Forem: Fyresite

Know Your Privacy Rights: What Devices And Web Apps Are Hiding From You

Fyresite — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 17:02:36 +0000

Story by Lauren Lively.

COVID-19 has forced us to rely on technology in order to stay productive in our lives.

Since we’re now spending most of our time online, we should brush up on our privacy rights. There’s a need now more than ever to be aware of mistakes that will lead to getting our information hacked or companies stealing and selling your data.

The first thing you need to know about protecting your information is understanding the rights you have to it.

What Are My Rights?

There are ways to insure privacy protection but you have to know how to enforce it. Part of making sure that you are protecting your privacy rights includes knowing how to use the internet safely.

Cross-site trackers allow websites to track your online activity. A simple way to get rid of this feature is by turning on a ‘Do not track’ (DNT) setting in your browser’s settings.

Another way to protect yourself is by deleting your cookies.

Cookies are pieces of data about you that are stored on your computer. This can range from passwords to browsing history.

The best way to protect yourself here is by limiting your cookies.You can do this by deleting cookies in your settings or by finding a browser with limited cookie tracking.

Even though there are certain things you should block to gain privacy, there are other permissions you need to grant in order to use certain apps.

Some apps require your location, and that’s okay if you need Chipotle delivered to your door during self-quarantine. But some apps that ask for your location don’t need it to function.

Look out for apps that ask for certain permissions but might not need it.

Risky permissions may include:

Location
Audio-recording
Camera
Personal information
Installing third-party apps

There are many other factors that contribute to what privacy rights you are giving away. Privacy is different with each device and there are certain ways you can project your data with each.

Your TV

In 2017, the CIA and UK’s M15 security was caught recording conversations from Samsung smart TV’s that appeared to be turned off.

The smart TVs were made to look like they are turned off, when really the TV is acting like a bug, recording and sending audio to CIA and UK servers.

This program was named “Weeping Angel,” and its purpose is to prevent us from terrorist attacks.

Who Else Receives Information From My TV?

Smart TVs like Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizzio, and Roku record your viewing habits so that they could sell your viewing habits to manufacturers and other third-party companies.

Researchers at Northeastern University and Imperial College, London, found that almost all the TVs data was sent to Netflix, even if the app wasn’t installed and it hadn’t been activated yet.

Unfortunately, you can’t stop all your information from being sent out, but there are some things you can do in order to protect certain information.

What You Can Do:

There is good news and bad news.

The good: Although every TV is different, in most sets, you can turn off voice recording features and take extra steps that help protect your privacy.

Read through your TV’s privacy policies and user agreements to see what data is being collected and where it’s being sent to. It’s always smart to know who has your information and why.

You can also do your research before buying your smart TV.

Apple has pretty hefty privacy policies so their TVs don’t do much tracking. However, Chromecast and other Google TV products give the same data tracking information as when you sign up for other Google applications, like Gmail.

So when you find a smart TV you like, just be sure you’re comfortable giving away a certain amount of privacy.

If you’re looking for an in-depth article on how to turn data tracking off for specific smart TVs, check out this article from Wired.

The bad: Because apps collect your data anyways, there’s a reasonable amount of privacy you’re giving away to third-party sites.

For example, Netflix and Hulu will always record your data, whether you are streaming from a TV or not.

If you are wanting to escape tracking, it is important to know what data is being collected, where it’s going, and why they want it. This way, you know what information is being sent and why in some cases, you aren’t able to escape it.

Your Car

For 18 years, cops have had the technology to listen to audio from your car and retrieve your location in almost real-time.

This is called “Cartapping,” and happens when cops hand over warrants to vehicle tech-providers like OnStar and SiriusXM.

In one case, police retrieved data from OnStar from a Chevrolet Tahoe when the emergency button was accidentally pressed and an Onstar Staff worker heard people discussing a possible drug deal.

An officer followed the car while listening to the information, leading to the findings of illegal substances in the car.

Although the suspect had accidently pressed the button, the car was not signed onto OnStar’s service.

A GM spokesperson said that cartapping is something they don’t do unless they’ve been given a required court-order. This is because they want to make sure they’re providing a service while ensuring privacy, safety, and security.

In some court cases, lawyers have gotten the vehicle surveillance thrown out, because they argued it went against their reasonable expectation of privacy, guaranteed by the fourth amendment.

In other cases, cartapping was upheld because warrant’s were granted beforehand.

The answer to cartapping is simple: If you don’t want to be tapped, don’t give the police a reason to be suspicious of you.

Your Computer

According to tech retail company, Kensington, a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds. This means that in your lifetime, you have a 1 in 10 chance of it getting stolen.

When your laptop is stolen, the chances are high of getting your data hacked into.

Having a few security measures like remote-wiping and data encryption can help secure important information from being stolen.

Other ways to protect your privacy on your laptop include:

Require a login password. Don’t make it easy for someone to hack into your computer. At the very least, have a login password.
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). According to HowToGeek, “VPNs can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more.” So if you want internet browsing privacy with no data tracking, using a VPN is your best option.
Make sure your software is always up-to-date. Software updates are often to fix bugs that can lead to hacking. It is always a good idea to update software as soon as it is available.
Backup your data. If someone steals your computer, you don’t want to be at a loss when you can’t get any of your work or data back. Make sure you always have data backed up somewhere safe.
Add a privacy screen and a webcam cover. Do you know how easy it is to install malware to hack webcams and laptop files? The malware is pretty easy to spot, but you can always add an extra precaution by having a webcam cover.

