transforming the industry from effective drug delivery to regenerative medicine. It has also improved vaccine efficiency.

8. Blockchain

Blockchain in healthcare

Known for its high fidelity and security, blockchain technology has also made its way into the healthcare industry. The technology can be used to maintain tamper-proof electronic medical record (EMR) management systems and FHIRChain (Fast Health Interoperability Records) that cannot be hacked because of end-to-end encrypted blocks. The FHIRChain can be used to share clinical data across the globe.

Healthcare networks can also collaborate seamlessly because of blockchain technology without hampering security. Another useful application of blockchain technology is the use of smart contracts in handling counterfeiting of drugs, including sharing, storing, and accessing biomedical data.

Also, check: How Blockchain is Transforming the Healthcare Industry?

9. Artificial Intelligence

Another groundbreaking technology in healthcare is the intervention of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the health tech industry innovations. AI can save lives and improve the healthcare of millions of patients across the globe. It can make hospitals more efficient and improve access to healthcare by offering accurate decision-making tools.

One of the most revolutionary applications of AI in healthcare is cancer diagnosis. An AI model can be fed data about a patient’s blood tests, X-ray images of the suspected lesions, and genetic information retrieved from a tissue biopsy.

As Navid Toosi Saidy, PhD in Biomedical Engineering and Medical Device Development, says,

“The trained AI model can rapidly consolidate this information and provide highly accurate predictions of the patient’s diagnosis, treatment options more likely to succeed, and as well as the prognosis.”

AI can also be used to make predictions by analyzing a patient’s health history and genomic structure.

Bottom Line

The intervention of technology in healthcare expedites the process of patient disease diagnosis, analyzes genomic history, and introduces revolutionary treatments with high success rates. With the arrival of technology in healthcare, the world is entering another dimension. 

From Artificial Intelligence to nanotechnology, healthcare professionals are leveraging the technology for a better tomorrow.

FAQs:

What are the latest trends in healthcare?

One of the latest trends in the healthcare industry is the utility of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These technologies are transforming the healthcare landscape, especially in cancer diagnosis. Another emerging tech in healthcare is nanotechnology, which has sophisticated applications in creating nanomedicines.

What are some of the top innovations in healthcare?

Some of the best tech innovations in healthcare include 3D bioprinting of prosthetics, wearable devices such as smartwatches and bio patches, assistance through robotics and automation in hospitals, nanomedicine, personalized precision medicines, telemedicine, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), EMR and FHIRChain management, etc.

How is the wearable industry transforming healthcare?

One of the most significant innovations in healthcare is the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device that monitors blood glucose levels with good accuracy. Although the technology has not achieved complete accuracy, tech professionals are working towards refining it.

What are the IoT innovations in healthcare?

One of the major IoT innovations in the healthcare industry is the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). It can be used for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), such as telemedicine, assisting in surgeries, helping medical professionals track medication administration, etc.

Give an example of healthcare innovation.

Artificial Intelligence and deep learning are helping medical professionals predict diagnoses and choose more effective medications. One of the greatest discoveries is that AI can detect early signs of dementia through speech.

Crypto Fundraising Mainstream Mania: ICO vs. IEO

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The crypto crowdfunding landscape has been revolutionized since 2013, when Mastercoin held a token sale in July, also known as an ICO. 

Let’s keep the details of an ICO for later. With the advent of blockchain, the world is escaping the traditional methods of crowdfunding for startups and business organizations. This is when we talk about Initial Coin Offering (ICO) and Initial Exchange Offering (IEO). These offerings are a form of token fundraising without the intervention of third-party beneficiaries, such as banks or other financial institutions.

This blog introduces you to the concepts of ICO and IEO, their benefits, how to develop ICO and IEO, and their differences.             

What is Meant by an ICO?

Expanded as an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), an ICO is a pioneering fundraising token that can be exchanged or traded through a holding company’s own platform. Until 2019, it was one of the most preferred methods for crowdfunding, and it started replacing the VC funding landscape.

What is ICO

Investors saw ICOs as a lucrative investment instrument, as they gave them a swift ticket for raising funds in a portfolio of companies. ICOs can be public or private. The simplest working model of an ICO is for companies to issue various tokens related to a utility, such as an app, service, or cryptocurrency. Interested investors can buy these tokens from the platform in the form of cryptocurrencies or tokens, which can either be spent on the platform or traded.

The Benefits of ICO

Startups preferred ICOs because of the following reasons:

  • It is a swift ticket to raise funds without any interference from third-party intermediaries or financial institutions.
  • Companies can raise money faster with less red tapes.
  • ICOs are a global passport for a large pool of investors.

Investors preferred ICOs because of the following reasons:

  • It gives them a front-row seat to invest in budding projects.
  • ICO gives investors an opportunity to invest in companies with high risk and reward ratios.

How Does an ICO Work?

An ICO works in the following series of steps:

ICO Process
  1. Structuring the Coin

The first step to raising money through an ICO is to decide the structure of the coin. The company generating an ICO can choose any one of the following structures for a coin:

  • A preset price with a fixed token supply, 
  • A flexible price decided by the amount of funds received but with a limited number of tokens, or 
  • A flexible supply of tokens with a fixed price for each token.
  1. ICO Listing on a Platform

The company can then list the specific structure of its ICO on its created listing platforms. Think of an ICO as a blockchain version of an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to raise money for a project.

  1. Whitepaper Release

Releasing a reliable whitepaper is the very essence of raising money. Companies must be transparent about their goals and objectives. The whitepaper must also include the complete sequence of steps to achieve these goals. 

  1. Finding the Right Match

Interested investors can then trade their fiat or digital currency in exchange for company cryptocurrency tokens. These tokens represent owning a share in the company, just like an IPO.

The Downfall of ICO

One of the downsides of ICOs is that they are very unregulated. Over the years, investors have been victims of a large number of fraudulent activities on various blockchain platforms when investing in ICOs. Although ICOs became successful, a number of problems led to their downfall. 

According to a recent study by icobench.com, the highest number of ICO failures occurred between 2017 and 2019, with an average downfall of 28.9% over the three years. The coin fell below 5% after 2019.

Some of the major reasons for the downfall of Initial Coin Offering (ICO) included the following:

  • Investors did not conduct a background check of the individual members before funding the project.
  • There was no exchange of whitepapers before proceeding with the project. It is crucial to read and analyze the whitepaper. To clarify, a whitepaper is a summary of any blockchain-related project with its goals, objectives, and participants’ information.

For example, a company named PlexCoin raised over $15 million through a scammy whitepaper that easily hoaxed the investors. It was only when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stepped in to shut it down.

PlexCoin raised over $15 million

What is Meant by an IEO?

An Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) is an improved version of an initial coin offering (ICO). Commonly considered ICO 2.0, IEO is an evolved version of ICO equipped with regulatory properties. It was introduced in 2019 when the entire ICO market witnessed its unfortunate demise.

What is IEO

IEOs function just like ICOs but act like a gatekeeper. One of the most highlighting features of an IEO is that it can be traded via trusted cryptocurrency exchange platforms, such as Ethereum, Binance, EOS, etc., for token sales.

After the downfall of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), IEO became the default choice of preference for both investors and companies seeking quick investment. IEOs can be raised through various IEO launchpad platforms, such as Binance and Ethereum.

The power of an IEO is evident from the fact that BitTorrent raised $7.2 million in just a few minutes through the Binance launchpad. 

The Benefits of IEO

The benefits of IEO for the startup landscape are mentioned as follows:

  • They can potentially raise funds from a larger pool of investors.
  • Listing and trading are done via trusted blockchain exchange platforms, which adds an extra layer of legitimacy to the fundraising process.

The benefits of IEO for the investors are mentioned as follows:

  • IEOs are comparatively safer platforms than ICOs for investing in a company. 
  • IEOs are exchanged on cryptocurrency exchange platforms. These platforms strictly follow KYC and AML rules and are restricted to a certain number of countries. 
  • The process for token purchase is simple and straightforward.

How Does an IEO Work?

IEO Process

The working of a typical Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) follows the below-mentioned steps:

  1. Developing a Whitepaper

Similar to an ICO, an IEO also requires you to create a whitepaper. The company seeking to raise funds must mention all the relevant details, such as the objectives and goals of fundraising, the architecture, and the technical features of the product. Startups must ensure that a whitepaper is written thoroughly along with reliable background information on the projects since the blockchain exchange platforms also go through the whitepaper.

  1. Developing Tokens

The next step is to develop tokens for sale. Tokens can be created through various blockchain platforms, such as Ethereum, EOS, Ripple, NEO, etc. Once minted, they can be listed on a third-party exchange platform.

  1. Listing on a Crypto Exchange

A company looking to raise funds must partner with a reliable launchpad to get listed on a crypto exchange platform. For instance, the Binance launchpad is one of the most popular launchpads. An agreement is signed with the platform.


Note: It is important to create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to get listed on a blockchain exchange platform.

What is the Difference Between ICO and IEO?

Let’s explore the main differences between ICO and IEO.

  1. Level of Scrutiny

Since IEOs are exchanged via blockchain exchange platforms, they follow a high level of rules and regulations. Companies that want to raise funds need to sign an agreement with the blockchain exchange platform and pass Due Diligence. The process also includes screening the members through the whitepaper and ensuring that the project is attainable and realistic.

On the other hand, ICOs are not regulated and scrutinized because they are not listed on third-party exchange platforms.

  1. Cost of Listing

The IEOs are comparatively more expensive than ICOs. The cost of listing an IEO on blockchain exchange platforms can go as high as 30 BT. Also, these listing platforms charge as much as 10% of the earnings from the sold tokens. Therefore, IEOs are not economical to raise.

Since ICOs are raised on an indigenous platform, no additional listing fee is involved.

  1. Entry Barrier

ICOs usually happen in three stages: private sale, pre-sale, and main sale. The biggest investors buy tokens with the highest discounts, followed by medium and small investors. This creates disparity amongst investors. 

