• How to design a good CTA?
• What tone of theme should we apply to the design?
• How can the illustration fit into your design?

6 Key Web Design Recommendations and Best Practices for Designers

1. Design your CTAs wisely

Call-to-Action (CTA) is a really important element to pay attention to when you are designing a website. CTA is the one thing that could make or break your customer decision, and as a result, this graphic element will surely affect your sales.

While the copy of a CTA gives the customer a clue to figure out “why should I click this button?”, the appearance of it solves the myth of “where should I click?”. A good designed CTA should help users navigate and understand their future actions. That’s why CTA is a really crucial element when it comes to designing a web.

Though drafting a CTA button is not a difficult task, optimizing to make a sale through it is not an easy one either. Below are 3 UI tips from Designveloper that could help you make the best out of this.

Use contrasting colors

There are many aspects that your button’s color choice should think of such as the color of the whole composition, and the psychological peculiarities of the target audience. One of the most important factors you must implement in your color choice is contrast. As the background and button color are contrasting the CTA could be an unusual element on screens and stand out from the others.

Let’s look at an example of how the Designveloper team uses contrasting colors to design the CTA buttons on our website:

Choose a bigger size

On the one hand, Every designer knows that the bigger an element is, the more eye-catching it is. On the other hand, CTA is made with the purpose to optimize the conversion rate. That’s why a big enough button would draw the attention of the customer more effectively, and there is a higher hope that they will respond to it compared with small and unnoticeable buttons. However, don’t widen the button too much as it will affect other elements and the whole design of your website. There is a tip from Apple suggesting that your button should be at least 44 points x 44 points.

Watch out for the fold line

Above and below the fold line is a concept regarding the printing press. Newspapers are double-folded to put on the stall because the sheets are too large. And this makes the passerby only see the above folded half. That’s why newspapers have to attract customers by putting engaging headlines or pictures on the top half to boost sales. When it comes to designing a website, the fold is related to our scrollbar.

As Tyson Quick stated in his article in Instapage, A CTA placed above the fold can immediately draw visitors’ attention. However, several analyses show that it’s best to put your CTA on the above half only when the majority of your customers have already known about the service/product and want to make a deal faster without any further research.

As opposed to this placement is below the fold. It is said that if your customers have no idea what is your service/product then the CTA should be at the bottom of the page so that customers could see some value of the offer. Brad Geddes ran a test on his own real estate website where the call-to-action media were moved below the fold, and the conversion rates went up. After that, he and his team tried putting the CTA back to the top of the page, surprisingly, the conversion index went down.

The example has shown that CTA placed above the fold is not always the best practice. So the two crucial questions towards this are:

– Are your customers familiar with the product/service?
– Are your offerings easy to understand to the majority of your customers?

If you say yes to both questions, let’s lay a CTA on the top of the page. In the case that the offering is hard to follow then you’d better place the CTA below the fold.

2. Using dark backgrounds

It comes as no surprise that more and more UI designers are likely to choose dark themes over light ones so that the interface they designed would have a stylish and trendy look. In fact, the reasons behind this are various.

Why you should use dark backgrounds

The first reason is that dark background will not strain users’ eyes. Of course, it is easier to read the news, and blog posts with a light theme in a short while. However, when we have to work for a long duration (coding, reading a long essay, etc.), a dark theme with light text is a better choice. It enhances readability and legibility.

Secondly, if the environment encourages using a dark theme, do it. Are you familiar with Netflix or Spotify? Both of them apply dark themes to their interface. This is because people tend to watch movies and listen to music to relax. According to a report by IFPI, consumers are more likely to listen to music when they are relaxing at home (63%). Regarding Netflix, it is found that its users would stream movies, and series late at night, or in a room with dimmed light.

Another example of this is all of Adobe’s products including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc. adopt dark interfaces (like black, and grey) so that designers could focus on their tasks and their eyes could be comfortable when working for a few hours in a row.

Since bright background can cause strain in such an environment and also distract users’ attention, a dark background is always the better option here.

Tip to use dark backgrounds

There are several tips when applying a dark background to your website, including:

• Since dark background absorbs light from other elements, you should make use of negative space so that your users won’t be distracted by relevant information.
• If there are texts in your design, you’d better use sans-serif fonts so that users can easily skim the information on the page.

Best practice for dark backgrounds

If you are still wondering about deciding whether light or dark is the best, here is a checklist for you:

Step 1: Define the purpose of the interface. Is it a text-driven website (blog, news, e-reader)? If so, the light theme is a suitable one. In the case that your website is visually-driven, the choice should be a dark background.

Step 2: Define your target audience. The two questions you should keep in mind are:

+ Who are they?
+ What do they want?

Based on the answer, you will figure out what the best choice is. In other words, if you want to make a website for middle-aged people, a light background is the best practice as this tone is more intuitive and navigable. When it comes to young audiences, dark themes are more original and stylish. However, teenagers and kids prefer bright and engaging themes.

Step 3: Test and test and test. You can never trust any recommendation without testing it first. A/B testing will give you a better view of your audience’s behavior and then you are able to optimize your website as much as possible.

But there are two more choices for you when deciding what tone the background should be. First, your interface could be dark but there has been a white tap for the copy. The other recommendation is to empower your users. Design more than one interface theme and let them choose whatever background tone is suitable for their needs. Here is an example from Slack:

3. Using custom illustrations

This is 2024 and who doesn’t use illustrations on their website? Well, if you are one of the people who are still new to this, below are some reasons explaining why illustration is a must these days.

Generally, illustration is more effective when it comes to grabbing users’ attention compared to texts. Plus, if your work of illustration is beautiful enough, then it will probably satisfy the need for aesthetics of the human being. Therefore, this type of element could encourage a user to keep rolling the scrollbar.

Why we should use custom illustrations

Illustrations are the best web design recommendations from us for you. It can help the audience process data quicker than texts, they will see what you mean in just a second, without having to know the context. Thanks to the recognizable characteristic of illustrations, texts (copies) are well supported and it also helps the information stay in users’ minds longer than usual.

One more reason is that custom illustration enhances brand awareness and recognizability. Illustrations are the one unique factor and experience that brands could give their audience.

What’s more? It’s your work then you can custom and sync it however you want. The artwork could be engaging, fun, appealing, etc. The choice is yours but it should go with the flow of the whole design.

Best practice for using custom illustrations

The first thing to analyze is always your target audience. After that, it’s wise to figure out what the environment of your website is, in other words, if you want to show your sense of humor then a fun pack of illustrations will work.

Next, let’s consider if your illustration is understandable or too complicated for users, don’t make them think, you know! And the final tip is that the work should not be a distracting factor to your website, the main idea of all of these is selling service/product, right?

Those are three practices that we at Designveloper think you should consider for the next project. If you have no expert around to develop your own product, let Designveloper help you. Reach us at our estimation page so that we will have a better view of your idea.

Before you go, don’t forget to visit us weekly for more informative content about software development, product designing, etc. And also, the 2nd part of this topic will be published soon, so stay tuned!

After the first part, we will present you with another article about 3 other tips and best practices when it comes to web design. This second article will include:

• How to use negative space in your work?
• How minimalism is practiced these days?
• Will consistency affect the design?

And well, if you miss the first part of this article, just click here to read it.

4. Using negative space in your design

What is negative space?

In recent years, designers, especially those who work in UX/UI field are using negative space more than ever for various reasons. But where did it come from at first?

Basically, negative space is often referred to as white space. This is a term used in various print design tasks such as book, magazine, and newspaper design. The space around elements in print design is often white, so designers use this color to call untouched and blank parts in pages of books, magazines, or any other print works.

However, negative space was originally used in photography where photographers see it as the area surrounding the main subject. And well, it doesn’t have to be white.

In web design, this element is the space found inside and surrounding other elements like typography, buttons, texts, lines, etc. It can be in logos, illustrations, posters, etc.

Some other subterms regarding negative space are:

• Micro: it is the small space between elements like lines, paragraphs, and grid images.
• Macro: this kind of negative space is placed between majored layout elements.

• Active: used to clarify the structure of your web page and also help to guide users through the page’s content.
• Passive: used to improve the aesthetics of the layout.

Benefits of negative space

As in a website, negative space will enhance your web design one way or another. Below are some of its benefits when designers adopt this element in their works:

• Keeping the balance between elements like words and pictures.
• Creating contrast by proximity/distance between objects.
• Clarifying the relationship between layout and component.
• Buffering the bond between elements in a layout.
• Making the design less clumsy by strengthening the visual hierarchy.

These factors mostly help users perceive information better thanks to the fact that negative space will eliminate all the distractions. Furthermore, this tool also adds style and elegance to the website.

How to use it in a web design

Generally, negative space is the most needed aspect of graphic design. However, when designers practice it well, clients and users can hardly recognize this bit, or else, negative space could jump off the screen and scare your visitors stiff. So next is some recommendations on how to executive this element in a design:

• Understand the differences between macro and micro white space as well as active and passive white space. Pay close attention to them because the devil is in the detail, you know.
• Keep other objects interesting, and natural to power up the effect of negative space.
• Be consistent in your negative space draft.

There are several factors that likely affect negative spaces in a design: legibility; design tone and branding; focus and attention.

5. Minimalism in web design

What is minimalism?

Chances are that you have visited these types of websites many times like these:

This happens due to the fact that minimalism (or the art of less, according to Steelkin) is one of the most popular design approaches at the moment. In short, to design a minimalist website, designers will eliminate unnecessary elements or contents that are not helpful.

Many experts guessed that this trend comes from the International Style, the style of design which was a trend back in the forties and fifties of the 20th century.

As for the digital age, ever since adopted by Microsoft (in Windows 8) and Apple, minimalism has become the biggest trend in the web design industry.

Why you should use this technique in your web design?

The reasons are various, it may be because:

• Minimalism is the biggest trend right now, and it will only get trendier.
• Websites that used this kind of technique are easier to make responsive.
• Your website will load faster due to the fact that there are fewer elements on the page.
• Your visitors will be able to focus on important things like messages, products, services, etc.

The Characteristics of Minimalism

Nielsen Norman Group has conducted a piece of research on the movement of minimalism in 122 minimalist websites, and below are all the most used minimalistic techniques.

• Flat patterns, texture (96%). This is the technique that doesn’t use any effects such as highlights, shadows, gradients, etc. to make the website glossy or 3-dimensional. However, the flat style of web design could reduce the legibility of your web and affect your customers’ behavior.

• Limited or monochromatic color palette (87%). Different from the colorful style of the 2000s, today’s websites are mostly made of less than 5 colors. In their research, Nielsen Norman found that half of the samples (49%) used a monochromatic color palette, most of them adopted white, black, and gray in their interface. Nevertheless, you should make sure that the color scheme is contrasting enough to enhance the content’s legibility.