Do you think someone has hacked into your webcam? Remote-control malware allows a user to easily do this while also giving access to personal files, browsing history, and messages.

Luckily, all you have to do to solve this issue is locate the malware and delete it.

The process of deleting malware is different for every computer, but luckily Youtube or Google has the solution for just about every computer.

Virtual Assistants

In a world where virtual assistants are featured in almost every home, it’s crucial to know what information they are programmed to store.

Some companies, like Amazon, have built privacy programs that are created to make sure nobody can hack into your device. But what are they doing with your information?

Amazon made this youtube video to explain all the privacy protection features Alexa has, but never discusses what Amazon does with the information it receives.

Amazon doesn’t sell data that can be traced back to you but it does sell information on what you use Alexa for.

An example would be if you sent balloons to a friend on their birthday. Amazon could tell the third-party that someone ordered balloons or that 50,000 people have sent balloons through Alexa, but not specifically as to who.

Other companies that have similar products like Google’s Google home or Apple’s Siri have similar policies.

Some people also worry about being secretly recorded.

Smart devices start recording when you give them their wake up word (Alexa, what’s the weather today?) and stop after the interaction.

As of right now, there are rumors, but there is no proof that the CIA is listening in, like they were doing with smart TVs.

Your Cell Phone

Cell phone apps are selling your data so companies can store data on you.

Data includes call logs, email contacts, internet and calendar data, app information, and more.

Apps aren’t the only data collectors on your phone.

Some of the top communication companies in the country are notorious for taking data and selling it to third-parties.

The only real way around this is to do some research on your service provider and see if they’ve been caught selling data.

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) wants AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in fines.

This is because telecom companies have been selling location data without the users knowledge or consent. They did this by sharing real-time location by pinging off nearby cell-towers.

Although they said they would stop, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile were caught still doing it.

The notices are not final statements so the companies have the option to fight the fees.

Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, a professor of internet governance at the University of Oxford, explained the “sinister danger,” that these companies bring with storing our data.

The only way you can really avoid this is by using a pay-by-minute phone instead of investing into a plan.

Extra Steps To Reserve Your Privacy

If all that isn’t enough for you, there are still extra things you can do to protect your privacy.

Don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want anyone to use against you. In other words, don’t post on Facebook that you go get coffee from Starbucks on Main st. every morning at 10:00am. You don’t want someone stalking you because you made it easy for them.
2-Step authentication. This makes it harder for your accounts to get hacked into. It is always a good idea to have this implemented.
Use different passwords. This one is a no-brainer. If a hacker can figure out one password, then you are in trouble if all your passwords are the same.
Update, Update, Update! It is common for apps or software to have updates that fix bugs. Update as soon as it is available to make sure you have the best available software.
Use browsers that are safe. Browsers take all sorts of information and store it to sell to companies. Use protected browsers like Brave or Firefox for better privacy.
Use a Data Broker Opt-Out page By using a reliable data broker opt-out page, you can delete your personal information from the largest databases. Some subscriptions even show what information was found and removed.

You’ve Got Your Rights!

Even though there are some privacy aspects you do have to give up, there are many ways to protect yourself from getting spied on.

By knowing your rights to privacy, you’re better able to protect yourself from hacking and unwanted data sharing.

Want to learn more about privacy? Check out Fyresite’s blog and see how you can be efficient in internet security

Why SSL Shrinkage Is A Good Thing For Security

Fyresite — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 16:47:15 +0000

Story by Steven Martis.

The lifespan of SSL/TLS certificates dropped again! This time, Apple’s Safari did the deed. But what’s with this SSL shrinkage, and what does it mean for security?

Now, this news seems like a small step in a long trend that’s been going on for years–but this change is different. This time, it has implications for the future of SSL.

I first heard about SSL certificate validity in 2011 while working at a large Phoenix-based domain registrar. Since I was interning with the SSL/PKI department, I had learned how Wildcard and Extended Validation certificates were different from standard SSL certificates.

At the time, I remembered hearing that certificates would only stay valid for 5 years because of a new body called the Certification Authority Browser Forum. This forum was made up of all the big-league browser makers, so you knew it held weight.

When they decided that the original 8 and 10-year certificates were too longterm, their opinion made all the difference. Of course, the thinking was sound. If the certificates don’t last as long, compromised ones are harder to exploit.

Over time, this trend continued. In 2015, the validity dropped to 3 years. In 2018, we had another drop to two years. Now, Apple has announced that it will drop the validity down to a mere 398 days on its Safari browser, beginning September 1st, 2020. That’s a big change! But what does this mean for people with websites using HTTPS?

What’s Next For SSL/TLS?

For current certificates, not much. Existing certificates will still be valid until their stated expiration–even if the term was longer than 398 days. It’s all the new ones that get hit. After those certificates expire, the sites will display a “website not secure” message until the site owners re-key.

This shorter validity may change services a lot. It’s very likely that Certificate Authorities, like GoDaddy, will start automating the re-keying process. That way, they can sell multiple years upfront. If so, we will see huge changes. Re-keying certificates is complicated. Automation would make SSL more attractive to average website owners–even if they don’t have a lot of technical knowledge and may want some development help.