On the contrary, IEOs are open to both public and private sales of tokens. Investors are not discriminated against.

  1. Liquidity

IEOs are more liquid than ICOs. They can be listed immediately after the token sale, ensuring high liquidity and the ability to roll out in the market. ICOs are illiquid and take considerable time to list after being sold.

Looking for an ICO and IEO Development Company?

In the dynamic world of blockchain, companies, and startups are thriving to raise funds via ICOs and IEOs. Deftsoft caters to these emerging fundraising needs by providing top-notch ICO development services. We also offer custom IEO development services to help you get listed on the most popular blockchain exchange platforms, such as Binance and Ethereum.

Invest diligently in an ICO software development company to make your idea a reality.

FAQs:

What is the difference between ICO and IEO?

ICOs and IEOs are tokens for fundraising through cryptocurrency or other digital currencies. An initial Exchange Offering (IEO) is a successor to an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) since it is highly regulated compared to an ICO. This is because IEOs are listed on third-party blockchain platforms. Other major differences include the fact that IEOs are more liquid than ICOs; they’re open to investment irrespective of the size of the investor. One downside of an IEO is that it is more expensive than an ICO. 

Name some third-party blockchain platforms for listing IEOs.

Some of the most popular third-party blockchain platforms for listing IEOs include Binance, EOS, Ripple, Ethereum, NEO, etc.

How do you find a suitable ICO software development company?

The foremost criterion for finding a suitable software development company is to look for a blockchain token development company that offers custom solutions. Deftsoft offers flexible ICO and IEO token development services to help you raise funds for your venture efficiently and economically.

What are the benefits of ICO?

The benefits of ICOs include the following: ICOs are economical and are a quick scheme to raise funds from whale investors. It can be launched through a curated platform or the company’s own website. Companies can raise money quickly with few red tapes or strict regulations. Investors can invest in hidden gem companies with high risk-to-reward ratios. 

What are the benefits of IEO?

The benefits of IEOs include the following: IEOs are a safer bet on token sales because they’re highly regulated. Investors prefer IEOs because they’re listed directly on popular and reliable blockchain platforms. IEOs are more liquid than ICOs and offer more transparency.

Smart Strategies to Turn Your App into a Cash Cow

Posted on by deftsoft

With mobile applications, we can now fulfill a wide range of needs in our daily lives, from entertainment to productivity. But making an app profitable requires more than simply designing a great product—it also requires implementing effective mobile app monetization strategies.

The world is moving at an excessively fast pace, causing human sentiments to change overnight. The digitization of each and every product and service calls for a dedicated app. People don’t want to commit to something that is chargeable until they find real value in it. This is the reason why it is crucial to let people find value in your app.
Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a newbie to the app development business, knowing how to monetize your app is essential to maintaining its long-term usage and profitability. We’ll go over a variety of app monetization techniques in this in-depth guide, from conventional methods to cutting-edge techniques, to help you get the most out of your app’s revenue potential.

App Monetization Strategies: How to Monetize Your App?

There are many different methods for making money from apps. Whether you have an iOS or Android app, you need a solid app monetization strategy. Some methods are conventional, referred to as traditional app monetization strategies or methods. 

We have also mentioned some innovative strategies for monetizing your app. The goal is to attract the audience and instigate curiosity among them. Let’s discuss some of the groundbreaking app monetization strategies.

A. Traditional Monetization Methods

Let’s have a look at some of the most conventional and obvious methods of app monetization to help you generate revenue from your app. To begin with, it is a must to invest in any one or two of the below-mentioned techniques to monetize your iOS or Android application.

traditional app monetization strategies

1. In-App Advertising:

Users spend 90% of their time on mobile apps. Ads integration is a frequently employed monetization strategy for mobile applications. Adding advertisements to your app can increase revenue depending on impressions, clicks, or conversions. These advertisements can be banner ads or rewarded videos. One must know where to put ads and how to maximize ad revenue without sacrificing user experience.

Some of the best practices for in-app advertising are mentioned as follows:

  • Invest in a high-quality ad creative.
  • Choose a suitable ad format.
  • Track via device ID, monitor and test your ads frequently.
  • Align your promotions with user timing for maximum engagement.

2. Freemium Model:

Users can upgrade to premium services or content for a fee, while fundamental features are provided for free under the freemium model. It is important to understand how to upsell and keep premium members and how to combine incentives to encourage free users to upgrade to paid versions in the ideal proportions.

Marked as one of the most successful and the best app monetization strategies, let’s look at the case of Dropbox. 

Dropbox is a prominent cloud storage provider and a file-hosting service. The app rose to fame because of its freemium model. It offers 2 GB of free storage to new users for a month, and when it gets exhausted, users tend to buy the storage since switching to another app becomes a hassle.

Dropbox

3. In-App Purchases: 

Users can purchase in-app virtual products, upgrades, or subscriptions through in-app purchases. Some prominent strategies for creating alluring in-app purchases include techniques, such as time-limited deals, premium content, and packaged deals, to boost sales and encourage conversions.

4. Affiliate Marketing:

It is yet another one of the best app monetization models and strategies for making money from your app. You can earn a good amount of external commission by advertising other brands on your app through banner ads or short-form video ads. Developers can easily integrate various affiliate marketing techniques to earn considerable revenue.

B. Innovative Monetization Approaches

It is a great idea to opt for app monetization strategies that function inside the app. However, you can also go above and beyond for more innovative app monetization methods and techniques.

Innovative Monetization Approaches

1. Subscription Model: 

Subscription-based monetization has grown in popularity, particularly for apps that provide continuous services like streaming platforms, productivity tools, and fitness apps. You must be aware of the methods for retaining subscriber loyalty by consistently providing valuable content and tailored experiences. 

Take Google One, for example. When you subscribe for the first time, it offers a relatively low price for the first three months. Then, it costs $2 per month for 100 GB storage. Users can choose among various storage options, such as  2 TB, 5 TB, and 10 TB. Users can also choose between monthly and yearly subscriptions.

2. Sponsorship and Partnerships: 

Another excellent method to make money out of our app is to look for sponsorship and partnership opportunities. You can approach apps with a massive or medium-sized user base and ask them to put up your app advertisement. It could be adding your ads to a gaming app so that people can click on it. This is called Click-Through Rate (CTR). 

3. Crowdfunding and Crowdsourcing: 

Through crowdfunding sites, app developers may ask their target audience for money directly and receive it in exchange for perks or early access. Furthermore, the app’s crowdsourcing capabilities can captivate users and give them the ability to submit ideas or content, building a feeling of community and making money off user-generated content.

4. Email Marketing:

Email marketing is one of the easiest app monetization strategies to implement and yields a high return on investment (ROI). You must be thinking about how email marketing can be effective in monetizing an app. 

According to OptinMonster, 60% of consumers claimed that they made a purchase because of a promotional email. You can harness the power of user segmentation and email personalization to prompt users to purchase or subscribe to your app.

It is also one of the best iOS app monetization strategies, as the iPhone email app has the highest market share, according to Litmus Labs.

5. Interstitial Ads:

You must be aware of banner ads, but do you know about interstitial ads? Keep on reading to know how to monetize your app using interstitial ads. 

App developers have realized that people are no longer interested in in-app ads, such as banner ads. They tend to skip them and often close the app when interrupted. This is when you can use interstitial ads. An interstitial ad covers the entire screen and is non-invasive. These ads occur quite naturally in the transitional points.

An example of an interstitial ad is given below.

full screen interstitial ads

Tips and Tricks for Effective App Monetization

Apart from conventional and innovative methods, we have mentioned some pivotal tips and tricks to help you effectively perpetuate the practice of app monetization. App creators often get stuck in the loop of attracting a large user base and still making money from it. 

The only way to earn handsome money from your app is to strategically create dedicated hype for it by leveraging the power of digital marketing. You can also promote your app through social media marketing and influencer marketing. 

Tips and Tricks for Effective App Monetization

Some of the relevant and effective ways to monetize your iOS and Android app are as follows:

  • Know Your Audience: 

Comprehending the inclinations, actions, and financial readiness of your intended audience is essential to creating revenue-generating tactics that appeal to them. Learn more about your users’ demographics and preferences, conduct market research, collect user feedback, and examine app statistics.

  • Focus on User Experience: 

Prioritizing the user experience over monetization is crucial for retaining users and fostering long-term success. Avoid invasive ads, optimize app performance, and continually deliver value to cultivate user trust and loyalty.

  • Experiment and Iterate: 

Try out various price schemes, revenue streams, and monetization approaches without fear. To improve your monetization approach and increase revenue potential, keep an eye on performance indicators, test variations A/B, and iterate based on user feedback.

  • Value-Driven Monetization: 

Delivering value to consumers through your app’s features, content, and overall experience should take precedence over just making money. Users are more inclined to interact with monetization choices voluntarily when they believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

  • Stay Agile and Adapt: 

The app market is ever-changing due to shifting consumer tastes, trends, and technologies. Keep yourself updated on market trends, rival tactics, and new revenue streams so you can modify your strategy and remain one step ahead of the competition.

Wrapping Up

By implementing these tips and leveraging a mix of traditional and innovative monetization strategies, you can effectively monetize your app while fostering a positive user experience and driving sustainable growth. 

These tips and tricks can help you monetize your app. We suggest you start slowly based on your budget and capital and then gradually move forward.
If you need help with your app development, Deftsoft has a team of skilled app developers with a proven track record across various markets. We also offer various digital marketing solutions to cater to our client’s ap monetization strategies.

FAQs:

What is meant by app monetization strategy?

App monetization strategy is a technique to seamlessly earn money from your iOS or Android app. The goal of any app developer is to encourage users to invest in paid versions of your app. However, it is an important practice to make people familiar with the free version of your app first, also known as working on the freemium model.

What are the best traditional methods for app monetization?