• Restricted features or elements (87%). If you want to get rid of redundant elements in your design to make it a minimalist one, a good plan is needed here. That’s why you should draft a detailed sitemap so that the website won’t miss anything important and eliminate unnecessary bits.
• Maximized negative space (84%).
• Dramatic use of typography (75%). Using one special typeface is like implementing a bold color in a minimalist design, this tool is to increase the impact of a website’s visual without using too many elements.

6. Be consistent

In the design world, it is essential to be creative all the time. However, creativeness should go with consistency to make your work friendly and usable. These rules are the best web design recommendations for you when designing your products.

The 2 most important types of consistent web design

• Visual consistency: is how your visual elements such as font, size, icon, and buttons match with each other.

• Functional consistency: in a website, when functions are predictable that’s when you have functional consistency in your design. Thanks to this characteristic, your user will feel safe and secure. And who does not need it?

The benefit of being consistent

Even the most creative designer needs consistency in their work so that it could be a successful product. Below are some reasons that make consistency so important to web design:

• It contributes to the usability and engagement of your website.
• Consistency eliminates contraction.
• This factor will also strengthen the image of your brand in the users’ minds.

Some ways to make your web design consistent

When working on a digital product, it is easy to

• Use a familiar set of elements in your web such as typography, colors, space, grid, size, and positions, or you can just reuse them on a website.
• Your pages may be different in terms of content and visuals but the layout should be related so that the users can recognize your product immediately.
• Do not get rid of the grid in your design. Everything should be perfectly aligned with each other.

Conclusion

Through this article, you might better understand how to design a good website using CTAs wisely, dark backgrounds, custom illustrations, negative space, and minimalism. Further, ensuring visual and functional consistency across all website versions is a must to keep users engaged and purposeful toward your brand.

We at Designveloper hope that these web design recommendations will benefit you in one way or another. In case you guys have any other tips on web design, leave a comment here. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post 6 Key Web Design Recommendations and Best Practices appeared first on Designveloper.

So this article from Designveloper will equip you with fundamental knowledge about these languages. This helps you have a better understanding to choose the right language for future jobs. Ready? Let’s dive in!

Overview of Web Development Languages

When some people learn about web development, they are advised to start with HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) but confuse these with programming languages.

HTML and CSS are in fact markup languages that produce electronic documents (or pages) and to design sites respectively. Meanwhile, web programming languages are more complicated and can come into two categories: Back-end and front-end web development languages. 

Normally, web development includes server-side (back-end) coding, client-side (front-end) coding, and database technology.

Take LinkedIn – the world’s largest professional network as an example. To allow candidates from different regions to connect with others, search for a job or even learn new skills, LinkedIn was programmed by three distinct web programming languages: JavaScript, Java, and Scala, then having used Voldemort as a distributed database to store an enormous number of profiles.

Accordingly, languages for web development can be defined as “complex logical instructions and processes” to help build sites that meet certain demands (Wikipedia).

So which are the most popular web development languages in the world? And how different are they? Let’s find the answers in the following part.

Best Web Development Languages in 2024

1. PHP

PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. It is a scripting language mainly used for the server-side of simple, dynamic sites and web apps, typically Drupal, WordPress, Flickr, or Facebook. PHP web development has supported many free and open-source extensions including .NET, Apache, or Bzip2, as well as allowed access to various databases such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and others.

As some of the PHP functions are similar to C language’s, PHP developers can add functionality to PHP by writing more plug-ins (also called add-ons or extensions) in C. Moreover, until now, PHP still retains basic Perl-like variables of the first version and the ability to be efficiently integrated into HTML. So PHP is easy for beginners to learn. 

Recommended reading: 5 Best PHP Courses to Become a Master

However, in competition with others, PHP proves a bit out-of-date although its versions were released for improvements. That’s why developers often consider this programming language “not fun to program in.”

Other downsides are PHP lacks standardized functions to handle errors and has weak typing. That means types of objects can suddenly change and this consequently produces unexpected outcomes. Therefore, it is more challenging to debug in case any coding flaws arise.

2. Python

This is the highest demanded programming language in today’s market, with 41.9% of software engineers using it extensively in their development work. 

Python is a high-level, yet beginner-friendly language, due to its straightforward syntax and support of various libraries or tools. Additionally, it can work well as a scripting or object-oriented language and has strong typing, so the process of debugging is much faster.

Python has high applications in different sub-fields of IT (e.g. Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, or Video games) and especially in the scientific domain because the language facilitates the collection of empirical data and the integration with relevant databases. 

In the field of web, Python is one of the best back-end web development languages and such Python web development projects as Spotify or Instagram use the Django framework written in this language. 

Though processing faster than PHP, Python’s speed is still slower than C/C++ and Java. So the language does not suit Real-time apps, mobile apps, or memory-intensive apps.

3. Java

Java is an open-source and object-oriented language that has a good reputation for its stability. Many developers prefer this programming language because of its well-maintained libraries and web frameworks. 

Other pros are JVM (Java Virtual Machine) also allows it to run on various platforms and developing with Java can limit security risks and automatically manage memory storage. Hence, Java is widely used to develop Android mobile apps or enterprise-scale complex web projects. 

Because of those properties, Java is more difficult to learn and beginners probably struggle with long-winded and complicated codes if they decide to start their career with this language. Also, it’s hard to undertake Java web software development processes on a small scale.

4. C#

Compared to other web programming languages, C# is more special because Microsoft initially developed it for the .NET framework. So getting involved in C# web development means that developers will be restricted to that framework. So it only has libraries and types available to add functionality only to the .NET.

Having said that, the language still proves its popularity in programming many web apps or web APIs and developing video games on PC or Xbox.

C#, or pronounced as C sharp, itself is multi-purpose and object-oriented. Similar to Java, it has strong typing and is independent on platforms because of CLR (Common Language Runtime – a virtual machine to run any .NET programs). Software engineers can find some similarities between the syntax of C# and C++ or Java. Some typical examples include semicolons that end a statement and Curly brackets to group statements based on functions or classes. 

5. C++

Along with other web programming languages, C++ contributed to building numerous famous websites such as Google, Twitter, and Amazon. As one of the oldest programming languages in the world, C++ undoubtedly has a large support community and owns a massive number of libraries to provide additional functions. Plus the ease to learn C++ due to its concise language of only 60 keywords, it is still popular now.

It was originally seen as an extension of C, so it inherited various variables of the language such as compatibility with hardware devices, but also got relatively messy syntax. 

Modern C++ can be either object-oriented, functional, or procedural. It’s also seen as a compiled language that translates source code to machine code via compilers like Microsoft Visual Studio on Windows or XCode on MacOS.

C++ is widely applied to build desktop apps, video games, and e-commerce servers, while its web development application is ranked lower than that of JavaScript or Java.

6. Ruby

When hearing of Ruby on Rails web development, some often think of Ruby as an abbreviation of Ruby on Rails. But the latter is effectively a common web framework written in Ruby, with typical projects on Airbnb, GitHub, or CodeAcademy. 

The language itself is high-level and purely object-oriented. This means “every value is an object” and no primitive data types are available in Ruby. It also features strong, dynamic typing and automatic garbage collection – a form to manage memory.

Ruby’s syntax is comparatively similar to that of Python and Perl and quite flexible. Although this makes Ruby easy for coders to read, it can easily produce unpredictable run-time flaws that are hard to debug.  

7. Javascript

In this list, JavaScript is the only language that serves both the server and client sides. It’s the most common programming language with 62.3% of global users as of 2024. Like HTML and CSS, JavaScript plays a core role in programming user-friendly and interactive front ends of most websites, regardless of scale and complexity. 

In terms of server-side development, JavaScript is a high-level programming language. It has multi-paradigm (e.g. object-oriented or functional) features, dynamic typing, and numerous libraries or frameworks such as Node.js, React, or Vue.js that are compatible with multiple operating systems. 

8. Go (Golang)

Go (Golang) is a programming language that Google created in 2009 for cross-platform app development. As a compiled language, Golang can be translated directly into machine code. This allows it to run more quickly than interpreted languages like JavaScript or Python. As a result, Golang becomes a highly efficient language for back-end development that requires fast response times and minimal latency.

Another plus of Go is that it can remove complex features found in other languages (e.g., method overloading or inheritance). This makes code maintenance simpler than ever. Plus, it’s developed to instinctively support concurrent programming through goroutines, which enables apps to process many tasks at the same time. 

These capabilities make Go ideal for large-scale applications that require high performance and scalability. These applications include web servers, RESTful APIs, cloud services, and other backend systems. 

At Designveloper, we also leverage Go, coupled with other technologies like Python or Nodejs, as a robust backend language for developing scalable, high-performance websites like ODC (healthcare platform) because of its rich standard libraries and simple syntax. Further, you can see some popular websites now using Golang. They include Dropbox, Dailymotion, and Soundcloud.

Despite the good points we mentioned, Go still has some limitations. One of them is its lack of advanced features and error-handling capabilities. 

9. Perl

Developed by Lary Wall in 1987, Perl is a high-level, general-purpose programming language known for its robust text-processing capabilities and flexibility. This makes it well-suited for applications that require handling text data effectively, like data parsing or log analysis. 

For web development, Perl helps developers create dynamic HTML content through the Common Gateway Interface (CGI). Also, it has powerful text manipulation capabilities to handle vast volumes of text, regardless of format, like HTML, JSON, or XML. 

Plus, Perl’s Database Interface (DBI) enables smooth integration with databases, such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Oracle. This benefits websites and applications that need effective data storage and retrieval. Further, Perl has a large, open-source repository of modules, called CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network), to handle different tasks like file handling or encryption. 

With these capabilities, many websites like Craigslist, BBC, or Booking.com rely on Perl for their backend tasks. However, Perl is criticized for its complex syntax and lack of frameworks or libraries to develop complex applications. 

10. Scala

Scala was originally developed to solve some challenges of Java, like reducing the amount of code needed for complex tasks. Therefore, its syntax is concise and expressive, keeping the code easy to understand while speeding up development time. Further, Scala operates on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This allows developers to fully use existing Java frameworks, libraries, and tools. 

In addition, Scala offers an extensive ecosystem of libraries like Akka, Play Framework, or Slick. These powerful tools help build real-time applications that deal with high traffic. Scala is also compatible with Apache Spark – a common big data processing framework – to process vast amounts of data. For this reason, Scala is beneficial for applications that depend on real-time data processing and data analytics, typically in social media or eCommerce. Some popular Scala websites accordingly are Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Another plus of Scala is its robust static typing and type inference that reduces the likelihood of unexpected bugs in development. 

A Conclusion About Web Development Languages

This article mentioned some best web development languages. Besides them, the tech world is still witnessing the rise in others like Go, TypeScript, and Scala. However, not all languages can be easy to learn though. Not to mention that you need to master the abundance of frameworks to build desired webs. So identifying your future career and establishing realistic goals can help you to choose the most suitable programming language.

The post Top 10 Web Development Languages To Use in 2025 appeared first on Designveloper.