SSL shrinkage shows no signs of stopping. Services like Let’s Encrypt, which issues free 90-day certificates, have made SSL more accessible. We’re likely to see certificate validity drop to 365 days, or even below that. And since companies like WP Engine offer those certificates on a rolling basis, people will keep using them.

Is this the end of SSL as we know it? It’s hard to say. But we do know one thing: we’re only going to see more free, short-validity SSL certificates–and that’s a good thing for security.

SEO For Parallax Websites: How To Rank With A Single Page

Fyresite — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 19:18:07 +0000

Story by Reed Steiner.

Let’s face the facts: parallax websites look really cool. But is SEO for parallax websites worth the hassle? How do you get a one-page website to rank on Google?

Many SEO and digital marketing experts will say that it’s not worth it, but that’s not true. Sure, not every website should be parallax. But if it helps you appeal to your target audience, don’t let the threat of an SEO dip get in the way. Parallax websites aren’t all bad if you build them right, and there are lots of ways to build better SEO that’ll knock traditional websites out of the park.

This article uses lots of examples, but no screenshot or video can capture how interactive a good parallax website can be. Feel free to explore each website in a new tab using the links provided underneath each image.

What Is A Parallax Website?

It depends on who you ask.

Strictly speaking, a parallax website uses the parallax effect. By moving different layers at different speeds as the user scrolls, the website appears to have 3-dimensional depth. The Firewatch video game website displays this effect very well. When you open the website, it looks like this:

However, as you scroll down, the front layer moves faster than the back layers. As a result, the scenery looks three-dimensional as you scroll.

Note that the front layer has moved a ton, but the back layer has hardly moved at all. That’s parallax.

However, language has a funny way of evolving over time. Since many parallax websites fit all the website content into one page, the definition has started to change. Now, even industry professionals will call any single-page scrolling website “parallax,” even if the website doesn’t use a parallax effect.

Sure, “Parallax” meaning “single page” may not be prescriptively correct, but that’s how many professionals use the word now. Besides, you can’t break the lines if you listen to prescriptivists.

We could argue about the merits of each definition for days, but let’s focus on what both definitions have in common: the website fits into one long, scrolling page. This design choice comes with some pros and cons–especially with respect to design and SEO.

The Pros Of Parallax

Parallax websites aren’t as common as traditional ones, but they can be extremely useful in certain contexts.

User Experience

Parallax websites are perfect for the user journey. Since all the content appears as the user scrolls, you can refine the user journey, strengthen your brand story, and streamline your funnel. It’s no wonder parallax websites have a 37.5% higher conversion rate.

Design

Parallax websites can look pretty cool. Dynamic animations, stunning graphics, and high-quality graphics can make a parallax website breathtaking. As a result, parallax websites usually have a lower bounce rate.

Budget

A parallax website costs less than a traditional website because you only need to pay for one page. Of course, this page isn’t small, but it’s still only one page. They’re a great choice for businesses that want a high-quality scalable website.

If storytelling, user journey, scaleability, and budget are important to your company, a single-page parallax website may be right for you.

The Problems With SEO For Parallax Websites

Parallax isn’t perfect. Otherwise, every website would be parallax. It comes with a few drawbacks.

Not Enough Pages

This is the biggest issue: parallax websites are single-page. If Google only indexes one page, you won’t rank for nearly as many keywords. Plus, you’ll be limited to only one H1 title.

Long Load Time

You can only fit so much content into one page before it slows down. If your entire website fits onto one page, it won’t load as fast–especially if it uses a parallax effect or other dynamic animations. Simply put, parallax websites take time to load.

Browser/Mobile Compatibility

Dynamic graphics and big animations may have trouble loading on certain browsers or mobile devices.

These problems are huge, but only if left unattended. If you know what you’re doing, you can solve all these issues.

How To Boost SEO For Parallax Websites

Fret not! There’s still hope.

If you build your single-page website the right way, these issues will be a lot less problematic.

Solution 1: Paginate

The best way to make scrolling content crawlable is to break it into distinct chunks that Google can understand. Lucky for us, Google explains exactly how to do it.

Google’s first recommendation for a scrolling page is to split the page into components. Here’s a helpful diagram from the Google blog post.

Yoast continues with more advice on how to set up different sections. It suggests using

or tags to create a sort of pseudo-slug for the section.

Another key step for creating crawlable sections is structuring your URLs correctly. Google advises using full URLs for each component page since it makes errors less likely.

Good: example.com/category?name=fun-items&page=1
Good: example.com/fun-items?lastid=567
Less optimal: example.com/fun-items#1

These guidelines help you divide your content into distinct sections that Google can crawl. While these sections aren’t perfect, they make a big difference and help you branch out a bit more.

The only problem with the last method is that Google doesn’t index each section. That’s too bad. If only you could get Google to index each section as a separate page!

A great post by iProspect tells you exactly how to do that using jQuery.

Here’s the gist of it:

Step 1

Start by dividing the parallax website into sections. This is a smart idea whether you use this method or not.

Step 2

Make one section active. All its content will be in the HTML. All other sections will be inactive and shown to the user through jQuery so Google doesn’t flag your website for duplicate content.

Step 3

When the user scrolls into a new section, the jQuery function will push the PHP content into the HTML. In other words, it’ll plop the content into place as the user gets there.

The iProspect page goes into more detail but keeps the language pretty simple. I recommend reading it for more details.