One of the top-notch traditional methods to earn money from your app is to follow foolproof app monetization strategies. These strategies include prompting users to make in-app purchases, investing in high-quality ad creative for in-app advertising, looking for affiliate marketing opportunities, and following the freemium model.

What are the best innovative methods for app monetization?

Some of the best innovative app monetization strategies include introducing a subscription model for your audience, investing in sponsorships and partnerships, looking for various opportunities in crowdfunding and crowdsourcing, and reaching out to potential app users through email marketing.

How do you create a monetization strategy for your app?

Start by inspecting your app’s current monetization opportunities. Look for features that can be monetized. Create a user persona and identify his triggers for making purchases. Invest in sophisticated ad creative to connect with the audience. These are some of the creative app monetization strategies for your app.

Mention a monetization strategy for SaaS.

First, you must determine the pricing model of your SaaS product. Then, look for monetization opportunities and learn how to implement the freemium model to make money from it.

Business Software Development: A Practical Guide

Posted on by deftsoft

With the compelling digitization of every product and service worldwide, enterprises and businesses are acknowledging the importance of business software development. Even traditional industries have adapted to software innovations for exponential growth and transformation. 

Consider the example of a construction company. Buildings can first be designed virtually using software and can be checked using virtual reality. Automated laser precision technology can be used to build construction sites from scratch without the need for human intervention. The medical industry is already witnessing major innovations by using software to manufacture over 80% of its medical devices (source: McKinsey report).

We believe that every industrial company will become a software company.  

– Jeffrey R. Immelt, General Electric CEO

With such massive adoption of software, the need for custom business software development is more than ever. This blog explains what is meant by business software development, the benefits of leveraging custom business software development, and a foolproof plan for your business software development process.

What is Business Software Development?

Software development is the process of creating, designing, programming, testing, and documenting software. Due to digital transformations across various business landscapes, it plays a pivotal role in many organizations. Software development refers to a set of instructions that are programmed into a computer to make it functional in day-to-day use.

Working on custom business software development is an indispensable practice for business organizations and enterprises in today’s digital era. However, research shows that companies pay a hefty price for undervaluing the strategic importance of quality business software development. 

Surprisingly, the practice of perpetuating the use of software development has only been limited to managers and executives. The C-suite (CFO, CTO, CEO) professionals must also value the importance of custom software.

What are the Benefits of Business Application Development?

Now that you’re familiar with what custom business software development means, let us delve into the significant benefits of business application development for your enterprise or organization. The major benefits of the same are discussed as follows:

Benefits of Business Application Development
  • Staying Competitive

One of the best ways to formulate business operations seamlessly is by building high-efficiency software applications. It is important to invest in software development to stay relevant in today’s competitive market. This practice also improves customer satisfaction, and business revenue, propels novel innovations, and maintains business productivity.

  • Business Promotion

Brand awareness is the key driving factor for growing your business organization. Investing in business software development is a judicious decision to promote your business among the masses and enhance brand visibility.

  • Marketing Solution

Indulging in custom business software development is also an innovative, cost-effective and resourceful idea to market your brand to your end-users. You do not need to fuss about creating a separate marketing solution.

  • Data Privacy and Security

The world is undergoing a digital overhaul, and so is the possibility of compromising business data privacy. This is the moment when business software development enters. Software works to store, manage, integrate, and centralize data in one place with utmost security. Therefore, software is accountable for your business’s data security and privacy.

  • Enhanced Services and Sales

Having a software application for your business can help you transcend the physical barriers of the world. You can take your business online, with the potential to go global. The software application also enhances your business’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) as users can directly reach out to you through the software application.

  • Low Downtime

Companies witness low operational downtime when they consistently finance high-performing software experience. Businesses can also create software with minimized glitches that compromise their user experience.

Planning Your Business Software Development Project

Business organizations often get overwhelmed by the process of framing a software strategy. This is why it is crucial to lay out a solid plan for custom business software development. One major reason to prepare a plan is to avoid getting distracted. 

Professionals often get swayed away by a diversified set of strategies, which often leads to ineffective software development implementation. Therefore, the first step is to plan. The planning of a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) involves the following steps:

Planning Your Business Software Development Project
  1. Define Your Goals

The first step to successful custom business software development is defining a clear set of goals. Having a planned-out strategy for the complete SDLC workflow can foster reliable results. A vague scope of work can hamper developers’ productivity. The scope of work should include the following:

  • Pre-requisites
  • Deliverables
  • Timeline
  • Milestones
  • Reports

The planning stage must include collecting information from the stakeholders to build a clear picture of the business software development project.

  1. Choose a Suitable Methodology

It is important to decide on your preferred development methodology. The three main types of software development methodologies are Agile, DevOps, and Waterfall. 

The Agile methodology has the following features:

  • Quick and iterative speed
  • Flexible and enhanced scope
  • Massive and informal collaboration

The DevOps methodology has the following features:

  • Quick and integrated speed
  • Continuous and evolving scope
  • Seamless and collaborative approach

The Waterfall methodology has the following features:

  • Slow and step-by-step speed
  • Traditional approach
  • A fixed and comprehensive scope
  • Low and formal collaboration
  1. Design the Blueprint

Laying out an overview/blueprint of your software can break down the business software development process. Creating a design plan is a crucial practice. Working on a raw blueprint of the software allows developers to have a solid idea about it.

Selecting the Right Technologies and Tools

Off-the-shelf Software may cater to generic requirements, but the true power of Software lies in its ability to align with the specific needs of a business. Custom business app development involves the creation, design, deployment, and support of Software tailored for a particular set of users, functions, or organizations.

The advantages of custom software development for small businesses are manifold. It ensures that the Software seamlessly integrates into existing workflows, addresses unique challenges, and scales with the growth of the company. This level of customization fosters efficiency, innovation, and a competitive edge in the market.

As discussed earlier, you need the right set of technologies based on your project objectives, the required degree of collaboration, and the targeted time. These tools and technologies set the tone for the entire business software development process. The three of these technologies are explained further as follows:

1. Agile Software Development

Agile methodologies date back to the early 1990s. This software practice was adopted to deliver products rapidly and efficiently. The business requirements are quite dynamic, requiring a flexible software development solution. The Agile software development method fits snugly like the missing piece of the puzzle in such scenarios.

Agile Software Development

It offers cross-functional operations, thus allowing users to explore a massive set of varied ideologies and ideas. Therefore, flexibility is another name for Agile. It consolidates the development and testing process. 

When companies want to shorten the time-to-market for software and lower application costs, Agile is the best custom business software development approach.

2. DevOps Software Development

DevOps is a new cultural and philosophical practice for software development. It consolidates development and operations for more efficient development. Software Development and IT Operations are the two main elements of DevOps. The complete purpose of this methodology is to enhance communication and collaboration between software developers and the operations team.

DevOps Software Development

The goal of the DevOps methodology is to reduce the software lifecycle and enable Continuous Integration (CI)/Continuous Development (CD) and continuous testing. DevOps is a smart choice for business software development to gain a competitive edge over others. It provides solid customer service and engagement.

One of the most crucial advantages of DevOps is quick recovery from production or any other type of failure.

3. Waterfall Software Development

The Waterfall software development methodology is one of the oldest practices in software development. It is a traditional approach that follows a sequence of various steps. You cannot proceed to the next step before completing the previous one, meaning it follows a series of logical steps. 

waterfall model

The complete sequence of the Waterfall model includes documentation of the software idea, analysis, design, code building, and testing, followed by operations. One real-life application of the Waterfall methodologies is in large teams. It is easier for the changing team members to comprehend the preceding steps by analyzing the complete documentation. 

The major disadvantage of this approach is that changes are required after a certain step is completed. This practice incurs heavy costs for business organizations.

Development Phase: Bringing Your Business Software to Life

Now that you’ve planned your custom business software development project, laid down the objectives, created a complete project blueprint, built the design, and decided on your software development, it’s time to step into the practical series of steps.

Follow the steps mentioned below for the seamless development of your business software:

  • Creating a Prototype

The best way to start with business software development is to first create a crude, tiny version of the desired software. This process is called prototyping. A software prototype helps test the formulated ideas to see whether they work well or not.

  • Coding the Software

The next step is to start coding the software in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). You need to write the required amount of code to build software for the desired outcome.

  • Quality Assurance (QA) Testing

The quality Assurance (QA) team tests the software for certain capabilities and ensures that it functions seamlessly. This also involves ensuring smooth integration and delivery of the software.

  • Continuous Improvement

The next step is to fine-tune the software. It involves further refining the software for optimized performance.

  • Software Deployment

This is the step when the software is released for the end-users. People can now use the software and leverage its power based on their requirements.

  • Keeping the Software Optimized

Even after the business software is released in the market for public use, the company needs to take care of deploying the required updates, fixing errors and bugs, and other related issues. In other words, the company needs to carry out lifecycle management.

Some Prominent Business Software Development Examples

The real power of software lies in serving as a tailor-made solution to address specific business problems. Custom business software development is the gateway to designing, creating, deploying, and supporting companies to manage sophisticated and complex workflows.

Let’s look at two of the prominent examples of custom business software development offerings.

  • Salesforce
  • Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)

1. Salesforce

Salesforce is a well-known cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CMS) tool. It integrates marketing, sales, e-commerce, and related customer services on a single platform. Users can analyze all the customer-generated data in one place and collaborate with peers easily.

salesforce

If you want to know about how to integrate Adobe Experience Manager with Salesforce, then check out this guide!

2. Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is the world’s leading content management and digital asset management (DAM) software. It offers various capabilities to offer a uniform experience to the customers across all touchpoints, such as mobile phones, web, etc. Users can also analyze user data to enhance the customer experience.

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)

Wrapping Up

Business software development is a crucial tactic to grow your business organization or enterprise. It provides a distinguished value to your company across the globe and creates a large user base. 

If you’re looking for custom business software development solutions, Deftsoft has you covered. Established for the past 18 years, we provide custom software development for small businesses, medium-sized businesses, and enterprises. 
Investing in a reliable business software development company is pivotal for your company’s growth. Reach out to us for premium custom software development solutions.