Use an optimized system for web development on Mac

An optimized macOS system presents minimum lag, works efficiently, and performs at maximum output. The process ensures your Mac does not waste resources and runs smoothly. It increases your development workflow productivity. Mac optimization includes effective memory, CPU, and disk usage management. It involves keeping your computer well maintained through regular updates ensuring it is stable and reliable. Take care of its privacy and security settings and do regular cleaning using productive Mac cleaning tools.

When updating your MacBook, you may experience a Mac update stuck, this is common on macOS Sequoia since it has been recently launched. A stuck during an update can happen due to conflicting software but the issue is easy to fix. Shut down the computer and restart in Safe Mode. To do this, press the startup key and then press and hold the Shift Key once the Apple logo appears. Check whether there are corrupted files causing system conflicts by running a diagnosis with Utility Disk. An updated macOS is critical for developers because it ensures development tools are compatible. 

Recommended reading: Mastering Photos App on Mac: Tips and Tricks

How to optimize Mac to improve developer productivity

• Upgrade the system by installing the latest macOS or through software updates.
• Maintain your Mac regularly through disk cleanup, startup items management, and closing resource-demanding tools.
• Protect your Mac from privacy and security compromises. Configure privacy settings to block illegal access. Install protection software against viruses, malware, and other threats.
• Use responsive development software to optimize your Mac.

1. Use the right tools for coding on a Mac

The right coding tool choices let you enjoy smooth coding on a Mac. Many Mac-friendly web development tools enhance your productivity. Here are examples. 

Version control tools

Version control tools allow developers to make and track changes in the codebase. They use these tools for collaboration and documenting changes. These tools help developers maintain code consistency and quality. Popular versions for this goal include GitHub Desktop, Git, and Tower.

Text editing and IDE tools

Text editing and IDE tools meet different development workflow goals on your Mac. They boost the development and coding process. Text editors let developers write and edit text in code. They contain features such as multiple cursors, syntax highlighting, and code completion for quick development.

IDEs make the entire development lifecycle smooth. They contain building and compilation, project management, integrated debugger, and other tools. Here are spoiled text writing and IDEs on a Mac.

• Xcode
• Sublime Text
• PyCharm
• Visual Studio Code
• IntelliJ IDEA
• Atom
• Eclipse

Package management tools

Package management tools let developers automate web development workflow on a Mac. They automate processes such as updates, installation, and configuration. The tools also manage development libraries and software packages.

This simplifies the process of handling complex development environments. You can use them to set up your Mac for managing multiple software package versions and custom installation paths. Popular package management software for development workflow includes NPM, Homebrew, and MacPorts.

2. Learn to use Mac web development workflow keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts for the development process speed up output and lower stress levels. Developers can swiftly and effectively explore the coding applications with each shortcut. Using them improves your creativity and expedites the overall process. You can improve your development experience by using these tips. Here are some examples of keyboard shortcuts for the Mac development workflow. 

• To open a new document or Finder window, press Cmd – N.
• To search for files and software, use Cmd-Space to launch Spotlight.
• To copy text, use Cmd-C.
• To close open windows or tabs, press Cmd-W.
• Use Cmd-Tab to switch between open files or programs.
• To paste copied text or scripts, press Cmd-V.
• To end an open application or file, press Cmd-Q.
• To end sluggish and unresponsive software, press Cmd – Option – Esc.

Recommended reading: macOS vs Windows: Which System is More Comfortable for Learning?

3. Improve development workflow by using automation tools

Automation tools enhance code quality and accelerate the development process. It increases productivity, enabling developers to produce outstanding code. Teams can focus on problem-solving and creativity instead of laborious processes thanks to these technologies. Developers can utilize a variety of technologies to streamline the development process.

Programs to enhance code quality 

Developers may find problems, defects, and flaws early on with the help of these automation tools. They guarantee that the teams produce high-quality code by assisting them in upholding coding standards and best practices. Consistent codebase styling is ensured via a tool like Prettier. ESLint finds and fixes JavaScript code pattern problems.

Web building programs

Programs for creating websites streamline the entire production process. They enable code bundles, transpiles, and minification. Through the automation of dependency handling, a tool like Parcel optimizes the production process. Webpack handles dependencies, optimizes loading, and bundles modules. It enables developers to bundle assets and JavaScript files, increasing production efficiency.

Programs for test automation 

Continuous testing throughout the web development process is made possible by test automation, which saves time and money. These tools improve the dependability, security, and quality of programming. Jest and Selenium are two examples of development automation tools for Macs. Selenium automates web app testing, while Jest offers a testing framework.

Task running tools

Task-running programs automate operations, including code compilation, image optimization, and test runs. Examples of the tools are Grunt, Gulp, and NPM Scripts. NPM Scripts creates and executes scripts, Gulp employs code-over configuration, and Grunt configures files automatically.

4. Apply the built-in development features of macOS

Web development workflow is greatly enhanced by built-in tools in your Mac operating system. These characteristics offer a welcoming atmosphere for web development to developers. These features include, for instance, Split View which allow developers to utilize various apps concurrently. Zsh and Terminal are additional features that enable developers to use a variety of command-line tools.

They may change scripts, themes, and plugins with these tools. The development toolkit in MacBook Safari is extensive. They help debug, analyze network activities, and adjust the development environment. Additional macOS development tools include AppleScript and Automator. They enable groups to automate processes like image resizing, file batching, and code distribution.

Other tools are Time Machine, Spotlight, and Finder. Time Machine lets teams create automated backups during web development workflows. This lets teams create recovery points and save copies of their work. Spotlight lets the team find software and files quickly. Finder lets them keep workflows and files organized.

Conclusion

The team should focus on sustained productivity and high code quality. This is possible through consistent testing, reviews, and error fixing. Tools such as GitLab, GitHub, Sentry, and Rollbar allow the teams to do reviews and fix errors. The team should document the process and maintain a clean record for reference. They should improve their skills and share their knowledge to allow better collaboration and feedback.

Web development teams can achieve better outcomes by ensuring they use a healthy Mac computer. Maintain clean storage and updated applications to ensure your computers run faster and more smoothly. We are wise when choosing development software and use your Mac keyboard shortcuts productively. Keep your computer clean from privacy and security threats and use macOS built-in tools for development workflows.

The post How to Improve Web Development Workflow on Mac appeared first on Designveloper.

Quick Overview of Game Development Software

What Is Game Development Software?

Game development software includes tools and applications used to make a game across multiple platforms. They cover the following main tasks: 

• Viewing 3D models and other assets in advance before they are integrated into the game;
• Tailoring 3D models and other assets for the requested formats of the game;
• Designing levels, virtual environments, and more for the game by the use of level editors.

Today, game-making specialists can develop games using an integrated development environment (IDE) which comprises a source code editor, debugging tools, build automation utilities, and more. But this software is just limited to certain platforms. Besides, most companies, typically Nintendo or Microsoft, now customize game development packages for their in-house games. 

Future of Game Development Software

The global value of game development software tools reached $1.27 billion in 2024. This revenue is expected to increase by 10.15% annually from 2024 to 2031.

The market is primarily driven by a rise of independent (“indie”) game developers and the rapid growth of the mobile gaming sector. With 6.2 billion users forecast to use smartphones in 2029, this platform will become a more fertile ground for mobile game developers to jump into. Additionally, the spread of cloud computing releases a developer’s reliance on complex hardware infrastructure (e.g., PCs). This turns cloud gaming into an indispensable part of game development tools.

However, game development has to confront various challenges. Compared to traditional software, high-quality games require tremendous investments in technology, development tools, personnel, and even software licenses. This may hinder indie and small developers from implementing ambitious projects.

The wide adoption of free and open-source tools also gives developers more development options. It, by contrast, intensifies competition for commercial software providers, although these free tools are considered to lack some advanced capabilities for gaming development.

Top 10 Game Development Software Tools

Among a plethora of game development software tools in the market, we pick up the most widely used ones for professional game programmers and even beginners. Despite distinct properties and functions, they have some shared features such as ease of use or drag-and-drop interfaces. They all work toward the provision of improved flexibility, adaptability, and innovation to finished products, which betters the gaming experience among end-users.

1. GameMaker Studio 2

GameMaker: Studio 2 is the latest version of one of the world’s greatest game development tools. Even when your existing projects are conducted on older variants, you can easily import them outright to this second version without hassle. 

This software is widespread in the creation of both 2D and 3D programs such as multimedia apps, video games, or virtual reality (VR) software. Once you have completed your GameMaker Studio projects, you can launch products on multiple platforms like Windows desktop, macOS, Android, or PS5 without any changes. 

Some outstanding features of GameMaker Studio 2 entail:

• Drag-and-drop system for novices;
• Room editor to monitor how objects are organized and draw sprites as well as titles with ease;
• Image editor to create a new brush from any part of your image and ease animation;
• Integration with third-party libraries and extensions to expand the power of your GameMaker Studio products;
• Script editor where experienced developers write codes required to run their games by using the proprietary coding language, GML;
• Real-time analytics to know the geographical distribution of your game’s players, downloads, time used on the game, and so on.

Apart from a free version, GameMaker: Studio 2 now offers users a wide range of subscription packages for different target customers including creators, enterprises, and indies.

2. Unity

Originally developed to support 3D models, Unity is now a robust development tool trusted by both rookie and veteran developers in different industries. 

Recommended reading: Creating Cross-Platform Games with Unity and Backend Web Server Using Laravel

In the game segment particularly, Unity has a huge community to assist professional game projects. This game development software is the leading game engine that powers both 2D and 3D mobile, console, and AR/VR games on 25+ different platforms and devices (e.g. Android, iOS, Xbox, or PlayStation). More than 50% of the world’s games are developed with Unity. This is because it provides programmers and designers with powerful tools to turn their concepts into commercial products, typically:

• ProBuilder and PolyBrush for faster level designs and virtual worldbuilding;
• UI Toolkit to resourcefully build extensions and user interfaces;
• Cinemachine, Timeline, Sequences, and other tools to develop beautiful cinematics without coding knowledge;
• Unity’s Universal Render Pipeline (URP) and High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP) to customize top-quality graphics across platforms;

Also, Unity comes with essential tools to fast develop multiplayer games, write and modify codes for the backend in real-time, measure player behaviors and game performance, as well as boost your game’s growth. Those game assets either are available for free or accompany certain costs. 

Manipulations on Unity require an understanding of the NET. system and accordingly the C# programming language. In terms of subscriptions, Unity’s development team offers three solutions for indies, mid-market studios, and enterprises.

3. Godot Engine

Godot is the first free-of-charge gaming tool on this list. Therefore, this software calls for donations for its quality improvement and the faster progress of Godot-based projects. Godot users may download all essential source codes and modify them according to their demands.

