by actovision | Nov 9, 2021 | Uncategorized
With the rapid increase in cybercrime, security is no longer a feature in a mobile app. It is the bare minimum. Advanced features and high-end functionalities will not provide an out-of-the-box experience to your users if it fails to ensure their safety. Since most of the apps ask for access to the device features such as the gallery, location, and sensitive information like password, UPI/credit/debit card details, etc; a minor security breach will not only cost you bucks but ruin your reputation.
Here is a complete checklist of security best practices for your mobile app.
Proven Techniques to Enhance Mobile App Security
Write Secure Code
A code full of bugs and vulnerabilities allows the attackers to break in. The attackers can reverse engineer the code and tamper with it. A study by Infosecurity Magazine finds that malicious code affects over 11.6 million mobile devices at a certain point in time.
If you want to be an exception, start with a powerful code right from the beginning. For that, it’s always recommended that you engage professional mobile app development services. The developers will repeatedly test and fix bugs so as to minimize the risk.
Library Usage
It’s important to be extra careful and test the code thoroughly before using any third-party library in your app. While libraries are extremely useful, they can mess up your app security.
A single flaw in a library may enable the attackers to remotely install malicious code into an app and crash the entire system. Therefore, it’s better to use controlled internal repositories and follow policy controls during acquisition so as to protect the apps from vulnerabilities in a library.
Data Encryption
Every unit of data exchanged over your app should be encrypted. It is the process of converting data into coded information or ciphertext so as to protect its confidentiality.
The ciphertext can be decoded with a unique decryption key. Therefore, other than the authorized users, any third party can not decrypt stolen data.
High-End Authentication
Whether you are investing in Android or iOS app development services, it’s important to ensure that the app has a strong authentication system.
Authentication refers to various identifiers (password, biometric, etc.) that create a barrier before entering into a system. While app usage is becoming more seamless than ever, a layer of authentication can add to the security of the app. For instance, a strong alphanumeric password, dynamic OTP, fingerprint verification, retina scan, etc. can be used as powerful authentication systems.
Implement Cryptography Tools and Techniques
Key management is an essential element should you seek to enhance your app security. The experts of iOS and Android app development services suggest not to hard code the keys since it will make the attackers’ job easy.
It’s important to store keys in secure containers instead of storing them locally on the device. Also, you should use the latest and reliable APIs like 256-bit AES encryption along with SHA-256 for hashing.
Use Authorized APIs
Unauthorized APIs are loosely coded and can pose threats to an app. The hackers can enjoy a privilege and attack the app. For instance, caching authorization information locally can help programmers easily reuse information while making API calls. Thus, it makes the developers’ tasks easy.
On the flip side, the attackers can find a loophole in it and hack the system. Therefore, it’s better to use APIS that are centrally authorized so as to ensure maximum security.
You can take a look at this blog to find out how to build RESTful APIs for mobile apps.
Test Repeatedly
There’s no substitute for continuous testing. Repeated testing will help to find out new loopholes and deal with the emerging threats. Invest in emulators, threat modelling, and penetration testing so as to find out the vulnerabilities in your app. Fix these with each update and issue patches as required.
Further, if your app is built with outdated technology, it’s important to migrate to the latest technology. For example, if you have a cross-platform app built with Flutter, it’s time to hire Flutter developers and upgrade the app to Flutter 2.
Taking security as the fundamental element in app development is a necessity these days. And this trend will continue to grow with the rise of IoT in app development as it enhances connectivity and compatibility of an app with lots of devices. We hope that our guidelines have helped you to understand how to strengthen app security.
by actovision | Nov 9, 2021 | SEO
No matter whether you are just entering the market or operating for some time, occupying the top rank on Google search must be at the back of your mind. However, with ever-evolving algorithms and extensive competition in the market, it’s quite challenging to occupy and retain the top places of Google.
In this blog, we will explore some smartest steps you need to adopt in order to achieve your goal.
Win the Top Rank on Google Search: Best Practices
Following strategies are preached and practised by the trusted experts of digital marketing services. It’s time that you start implementing these.
Create Long-Form Content
Let us start with blogging. These days, we can find that most of the sites occupying the top spots feature long-form content.
Don’t get us wrong. It has nothing to do with length or the number of words.
Basically, it can be assumed that long content is more in-depth and offers a comprehensive outline of the topic. Google seeks to offer valuable insights to the users. The sites that satisfy this criterion have a higher chance to win a high rank.
Further, exhaustive and engaging content drives more traffic to the site due to its varied information and increases dwell time. Since people get ample information on the site, they can share their preferred information while mentioning or linking to the site.
All these lead Google to consider the site to be a valuable source of information.
Optimize for Google Answer Box
Google Answer Box results are more prominent than all the other results. If your content appears in this section, it will gain extensive visibility and exposure. Naturally, it will drive more clicks and traffic. If you want to appear in this section, your site must have lots of merits. It’s better to engage professional SEO services instead of trying amateur hands since it requires extensive effort and experience.
Sometimes, this result is also noted as a zero-click search result. That’s because people can get adequate information right from the answer box and they don’t click. This may make you think that appearing in Google Answer Box is equal to losing traffic.