FAQs:

What is business software development?

Business software development refers to the development of custom software solutions, which includes planning, designing, creating, coding, deploying, testing, and optimizing the software. Companies focus on building their own software to enhance their user base.

What is an example of business software development?

Salesforce is an excellent example of a custom business software development company. It’s cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CMS) software that provides a single platform for integrating all useful functionalities, such as marketing, sales, e-commerce, and related customer services.

What type of business is software development?

A software development business must develop and maintain software applications. After collaborating with clients to fully grasp their demands, they develop unique solutions. A software development business will also offer continuing maintenance and support for the program it develops.

What are the various methodologies followed in business software development?

Three main types of business methodologies are followed: Agile software development, DevOps software development, and Waterfall software development. Of these three, the Waterfall methodology is the most traditional approach, whereas DevOps enables the utmost communication and collaboration.

What are the Must-Have Tools For Web Development?

Posted on by deftsoft

Are you a novice web developer trying to get the hang of the web development tools? Look no further than our guide for the must-have tools for web developers. Even if you’re well-versed with the tools and technologies, the development industry is quite dynamic. Therefore, it is an incessant need to stay updated with novel tools for web development. 

The global web development market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.03% with a market share of USD 89013.17 million by 2027. The numbers are whopping, right? With the rigorous need for websites and apps, web developers are the need of the hour.

This blog is a go-to guide for must-have development tools for web development. Be it a beginner or an advanced web developer, we have mentioned the top 15 most indispensable front-end and back-end tools for web development.

Make sure that you read till the end to grasp the best web development tools in 2024!

Best Front-End Web Development Tools You Need to Use in 2024

Front-end refers to the interface that the user interacts with. Front-end web development tools are software applications or libraries that you can use to build, test, and optimize the front-end code. These tools include a broad spectrum of entities, such as browsers, code editors, frameworks, and code testing tools.

Find the list of best tools for front-end web development as follows:

1. Chrome DevTools

Chrome DevTools

Talking about the best web development tools for beginners, Chrome DevTools is a must on the list. Since this tool is built directly into the Google Chrome browser, you can edit web pages and diagnose problems directly in the browser. It is one of the most commonly used tools for web authoring and debugging.  

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • It offers web authoring and debugging in a real-time environment.
  • It helps in building websites efficiently and quickly.
  • It allows page and component inspection inside Chrome.
  • It provides ‘Device Mode’ to test the responsiveness of a website.

2. GitHub

Yet another popular tool, GitHub is an open-source version control software. It is a place that keeps track of the modifications made in the code. It is a code repository that allows developers to present their work, document it, and offer integration options.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • It is the best platform to share code with friends, co-workers, or any other person across the globe.
  • It is a beneficial tool for both web developers and website owners because the codes are accessible even when scaling your website.
  • It is a cloud-based hosting service.
  • It allows control of workflow and feedback provision options.

3. Angular.js

Angular.js is a structural and extensible front-end web development framework built in JavaScript. It was initially created by Google. The primary motive of this tool is to provide quick development and testing of applications. 

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • It follows the client-side MVC architecture, meaning it divides a website structure into three parts: model, view, and controller. It also works on model–view–view-model (MVVM) architecture.
  • It accommodates cleaner code through TypeScript.
  • This tool offers two-way data binding, dependency injections, testing tools, and a variety of templates and directives.

4. Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

VS Code is a front-end development tool created by Microsoft. It is an integrated development environment (IDE) that allows users to edit, debug, publish applications, create code, intelligent code completion, and many other features.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • It uses Intelli-sense techniques that assist in code completion, debugging, and syntax highlighting.
  • It supports multiple programming languages, such as Python and JavaScript.
  • It offers an intuitive hierarchy structure that provides code development and allows interaction with Git.
  • It is lightweight and has a simple design and built-in debugging features.

5. jQuery

jQuery is one of the most popular front-end development tools. It is used by 77.3% of websites in 2024 according to Web Technology Surveys. 48.7% of developers prefer using jQuery. These statistics support the fact that the jQuery tool is indeed the most used web development tool.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • jQuery is SEO-friendly. Therefore, websites can rank faster on search engines, such as Google.
  • It is used for manipulating and traversing HTML DOM tree simpler.
  • It provides excellent animations, fast page loading, and a simple development process workflow.
  • It supports multiple browsers and offers API documentation.

6. CodePen

CodePen is a user-friendly front-end web development platform. It offers flexible web designing functionalities for business organizations of all sizes. It allows you to create simple and concise codes. It is a free code editor with quite flexible options.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • CodePen is a browser-based code editor that offers SAAS solutions.
  • Various front-end frameworks or libraries, such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, can be used in CodePen.
  • You can learn how to create your website through the CodePen.
  • It caters to all the necessary needs for an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) in a web browser.

Best Back-End Web Development Tools You Need to Use in 2024

Back-end development refers to the management and optimization of the performance of a website for its seamless functioning. It includes taking care of the server side of the software. Back-end web development practices include application programming interfaces (APIs), back-end logic, and managing databases and web servers.

Find the list of top back-end tools for web development as follows:

1. Visual Studio

Visual Studio is an open-source code editor developed by Microsoft for back-end web developers. It is one of the favorite source-code editors for software developers because of its high-level versatility. It works on Windows, MacOS, and Linux and is built on the Electron framework.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • You can write, fix and navigate your code faster with easy collaboration
  • It offers IntelliSense code completion, syntax highlighting and an interactive UI.
  • It has a flexible architecture for native technologies, thus making it a preferred choice for Node.js developers.
  • It has multiple coding extensions, such as Beautify and Vetur.

2. Kubernetes

Created by Google, Kubernetes is an open-source platform for automating software deployment, management and scaling. It is a container orchestration platform that serves as a platform-as-a-service (PaaS). It helps to manage containerized and distributed applications at a large scale.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • It allows high workflow portability and flexibility.
  • It provides automation for various manual processes.
  • It can manage thousands of containers at a massive scale.
  • It offers some other important features, such as horizontal scaling and self-monitoring.

3. Docker

Docker is an open-source containerization web development tool for containerizing and building applications. It has a repository called Docker Hub, which is the most popular container registry across the globe. Developers can build, run and manage containers on Docker. You can also use it to deploy, run and test apps.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • You can seamlessly move and optimize websites and apps from the cloud.
  • It offers rapid scaling and quick and efficient configuration.
  • Web developers can harness the agility of the tool to update customers quickly.
  • The containers in Docker are isolated.

4. Postman

postman a Application Programming Interface

Postman is an Application Programming Interface (API) construction and a back-end testing tool. It is an excellent tool for web developers to simplify the steps involved in the API lifecycle and streamline collaboration for developing APIs at a faster speed. This tool offers scalability and reliability for quick building and testing of APIs.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • It supports various HTTP methods. It also converts API to code.
  • It provides API monitoring and testing.
  • It facilitates the creation of a Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, therefore resulting in enhanced collaboration.
  • You can store information to run tests in various environments.

5. MongoDB

 Since big data is impacting the tech industry, MongoDB is significantly gaining traction in the web development domain. It is a cross-platform, source-available web development tool used to retrieve and store data through JSON-like documents. It is a NoSQL database that provides the required scalability and flexibility.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • It provides load balancing, Ad-Hoc queries, indexing, aggregation, file storage, etc.
  • It is compatible with other programming languages, such as Python, C++, C+, PHP, Java, etc.
  • It provides high-level data security and recovery.
  • Web developers can develop custom websites by utilizing the data, such as user browsing history, demographics, etc.

6. Firebase

Firebase

When talking about one of the most popular mobile and web app development platforms, Firebase is the preferred back-end web development tool by many tech giants, such as Trivago, Alibaba, Lyft, Duolingo, etc. Created by Google, developers can build and ship ads for the web, iOS and Android. Thanks to the comprehensive set of features at every stage of development, the app is quite reliable.

The highlighting features of this tool are as follows:

  • Firebase offers an array of useful tools, such as Realtime Database, Cloud Firestone, Cloud Storage, Analytics, Cloud Functions, etc.
  • It helps to build apps for iOS, Android and the web.
  • It offers integration with other services.
  • You can leverage Cloud Messaging with Firebase.

Conclusion

It’s a wrap! This guide mentions the most used best web development tools for beginners as well as experienced web developers in 2024. To make it easy for you, we have segregated the tools into front-end and back-end web development tools. You can pick the right set of tools based on your preferences and coding objectives.

If you’re a business owner or an entrepreneur trying to build an app on your own, Deftsoft’s refined web developers can help you bring your vision to life. We offer customized and economical solutions for business organizations and enterprises.

FAQ’s

Which tool is the best for backend web development?

The goal of a back-end web developer is to build scalable and reliable web applications. One of the best backend web development tools is Firebase. It allows you to build web and mobile applications for both iOS and Android. Created by Google, it is used by some of the most popular companies, such as Duolingo, Lyft, Trivago, Alibaba, etc.

What are some of the best tools for backend web development?

Some of the best tools for backend web development include Visual Studio, Docker, Kubernetes, Firebase, Postman, MongoDB, etc. These tools offer a large set of useful features to help you build seamless web and mobile applications.

Which tool is the best for frontend web development?

One of the best tools for frontend web development is Visual Studio Code, popularly known as VS Code. It is an integrated development environment (IDE) that offers smart code completion, syntax highlighting, code debugging, app publishing, and many other important features.

What are some of the best tools for front-end web development?

Some of the best tools for frontend web development include Chrome DevTools, Angular.js, jQuery, CodePen, GitHub, and VS Code. You can leverage these tools to build interactive and aesthetically pleasing mobile and web apps.

What are the best web development tools for beginners?

One of the best web development tools for beginners in 2024 is Visual Studio Code (VS Code). It is an IDE, one of the best tools for front-end web development. Another indispensable tool is GitHub, which is a code repository. One of the best back-end web development tools is Firebase. It allows you to build mobile and web apps for both iOS and Android.