The engine’s open-source nature doesn’t translate to its inferior features. Conversely, Godot still offers a large collection of game assets to develop both 2D and 3D games imported to different platforms (e.g. Windows, Linux, HTML5, or macOS). Thereby, Godot allows game developers and artists to:

• Build creative designs with a visual editor, built-in nodes, and content-building pipelines;
• Create impressive 3D visuals in real-time with Principled BSDF, mid and post-processing effects, etc.;
• Develop 2D games with tilemap editor, 2D lights and normal maps, etc.;
• Animate all objects without hassle;
• Test games easily with already built-in debuggers;
• Access GDScript, Godot’s native scripting language that resonates with Python, to build games with ease;
• Receive community support for different programming languages (e.g. C++, C#, Rust, or Kotlin);
• Join multi-channel community forums.

Recommended reading: Game Designer vs Developer: 3 Key Differences You Must Know

4. Unreal Engine 4 (and Unreal Engine 5) 

Represented by Epic Games, Unreal Engine is regarded as the world’s most advanced tool to develop 3D products in real-time. Compared with other game engines, Unreal Engine has a steeper learning curve, hence the company provides game developers with free online tutorials, webinars, Q&A section, and even community forums where they may discuss with other professional fellows. 

The game development software is now accessible in Version 4. No matter which licensing options (i.e. Standard, Custom, or Enterprise), Unreal Engine still affords all features and tools to create AAA-quality products across PC, mobile, console, or AR/VR. Some impressive features of UE4 consist of:

• Visual Dataprep that enables you to import the raw data from your source application and modify such assets as per your requirements without hassle;
• Animation Blueprints that help develop and manage complicated animation behaviors and actions;
• Advanced AI technology that can be built with your characters or any entities;
• Full support for media elements such as sounds and videos at any resolution level;
• Free access to C++ source codes and API.

The company introduced the beta UE5 in May 2021 which incorporates new features such as Nanite, a virtualized geometry system, and Lumen, which supports the creation of dynamic scenes. 

5. Defold

Defold also remains free for developers as Godot. But they are required to achieve the free Defold License which empowers them to commercialize, modify and distribute Defold games. So the game engine hinges much on community donations and corporate sponsorship to render the software and its game projects sustainable.  

Defold shows no difference from some mentioned engines on this list. Particularly, its features are optimized to make cross-platform 2D and 3D games from scratch, involving:

• 2D sprites, spine models, and tilemap editors for 2D levels;
• 3D models and mesh to build and adjust 3D geometry at the execution time of deliverables;
• A sturdy animation system comprising flipbook, spine, and property animations;
• Designer-friendly GUI and scene editors;
• Advanced physics simulations;
• Defold SDK that facilitates the integration of extensions outright to the engine. Such additional features can be written in C, Objective-C, C++, JavaScript, and Java;
• Lua programming language for codes and scripts. 

6. RPG Maker MZ

If you’re looking for a powerful role-playing game engine with story-centric factors, RPG Maker will be a decent option. Of which, RPG Maker MZ is the latest version that accompanies updated features to best support existing ones. Accordingly, game developers can:

• Build a map with a Map Editor and a massive number of new tiles;
• Use available characters, import your own characters, or build original ones with a Character Generator;
• Approach the largest trove of game assets including face graphics, map chips, sounds, and more;
• Store valuable information in the included Database;
• Test your game at runtime with a Test Play function;
• Use the Event system to create an array of events without coding knowledge;
• Utilize an open-source tool called Effekseer to build impressive 2D and 3D animations in no time.

Compared with other game development software tools, RPG Maker MZ supports fewer platforms, particularly Windows and macOS. 

7. Cerberus X

Cerberus X is a free game engine for mainly 2D creation. But you can create 3D appearances for your games thanks to some third-party 3D modules available in the engine and full access to the OpenGL graphics API (for both versions 1.x and 2.x).

Together with the strength in 2D support, Cerberus X offers a series of powerful APIs and the Mojo lightweight framework that empower you to import other developers’ source codes to your existing projects or devote your codes to others. So Cerberus X games don’t demand much of your coding to develop a functional game. One outstanding feature of the software is its Light system which assists in the fast building of normal maps, lights, and shadows, and its compatibility with the 1.x version of the OpenGL graphic interface.

Cerberus X’s supported systems are fairly diverse, including Windows, macOS (up to 10.15.x), Linux, Android, iOS (13.x or later), and HTML5. The engine is free but you can financially support the tool’s developers by naming your subscription.

Recommended reading: iGaming Website Design: Anti-Money Laundering Guidance

8. Construct 3

A big name in the 2D game-making segment for its shallow learning curve and drag-and-drop functionality that allows those without programming skills to build high-fidelity games. 

One distinguishing feature of this tool is developers can either develop gaming products directly on a browser (i.e. Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge) or download the software to their devices for even offline work. Having said that, programmers can self-create JavaScript codes and scripts.

This tool facilitates your game-making experience with ready-made features, typically the Timeline animation function to build sequences of events. What’s more, the tool accompanies other built-in components such as collisions to tailor collision polygons, tilemaps, physics engines, and more. 

Apart from free game assets available in this tool, users can access the Asset Store to buy advanced features from other authors in terms of animations, fonts, and more. 

9. CryEngine

If you’re looking for a powerful game development platform to create high-quality 3D scenes, don’t ignore CryEngine. Developed by Crytek, a German game developer, CryEngine stands out with its ability to build realistic and interactive games with stunning effects like real-time lightning, dynamic destruction, or astonishing animations.

CryEngine has contributed to the success of some titles like Crysis, Snipper: Ghost Warrior 2, or Hunt: Showdown. One primary feature is Sandbox, a content authoring tool that allows developer to fully control, edit, and preview their multi-platform creations. Besides, it offers a wide range of key features and capabilities to support game development. Some of them include:

• Bring objects, environments, and characters to life with Physics by simulating these factors and their behaviors;
• Use Performance Profiling tools (e.g., real-time analysis or hierarchical profiling) to detect and resolve performance issues within games;
• Offer advanced animation and rendering techniques like iris parallax mapping or screen-space sub-surface scattering to build lifelike graphics;
• Use advanced AI techniques to provide virtual characters with intelligent behaviors and modular sensory systems (e.g., sight or hearing);
• Adopt procedural algorithms (e.g., CC D-IK, example-based IK, or analytic IK) to enhance pre-authored animations.

10. Gamefroot

Gamefroot is a cloud-based game development tool. It allows developers of all skill levels to develop 2D games without the need for writing code. The platform offers an easy-to-use level editor and a powerful visual coding interface to simple, engaging games for education, marketing, or recreation.

Gamefroot provides plenty of key features to help you realize your gaming idea with ease:

• Simply drag and drop elements such as characters, obstacles, and background to the game canvas;
• Use available assets like sounds or sprites to develop games;
• Export Gamefroot-generated games to many game engines like GameMaker Studio or Unity if you want customization or further development;
• Support the development of multi-player games.

Should We Utilize a Professional Team or Use Software?

Apart from game development software, your company may look for a professional team for your game projects. However, the better option depends mostly on what you want to achieve from a final product and how the game is designed and deployed.

Some companies use their internal human resources to develop games with available game engines. Their game development projects can be conducted at a small scale and require limited expertise to handle related tasks seamlessly but still guarantee the top quality of products.

However, this doesn’t hold true for most gaming studios, regardless of their capitalization, at the present day. Even when the biggest game studios make huge investments in gaming development experts and custom game engines for game production, they need to recruit tons of external small teams to cover different aspects of projects. Looking at the closing credits of the famous game Assassin’s Creed 2, you’ll see the engagement of outsourcing professional teams in art, sound effects, and more, besides the Ubisoft Annecy’s teams. 

Developing a game may become easier with the support of game engines. But there’s still a need to partner with outsourcing teams to handle tasks your company is incapable of, say, concept specialists who develop ideas suited for your business operations or game designers who build unique characters, objects, and more based on such concepts.

Meanwhile, game engines help developers and artists incorporate all custom features, sprites, and functions in a faster way. Therefore, having a small professional team in charge of some project tasks is advisable to guarantee the good quality of final products.

Wrap Up

With this latest technology now available, it is a much better option for you to switch to Designveloper. We offer all of the services needed for any size business and more – from web development, mobile application design, and consulting. We are here waiting for your call! Give us a call today if you want an estimate or just some advice on how we can help your company with these new developments in technology!

The post 10 Game Development Software Tools to Make Your Own Game appeared first on Designveloper.

What Will a Well-Designed Site Give Your Dating Agency?

1. Audience Trust

Users expect such agencies to provide a secure and reliable platform where they can engage without concerns about privacy or safety. The design of the website is the first step toward establishing this trust. A poorly designed website raises doubts about the legitimacy of the agency, while a clean, professional-looking one reassures users that they are in good hands.

A well-designed website also provides clear and easy access to terms and conditions, privacy policies, and other legal assurances. Displaying this information prominently ensures that potential clients feel confident that their data is secure and that they use a legitimate service. Businesses that overlook these elements can lose credibility and, in turn, potential customers.

When targeting specific user groups, such as those who are looking for Brazilian mail order brides, a website’s design must reflect trust, professionalism, and simplicity. In a crowded industry, dating agencies need to distinguish themselves through services and the experience their website offers to users. 

2. User Experience and Conversion Rates

A website with poor navigation, cluttered interfaces, or slow load times frustrates users and leads them to leave the site. This is particularly damaging in the dating industry, where users expect a smooth, seamless experience as they explore profiles and communicate with potential matches.

Businesses that invest in a responsive and user-friendly design significantly boost their engagement and see higher conversion rates. For dating agencies, this means that more users sign up, engage with the platform, and ultimately subscribe to paid services.

A streamlined registration process is also key. A simplified account creation process, clear instructions, and easy navigation improve the chances of users completing their registration. User journey optimization allows agencies to increase customer interaction while minimizing struggles with the site’s interface.

3. Targeted Audiences

The dating industry often caters to niche markets. Agencies serving specific demographics must ensure their website meets the cultural, aesthetic, and functional needs of their audience. Designing with this in mind means selecting appropriate imagery, tone, and messaging that resonates with the target users.

Agencies can incorporate localization features, such as language options, regional payment gateways, and country-specific content, which will enhance the user experience for international clients. These features demonstrate that the agency understands the needs of its audience and is dedicated to providing a tailored experience. This level of customization helps businesses stand out by creating a pleasant and inclusive website.

4. Mobile Optimization

With more people accessing the internet through their smartphones, mobile optimization has become a non-negotiable aspect of website design. And it goes beyond just scaling down the desktop version of the website. 

Mobile optimization involves rethinking the user experience for smaller screens, which ensures that users can easily browse profiles, send messages, and manage their accounts from their phones or tablets. A mobile-friendly site not only improves the user experience but also boosts SEO rankings, as search engines prioritize mobile-optimized sites.

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Visibility

Dating agencies face intense competition, and search engine visibility is key to attracting new potential clients. A website that incorporates best practices in SEO design, such as fast load times, proper use of headings, meta descriptions, and mobile optimization has a higher chance of ranking on search engines like Google.