Well, let’s bust this misconception. Google Answer Box plays a significant role in branding. It helps to create a reputation, brand recognition, and reliability.
Improve Internal Linking Structure
Site architecture is crucial for the search engine bots to properly crawl and index the web pages. This is done by internal links.
A study by Moz asserts that an optimal website structure has a shape of a pyramid with links between the pages. For instance, the homepage is connected to the main category pages and those are linked with related products/service pages.
Other than creating site architecture, it also helps to float link juice from one page to another. This, in turn, will boost the SEO potential of the web pages.
This needs to be done right from the time of website development. Therefore, hire a reputed website development company to build your website maintaining proper structure.
Anchor Text Optimization
An anchor text is used for linking pages and help Google understand the motif of the page. Using keywords is a brilliant practice to guide Google bot to easily comprehend your page content and rank the site higher.
Here are 5 types of anchor texts that you may use:
Exact Match Anchor Text: Such an anchor text uses a keyword that mirrors the page you are linking to. For instance, if one of your keywords is home decor, using “home decor” while linking a page that enlists various types of decorations is an exact match anchor text.
Partial Match Anchor Text: Such a text includes a variation of the primary keyword on the page you are linking to. For instance, “DIY home decor ideas” can be a partial match anchor text as it consists of the phrases your site is trying to rank for.
Generic Anchor Text: Such an anchor text is a generic phrase that links to other pages. Some of its instances may include “click here”, “learn more”, etc.
Branded Anchor Text: As the name suggests, here the anchor text uses the brand name. Say, if your brand name is XYZ, linking “XYZ” to one of your posts will be an instance of a branded anchor text. However, overusing this type of anchor text can seem to be manipulative and suspicious to Google. So it’s better to avoid using it more than once.
Naked Link: If you use the URL as an anchor, it is considered a naked link. These are not an ideal option as they affect readability. While it’s easy to read an anchor text like “excellent home decor ideas”, reading “https://www.xyz.com/story/excellent-home-decor-ideas” is not so smooth!
Check out this blog to learn all about anchor texts.
Full-Proof Guest Posting Strategy
You all know that guest posting is essential for placing your site in front of a wide array of audiences and earning a backlink from a reputed site helps to improve your domain authority. But, you may not know that it’s not a smart move to post blogs on every guest posting site you come across.
Here are a few tips to bear in mind:
- Select relevant websites with high domain authority.
- Check out previously posted articles on the site to get an idea of their expectations.
- Pick topics that will interest the target audience of the site.
- Support your claims with high-authority sources.
- Abide by the blog submission guidelines mentioned on the guest posting site.
Make Use of Rich Snippets
Displaying rich snippets in your Google results is a great way to earn more clicks which in turn, makes Google acknowledge your demand, and improves your rank. The structured data on your page HTML will help Google in displaying proper rich snippets for the searchers. It may include ratings, price, stock availability, etc.
by actovision | Nov 9, 2021 | Web Development
With so many platforms available out there, it’s often overwhelming to select the right one for website development. And failing to select the right platform for a website will massively affect its performance. Now, if you are on the lookout for the right web platform, WordPress must be a familiar name to you. However, if you have not yet made up your mind, this blog is a must-read. Here, we will explore why WordPress is the right platform for powering your website.
WordPress: The Best Choice for Website Development
Easy to Customize
Template-based websites no longer appeal to visitors. WordPress enables easy customization. This is why WordPress is the first choice for the experts at any reputed website development company.
Firstly, there are numerous WordPress themes befitting any niche such as the a website to feature services, blog, online store, QA website, etc. Further, these can be easily customized. Many of the themes come with an options panel that let you change colors and background, upload logo, create beautiful sliders, and customize other features.
Reliable
None wants to take a risk when it comes to building and managing a website. It’s always better to pick a reliable platform and WordPress is just that.
According to a study by Kinsta, WordPress powers 34% of all websites, which means 60% of the CMS market. It is much ahead of Joomla that occupies the second rank powering 2.9% of all websites and occupying 5.2% of the CMS market.
Some of the notable companies that use WordPress for their website include CNN, Sony Music, TED, TechCrunch, BBC America, etc.
A reliable web platform is rich with an ever-increasing community. You can always seek assistance from the experts around the corner. Further, the platform is regularly updated with new features and functionalities. Therefore, WordPress can fulfil your dream of getting a high-end modern website. Engage professional WordPress development services and create a smart website today.
Are you wondering which is the best platform between WordPress and Magento for eCommerce website development? Give this blog a read.
SEO-Friendly
These days, ensuring SEO-friendliness is a crucial consideration right from the time of website development. Every website owner seeks to stand out from the competition, enhance their rank on the search engine, and drive more organic traffic.
WordPress is mainly a CMS (Content Management System) which makes it the best choice for SEO-friendly website development. WordPress has various built-in tools that can help you track the SEO-friendliness of your site. You can also upgrade from basic SEO tools to installing WordPress SEO plugins.