How Blockchain Technology is Changing Real Estate?

Posted on by deftsoft

The blockchain technology is profoundly transforming the real estate industry. The reason? High-level security, transparency and whatnot are what this technology encapsulates. The real estate industry is fascinated by the use cases of blockchain technology. The numbers say it all.

The real estate industry is growing rapidly at a CAGR of 66.27% currently. This trend is expected to grow at the same compound annual growth rate until 2027. Also, it is estimated that almost 50% of all transactions could happen via blockchain by the year 2025. Isn’t that surprising?

The solid indication of the real estate market disruption is challenging the market norms. Speaking of which, commercial real estate is about to reach new heights with the intervention of blockchain technology.

This blog is a gentle introduction to what is blockchain in the real estate industry, how blockchain can be used in real estate, and the benefits of blockchain in real estate.

What is Blockchain in Real Estate?

Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) that stores data on a distributed network of nodes. The blocks of information are decentralized and offer end-to-end encryption. This is the reason why the blockchain technology is very secure and transparent. 

Since every industry has been transforming through blockchain, how could real estate be left untouched? For ages, the real estate industry signifies in-person interactions to trade various physical assets. The advent of blockchain has enabled the industry to adopt a fresher perspective.

The real estate industry is going paperless with more secure, transparent and quick transactions through blockchain technology. As Alex Blackwood, the founder of Mogul Club, says:

“The supply chain of real estate, when you think about it from a capital markets, operational and transactional perspective, you can really start to apply blockchain throughout those different avenues operating what’s called or solving for what is called that kind of Oracle problem of blockchain.”

One of the prime examples of blockchain applications in real estate is the application of leasing and payment processes. Smart contracts can automate various types of payments to encourage service providers, tenants and landlords. This is the major reason why real estate businesses have started relying on blockchain technology.

How Can Blockchain be Used in Real Estate?

uses of blockchain in real estate

The applications of blockchain in real estate are numerous. Some of the highlighting use cases of blockchain in commercial real estate are mentioned below:

  • Real Estate Asset Tokenization

Practicing asset tokenization is one of the most practical use cases of blockchain technology in the real estate industry. In simple words, asset tokenization refers to the digitization of real estate instruments, such as financial entities, securities, and land. Blockchain technology opens the door to a massive pool of investors since the real estate assets get tokenized.

This way, investors can sell fractions of their properties via tradable digital tokens. For instance, investors can list their properties for crowdfunding projects through asset tokenization.

  • Loan and Mortgage Security

Real estate deals involve hefty amounts of paperwork. This can make it difficult for the involved parties to verify loans, monitor transactions, secure data sharing, and ensure timely payment settlement. This is when blockchain technology comes into play and facilitates real-time reporting of payment settlements, loan updates, etc.

For example, investors can leverage smart contracts for mortgage agreements. They can use the technology to automate and apply the terms and conditions of a mortgage without any need for third-party intervention.

Loan and Mortgage Security
  • Urban Planning

Local communities often feel excluded from the real estate projects in their regions. Blockchain technology introduces an excellent solution to include them in these projects and, thus, seeks their acknowledgment for various initiatives. Investors can create blockchain-backed urban planning forums with local communities as the core members. They can contribute to the unanimous decisions leading to harmonious and sustainable projects.

  • Pre-Calculated Property Valuations

Blockchain technology can help gauge the perfect price for various properties. Blockchain platforms can improve transparency and provide an accurate real-time valuation for properties. It does so by analyzing the shared historical data on market trends, transactions, and previous sales. Buyers, lenders and investors can make more informed decisions by comparing a broad spectrum of data across a specific timeline through the blockchain platform.

  • Investor Background Check

Both tenants and investors can cross-check identities on the blockchain platforms with the help of KYC/AML processes. This process allows individuals to enhance security, reduce costs, and verify various personalities. Since the identities are verified, investors, borrowers and lenders can perform secure transactions.

  • Land and Properties Registries and Sales

Blockchain technology is easily deployable in the real estate industry to simplify and expedite land and property registries. This practice can reduce the risk of fraud, physical document mismanagement, and discrepancies. The distributed ledger technology can assist in enabling tamper-proof registries, reassignments and property/land sales.

What are the Benefits of Blockchain in Real Estate?

After exploring the real-life use cases of blockchain technology in real estate, it is time to address the proliferating benefits of the technology. Let’s discuss the major advantages of blockchain technology in real estate.

Benefits of Blockchain in Real Estate
  •  Transparent and Secure

One of the primary benefits of applying blockchain technology in real estate is that the technology offers transparency and security. It improves the operations of real estate as it keeps track of all the transactions and prevents potential frauds and double-spending, thus ensuring utmost security.

  • Fractional Ownership

Blockchain technology enables the tokenization of real estate properties and other instruments as digital assets. This allows investors to trade these fragmentized tokens to various parties. Investors can sell their ownership share anytime they want without any hassle involved. This method also opens the doors for individuals who cannot invest in a property independently.

  • Global Accessibility

Anyone across the globe can access real estate data and make investment choices judiciously through the decentralized network offered by blockchain. One can manage a large number of residential and commercial real estate stakeholders across the globe by harnessing the power of the investors present across the world.

  • Quick and Efficient

The intervention of blockchain in the real estate industry ensures speedy and efficient transactions. Thanks to the smart contract technology, the payments are automated according to the set rules. Therefore, blockchain ensures high accessibility, transparency, agility, and security.

  • Enhanced Liquidity

Since cryptocurrency in blockchain technology is less volatile and stable, it offers ease to the real estate stakeholders. Although real estate is considered illiquid conventionally, the intertwining of blockchain technology can enhance liquidity by tokenization of the properties. Individuals can readily sell, buy, lend and borrow these digitized tokens as and when needed.

  • No Intermediaries

The process of buying, selling and investing has become easier than ever since there are no intermediaries involved in the process. Blockchain technology has eliminated any third-party intrusion since smart contracts have dominated the market. It is imperative to say that smart contracts will facilitate more than 50% of the transactions in the upcoming five years.

What Does the Future of Blockchain in Real Estate Look Like?

Blockchain technology has introduced a life-transforming concept of decentralization. For ages, we have been dependent on centralized networks that are governed by single authorities, such as Meta, Bank of America, etc. Blockchain has unlocked the door to new possibilities, especially in the real estate sector.

Realtors no longer need to list their properties on various online platforms; all they need to do is upload their listings on a single decentralized platform, and the work is done. The world has already started inclining towards blockchain in commercial real estate. For instance, the UAE government launched the Emirates Blockchain Strategy in 2021 to push the blockchain technology and enable 50% transactions on it.

North Americans are also seamlessly embracing blockchain technology in real estate. As mentioned in the blog above, the founder of the Mogul Club discusses the potential of blockchain applications in the real estate industry.

How Can Deftsoft Help You?

Deftsoft is a premier blockchain development company that offers new-generation blockchain solutions tailored to your requirements. We have served a broad spectrum of industries, such as logistics, e-commerce, real estate, digital marketing, healthcare, etc. 

Our experienced set of blockchain developers offer custom solutions to your problems and commit with utmost responsibility. If you’re an enterprise or business organization looking to expand your horizons in the real estate industry, let us bring your vision to life.

FAQs:

What is the benefit of blockchain in the real estate industry?

The benefits of blockchain technology in real estate are numerous. Primary benefits include high-level security, transparency, flexibility, and liquidity. One can also mitigate the risks of fraud and disputes with the integration of blockchain technology in real estate.

How is crypto used in real estate?

The introduction of crypto in real estate allows stakeholders to be more liquid with their investments and provides them the power of bargaining, unlike trading real estate for cash. Crypto transactions open up the gateway to smart contract implementation, which ensures sellers’ security. Therefore, they can settle down for lower offers.

How is blockchain technology used in commercial real estate transactions?

The blockchain technology has expanded the horizons of secure transactions in the real estate industry. Since the blockchain technology is decentralized, all the transactions occur on a public network. Therefore, a chain of transactional records is kept by the computer nodes. This process ensures high transparency of payments in the real estate industry.

What is meant by asset tokenization in the real estate industry?

Asset tokenization is the process of digitalizing real estate products, including securities, property, and financial organizations. Blockchain technology tokenizes real estate assets, opening them access to a vast pool of investors. This opens the door for a large pool of stakeholders with the minimum amount of investment.

How do you tokenize a real estate project using blockchain technology?

The first step to enable tokenization of assets in the real estate industry is to code a smart contract on any blockchain platform, such as Ethereum, Binance, etc. You can mention the rules and regulations in the smart contract that can be implemented when someone buys a tokenized digital asset in the corresponding real estate investment. Various management, transfer and ownership rules can be defined in the smart contract.

Google’s New Core Web Vitals Metric: How To Improve INP

Posted on by deftsoft

Now that your webpage is successfully visible on the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs), what is the next step to success? It is the page speed. The speed of the loading page directly impacts the success of your webpage’s search. 

If you want to measure the user experience for your webpage based on the loading performance, user-intuitiveness, interactivity, and stability, you must be aware of Google’s Core Web Vitals. To sum up, Core Web Vitals is a set of metrics that calculates the real-world user experience that is incurred based on the page performance.
According to Google’s recent updates, a new Core Web Vital metric will formally be in effect on 12th March 2024. This metric is called Interaction to Next Paint (INP). This guide is an in-depth introduction to the INP Core Web Vitals, how to optimize it, and test INP.

What is Meant by INP?

Interaction to Next Paint (INP) is a webpage performance metric that measures the responsiveness of a user interface. It means that this metric measures how fast a webpage responds when a user interacts with it through various actions, such as mouse clicks, keyboard presses, entering data inside a form, tapping on a touchscreen device like a smartphone, or when a page starts painting the next change on the screen.

How Do You Measure Interaction to Next Paint (INP)?