By improving their site’s SEO, dating agencies increase their chances of being discovered by users who may not be familiar with their services. Targeted keywords, or other relevant terms, incorporated into the website’s content and structure can significantly improve the site’s search engine performance. The SEO-optimized design ensures an agency’s website is accessible to its intended audience, drives traffic, and generates leads.

6. Data Security and Compliance

Dating agencies handle sensitive personal information, and users need to trust that their data will remain secure. A well-designed website ensures that the site is built with the latest security protocols like SSL certificates, encrypted databases, and secure login systems.

Moreover, the design should make it easy for users to access information about data protection practices, privacy policies, and compliance with relevant regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Transparent communication about data security builds trust with users and ensures that they feel safe while using the platform.

7. Brand Consistency and Professionalism

A well-designed website allows businesses to present a consistent brand image across all touchpoints. The website should reflect the company’s values, mission, and the type of relationships it promotes. A consistent color scheme, tone of voice, and logo placement create a professional and trustworthy image that resonates with users.

Consistency also helps users feel confident about the agency’s legitimacy. A website that looks professional, functions smoothly, and offers a cohesive user experience is more likely to convert visitors into customers. In the competitive dating market, where trust is key, brand consistency can make a significant difference in user engagement and conversion rates.

Conclusion

A well-designed website builds trust, improves user experience, boosts conversions, and enhances SEO, crucial for the agency’s success. As the international dating industry continues to evolve, agencies that invest in professional website design and mobile optimization will be better positioned to attract and retain clients, which will ensure their growth in an increasingly competitive market.

A well-designed website allows dating agencies to gather and analyze data more effectively. With tools such as Google Analytics, they can track user behavior and make informed decisions about content strategy, user interface updates, and marketing. Continuous optimization of the design based on real-time data can help them improve services and ensure that they are meeting the evolving needs of their client base.

The post The Importance of a Well-Designed Website for Dating Agencies appeared first on Designveloper.

Traditional CMS vs. Headless CMS

On the web development market, the most popular solutions are classic CMSs like WordPress, Joomla, and others. They provide a fully-fledged website with a ready-made administrative panel and a set of basic functions. And they are great for those who are satisfied with a template solution. But there are many organizations that for one reason or another are not satisfied with the regular functionality of classic content management systems. This is where a headless approach comes to the rescue.

Let’s explore the main distinctions:

• In a traditional CMS, content and its visual presentation are closely linked. This setup often restricts your ability to reuse the same texts or media files across various touchpoints and can make it difficult to tailor the display for different devices.
• A headless CMS, on the other hand, decouples content from its presentation. It allows you to store information independently of how it will be shown. This flexibility enables you to distribute the same materials across multiple channels — such as websites, mobile applications, and voice assistants — while adapting its presentation as necessary.

Advantages of Headless CMS

1. Multi-platform integration

Imagine effortlessly reusing the same information across your website, mobile app, and even smart speakers, without the hassle of copying, pasting, or managing several systems. Sounds ideal, right? With a headless CMS, this is entirely achievable.

A headless CMS stores your materials in one centralized repository, making it accessible through APIs to display on various platforms. This means you can create your content once and deploy it across multiple channels, streamlining your workflow and ensuring consistent messaging throughout your digital ecosystem.

2. Separation of concerns

Now let’s see how a headless CMS simplifies work for both copywriters and developers. By decoupling content from presentation, it allows these two teams to operate independently, streamlining the entire content creation process.

Copywriters can concentrate on crafting engaging, informative content without the need to worry about how it will appear on various platforms. They simply input their material into the CMS, and their job is complete.

Meanwhile, developers can focus on building tailored user interfaces for each platform. They gain the flexibility to design and implement the presentation layer without being constrained by the CMS. This division of responsibilities results in a smoother workflow and a superior final product.

3. Better scalability

As your business expands, you need a system that can keep pace. A headless CMS makes scaling effortless. Since the backend is decoupled from the frontend, you can easily incorporate new platforms and manage increasing volumes of content and traffic without compromising on performance.

Many headless CMS solutions are built on modern cloud infrastructure, allowing them to scale smoothly. This means that as your content grows and evolves, your CMS can adapt seamlessly to meet your changing needs.

4. Optimized load times

When it comes to load times, every second matters. Slow-loading websites or apps can frustrate users, causing them to abandon the experience. A headless CMS enables you to optimize content delivery across various platforms, offering substantial performance and speed enhancements.

How does it achieve this? A headless CMS delivers information via API in the most suitable format for each platform. For instance, a website may receive information in HTML, while a mobile app gets it in JSON. This tailored approach ensures each platform receives the content efficiently, reducing load times and enhancing the overall user experience.

5. Reduced vulnerability

A key advantage of a headless CMS is its reduced vulnerability to attacks. Without a presentation layer, there are fewer entry points for hackers, making your content and data more secure compared to classic CMS systems.

Top 3 Popular Headless Solutions

1. Sanity

Sanity is a proprietary SaaS application for content management. It controls the storage layer and offers a customizable GROQ query language for search. Content is handled through the Sanity Studio platform.

The out-of-the-box version includes everything you need to get up and running: plugins, real-time previews, real-time collaboration functionality, and an open-source editor built with JavaScript and React that developers can modify to suit their needs.

Sanity has a free version, but it contains limitations. For example, it doesn’t have the ability to store version history and event records, and only 3 users are available. 

Benefits

• Extensive customization options
• React support for interface customization capabilities
• Preview functionality
• Real-time, multi-user editing capabilities
• Personalized workflow

Disadvantages

• The license cost is quite expensive: for an organization with 20 users, it costs almost $1000 per month;
• To use Sanity to its full potential, technical knowledge is required for initial product configuration

By calling in a professional Sanity CMS development agency, you can not only boost your content strategy but also optimize resources and, consequently, reduce costs.

2. Contentful

Contentful is a proprietary SaaS CMS. It was developed in 2011 and has been gradually expanding its features and tools.

The platform supports almost all types of materials, including blogs, images, and even music; moreover, these can be co-edited by a group of editors who have role-based permissions.

Contentful also supports GraphQL and REST APIs, enabling content delivery across multiple channels such as websites, mobile apps and IoT devices.

Benefits

• Ability to use preferred languages and frameworks via APIs.
• Unified infrastructure to edit content anytime, anywhere, from any smart device.
• Seamless integration with services like Dropbox, utilize existing tools without limitations.

Disadvantages

• Knowledge of an API-first approach is necessary
• Content modeling can be complex
• Additional costs may arise for extra features

3. Strapi

Strapi is an open-source headless CMS written in Node.js. Its entire code base is available on GitHub, so a lot of its development comes from community support. The main goal of Strapi CMS is to create a robust API and provide a simple admin panel. 

Strapi development opens up a wide range of possibilities to customize the system for specific project needs. The engine allows you to define the desired content type thanks to the function of specifying a category such as text, date, multimedia or password. In addition, you can customize the API code to make it even more unique.

Benefits

• Integrated support for GraphQL and RESTful APIs.
• Open source CMS and interface is completely JavaScript based.
• Nice, fully customizable admin panel for content editors
• Great ecosystem of plugins

Disadvantages

• Currently only the Draft and Publish workflows are supported.
• Not all types of content can be easily deleted. Model files have to be manually deleted and the server has to be restarted.
• Does not support deep nesting of components.

Summing Up

A headless CMS offers a seamless future for managing content. Embracing this forward-thinking approach unlocks unparalleled flexibility, boosts productivity, and simplifies workflows. The future of content management has arrived, and it’s more powerful, efficient, and cost-effective than ever, thanks to solutions like Sanity, Contentful, and Strapi.

The post Headless CMS: the Next Frontier of Content Management appeared first on Designveloper.

Many assets are accessible for individuals wishing to explore Meteor.js. A range of resources includes community forums and documentation as well as online training. The best learning resources for Meteor.js provide comprehensive guides and practical examples. They enable developers to know about the framework and develop effective applications.

A recent study found that only a tiny fraction of websites use Meteor.js. Despite its age and popularity its community continues to evolve. The recent documentation and migration guides play an important role for developers moving over to Meteor.js 3.0.

Interpreters of Meteor.js should initially refer to the official documentation. It includes fundamental ideas as well as sophisticated functionalities. Supporting online courses and tutorials deliver practical instructions in an orderly manner. These resources ensure that developers can quickly get up to speed with Meteor.js.

Top 5 Best Learning Resources for Meteor.JS

The best learning resources for Meteor.JS are diverse and accessible. They support multiple learning approaches and choices. With these resources in hand developers can refine their skills and produce top-notch applications.

1. JavaScript Resources

Before digging into every facet of the Meteor framework, you are required to have a fairly good background in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, obviously.

• If your time is limited, you can take a quick look at A JavaScript Prime for Meteor
• If you have a little more time on your hand, you can try the tutorials at Codecademy.com or alternatively work your way through the course JavaScript is sexy: How to learn JavaScript properly.
• For those who are already an advanced JavaScripter, you might want to step up your game a bit by walking through those articles at Badass JavaScript.
• Last but not least, don’t forget to get your hand dirty with some of the material Douglas Crockford put together before heading over to Meteor.

2. Meteor Resources

If you can grab JavaScript in your hands, Meteor will be easy. We hope that the following roundup of the tutorial will get you on the right track in terms of learning this smart framework.

• There is no better place to get essential information than from the official website itself: Meteor.com. Most importantly, check out the official Meteor documentation which contains documentation, tutorials, and references.

FYI: Renovated by Designveloper team, Meteor.com itself is a typical example of how Meteor works in practice.

• If you’re a beginner and find their documentation a bit advanced for you, you can refer to Discover Meteor which is both a website and a book written by Tom Coleman and Sacha Grief
• The next unavoidable thing to do is head over to the Meteor Youtube channel. These videos are also very valuable if you’re starting out or want to improve your skills.
• Check out the unofficial sanctioned wiki resource – Meteorpedia as well.

3. Developer-oriented

• We believe that you have spent some time on StackOverflow which is the perfect place to search for a solution when you’re stuck with a specific problem.
• For those who prefer to watch visual content, you cannot avoid having a look at Evented Mind. They offer a bunch of awesome screencasts that will keep you busy for quite a while.
• Is another article worth reading is What’s This Meteor Thing? By Gabriel Manricks. We know it’s a bit outdated and old by now. But it covers a fully-fledged ground in a way that no other tutorial does. If our words are not convincing enough for you, there are tons of comments left below the post showing how helpful and insightful it is for beginner Meteor developers.
• Tom Coleman also provided a great post about Prototyping With Meteor. This particular tutorial aims to walk you through the process of turning a simple HTML wireframe into a functional application in a surprisingly simple number of steps.
• Once you decide to get your feet wet with Meteor development. It’s important to know that you understand what real-time web application is and how they work. The article, Introduction To Realtime Web Applications With Meteor And Node.js, does just that!
• It’s time to get your hands dirty by Creating A Multi-Page Site With Meteor. In this article, the author takes a look at developing a library that not only can differentiate between the different URIs but one that takes advantage of Meteor’s core features.
• Learn how to Create A Meteor Chat App In 30 Minutes. What’s great about this tutorial is that it’s very simple to follow. Also, it gives you ideas and inspiration to work on your own stuff.