However, this solution is still limiting. You can only fit so many sections into your website before the page gets too bulky. The best solution for SEO for parallax websites would have to include about five sections to prevent the page from loading too slowly. However, you can have your cake and eat it too with a blog.

Solution 2: Add A Blog

“Blogs are great,” says the person who writes blogs for a living.

Seriously, though. Blogs are wonderful for SEO in so many ways. They’re especially great if you want your parallax website to rank for more keywords.

Why? Because you’re creating tons and tons of extra pages, and Google indexes each one!

In other words, you can get the best of both worlds: the brilliant UX of a parallax website with the SEO of a traditional one.

Creative copywriter Érika Moreira brilliantly integrates her blog right into her beautiful website. Users scroll through her content, select a piece of writing, and seamlessly transition into the next page.

Sure, the website is no longer just one page, but that’s a good thing. You get a huge SEO boost for just a little bit more money.

However, neither of these solutions address the other two SEO problems with parallax websites: loading speed and compatibility.

Solution 3: Try Responsive Design

Parallax websites don’t have to crash on mobile devices. If you design mobile-first, you won’t run into this problem.

Sometimes, that means cutting out your bigger and more complex animations, but not always. The Fyresite.com homepage opens with animation, and it works great on mobile.

Parallax websites are the same: if you want them to rank better, build them for mobile devices. After all, shouldn’t scrolling websites always prioritize scroll-friendly devices?

Solution 4: Let It Be

Here’s the real question: is SEO for parallax websites really that big of a deal?

Before you freak out about the importance of digital marketing and Google, let me explain: not every website needs 100% perfect SEO, and parallax really doesn’t hurt your SEO enough to throw it out entirely.

As usual, it all depends on your audience.

What if you run a small cutting-edge startup that needs a stunning website to encourage investment? Your brand storytelling, scalability, and budget are more important than your rank. A parallax website is perfect–even if it has a minor, fixable SEO dip.

What if you’re an artist who needs to showcase work and collect leads? Your sales funnel, page design, and budget are more important than your rank. Again, a parallax website is perfect–even if it has a minor, fixable SEO dip.

What if you’re running a conference and need a landing page to send to the guests? Your usability, design, and budget are more important than your rank. Unsurprisingly, a parallax website is perfect–even if it has a minor, fixable SEO dip.

The truth is that every website is unique. Sometimes all the benefits of a parallax website will outweigh the tiny dip in available keywords. Even Google agrees that it’s more important to meet your user’s needs than to play the Parallax SEO Game.

If a parallax website is the best fit for you, don’t worry about the SEO. Just design a high-quality, high-performance website for your target audience and Google will rank you. If you meet their needs, they’ll come to your website.

It’s that simple.

Shopify Vs WooCommerce For ECommerce Websites

Fyresite — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 18:18:24 +0000

Story by Jason Turnquist.

Shopping is rapidly moving online, meaning eCommerce is no longer a luxury; it’s now a necessity. If you don’t have an eCommerce site yet, we highly recommend exploring the two major platforms: Shopify and WooCommerce. But Shopify vs WooCommerce isn’t a simple battle. It’s a complex, nuanced brawl. To find out which platform works best for your business, we’ll go over the most important differences and how they impact your site.

Overview

Both Shopify and WooCommerce are game-changers. But picking the best solution isn’t all black and white (or green and purple).

It’s like picking between a jeep and a convertible. Both get you from point A to B, but the best option depends on your specific needs.

If you need an easy-to-use, all-in-one eCommerce solution, Shopify is the platform for you. All the hard maintenance work is done behind the scenes, enabling you to focus on selling your product.

If you need a powerful, customizable eCommerce upgrade to a WordPress website, WooCommerce is the right option for you. It’s an open-source, heavily-customizable plugin that you can add to an existing WordPress website.

These differences aren’t random. They’re caused by several fundamental factors that make each solution unique. Let’s explore those factors in detail.

Shopify Vs WooCommerce: Hosting

The most notable difference between Shopify and WooCommerce is the type of hosting. Shopify is a hosted service, which means your website is maintained by a provider. WooCommerce, on the other hand, is self-hosted, which means it plugs straight into WordPress.

Pros Of Hosting

Of course, hosting has many benefits. Since someone else takes care of all the maintenance, you can rest assured the framework will stay up to date. That means you’ll receive all the newest features and security patches instantly. Your website will be cutting edge and secure at all times.

A hosted platform is especially nice if you’re new to building an eCommerce website. You gain access to updates and a speedy content delivery network without any extra work on your end.

Plus, if anything goes wrong, you can always call Shopify’s renowned customer support. Hosted services like Shopify are a brilliant, hassle-free solution.

Cons Of Hosting

A hosted platform isn’t for everyone—especially if you want more freedom customizing your eCommerce platform. You have to abide by Shopify’s rules and regulations, which can be an issue if your product sits in a grey area.

CBD is a great example. If you want to sell CBD products on Shopify, you’re at the mercy of its extensive CBD regulations. WooCommerce has a long list of CBD regulations, too, but they only apply to certain Automattic services, such as WooCommerce Shipping and WooCommerce Tax. If you use the open-source WooCommerce software, these guidelines don’t apply. For that reason, WooCommerce promotes itself as the CBD-friendly platform.

But even if you aren’t selling CBD products, a more malleable and less restrictive platform may have a strong appeal.