All the interactions made with a page constitute the Interaction to the Next Paint (INP) metric. When a page has an unusually high interaction or responsive rate, the rule of thumb is to ignore one highest interaction for every 50 interactions. To sum up, the interaction with the worst latency comprises the INP.

Measure Interaction to Next Paint

INP is calculated by finding the difference between the two timestamps of a specific interaction. For example, the time difference between painting the next frame of a webpage when a user presses a key on the keyboard.
In order to find these interactions, Google makes use of event handlers, which record various visual changes on the screen and detect the interactions.

Pro Tip: You can use PageSpeed Insights or the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) to check your site’s score on Interaction to Next Paint (INP). You can also use any Real User Monitoring (RUM) provider. Google Lighthouse is yet another open-source tool to check your webpage’s performance.

What is a Healthy INP Score?

It can be difficult to put a label of “good” or “poor” INP score based on the responsiveness of a webpage. Although the focus is to improve the development practices to ensure a “good” INP score, one must remember that it completely depends upon a user’s device capabilities to set realistic development expectations.
This is why Google has set a standard to measure the 75th percentile of the page loads that are recorded by the event handler across an array of devices, such as mobile phones and laptops.

Healthy INP Score_

You can find out the responsiveness of your webpage by looking at the following INP scores:

  • If your page has an INP of 200 milliseconds or below, it means that your page has good responsiveness.
  • If your page has an INP of 200 milliseconds and below or at 500 milliseconds, it means that you need to work on your page responsiveness. It needs improvement.
  • If your page has an INP above 500 milliseconds, then your page has poor responsiveness.

What are the Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals

By convention, there are three main Core Web Vitals presented by Google. These are:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

This metric measures the landing performance of a webpage when a user interacts with it. You need to have your LCP occur within the first 2.5 seconds of clicking the page.

  • First Input Delay (FID)

It is another Core Web Vital that measures user interactivity. One must have an FID of fewer than 100 milliseconds.

Note: The Interaction to the Next Paint (INT) metric will replace FID on 12 March 2024.

  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

It is a metric that measures visual stability. One must have a CLS score of less than 0.1 for a good user experience.

What are the Benefits of INP in Search Engine Optimization?

Google’s Core Web Vitals play an indispensable role in enhancing the organic traffic on a website. If a webpage loads quickly and efficiently, it will fetch more users instinctively. However, if the webpage starts lagging, chances are that you need to cross-check your webpage’s Core Web Vitals.

benefits-of-the-INP-Core-Web-Vital-metric-1024x536

Therefore, these Core Web Vitals consolidate to affect the SEO strategy of a webpage or website in general. Some of the primary benefits of INP are mentioned as follows:

  • Universally Potent

The INP metric does not require the assistance of JavaScript or CSS code to measure the responsiveness of a page. It can do it alone for both smartphones and desktop sites. Therefore, this metric is universal in nature, unlike FID (First Input Delay).

  • Browser Uniformity

The INP metric does not discriminate among browsers. Does your website work well on Firefox but not on Google Chrome? INP can still measure page responsiveness without depending on the CSS or JavaScript code executed by the browsers. 

  • Zero External Dependency

As discussed, the INP Core Web Vitals do not depend on JavaScript or CSS code. Apart from this, INP also does not depend on other external factors, such as network latency or rendering. 

  • Measures Any Webpage

There are no limitations to what kind of page the Interaction to Next Paint (INP) could measure. From gauging the responsiveness of your homepage to any other page of your website, INP can calculate the responsiveness of every type of webpage. Especially if your website page has a lot of interactivity, it can still measure the response rate for the same.

How to Optimize Interaction to Next Paint?

If you want to learn how to improve the Interaction to Next Paint (INP) metric for your website, make sure that you read this section till the end. Although optimizing INP is a time-consuming task, it is definitely rewarding. 

Before optimization, it is crucial to figure out the root cause of the delay in the webpage’s responsiveness. You can perform the root-cause analysis by following the below-mentioned steps:

1. Label Your Website First

Before jumping to optimization, it is important to learn if your website has poor responsiveness or just needs improvement. Once you figure this out, you can begin running diagnostics on the slow interactions.

You can use a RUM provider which will equip you with the following information:

  • Your page’s INP value
  • The specific interaction responsible for the resultant INP 
  • The time frame of the interaction (if it occurred during or after the page load)
  • The type of interaction (tap, click, or a keypress)
  • Other valuable information

Pro Tip: We prefer RUM over CrUX as CrUX does not provide contextual data to help you analyze the issues for a high INP score.

2. Run Diagnostics Using Lab

Once you’re equipped with the field data, you can start with the manual testing in the lab. If you cannot find the field data, you can check out this resource. 

One of the best methods to manually perform an INP test for interaction latency is to use the Web Vitals Chrome Extension. Once installed, you need to go to the extension’s settings to enable the Console Logging checkbox and then click on Save.

You can then open the console in Chrome DevTools to start testing the suspected interactions on your website. You can also take the help of the useful diagnostic data that appears on the Console.

Run Diagnostics Using Lab

Pro Tip: If the Chrome extension gets blocked, you can copy and paste some JavaScript into the DevTools console.

3. Optimizing INP

Once you have recognized the slow interaction and run diagnostics in the lab, it is time to optimize Interaction to Next Paint. There are three main types of interactions that need to be optimized. These are:

  • The input delay
  • The processing time
  • The presentation delay

a. Reduce Input Delay/TBT

The first part of the interaction when a user interacts with a page is called the input delay.

TBT

You need to reduce and break up the background CPU activity in order to reduce input delay to the minimum. The input delays are caused due to the following reasons:

  • Activity happening in the main thread (script loading, compiling and parsing)
  • Timer functions
  • Fetch handling
  • Interaction overlapping

You can also look at the total blocking time (TBT) metric. It refers to the response rate of your website to the user input. In other words, it measures how much time the main thread is blocked during page load. Most of the time, long-running CPU tasks block the page’s main thread. Some reasons for blocked user interactions are:

  • JavaScript execution
  • Parsing HTML
  • Updating page layout

TBT makes up to 25% of the total performance score in Google Lighthouse.

Pro Tip: You can remove the unused JavaScript and CSS, which are not parsed or compiled when not required.

b. Optimize Event Callbacks

Next, you must ensure that the event callbacks that run in response to the user interaction must be completed as fast as possible. You must try to break up the work in event callbacks into separate tasks. You can use SetTimeout to break up the tasks.

Performing this separation prevents the main thread from getting blocked. This practice allows other interactions to take place.

c. Prevent Large, Complex Layouts and Layout Thrashing

Also called forced synchronous layout, layout thrashing is a rendering performance bottleneck where layout happens synchronously. This problem arises when you update styles in JavaScript and request the values in the same tasks. This forces the browser to do synchronous layout work.

layout thrashing

You can avoid the layout; however, if it is not possible to avoid the layout, then you can go to Chrome DevTools to check the time it is taking. You can see the overview of how your site performed by following the steps:

  • Open DevTools.
  • Go to the Timeline tab.
  • Hit the record button and interact with the pertaining site.
how to optimize interaction to next paint(inp)

d. Reduce DOM Size

A browser creates a Document Object Model (DOM) when a web page is loaded. Large DOM size affects the website’s user interactivity, as it increases memory usage, slows down layout rendering, and causes longer style calculations. Therefore, it is pivotal to reduce the DOM size. 

You can finish off rendering work easily by minimizing the size of the page’s DOM. You can follow the below-mentioned approaches to reduce DOM size:

  • Flattening the DOM

You can reduce the DOM size by reducing the DOM depth. You can check if your DOM is unnecessarily deep if your markup looks something like the following:

Flattening the DOM

You can open the Chrome DevTools and go to the Elements tab to check the DOM depth. 

Another way to reduce DOM depth is to use fragments in the framework that you use.

  • Add to the DOM during User Interaction 

Another approach to minimize your page’s DOM is to remove the invisible parts of your page when it gets rendered by a user for the first time. You can add them later. This will make the initial HTML load lighter; therefore, it will be rendered easily. You can also initially hide some parts of the page, which can also speed up other interactions.

Real-World Use Case of INP Core Web Vital

Now that you’ve learned in-depth about the INP metric, it is time to look at some of the real-life implementations of INP. Let’s go over a case study of a real website that made massive improvements to responsiveness for the users by harnessing the INP. We’re talking about the Economic Times. (source: Chrome for Developers YouTube channel)

The Economic Times began its work in the Lighthouse, which helped them cut down their total blocking time. It is correlated to INP as main thread slowdowns are the root cause of slow user interactions.

Next, they also lateloaded scripts that were not business-critical to free up the main thread in order to process the main content. They removed unused JavaScript and CSS, which were still parsed and combined even when they were not needed.

“As a part of the process, they inlined necessary CSS, because over 90% of their common CSS was not getting used”, says Annie Sullivan, Software Engineerat Chrome Web Platform team. She then added, “This made a big improvement and they kept going. Once they had optimized the total blocking time, they looked for things that would specifically improve interactions.”

The Economic Times then reduced the DOM size. This helped them reduce the time it took to render an interaction. They also avoided unnecessary rendering by upgrading to Next.js to take advantage of better React hooks to prevent rendering. They also used the request title callback to render below the full content when the main thread is freed up. Party Town was also used to move third-party code off the main thread.

After all these optimizations, the Economic Times saw INP on their Topics page reduced by 75%. They also saw a 50% decrease in bounce rate and a 43% uplift in page views.

Bottom Line

Interaction to Next Paint is one of the next Core Web Vitals that is all set to replace the First Input Delay (FID) metric. With the changing dynamics of the industry, it is time to get familiar with this metric to gain an edge over your competitors and for an enhanced user experience.

You can follow the highlighted techniques to optimize your webpage for the INP metric. Improving the responsiveness of your webpage is a primary factor in deciding the amount of traffic you’ll attract. This phenomenon directly impacts your brand’s revenue.