Recommended reading: Python Best Practices: The 7 Steps That Help You Master

4. Updates & Trends

• Join a Meteor Meetup. If you’re in Ho Chi Minh City, don’t hesitate to swing by here and join the Meteor Ho Chi Minh Meetup group. We usually meet once a month.
• Subscribe to Meteor Weekly
• If you prefer to listen, the Meteor Postcast might be the perfect one for you.

5. Meteor University

When it comes to mastering Meteor.js learning Meteor University is a preferred destination. It presents fascinating online courses developed by skilled Meteor educators. These classes are suitable for newcomers as well as experienced learners.

At Meteor University students receive training through direct experience rather than theoretical approaches. Students benefit from courses that have an international focus enabling them to create their businesses and deliver services globally.

The university shows compelling data. GitHub has over 43.200 stars. In addition the number of unique Meteor.js installs exceeds 508 thousand. The statistics emphasize the status and dependability of Meteor University.

Students gain skills to improve their careers or create new ventures through the job-focused training provided by Meteor University. The offerings teach entire JavaScript application development covering front-end and back-end elements.

One particular achievement is identified in the Meteor 101 – The Fundamentals course. New and experienced developers have praised this course and it is meant to support both novice and advanced programmers.

Visit the website of Meteor University for information on the courses along with their positive aspects. A newsletter covering recent updates and Meteor information is available from them.

Recommended reading: Top 5 Best Resources to Learn Vue.JS

Conclusion

In summary, leveraging the best learning resources for Meteor.JS can significantly enhance one’s skills and knowledge. Staying ahead in web development requires using official guides along with online training and community discussions for learners.

The post 5 Best Learning Resources for Meteor.JS That You Should Know appeared first on Designveloper.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the key steps involved in performing an in-depth SEO audit, the tools to use, and techniques to identify potential growth areas.

Why Perform an SEO Audit?

Before diving into the “how,” let’s understand the “why.” Performing an SEO audit is crucial for diagnosing issues that might be holding your website back. Whether you’ve noticed a dip in traffic or want to stay competitive, an audit allows you to:

• Identify technical issues that affect site performance.
• Uncover content gaps or outdated information.
• Pinpoint user experience issues.
• Spot opportunities to optimize for keywords.

An audit will provide you with a roadmap for action, helping to direct your SEO strategy and improve your search rankings over time.

Tools to Use for a Comprehensive SEO Audit

Before you get started, it’s essential to have the right tools in place to perform a thorough audit. There are several SEO tools that will make the process easier and more effective. Some key tools include:

• Google Search Console: Offers data on how Google views your site, including crawl errors, security issues, and keyword performance.
• Google Analytics: Tracks website traffic, user behavior, and provides insights on bounce rates and conversions.
• Screaming Frog: A website crawler that identifies on-page issues, such as broken links and missing metadata.
• SEMrush or Ahrefs: Provides information on keyword rankings, backlinks, and competitive analysis.
• GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights: Helps in analyzing your site’s speed and performance on both desktop and mobile devices.

Each of these tools provides valuable insights that can uncover hidden issues and opportunities for growth.

Step 1: Technical SEO Audit

A technical SEO audit ensures that search engines can crawl and index your site without issues. This aspect of the audit focuses on the back-end elements that affect the site’s overall performance. Here’s what to check:

1.1. Crawlability and Indexing

Use Google Search Console and Screaming Frog to identify any crawl errors or blocked resources. Pages that are not being crawled or indexed properly can’t rank on search engines, making this step vital.

1.2. Site Speed and Performance

Page speed is a critical ranking factor. Slow-loading pages can harm user experience and lead to higher bounce rates. Use GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights to check for speed issues. Consider compressing images, enabling browser caching, and reducing unnecessary code to improve load times.

1.3. Mobile-Friendliness

Google now uses mobile-first indexing, meaning your website’s mobile version is prioritized over the desktop version. Ensure your site is responsive and performs well on mobile devices. Test mobile usability using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

1.4. Security (HTTPS)

Make sure your site uses HTTPS. Google prioritizes secure websites, and visitors trust sites that use SSL certificates for secure connections. If your site isn’t secure, this can negatively affect both rankings and user trust.

Step 2: On-Page SEO Audit

On-page SEO refers to the elements within your website that influence search rankings. It’s crucial to assess these components to ensure your site is optimized for search engines and user experience.

2.1. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

Ensure that every page has unique and descriptive title tags and meta descriptions. These not only help with SEO but also improve click-through rates from search results. Check for missing or duplicate title tags and optimize them to include target keywords naturally.

2.2. Heading Tags (H1, H2, etc.)

Proper use of heading tags (H1, H2, H3) helps both search engines and users understand your content’s structure. Ensure that every page has a single H1 tag and that it includes a relevant keyword.

2.3. Content Quality and Optimization

Review your content to ensure it’s relevant, valuable, and optimized for your target audience. Identify content gaps where you can create new articles or improve existing pages. Avoid keyword stuffing, but ensure that target keywords are strategically placed in the title, headers, and body.

2.4. Internal Linking

Internal linking helps distribute link equity across your site and aids search engines in crawling your pages. Check for broken internal links and ensure that important pages are linked from multiple sections of your website.

Step 3: Off-Page SEO Audit

Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside your website that impact rankings, primarily backlinks. A strong backlink profile signals authority to search engines. Here’s how to audit your off-page SEO:

3.1. Backlink Profile Analysis

Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to analyze your backlink profile. Identify any low-quality or toxic backlinks that could harm your site’s rankings and disavow them if necessary. Also, focus on building high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites in your industry.

3.2. Competitor Backlink Analysis

Analyze your competitors’ backlinks to discover potential link-building opportunities. By understanding where they are getting their links, you can identify potential websites or blogs to reach out to for guest posts or collaborations.

Step 4: User Experience (UX) and Conversion Optimization

SEO isn’t just about rankings; user experience plays a huge role in retaining visitors and converting them into customers. Review your site’s UX and conversion elements to ensure that visitors can easily navigate and engage with your content.

4.1. Navigation and Structure

Your website’s structure should be easy to navigate, with clear menus and internal links. Ensure that visitors can find the information they need without confusion. Simplify your site’s hierarchy if necessary.

4.2. Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

Review the effectiveness of your CTAs. Whether it’s signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase, your CTAs should be clear, compelling, and positioned in strategic locations throughout your site.

4.3. Bounce Rate and Dwell Time

Use Google Analytics to analyze bounce rates and dwell time on key pages. High bounce rates and low dwell times can signal that your content isn’t engaging enough. Consider revising your content or improving page load speeds to reduce bounce rates.

Step 5: Content Gap Analysis

A content gap analysis identifies areas where your content may be lacking compared to competitors. This can reveal untapped opportunities to rank for new keywords or provide more comprehensive information for your audience.

5.1. Keyword Research

Using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs, identify keywords that your competitors are ranking for but you are not. This presents an opportunity to create new content or optimize existing pages.

5.2. Content Revamp

Regularly updating your content to reflect the latest information is essential for SEO. Search engines prioritize fresh content, so revisit older posts and refresh them with new data, statistics, or insights.

Conclusion: Taking Action After the SEO Audit

An SEO audit is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Once you’ve completed your audit, prioritize the issues based on their potential impact on your website’s performance. Focus on fixing critical technical issues first, followed by on-page optimizations and content improvements. Consider working with an SEO services company if you need assistance with technical fixes or ongoing SEO strategies.

By conducting regular audits and staying proactive, you can continually uncover new opportunities for growth and ensure that your website remains competitive in search rankings.

The post How to Conduct a Comprehensive SEO Audit: Uncovering Opportunities for Growth appeared first on Designveloper.

In this article, we’ll take you through all the basics you need to know to become a knowledgeable designer for iGaming businesses, and how you can help keep them and their users safe. 

Understanding AML in the iGaming landscape as a designer

To understand how important money laundering prevention is in the iGaming industry, it’s crucial to know why the business is so hip and happening – because everything is connected.

• Internet penetration: around 64.4% of the global population is now online. This means there’s a significant potential user base for online gaming.
• Legalization continues: the Netherlands legalized it in 2021, and countries like Canada and India recently joined the club as well. This paves the way for operators to capture new markets. 
• Payments are easier to make than ever and mobile wallets are growing in popularity. Add to that the increased security on online payments, and you’ll win the users’ trust (and money.)

But more payment methods and more security features don’t mean it’s an airtight system. And iGaming is, in fact, a ‘great’ place for money laundering.

Recommended reading: Creating Cross-Platform Games with Unity and Backend Web Server Using Laravel

1. How money laundering in iGaming works

To design armor against your enemy, it’s essential to understand how they work. And that’s where a quick explanation of money laundering comes in handy. 

Money laundering is an old practice, in which illegally obtained funds are being ‘washed clean’ by putting them into the legitimate economy. Here’s a simplified process:

1. Placement: illegal money is deposited into an iGaming account.
2. Layering: the money is used for small bets or games to disguise its source.
3. Integration: after some activity, the money is withdrawn, appearing as legitimate gambling winnings.
   

After this process, it is incredibly hard if not impossible to check where money has come from – and that’s what criminals love.

2. Main tactics of money laundering in iGaming and online gambling

So, how does this work in the world of iGaming? There are various tactics that are being used, but these are the three most common ones:

• Account cycling: a user opens a betting account, completes verification with an ID and bank account, and then deposits funds using various payment methods. They place a few small bets to mimic normal activity, and eventually cash out, effectively laundering the money through a legitimate casino.
• Collaborative losses: in this scheme, a money launderer colludes with accomplices at a virtual betting table, like poker. The accomplices intentionally lose, channeling the majority of funds to the launderer, thereby detaching the money from its illicit origins. They accept some losses as the cost of laundering.
• Transaction through gameplay: this method involves a buyer and seller of illegal goods partaking in the same game. The buyer transfers funds to the seller under the guise of betting. The seller then withdraws these funds as supposed gambling winnings, masking their link to criminal activities.

3. AML compliance regulations vary across regions

The bad news is that every country has its own rules and regulations regarding what effective measures need to be taken against money laundering. The good news is that there is a lot of overlap, such as: 

• Mandatory identity verification: most countries require thorough customer identity checks (Know-Your-Customer processes)
• Reporting suspicious activity: regulations commonly mandate swift reporting of unusual or suspect transactions
• Transaction monitoring: an obvious one, but this is necessary to identify patterns that hint at money laundering 
• Risk assessments: you can’t just sit back and wait to see if anything happens. Most countries require proactive risk assessments
• Record-keeping: detailed records of customer transactions and ID verifications need to be kept for specified periods

While that is not always directly related to design choices, it is good to be up to speed with this and to be engaged with legal or anyone overseeing compliance, so you don’t have to go back and forth in your designs. Now, let’s get to the designing part.