Self-hosted solutions also save you money. Shopify costs anywhere from $29 to $299 each month (there’s also a $9/month “Shopify Lite” plan, but it only supports social selling). WooCommerce is free since it’s open-source, but you still need to pay to host your website. We highly recommend using managed WordPress hosting, since it’s much more secure and user-friendly (you can read our blog post all about managed WordPress hosting). Once you factor in those hosting costs, plugins, and other expenses, WooCommerce costs anywhere from $20 to $80 each month.

Neither option is a clear winner 100% of the time because the best solution depends on your business. If you already have a fully-fledged WordPress website and want to add a customized eCommerce platform, WooCommerce is a smart choice. But, if you want a fully-supported feature-rich service, Shopify may be better. Hosting comes with numerous pros and cons, so the best option really depends on your business.

Shopify Vs WooCommerce: Development

Another major difference between the two platforms is development. Shopify is more of a do-it-yourself platform, while WooCommerce usually requires a developer (though not always).

Shopify Development

At its core, Shopify is built for DIY eCommerce. It has 70+ great free and paid themes, each with multiple styles and variations. After selecting a theme, you have plenty of room to customize fonts, colors, images, and more to make it your own.

No matter the theme, your website will run at lightning speeds. That’s because Shopify uses its own language, Liquid, to access template variables faster. Liquid, which is written in Ruby, makes it really easy to develop new templates without knowing the ins and outs of the backend. The syntax is also surprisingly simple to understand for non-technical users.

While this unique template language makes DIY development easier, it makes customization much harder. Shopify has limited out-of-the-box functionality; therefore, complex product features will probably require custom development. But custom development isn’t easy. Since Liquid is specific to Shopify, 3rd-party developers are more expensive and in short supply. As a result, custom Shopify development can range from $100 to well over $200 per hour. Meaning, if you want a customized store, WooCommerce may save you money.

WooCommerce WordPress Development

WordPress development can be DIY too, but you will likely need a developer to get the best custom results. WordPress has themes to spare, clocking in at almost 4,000.

Although WordPress has more available themes, don’t be fooled. Not all of these themes are top-notch. For your website to perform with minimal latency, you need to spend some time optimizing the website—or at least pick a good theme from the start.

However, the biggest advantage of WordPress is its customizability. Unlike Shopify, WordPress is built on PHP and JavaScript, resulting in a much larger developer base. As a result, custom development only costs between $50 and $150 per hour.

Although, you may not even need to tweak the framework because WordPress is overflowing with plugins. Plugins are great! They add complex functionality to your website—all without even touching the framework.

With simpler customization and a plethora of plugins, WooCommerce on WordPress is the best choice for stores with complex product variations and grouped projects.

Shopify Vs WooCommerce: Scalability

This category doesn’t have a clear winner, but so many clients ask about scalability that we have to address it.

Both Shopify and WooCommerce are very easy to scale. In fact, both platforms can support millions of dollars a year in transactions. The platform will be able to handle anything you throw at it—regardless of how large your business grows.

That doesn’t mean, however, that your costs won’t scale. Your website’s hosting costs will increase to handle all the new traffic, with your monthly Shopify maintenance and hosting fees growing, too. Shopify will cost slightly more to scale because of the fees, but it’s not nearly enough to prevent growth. The great news is that with both options, the platform will scale with you.

Shopify Vs WooCommerce: Point Of Sale

Is your business entirely digital, or do you sell from a brick-and-mortar store, too?

If your business has a physical store, a Point of Sale, or POS, system may be a lifesaver. It allows you to sell products from any device. That way, your eCommerce store and your physical stay in sync.

Shopify POS is included in every Shopify plan. Just install the app and start processing payments from your own device.

One of the reasons Shopify POS is so great is the hardware. It comes with fully-integrated hardware that makes accepting payments simple. However, many of its more advanced features, such as individual staff pins, require a more expensive package.

WooCommerce doesn’t come with POS by default, but it can integrate with Square, which is the largest POS system on the market.

Cost

The Square for WooCommerce plugin is completely free, but you still have to pay Square a small fee for each purchase. The fee comes down to 2.6% + 10¢ for contactless payments, 3.5% + 15¢ for cards on file, and 2.9% + 30¢ for invoices. Shopify POS is subsidized by the monthly Shopify subscription, so the price depends on your plan. The basic plan’s fee is more expensive than Square, at 2.7% + 0¢. However, the standard plan rate is 2.5%, and the advanced plan rate is 2.4%.

The Square and Shopify POS systems are pretty similar, and neither one fully outweighs the other. However, Square has a few small advantages. Most notably, it functions both online and offline, while Shopify POS only functions with an internet connection. That means your customers can keep on swiping their credit cards—even when the wifi’s down.

Long story short, both Shopify and WooCommerce provide great POS systems that streamline in-person sales.

Shopify Vs WooCommerce: Which Should You Choose?

Both Shopify and WooCommerce are excellent options for your eCommerce website. However, that doesn’t mean that you should blindly choose one and run with it. Make sure your choice is well-informed.

If you’re new to building an eCommerce website and want DIY-type experience, Shopify is the best solution. It provides enough customization to make your website unique but keeps things simple and easy to understand.

If you have some experience with custom website development or already have a full-fledged custom WordPress website, WooCommerce is for you. It plugs right into your existing website and leaves plenty of room for simple, custom modifications.