We recommend you invest judiciously in technical SEO, and if you struggle to do so, Deftsoft’s digital marketing experts are here to cater to you with bespoke Core Web Vitals solutions.

FAQs:

What does INP mean?

Interaction to Next Paint (INP) is a new Core Web Vitals metric that is replacing the old First Input Delay (FID) metric. It measures a web page’s responsiveness whenever a user interacts with the page. It observes the latency of all the interactions made by the user. A low INP score of below 200 milliseconds is a healthy INP score.

What is the difference between INP and FID?

FID is a load responsiveness metric, whereas INP is more than measuring the first impressions. FID considers only the first interaction with the page, but INP considers all the interactions. INP is a more reliable metric as it samples all the interactions and then presents the value, unlike the FID metric.

How do we measure INP?

One of the best ways to measure INP is through tools. You can use PageSpeed Insights or the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) to check your site’s score on Interaction to Next Paint (INP). You can also use any Real User Monitoring (RUM) provider.

What to do if no INP value is reported?

There could be several reasons why you were not presented with an INP value. These include that the user did not interact with the page through clicks, taps, or keypresses. He simply hovered or scrolled through the page. It could also be because a bot, such as a search crawler or headless browser, is interacting with the page.

The Rise of Low-Code and No-Code Development Platforms

Posted on by deftsoft

Is it possible to build an app with no coding? It would have seemed impossible if I had asked ten years ago, but not today. With the dynamic app development environment, the need for low-code and no-code platforms has peaked. 
According to Statista, the global low-code platform market value is estimated to hit a whopping revenue of USD 32 billion in 2024! The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27.3% between 2024 and 2030.

market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27.3% between 2024 and 2030.

The low-code development technology has proved to be revolutionary for pro developers and no-code development has transformed the non-technical industry. Thanks to such platforms, even non-tech people can leverage Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) to build an app of their own. 

In that regard, 66% of top-tech companies are using at least four low-code platforms in 2024 (Gartner report). It also predicts that by 2026, more than 80% of low-code platform users will belong to the non-IT developer segment.

This blog explains what Low-Code No-Code platforms are, real-life examples of such platforms, the benefits of these platforms, how to make an app with low-code no-code platforms, and if you should still hire developers. 

Without further ado, let’s get started.

What is Meant by a Low-Code No-Code Platform?

Platforms and technologies that let users construct applications without writing a lot of code are referred to as low code and no code (LCNC) platforms. As the name implies, no code platforms eliminate the requirement for coding, allowing users to create applications using pre-built components and visual interfaces. For instance, one can make a full-fledged website with drag-and-drop functionality.

However, low-code platforms offer a different approach by giving users access to a visual development environment where they may write applications with little to no coding—often by using pre-made functions.

Adopting low-code no-code platforms will further help enterprises reduce their operational costs. As Jason Wong, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, says:

“The high cost of tech talent and a growing hybrid or borderless workforce will contribute to low-code technology adoption. Empowered by the intuitive, flexible and increasingly powerful features of low-code development tools, business technologists and citizen technologist personas are developing lightweight solutions to meet business unit needs for enhanced productivity, efficiency, and agility — often as fusion teams“

Examples of Low-Code No-Code Platforms

Let’s look at some of the most popular examples of low-code no-code platforms.

1. Low-Code Platform

One of the best examples of a low-code platform is FlutterFlow. You can create native mobile applications through this low-code builder via the browser. Developers and other IT professionals can save time by building an app ten times faster through a drag-and-drop interface.

Fluterflow

Note: FlutterFlow is highly compatible with Google Chrome. If you face any issues, it is best to switch your browser to it.

2. No-Code Platform

One of the budding examples of a no-code platform is Thunkable. It offers more than 50 design components and easy-to-use animations for your app. The app claims that you can build an intuitive user experience through pre-built components, such as buttons, maps, input fields, video players, etc.

Thunkable

You can also connect your app with third-party applications, direct deployment capabilities for the App Store/Google Play store, and collaborate with your team efficiently on Thunkable.

What are the Advantages of No Code and Low Code Platforms?

The introduction of low-code and no-code platforms has led to a radical change. Without requiring in-depth coding knowledge, these creative methods let people with different levels of technical proficiency actively engage in the development and implementation of apps.

Low-code platforms offer a mixture of visual creation and customized coding solutions to perform complex functionalities, while no-code platforms enable users to design software solutions through user-friendly graphical interfaces and pre-built components. 

Some of the significant benefits of low-code no-code platforms are mentioned as follows:

benefits of Low-Code No-Code platforms

1. Easy-to-Use

One of the best upsides of a no-code or low-code platform is that it bridges the gap between technical and non-technical professionals. The interface of a no-code app builder is user-friendly, and even a non-technical user can utilize it to create an app. 

This has given a major push to innovation among individuals. People do not hesitate to collaborate with developers anymore. Low-code platforms have helped developers build a fresh perspective on solving complex coding problems.

2. Faster Time-to-Market

Low-code and no-code platforms have sped up the app development process. If someone wanted to build an app a decade ago, it would have taken months to work on the idea. Also, you’d need a team of Quality Assurance engineers, UI/UX designers, and IT developers.

The LCNC platforms have cut down the need for an array of professionals to develop an app. The founder of the company can himself make use of such platforms for app or website development. Forrester mentioned in one of its reports that low-code no-code platforms made development 20 times faster than a traditional development process.

3. High Agility

The low-code platforms offer you high agility. This means you can save time developing, testing and debugging the applications. Another significant asset of a low-code no-code platform is that it offers pre-built modules that help tech/non-tech individuals to build an app in the visual environment quickly.

The LCNC platforms are mostly hosted on the cloud, which gives me high-level agility and flexibility. You don’t have to worry about losing your project.

4. Lower Costs

Enterprises often have to go through the exhausting task of hiring high-cost developers. The low-code platforms can reduce the engineering workforce and eventually lower the costs to the company. They can also save the capital and invest it into other useful resources for the enterprise.

Also, there are many economical options to choose the low-code no-code platforms. You can choose from a massive pool of low-code or no-code apps.

5. Enhanced Automation

The low-code, no-code platforms give you the freedom to iterate tedious tasks of debugging or feeding in data for building an application. With the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), you can enhance the website development process.
For example, Pega is a low-code platform that allows users to build powerful apps with minimal coding. On top of that, it also integrates AI for predictive analysis, data mining and event processing.

Pega is a low-code platform

6. Auto-Updates and Maintenance

Most of the traditional codebases require human intervention to keep them updated and perform regular maintenance cycles. Low-code and no-code platforms reduce manual work and keep track of updates of their own. This helps individuals focus on the development part.

7. Simple Data Integration

Data integration becomes simpler and more flexible when processes are established for the gathering, sharing, processing, and storing of information. Users can locate, comprehend, and utilize data inside a process with the help of LCNC tools. You will be able to make more confident and informed decisions by doing this, as well as identifying the ownership, validity, source, and quality of data across processes. 

8. Cross-Platform Mobility

One of the major benefits of using low-code platforms is that they offer cross-platform mobility, which is quite an advantage for developers. Enterprises and business organizations can easily access various third-party APIs and modules via low-code platforms.

What are the Components of a Low-Code No-Code Platform?

Components of a Low-Code No-Code Platform

Before learning how to build an app from scratch, you must be familiar with the key components of a typical no-code low-code platform. These are mentioned as follows:

  • Page Builder

The first step is to harness the drag-and-drop functionality to build single or multiple web pages. From adding forms to tables, you have all the freedom to add the elements of your choice. Developers can also utilize different frameworks if needed.

  • Data Transfer/Visual Modeling

One of the most common features of low-code no-code platforms is to feed data from Excel sheets for the low-code no-code platform to analyze it. The platform then builds an interface based on the data. Some low-code platforms also offer visual modeling to manage data.

  • Element Reusability

The LCNC platforms save time and enhance innovation by allowing you to reuse elements for your new website pages. You can reuse tiny parts of an old application for your new one. These platforms also offer a dedicated community to share these elements.

  • Third-Party Integrations

Low-code no-code platforms allow you to integrate your website with different web services, such as Salesforce, Slack, Twitter, etc. You can also utilize third-party APIs to enhance your app functionality further.

Get Started with App and Website Development through our Skilled Developers

Deftsoft is a one-stop solution for app and website development services. Our developers have vast experience in various industries, such as healthcare, real estate, logistics, e-commerce, etc. If you want to kickstart a dynamic project, Deftsoft is the apt app development company to cater to your needs.

Our developers create user-intuitive, easy-to-use websites and apps in collaboration with UI/UX designers and testers. Experience sophisticated development services through the premier website development company.

FAQs:

What is a low-code platform?

As the name suggests, a low-code platform allows developers and other tech-savvy professionals to create a website or app through minimal coding. You can use the low-code environment and utilize in-built frameworks to save time in the development process. FlutterFlow is a great example of a low-code platform.

What is a no-code platform?

A no-code platform refers to a platform that uses zero code for web and app development. These platforms can be used by non-technical individuals along with developers. You can use drag-and-drop functionality and other easy-to-use features to build your final app/website. Thunkable is an example of a no-code platform.

Can you build an app without coding?

Yes, you can build an app without coding through the use of no-code platforms, such as Thunkable. These platforms offer pre-built templates to help you make an app. You can choose from a variety of forms, elements, etc., and connect with a large community of no-code users.

What are the benefits of no-code and low-code platforms?

Some significant benefits of low-code no-code platforms include faster time-to-market, high agility and flexibility, enhanced automation, auto-updates and maintenance, lower costs, simple data integration, and cross-platform mobility.

What is the difference between a low-code and no-code platform?

A no-code platform suits non-technical businesses and entrepreneurs who want to build an app to address minimal business problems—for example, building an e-commerce store for a clothing brand. On the other hand, a low-code platform is suitable for building websites and apps that cater to a massive business application, for example, building a cloud computing website.