Why AML is important for designers in the iGaming industry

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) is crucial for iGaming website design. The iGaming industry is on the rise, and this growth is beneficial for both the good and the bad actors in the ecosystem. Designers need to know AML in order to build safe environments.

Money laundering is one of the most dangerous risks. Some of the criminals use the iGaming platforms for the laundering of the illicit funds. They put money, make small stakes, and cash it as real winnings. This process is referred to as layering making it difficult to track the source of the money.

Fortunately, designers have an important part to play in avoiding this. They can integrate functionalities that are capable of identifying such activities. For instance, it is possible to track the irregularity in betting and use it as an indicator of money laundering. Also, implementing strong KYC procedures guarantees that only genuine users can participate in the platform.

Recent statistics show that AML is important. The American Gaming Association’s 2022 report underlines the need to refresh the AML practices because of the increasing popularity of digital payments and cryptocurrencies. To develop efficient AML solutions, designers have to be aware of these trends.

Designing for iGaming with AML in mind

You already know that design isn’t only about looks, even in the realm of iGaming, where aesthetics play a big role in the user experience. What goes on behind the front end is all about creating a smart, secure, and intuitive environment. And AML is a part of that, so it’s crucial to create a balance between design and functionality.

By integrating features like identity checks and transaction monitoring into your design that is smooth and user-friendly, you help people safely use an iGaming website. With seon’s AML monitoring, you can do it in a user- and designer-friendly way. The secret is to use a solution with an easy integration that helps keep your business safe. Let’s look at some other things to keep in mind when designing for iGaming in terms of AML.

1. Naturally integrating AML into the user experience

You don’t want your AML measures to be super in-the-face of your iGamers. The best way to do it is by integrating the necessary requirements into a seamless UX. That means that checks like identity verification, transaction monitoring, and risk assessment tools find their place in the design in a way that feels natural and unintrusive. Try to make these processes part of the user journey, not an interruption of it. 

2. Simplify compliance processes

Another reason to pay extra attention to this is that complex compliance processes can send users running in the wrong way, or even create a brewing ground for mistakes. So, ‘’dumb it down’’ as much as you can.

When looking at it this way, that means you should try out streamlined forms for identity verification, or even add in visual cues that guide users through the AML requirements without feeling overwhelmed. Use color coding, icons, or progress bars to indicate steps completed and what’s next in the AML process. 

3. Enhance transparency and trust

Your design choice can build or break trust. You can use elements in your design to educate users about what is happening in terms of AML measures. A quick tooltip, popup, or other brief indicators or explainers make AML regulations more visible, as well as implementing design elements that signal security to the user, like secure lock icons or privacy reminders. 

4. Creating a responsive design for AML features to shine in

Work together with the developers on this. Because incorporating AML features only works if they really work. This means designing responsive forms, alters, and check systems that seamlessly adapt to different screen sizes and platforms.

5. Make sure you design for accessibility

AML measures should keep everyone safe, so accessibility is key. Ensure your compliance processes are clear and straightforward, so nobody is left behind.

6. Regular testing and user feedback

Just like in any other design process, designing for AML means that user feedback and testing are a must. Continuously test your designs with real users to ensure that the AML components are intuitive and effective. Gather feedback and be prepared to iterate on your designs to improve the user experience while maintaining rigorous compliance standards.

Terms you should know as a designer in the iGaming industry

• AML: Anti-money-laundering, meant to prevent and detect money laundering. 
• KYC: Know-your-Customer, related to verifying client identities to prevent fraud.
• CTF: Counter-Terrorist Financing, related to measures taken to prevent the financing of terrorist activities.
• SAR: Suspicious Activity Report, filed by financial institutions to authorities when a transaction or activity seems suspicious.
• EDD: Enhanced Due Diligence, related to collecting additional information on higher-risk customers.
• SoF: Source of Funds, which is the origin of the money used by customers to play games online.

Conclusion

With the incredible growth in the industry, there’s a good chance they will be on the lookout for savvy designers. Start getting your compliance knowledge in, and read more about designing for gaming now to make 2024 your year!

To our readers, whether you’re a startup taking your first steps into the digital arena or a seasoned business aiming to redefine your online identity, consider Designveloper as your partner in this journey. Let’s elevate your digital presence together, transcending the ordinary and creating a virtual space that captivates and converts. In the world of web development, excellence isn’t just a goal; it’s a standard we uphold with every line of code we write and every design element we craft. Your digital evolution starts here.

The post iGaming Website Design: Anti-Money Laundering Guidance appeared first on Designveloper.

In this article, you will find out the most recent data and information regarding web building so that you can have a good grasp of the topic. Every point will be supported by reliable reports and data so that you will have the most relevant and recent information at your disposal.

In the course of the article, we will give examples of how each website builder works and what results can be achieved. The above examples will help you to understand what you can do when you have the knowledge on how to create your own website.

Choosing the Right Types of Your Websites

Every website out there has a purpose and a function. Understanding the different types of web pages you create will help you determine the best strategy for each project. For instance, if you’re a blogger, you don’t have to create several websites for each post. You can use the same template, just change the text around.

1. Landing page website

A landing page is your physical representation of your website. In a nutshell, it is a website that a person downloads when they first land on your site. A lot of marketers and business owners write off landing pages as “junk,” but, in reality, landing pages are a great way to convert visitors and get them to your website or to fill out a form. To find the right type for your business, your landing page will need to be: 

• Easy to navigate 
• Convenient to use 
• Make your visitor feel like they’re doing something important
• You should also look for landing page typography to ensure your visitors don’t need to read the entire page.

2. Magazine website

This is probably the most famous type of website. Similar to a traditional magazine, this is a digital publication that contains an assortment of articles and videos. These websites are perfect for lifestyle and business purposes, as they cover a wide variety of content. They are a great platform to share links, articles, and images with friends and family. What is a bulletin board? Bibliography websites are essentially web versions of the catalogs you can find in brick-and-mortar stores. While catalogs typically focus on a particular industry or hobby, bibliographic websites focus on topics like culture, history, health, and economics. By browsing different bibliographic websites, you can discover everything from top designers to must-read blogs and journals.

3. eCommerce website

Recommended reading: 10 Best eCommerce Website Design Services for Success

An e-commerce website helps you sell products and offers a web store. It’s a fantastic way to expand your customer base. It’s also easy to set up and most will give you full control over your products. Ecommerce sites are also used to sell services, events, and products. 

It helps customers buy your products through a secure online purchase process. If your e-commerce site is easy to use, then you’ll be selling a lot of products. 

How to set one up? There are three main ways to set up an online store. You can set up your site on your own, using a custom development company, or by enlisting the services of a web store designer. You’ll find web store designers in any local business center.

4. Blog website

A blog website is essentially a blog that covers a variety of topics. Although the blog can cover a variety of topics, the content is usually one or two posts per month. In the early days of blogging, the format was to post an item for each day, but now the posts are published in a monthly or weekly format, making the format less engaging. Blogs are not something that anyone new to the industry would have to learn, as their readers would already know the format, but the next step in branding is to tell a story, and to this end, a blog is not an option. A story-telling website is one of the most important features of any website. To attract the right traffic, a story-telling website should have the right picture, text, and design.

Recommended reading: 20 Web Development Blogs You Should Follow Right Now!

5. Portfolio website

The most common form of website is the portfolio site, which is a digital portfolio that includes an overview of all your available work or a list of services provided. For example, if you’re a web designer, you might want to list your website design skills on your portfolio page, even if you’re only offering graphic design services on the side. This format can often also include links to your portfolio of websites and some form of advertising. Sometimes people will go as far as to build a portfolio website, with the intention of seeing how many people link to it. They may find that most visitors link to the portfolio of the most popular website, not their own. 

6. Business website

For businesses, the form of a website can vary greatly. What’s more, it also depends on the industry. Your business, company, or product could be whatever it is you sell. You could be a small family business trying to be the go-to spot in the marketplace. Or, it could be an organization like the Chamber of Commerce or a franchise like Ikea or Pizza Hut. Therefore, a business website is a list of links, which can also be called pages or pages and sections. These are called websites or the desktop version of their page. It can also be called a website or a websites page. A website can also be made up of different pages. It will most likely contain sections of the website – the home, contact, product, blog, e-commerce, or another component.

7. Social media website

A social media website is a website that can be used by a business to interact with customers. Businesses can be on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and other social media sites. The advantage of social media websites is that they are user-friendly and inexpensive. Most sites allow businesses to set up specific profiles that only a certain group of people will see. This makes your profiles more manageable and specific. That said, it is still important to be on all the social media websites you can. You can gain fans and customers through social media websites. 

How to create a social media website? Creating a social media website takes more effort than many people think. There are many moving pieces to a successful social media website.

When do You need to Create a Free Website?

Free website creation can be crucial for a number of purposes. A frequently asked question that people and small businesses have is how to create a website. Below are some specific scenarios when you might need to create a free website.

Starting a New Business

New businesses require an online presence. A report shows that 97% of consumers use the internet to look for nearby businesses. Having a free website can be advantageous in that you can get the word out to potential customers without having to spend a lot of money.

Showcasing Your Portfolio

Freelancers and creative people require a place where they can showcase their portfolios. A free website builder is useful in the creation of an appealing portfolio for the client. For instance, photographers can use Wix or Weebly to post their best pictures of different events or products.

Blogging

If you have interest in writing then you can start a blog with a free website. Research shows that businesses that blog receive 55% more traffic to their websites. This statistic gives an indication of the potential of a well maintained blog.

Learning and Experimenting

Newcomers in web development can use free website builders for practice and to start with. Platforms like WordPress. com provide an opportunity to build websites in a trial mode and it does not cost anything.

Non-Profit Organizations

Non-profit organisations are usually financially constrained. A free website can assist them in delivering their message and getting to the donors. For instance, Google Sites can be employed in developing informative and interesting websites for non-profit organizations.

Event Promotion

Organizing an event? It is possible to create a website where all the information regarding the event is published for free. Event organizers can use Eventbrite to build a website with information about the event, registration forms, and others.

Personal Branding

Free website is useful for people who would like to create their own brand. Forbes has it that personal branding is essential in the current world. A good website design will assist you in making a niche in your area of specialization.

Educational Purposes

Teachers and educators can use free website to share their resources and information with the students. Google Classroom for instance works well with free website creators to make the development of education content easier.

Community Projects

Some of the common areas that community groups can take advantage of free websites include. For instance, a local sports team may create a free website where they post the team’s schedule, the results of the games and other related information that may be of interest to the team members and its supporters.