However, not all websites are this clear-cut. If you want our professional opinion, please reach out online for a free consultation. We’d love to help.

Is Managed WordPress Hosting Worth It?

Fyresite — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 17:34:25 +0000

Story by Steven Martis.

Hosting is one of your most important decisions when launching a new website. Take our word for it: we’ve launched a few. However, too many people don’t take it seriously.

Of course, it’s human nature to seek the best deal and to try to get the most value out of a service—even when that service can be ambiguous or confusing. But at what point does natural frugality become penny-pinching?

Having formerly worked at a large Phoenix-based hosting provider, I’ve explained to hundreds and hundreds of normal, everyday people what Managed WordPress hosting is, what it does, and why a website needs it. Oftentimes, it would all come down to “how much does it cost.”

That’s ridiculous.

Imagine a scenario where you’ve had designers, developers, and UX/UI teams put dozens of hours into building your business website just the way you want it. But at launch, you make your hosting decision on price alone, casting aside important factors like page load speed, manageability, customer service, and security. It sounds crazy, but CEOs and CFOs do it all the time.

It’s like putting ketchup on Filet Mignon or wooden cartwheels on a Ferrari. It may save you money, but it ruins your high-quality product.

Anyone building a high-quality website should consider Managed WordPress Hosting. It’s an optimized, secure, and consistently maintained platform designed for hosting WordPress sites. All your maintenance—such as OS patching and updates—is performed entirely by the host, which means that you don’t have to worry about the nitty-gritty details at all.

But if you’re paying someone to manage all those details, don’t you want them to manage it the right way?

To give you an idea about how much of a difference high-quality managed hosting makes, we’ll be comparing GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress Hosting platform to the Fyresite hosting platform, which uses WP Engine’s Managed WordPress hosting.

Managed WordPress Hosting: Speed

The faster your website loads, the more page views and revenue you will receive. Latency causes distraction from your products, mistrust in your brand, and a loss in both revenue and traffic.

All the data agrees: speed is everything. Studies show that site conversion drastically drops off at about 5 seconds, and more than half of visitors abandoned a mobile site if a page takes longer than three seconds to load. Since June 2018, latency even became a ranking factor on Google. Slower sites rank lower in searches. Isn’t that reason enough to worry about loading speed?

On the other hand, quicker web experiences lead to higher user engagement, conversions, and ROI. In other words, a faster website makes you more money. So how can you rake in more money and lower that latency?

Lots of things can cause latency—your ISP, the quality of code used to build your site, the device that is loading the page, geolocation, caching—but hosting can be a huge factor. So which hosting platforms have the lowest latency?

We happen to have quite a bit of experience with hosting platforms, so we’ve noticed a few trends. Unsurprisingly, your typical cPanel shared hosting plans (think Bluehost or GoDaddy Shared hosting) are noticeably slower than Managed WordPress Hosting. However, we’ve also noticed that, on average, GoDaddy Managed WordPress Hosting sites take up to twice as long to load as their WP Engine counterparts.

That’s right! Wpengine hosting is twice as fast. Do those extra savings still seem so wise?

Managed WordPress Hosting: Customer Service
Most business leaders overlook this factor when comparing options, but it’s arguably one of the most important. WPengine support is available 24/7 via a chat window from within your account.

GoDaddy also offers 24/7 support. But is all 24/7 support really created equal?

In the last 8 years, I’ve had hundreds of interactions with both hosts. To be fair, I’ve had good and bad experiences with both, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a clear victor.

I normally only have to speak to WP Engine support once before they solve an issue. But with GoDaddy, I’ll typically have to call multiple times and talk to multiple agents before the problems get fixed.

But that’s not all. GoDaddy employees have sales quotas and are financially compensated for selling more than their expected metrics. That means any support call can turn into a sales pitch at a moment’s notice. Imagine how frustrating that can be: you’re grinding to put your website back online during critical business hours, but the bored tech on the other end of the phone keeps trying to sell you something at the end of every interaction.

Personally, I prefer the no-nonsense chat feature WP Engine uses because it is immediate: I’m chatting with someone within seconds, and it’s a consistent experience. While GoDaddy also offers chat functionality, it’s too sales-focused. For those reasons, I always recommend WP Engine for customer support.

Managed WordPress Hosting: Security

Both hosts maintain the servers by updating the stack and OS regularly, which means that you can stay hands-off. But WP Engine still pulls ahead.

Both hosts offer nightly backups, so if something disastrous happens—like an update that breaks the site or a big human error—you can restore your site at a moment’s notice. But while GoDaddy only holds 30-day rolling backups, WPEngine holds 60-day rolling backups.

The biggest security advantage of WP Engine, however, is in the SSL. GoDaddy only offers a year of free SSL—and only if you purchase their most expensive package. It renews at close to $100 after the year is up in addition to the cost of the plan itself. WPEngine, on the other hand, utilizes Let’s Encrypt SSL services, which are free for life.

Don’t think SSL is worth the hassle? Well, it’s what lets your visitors know that their data is secure. It’s mandatory for transactions. It even factors into Google rankings.

So Is High-Quality Managed WordPress Hosting Worth It?

Evaluate all these factors when comparing value beyond a pricepoint.

While GoDaddy has made leaps and bounds in improvements to its hosting platform, it still battles a historically poor reputation.