Skyrocket Your Sales with Shopify Amazon Integration

Posted on by deftsoft

Are you ready to take the next step to expand your Shopify store? It’s time to perform Shopify Amazon integration! According to the latest 2024 statistics by Semrush, Amazon experienced 4.49 billion visits in January!

Imagine the page authority and the amount of traction your e-commerce business can gain via Amazon. This guide demonstrates precisely how you can perform Shopify integration with Amazon. 

Before discussing the steps involved in Amazon Shopify integration, you must know what Shopify is, if you should just stick to Shopify, what the requirements are to integrate Shopify with Amazon, and finally, the steps involved in Shopify Amazon integration.

Without further ado, let’s begin learning how to connect Shopify to Amazon!

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a platform that helps businesses build their e-commerce stores. Business organizations can create, manage, design, and scale their products through Shopify. It offers user-friendly functionalities, such as an online storefront, themed stores, shopping reports and analytics, intuitive and fast checkout, etc.

What is Shopify

On top of that, Shopify is a solid software that offers uniform experiences across various devices, such as smartphones, iPads, computers, web, etc. Currently, 4.80 million live online stores use Shopify to sell their products. It is indeed a market leader in the e-commerce sector.

With such enhanced capabilities, you can create a sales powerhouse by performing Shopify Amazon integration for your brand. However, let’s first know if its better to sell on Shopify alone.

Is Selling on Shopify Better than Amazon?

With billions of traffic, Amazon is a vast marketplace that can give you tons of exposure as an e-commerce business. But if you run a small- or mid-sized business, filling in Amazon’s seller fees and surviving in the fierce competition can be impeding. 

To eliminate this competition, a lot of business owners create their online stores using Shopify. Therefore, it is always a good idea to start small with Shopify. But once you hit good revenue, listing your products on the Amazon marketplace is best to scale up the business revenue.

Pro Tip

There are ample reasons to list your products on both Shopify and Amazon. The reasons are as follows:

1. Massive E-Commerce Retailer

Amazon is one of the world’s largest e-commerce retailers, with a monthly traffic of billions. Your products are exposed to many potential buyers by listing them on Amazon.

2. Solid Customer Base

Amazon is home to a solid customer base that frequently visits the website. Listing your product on Amazon by integrating it with Shopify can multiply your sales exponentially.

3. Faster User Buying Cycles

According to the recent Amazon statistics, 28% of Amazon purchases are made in 3 minutes or less than that. Customers make 50% of their purchases in less than 15 minutes.

4. Abode to Independent Sellers

Independent sellers contribute to over 60% of sales on Amazon. Most of them are either small or medium-sized businesses. For the record, this is what Kelly, the CEO of Merfs Condiments has to say:

“The best year we ever had with my cousin reselling our products, we made maybe $40,000. Then we launched our store with Amazon in the second week of November of 2021. In 2022, we did $96,000 in sales. That’s phenomenal! Now my question is, what do I got to do to do half a million with Amazon this year?” – Kelly, CEO, Merfs Condiments

(Source: Amazon)

Concluding thoughts: It is best to run your e-commerce store by performing Shopify and Amazon integration. You can link Shopify to Amazon to do so.

What are the Requirements to Integrate Shopify with Amazon?

Integrate Shopify with Amazon

It’s time to look at the requirements for Shopify and Amazon integration. The requirements are given as follows:

  • Active Shopify Account

You must have an active Shopify account. This is the basis for overseeing all aspects of your online store management, such as order processing, inventory control, and product listings.

  • Amazon Seller Account

Establish and keep up an operational Amazon Seller Account. To manage orders and list products on Amazon, you need this account.

  • Third-Party Integration App

Pick a reliable third-party integration app from the Shopify App Store to enable smooth connectivity between your Shopify store and Amazon. Apps such as “Amazon Sales Channel” and “Shopify Marketplace Connect” are popular choices.

Note: Shopify discontinued the Amazon Sales Channel on September 27, 2021.

  • Product Listing Setup

Make sure both platforms have accurate product listings. This entails coordinating product information between Shopify and Amazon, including names, descriptions, photos, prices, and variations.

  • Inventory Management

Establish a real-time inventory synchronization system to avoid stockouts and overselling. Amazon should instantly update its inventory levels when Shopify makes changes, and vice versa.

  • Shipping Configuration

Assign shipping costs, delivery options, and fulfillment strategies in a way that complies with Amazon’s specifications. Make sure that the shipping guidelines for both platforms are the same.

  • Product Data Compliance

Consider Amazon’s policies regarding product information, such as product identifiers, UPC/EAN codes, and classification. Adhering to Amazon’s guidelines is essential to prevent account suspensions or listing rejections.

  • Account Integration Configuration

Configure the integration app settings to create a secure link between your Shopify and Amazon accounts. Usually, this involves providing API keys or approving data exchange rights.

How to Link Shopify to Amazon?

Follow the steps mentioned below to connect Shopify to Amazon successfully:

1. Sign Up for the Amazon Seller Account

Open Amazon and create a professional seller account. Make sure you select the targeted region for sales so that the currency on Amazon aligns with your Shopify store. On the sign-up page, fill in your details, such as email and password. If you don’t have an Amazon account, you can create one.

Rest, other essential details that you need to keep at your disposal include:

  • A professional business name
  • Contact number
  • Business address
  • Credit card details
  • Legitimate bank account information
  • Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or EIN
Sign Up for the Amazon

2. Get Your E-Commerce Product Category Approved on Amazon

You then need to get your products approved on Amazon. Ensure your category is listed with Amazon and matches other required metrics, such as performance reviews, fees, etc.  The following are the key categories that require approval:

  • Automotive & Safety Accessories
  • Baby Products
  • Food & Grocery Products
  • Protected Brands
  • Toys
  • Health, Hygiene, & Medicine
  • Kitchen Products
  • Pet Products
  • Postage stamps
  • Collectible Coins
  • Music & DVD
  • Services
  • Sports Collectibles
  • Fine Art
  • Jewellery
  • Join Amazon Subscription Boxes
  • Made in Italy
  • Streaming Media Players
  • Video, DVD, & Blu-ray
  • Watches
  • Other Categories

3. Download Amazon by Shopify Marketplace Connect Shopify App

Since the Amazon Sales Channel is obsolete, one of the best ways for Amazon and Shopify integration is by leveraging Codisto(now called Shopify Marketplace Connect). It is one of the easiest ways to sell on Amazon directly from Shopify.

Download Amazon by Shopify

This tool allows you to manage, connect, and fulfill orders from Shopify directly. It connects and syncs your complete Shopify catalog with top-notch online marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.

Note: Shopify Marketplace Connect is a free app until you start gaining 50 orders per month.

Follow the steps mentioned below to integrate Amazon with Shopify via Shopify Marketplace Connect:

  • Download and fully install the Shopify Marketplace Connect.
  • Open Marketplace Connect and click on the Connect Marketplace option in the window’s top-right corner.
  • You’ll find a list of all the top marketplaces. Simply click on Connect Amazon. Amazon will be integrated automatically.
  • The next step is to link the products from Shopify to Amazon. To allow linking, click on Learn More present in the Amazon checkbox.
  • An Overview tab opens up. Click on the Link listings option under the Existing listings – Amazon.
  • Scroll down to the bottom right to the link listings section. You can click on either of the options as per your requirements and confirm match.

Note: You need to put a checklist for products when you integrate the listings. For example, you can choose barcodes and SKUs.

  • However, if you cannot find a product match, you can manually enter your Shopify SKU and then confirm match. You can then review close matches and click on the Link listings option present on the right side of the Please note section.

4. Manage Your Shopify Payment Gateway

You can choose Shopify Payments or a third-party app to accept credit card payments. You can set up Shopify payment through the following steps:

  • Fill in the details of the payment method.
  • Put in your bank details to receive the order payments.
  • Ensure that you read all the terms and conditions correctly.

What are the Benefits of Shopify Marketplace Connect?

The benefits of the Shopify Marketplace Connect are mentioned as follows:

  • Real-Time Tracking

You can track your product stock in real-time. You don’t have to change your stock to marketplaces manually. It will be updated automatically.

  • Audit Transport

If you receive any audit on Amazon marketplace, it gets transported to Shopify directly. This makes the fulfillment process easier.

  • Organized Interface

Your order history is well-organized with the Shopify Marketplace Connect. You can also add a rule to set different prices for your various marketplaces. Any prices updated in Shopify will be updated automatically on other marketplaces.

Wrapping Up

Taking your e-commerce business to the next level once you plunge into the market is crucial. You can only do it by exposing your brand to a bigger marketplace, and Amazon is one of the best of them all. 

This blog discusses the simplest, hassle-free steps to carry out Shopify Amazon integration. Using Shopify Marketplace Connect is the latest method to perform Shopify and Amazon integration. However, if you still struggle to perform integration, you can hire our Shopify experts to do the job!

FAQs:

Can we integrate Shopify with Amazon?

Yes, Shopify can be integrated with significant marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. You can do so by using the Shopify Marketplace Connect app. It also allows you to automatically update your products’ SKUs, stock and price with the integrated marketplace.

Does Amazon connect to Shopify?

Amazon cannot connect directly with Shopify. This is why you need to use the Shopify Marketplace Connect app. It is a Shopify-based app that allows you to perform Shopify and Amazon integration.

Can I sell Amazon products on my Shopify store?

Yes, you can do so by opening the listings in the Shopify Marketplace Connect app. You can link your Shopify products to the matching Amazon listings and then sell them on the Shopify store.

How do I add Amazon Pay to Shopify?

Go to Shopify admin > Settings > Payments. Click on Manage in the Shopify Payments section. Then open the Wallet section and add Amazon Pay. You need to activate the Amazon Pay through the Amazon Seller Central. Ensure that you transfer the API keys.

Can I dropship from Amazon to Shopify?

Yes, you can take advantage of Amazon’s dropshipping. You can add Amazon’s top-selling products to your Shopify store using solid Shopify apps like Zonify.