Temporary Projects

At other times, you require a website for a temporary purpose or for a specific event. Free website builders are ideal for creating websites that are not necessarily going to be permanent and therefore you do not have to spend any money on them.

Recommended reading: 24 Things to Consider When Designing and Developing a Website

Top 10 Website Builders for Making Your Own Website

Building a website is now easier than ever. Thanks to the website builders, it is possible to create a really good-looking website even if you don’t have any coding experience.

1. Wix

Wix is one of the most well-known website creation platforms. Currently, it is being used by more than 258 million users across the globe. This platform is available in 190 countries. It dominates the website builder market with a market share of almost 45% in 2024.

Wix is one of the platforms that provide a drag-and-drop feature. It also makes it easy for beginners to develop websites. There are more than 800 design templates available for the users. These templates can be adjusted according to the requirements of different users.

Wix has integrated SEO tools. These tools assist in enhancing the site’s visibility in the search engine listing. Users can also connect with more than 300 outside applications. This makes it possible to come up with additional functionalities such as online calendar and event reservation.

Wix is perfect for small business owners. It has relatively cheap plans with the cheapest plan going for as low as $16 per month. There is also a free version of the application with fewer options available to the users.

Wix has some limitations. Users are limited in their ability to modify templates after the site has been published. All plans have also storage limits. However, these are some of the drawbacks that Wix has despite the fact that it is still popular among many people.

2. Weebly

Weebly is one of the most well-known website builders, which is easy to use and relatively cheap. It is perfect for newbies who have no idea about coding and would want to build their own website. The platform has a simple drag and drop feature that allows one to build a good looking website in a short span of time.

Weebly’s pricing is competitive. It has a free plan and paid plans starting from $10 per month if paid yearly. This makes it an ideal option for those who are working to a fixed budget. Also, Weebly offers free hosting with unlimited storage and bandwidth for most of the plans it offers.

It also has e-commerce features which are also worth mentioning about Weebly. Customers are able to sell as many products as they want, automatically generate shipping labels, and send emails to customers who left their carts behind. This makes it a great choice for small businesses that want to create an online store.

However, there are some drawbacks for using Weebly. It has old-fashioned templates, and there is no possibility to customize it to the maximum. This can be a disadvantage for users who would wish to have more control over the looks of their site. In addition, Weebly lacks adequate marketing features that can help a business grow, which is a disadvantage.

3. WordPress

WordPress is a well known and highly effective website creation tool. Currently, it runs more than 43% of all the websites on the internet, and therefore it is the most popular CMS in the world.

WordPress has a lot of flexibility when it comes to its use. There are more than 9,000 free themes and 60,000 free plugins available to the users. This flexibility enables the users to design websites that are both personalized and meaningful.

Some of the big companies that have adopted WordPress for their websites are Sony Music, Time Magazine, Disney Books among others. These examples demonstrate the ability of the platform to work with high traffic websites.

WordPress is also user-friendly. It is easy to create professional websites even for those who do not know how to code. This is made easier by the platform’s drag-and-drop editors and the templates that are already provided.

Security is a very important factor in WordPress. However, it was found that more than 90% of hacked CMS websites in 2022 are using WordPress. This brings out the need to use security plugins such as Wordfence and Sucuri in the running of websites.

4. Squarespace

Squarespace is an example of website builders that are famous for their clean and modern layouts and easy to use platform. It is the second most used website builder in the world. To date, Squarespace is home to over 4.6 million unique subscriptions, which is 7% more than in the previous year. Currently, Squarespace is available in more than 200 countries and territories.

Squarespace generated $1.01 billion in revenue in 2023, up by 12% from 2022. Subscription is the major source of the platform’s revenue, contributing to 92% of the total revenue. Squarespace is the most used website builder in the United States, it accounts for 71.8% of the market share.

Another important aspect of Squarespace is a vast choice of templates available for use by the users. The software allows the users to select from different templates to make a good looking website. For instance, a small business owner can apply the “Brine” template for presenting his or her products and services. It also has integrated SEO features that enable the users to improve the ranking of their website on the search engines.

Another strength of Squarespace is the e-commerce facilities that it offers. It is a marketplace for creating online shops and selling products and services with the help of an inventory system. For the year 2023, the commerce revenue increased by 14% from the previous year and was equal to $75.5 million, which proves that the platform is highly effective in the sphere of e-commerce.

5. Strikingly

Strikingly is a very simple website builder, which is great for novices. The platform comes equipped with a drag and drop editor which makes it possible to design a website without the use of code.

Of course, Strikingly has a free version, and paid plans start at $8/month if you pay annually. This makes it affordable for small businesses to be involved in the supply of the products to the market. All plans come with e-commerce functionality, meaning that users can sell products online even with the basic plan which is free.

Strikingly’s templates are sleek, stylish, and optimized for mobile, so a website will look good on any device. Annual plans are also available with the first year of the domain being free of charge on the platform.

Another great feature is the Simple Store that enables the user to integrate e-commerce into their websites. Customers can use coupons, select the shipping method and payment methods, and this makes it easy to run an online store.

Website analytics are also provided by Strikingly to enable users monitor their website’s performance. It has components such as Simple Blog, social networking integration, and contact forms that assist the users in engaging their audience.

6. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is one of the web hosting services that can be recommended for beginners who are going to build their own website. It provides web hosting services and an editor to design a website at the same place. The platform has been described as simple to use and cheap.

GoDaddy’s site builder is simple and easy to use and is ideal for novices. The platform includes a simple drag-and-drop editor and more than 100 of mobile-friendly templates. It is easy to create a website with GoDaddy’s help because after answering several questions, the Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) will create an initial site design for the user to work on, and the user does not have to know how to code.

It also has integrated marketing tools which assist the users to promote their websites on the search engines and get traffic to the site. GoDaddy has a basic plan that is free of charge, thus suitable for those with a small amount of capital to invest. However, the free version comes with a GoDaddy logo on your site and domain.

The GoDaddy’s pricing plans are from free to $29.99 per month, and there is a free trial of 30 days to allow the users to explore the features of the platform. This makes GoDaddy one of the most affordable website builders for those who are still learning how to design their own site.

Another advantage of GoDaddy is that it offers customer support services that are available for round-the-clock phone and live chat. This makes it possible to have help whenever one feels like they need it.

Nevertheless, GoDaddy has some drawbacks. It has limited site design customization and e-commerce and some of the add-ons may be costly to some users.

7. LeadPages

LeadPages is a very useful tool for creating high conversion rate websites. Originally, it was a landing page builder but now it is an all-in-one website builder aimed at assisting users in creating websites that sell.

LeadPages has a number of features such as landing pages, templates, conversion tools and optimization tools. It also includes an AI generator and blogging tools and enables users to build and edit the whole website, including all the pages, pop-ups, forms, and blog entries.

The most prominent feature of LeadPages is the templates that are created to capture the visitors’ attention and turn them into leads. LeadPages also stated that its templates can convert up to five times more than the industry standard for conversion rates, according to conversion data that has been collected over the last ten years.

LeadPages also has a drag-and-drop feature that enables users to build their templates without any difficulty. It is very easy to use and one does not need to have knowledge in coding to be able to edit the text, images and other elements.

Another important component is the conversion toolkit, which is opt-in forms, pop-ups, and alert bars. All these tools assist the users in generating leads and making sales. Further, sites created with LeadPages take 2.4 seconds quicker and have a performance that is 30% above the average.

LeadPages also has integrated SEO settings that can be used to enhance the website’s ranking on the search engine. This involves the use of meta descriptions and image optimizations in order to enhance the site visibility and increase traffic.

8. Oxygen

Oxygen is a great plugin for WordPress that enables the user to build whole websites from scratch without coding. Unlike other builders, it switches off the WordPress theme, which means that the users will be able to manage the look of the site on their own. This feature is perfect for those individuals who want to have full control over all aspects of their site.

Oxygen is also famous for its clean code output that is important for the fast work of the website and its SEO. Specifically, Oxygen has clean code that makes it to load faster and also to be easily ranked by the search engines.

The builder provides a great deal of flexibility, which means that the user can create headers, footers, and WooCommerce stores. It also supports integration with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) that helps in creating dynamic content. Due to this flexibility, it is popular among developers.

However, Oxygen has a relatively high learning curve and therefore, the new users might find it hard to work with. However, once one gets a grip of it, it provides the best design tools that one can ever imagine. Even for beginners, a step by step tutorial of how to go about it can be of great help.

Oxygen’s pricing is reasonable, which is $99-$169 for a lifetime license, which is suitable for long-term projects. Also, the builder often provides cut-price deals, which make it even cheaper than it already is.

9. Webflow

Webflow is an amazing website creation tool that can be used to create websites with a lot of customization. It is suitable for anyone who would wish to design a website from scratch without having to code. Webflow offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting from $14 per month, which is perfect for everyone.

Webflow can be seen as having a highly customizable design toolset. It is also flexible for users to implement parallax scrolling and animations and thus is suitable for designers who want complete control over the look of their site.

Webflow has many benefits and one of them is a no-code site editor that enables users to build their websites without coding skills. Also, Webflow has features that enable it to support e-commerce, thus making it ideal for use in online stores. It has no transaction fee on some of the plans, which is an advantage for the e-commerce business.

Webflow also offers a number of templates for those who want to start with the platform as soon as possible. Currently, there are more than 400 templates which can be used for different industries and personal design preferences. This makes it possible for the users to search for a template that they desire and have it in their preferred format.

For the users who require additional functionality, Webflow has an option of using custom code. This makes it possible for users to be able to incorporate their own functions in their websites, making it a useful tool for developers. Webflow offers its e-commerce plans starting at $42 up to $235 per month to cater to all sizes of businesses.

10. Shopify

If you are planning to build an online store, then Shopify is the best option you can think of. It powers over 6.4 million websites worldwide and is famous for its powerful sales tools and simplicity.

Shopify has different pricing plans for its services with the basic plan starting at $29 per month. Some of the features include multichannel integration and customizable checkout which makes it suitable for all types of businesses.

Shopify also has a unique feature known as Shopify Magic which is an AI-based tool that assists in text generation, product descriptions, and email marketing to ensure that businesses come up with relevant content.

Shopify also gives its users access to more than 8000 apps. These apps enable users to extend the functionality of their sites, for instance, to sell products via social media or improve their site’s ranking on search engines.

Nevertheless, there are certain disadvantages of using Shopify. It is very much dependent on third party applications to enhance what is already provided by the application. Also, it can be costly, and there are only a few free templates that one can use.

However, these are the disadvantages of using Shopify to create an online store. Due to the fact that it has all the necessary tools and is easy to use, it is ideal for those who want to create their own website.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is quite important to know how to create your own website with the help of a suitable website builder to enhance the potential of individuals and companies. With the help of the tools and resources that are available, it is possible to come up with a professional website even if one has no technical knowledge on the same. To get more specific information and statistics, please turn to the most recent reports from the industry bigwigs.

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