In my opinion, while GoDaddy may eventually be able to offer a comparable service to WP Engine, it currently pales in comparison to the complete package that WP Engine offers. Though it comes in at a higher price point, there have been numerous occasions where I’ve needed a hero—and they consistently overdeliver. That—along with the speed and quality of their next-level technical support—is why we will continue to utilize the WP Engine platform as our preferred and recommended hosting solution.

Want to find out what we can do for your WordPress website? Please check out our web development services. We’d love to chat about how hosting providers can impact your business.

AR Could Literally Save Your Life

Fyresite — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 19:18:50 +0000

Story by Lauren Lively.

(Part four of a five-part series on how augmented reality is changing every industry)

We already know from previous articles that augmented reality (AR) is impacting every industry. From shopping to education, there seems to be no end to what AR can improve.

So why not take AR to the operating table?

Because AR takes your real-life environment and adds additional elements to it, this technology is changing the way doctors diagnose, military medics make medical decisions, and adding life-saving technology into the pockets of everyone.

Training, Diagnosis, Treatment

For centuries, people have imagined the extraordinary things technology could do to help improve daily life.

For example, the Jetsons aired an episode where George swallowed a small robot that performs an internal checkup and shows the doctor his insides.

This isn’t too different from what AR is currently doing.

With the help of programs like Proximie, doctors can show patients their health problems and explain step-by-step treatment plans with 3D models.

AR also allows physicians to view data without having to touch anything. This is important because physicians have to keep the field sterilized, and this eliminates the need to use a computer keyboard or mouse.

As if treatment plans and sterilization aren’t enough of a reason for physicians to use AR, this technology is also a smart way to help in physician training.

AR Training

Training with AR creates a learning environment where the pressure is lower and the learning is more hands-on.

With AR/VR programs like Osso, students are able to perform an ankle replacement from beginning to end without having to perform on a real person and without the assistance of another doctor.

AR isn’t only helping surgical staff. This technology is assisting nurses in finding veins in their patients.

Because finding veins in children and the elderly can sometimes be a trying task for nurses, new technology has been made to find veins with ease.

Accuvein scans the patient’s arm using an infrared laser and then projects an image of the veins back into the patient’s arm. And because the device is small and lightweight, it makes for an ideal device to use for each patient.

According to Accuvein, 40% of IVs miss the vein on the first stick. This device improves the likelihood of a successful IV by 3.5 times and reduces the need to call for assistance by 45%.

While the benefits behind AR are growing, some hospitals aren’t adapting because of how long scanning and digitizing everything can take.

You would also have to train the doctors how to use the technology, which takes a lot of time and extra money.

AR Meets Specific Military Needs

The U.S Army just invested in a $750,000 development contract with MedCognition’s PerSim AR system which provides training for combat casualty care. This program simulates realistic battlefield wounds and mass casualty injuries.

The technology is based on a system called PerSim, which is used as a training program for paramedics, firefighters, and police.

(Left) Realistic AR patient (Right) Training Paramedic. Image courtesy of PerSim.

Realistic scenarios like respiratory distress, strokes, and trauma are given to prepare staff for how patients will look and act.

This AR technology is helping train the military in battlefield care, battlefield injuries, and mass casualty injuries.

Battlefield Care

Because military training is taught in a classroom, AR will help immerse them into real life military medicine and battlefield care. The program is still being developed and is expected to launch within the next few months.

One AR technology is already providing a valuable battlefield service that other devices have yet to master.

Portable ultrasound technology uses high frequency sound waves to find veins, blood in the abdomen, fractures, collapsed lungs, nerve bundles, and babies.

Having a portable ultrasound is ideal because the device weighs less than five pounds and is battery operated. They also cost $40,000 which is about the third of the price of a full-sized X-ray machine.

Portable ultrasounds are also being used in ambulances and developing countries.

With the help of the portable ultrasound, military medics are able to better assist combat wounds. But what happens when you have limited resources and too many soldiers have similar injuries?

Jerome Buller, who leads the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, told Defense One a scenario where AR technology is crucial for the best care.

“Let’s say you and your fellow soldier have the same injury. Looks the same, pools of blood are the same. You may compensate [as in, survive injury] far better than she can, or vice versa. And if I only have two packets of blood, who do I give it to?”

This technology is currently being developed to make sure military medics don’t have to rely solely on their intuition.

Along with saving the most amount of lives, the technology could also improve the mental being of the medics. This is because the technology is the one helping guide their decisions on who is best to assist.

AR Assists More Than Just Trained Professionals

Having these AR devices are helping those in the medical field. But what can AR do for everyone else?

As mentioned in a previous article, AR can be a great learning hub for anyone at any age. If you want to learn about your anatomy, there are a few apps that use AR to make learning easier.

Visible Body not only lets you learn about specific body parts, but Visible Body’s AR technology shows you what your anatomy looks like as you move around.

This feature is different from other AR apps because your body is the marker.

As well as helping students learn, AR technology is helping the visually impaired see.

Cognitive Augmented Reality Assistant, or CARA, helps the blind navigate by telling the user what objects they’re approaching. This reduces the amount of times the user will bump into objects, walls, or tables.

CARA puts a “3D mesh” on top of everything in a space and detects what each object is. Objects will call out to you and the pitch of the voice varies by how close or far you are to the object.