Yoast SEO is a reliable WordPress SEO plugin. It has a free and a premium version. You can get familiar with the free version before purchasing the paid version. The premium version will give you access to relevant keywords, phrases, and related terms. You can automatically monitor the most important pages on your site. Further, you will get insights into content optimization, internal link suggestions, ad-free experience, and more.
Other than Yoast SEO, there are various other WordPress SEO plugins including Rank Math, The SEO Framework, All in One SEO Pack, and more. To enhance your SEO efforts with on-page and off-page SEO practices, consider engaging professional SEO services.
Get a detailed overview of how to build an SEO-friendly WordPress website.
Support for Numerous Media Types
A static website filled with lots of text content cannot retain users for a long time. They will feel bored and bounce. That’s why, web developers insist on using different media types such as images, audio, video, document, etc. to create a user engaging website.
WordPress supports all these media types and more. Therefore, you can enrich your website with dynamic media types.
Ease of Content Creation
Content lies at the heart of web development. WordPress has made it easier as it allows non-technical people to easily create and upload content.
Once your site is live, you need to navigate to the posts section of the dashboard menu. Here, you will find a text editor, formatting options, and ways to upload media files. Now, you can create and publish new blog posts.
Editing is also a hassle-free process here. Simply make the changes, click on the save button and the latest version of the content will be live.
This blog explores how to choose the best CMS platform between WordPress and Drupal. Check it out.
Seamless Management
WordPress makes website maintenance real easy. Website management involves various things including security checks, running backups, updating themes and plugins, managing spam, testing for functionality and broken links, improving speed, search engine optimization, and more.
You can take out some time and on involving a little learning curve, you can do these all. However, if you don’t intend to divert your focus from business, you can always hire WordPress developers for regular or on-demand maintenance needs. This will be cost-effective and your website will always perform at its best.
We hope you have got insights into why WordPress is the best platform for your website development. Don’t waste your time. It’s your turn to bring your business online with a custom website.
by actovision | Nov 9, 2021 | Social Media Marketing
These days, there’s no alternative to social media marketing when it comes to improving brand awareness – a major goal for any business. Now, is it only about brand awareness? Not really!
Social media plays the most significant role in a brand’s marketing efforts. In this blog, we will take a deeper look at the importance of social media for businesses.
Driving Traffic
Driving more traffic to your online address and generating brand awareness lies at the heart of digital marketing services. And social media marketing can power up this effort.
Social media marketing attracts and engages people which is the first step to driving traffic. Also, people often forget about a brand if it is out of their sight for a long time. In today’s competitive world, it’s important to keep them hooked all the time and social media marketing ensures just that.
Customer Support
Customer interaction is crucial to improve brand reliability and build a community. Use your brand’s social media profile towards that aim.
The new generation is not comfortable in writing emails to reach out to you. They simply text over social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, to find support.
Here’s a quick tip. If you engage professional website development services to build a website, pay attention that your social media profiles being integrated into the site. The same goes for mobile app development. That way, people can easily find your social media destination, like/follow it, and reach out to you as required.
Ensuring Growth
Every business, right from the beginning, focuses on scalability. If you are looking to drive business growth, there’s no alternative to social media marketing.
From generating awareness, fostering engagement, and driving specific conversion goals – social media marketing can help you meet all your target KPIs.
Reputation Management
For any brand, small or large, it’s important to build and sustain a reputation so as to survive and thrive in today’s competitive landscape. Social media marketing can help in that.
Many often potential customers read reviews about a business before converting. If you don’t feature reviews on your social platforms, you are missing out on the opportunities to generate more customers.
As you can understand, positive ratings and reviews open doors for brand reputation and reliability. However, negative reviews can deeply affect your business. If you want to handle this, we recommend you hire marketing experts who can boost your brand’s reputation.
Social Media Performs as a Search Engine
Usually, when you think of social media, you think of ads, posts, and boosted content to reach out to the users.
But these days, social media platforms like Facebook often acts as a search engine. Here, people search for things. A robust social media presence will beat your competitors and may even boost sales.
Let’s clarify it with an example. Suppose, you own a bakery and sell customized cake. People may search on Facebook search bar with “customized cake in [location]”. If you have a social media profile, it will be featured in the results. People may visit your page and reach out to you.
Remember that just like a search engine, social media, too, has a powerful algorithm. Therefore, you must optimize your social media presence to appear on top of the results. Engage professional social media marketing services to achieve this goal.
Local Search
As user experience becomes the primary objective, the importance of a holistic digital experience is getting prioritized. For instance, these days, local search algorithms look beyond search listings (such as Google My Business) and Maps. These often bring out results from other directories like social media networks.
Without an extensive social media marketing strategy in place, you cannot expect to feature your business in local search.
Building Brand Authority
Simple promotion will not help to grow your brand as building authority has become crucial in earning reliability and developing a loyal audience.
If you are planning to become an industry leader, content marketing is important. Social media channels will contribute to marketing your content. Build an authority status that your brand deserves in the industry.
While we are on this topic, check out this blog on the most effective content marketing strategies.
As you can understand, social media marketing has multifold benefits to enhance your business growth. Don’t waste your time. Start focusing on social media marketing efforts today.