This Technology Helps In Many Different Ways.

You can navigate through this virtual guide by having the program say “follow me.” You follow the voice to your destination while it calls out objects, so you don’t bump into anything.
Have it call out objects in a space from left to right so you have an idea of the layout of the room and where everything is.

3.Spotlight mode calls out objects that are right in front of you.

As well as helping the visually impaired, new technology will soon come out to assist those who wear contact lenses.

MOJO Lens is a smart contact lens that puts AR on top of your vision.

These lenses let you see notifications, health data, weather and more, without ever having to look down at your phone.

These contact lenses were designed by optometrists, technologists, and medical experts.

The lenses connect wirelessly to your phone and pulls data from the cloud. The battery life is one day and charges when you take them out to sleep.

But AR doesn’t just save your life if you’re sick or visually-impaired. It can save your life from a heart attack by locating local defibrillators

By having a database where users can also add new locations, this app shows where the closest defibrillators are and how long it would take to access them.

This life-saving technology has been proven to be so useful that the Dutch Red Cross integrated it into their app.

Although you should call emergency services if a situation arises, this technology is useful in the time it takes for them to get to your location.

What’s Next For AR?

Augmented reality is approaching every market and has elements that can be helpful for every situation.

If you’re interested in more articles like this one, view other articles in this series. Or, let us know by reaching out.

Top 10 WordPress Security Hacks To Keep Your Website Safe

Fyresite — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 17:06:04 +0000

Story by Steven Martis

Is WordPress really as secure as it seems? After all, 90% of infected websites were hosted on WordPress in 2018. However, many of these attacks are easily preventable. With just a little bit of preparation, your website can become much more secure. In fact, you can secure it in mere minutes with just a few WordPress security hacks.

1) Use Premium Hosting

This is hardly a “WordPress security hack,” but it’s extremely important: don’t skimp on your WordPress hosting. Hosting services may not seem fun and flashy, but they make all the difference. In fact, 41% of all WordPress attacks are caused by a bad hosting platform.

Managed hosting may be pricier than your standard shared hosting, but trust us: it’s worth every penny. You’re paying a company to manage all of the technical details that keep your website alive, which means your security is backed up by a WordPress expert.

But what does this mean for your website? For starters, your host will keep all the software and hardware up to date. When you run the latest version of WordPress, hackers can’t exploit the security vulnerabilities in the older version.

Up-to-date hardware and software only scratch the surface. Most premium hosts also provide a web application firewall (WAF), which keeps viruses and malware out of your website.

If malware does get into your website, all hope is not lost. The host will take action. It will notify site owners and even disable accounts to run scans.

However, viruses aren’t the only threat thwarted by high-quality hosting. Premium hosts will even protect your website from DDoS attacks and other disasters. They offer accident plans and disaster recovery solutions to keep your site safe and secure–no matter the threat.

Premium hosting is the single best way to secure your website. However, security doesn’t stop here. With just a few five-minute fixes, your website can become still more secure.

WordPress recommends Bluehost, DreamHost, and SiteGround, but lots of other wonderful options exist. Give us a holler to discuss which option may work best for you

2) Install A WordPress Backup Solution

What will you do if your website disappears? What’s your backup plan?

A fail-proof website needs a good fail-safe. That’s why a full backup of your website is so important.

If anything goes wrong, you’ll thank your lucky stars that you have a backup of your website. It’s a simple way to recover from a total disaster in mere seconds.

But remember: you need to frequently back up your website for a backup to be effective. Back it up at least once per day, if not in real-time, depending on how frequently you make updates. Plugins will usually do this job for you. We recommend WPengine. It makes backing up and restoring your website near effortless.

In mere minutes, you can make your website exponentially more secure by backing it up. But what about more active defense, such as monitoring?

3) Install A Malware Scanner

Monitoring your website can be tedious. No one has time for all those manual scans. So why not do it automatically?

Installing security plugins with a good malware scanner like Wordfence can be a gamechanger. Wordfence scans and spots every file that deviates from the normal WordPress files. Once it identifies those non-core files, you can quarantine them properly.

Plus, it’s easy to install. In just minutes, you can say goodbye to hidden malware.

4) Use SSL/HTTPS

How much difference can a single letter make? As it turns out, quite a lot.

Check your website URL. Does it start with http://? It’s not encrypted. Your URL should start with https://–that “s” stands for “secure.”

A single letter may seem silly, but that squiggly little “s” packs a punch. If your website communicates over HTTP, anyone with some free software can intercept, or “sniff” that info. However, HTTPS is encrypted with TLS/SSL certificates. No one can sniff it. This is especially important for any website with a login since you want to keep your data secure.

HTTPS also helps your SEO. Google dings websites that use HTTP instead of HTTPS, so that tiny “s” can actually boost your rankings.

With services like Let’s Encrypt offering free SSL, it’s never been easier or cheaper to use SSL. It lends reassurance to your visitors and an extra layer of security on your website.

5) Change The Default “Admin” Username

Depending upon when and how you created your admin account, you may need to change the username.

In ye olden days before WordPress 3.2, the default admin username was “admin.” That’s not very secure because hackers already have your username. All it takes is a few brute force attacks before they’re in–especially if you have a weak password.

WordPress now requires you to create a custom username. However, if you use an older account, or if you installed WordPress with a one-click installer, your username may still be “admin.”

Luckily, WordPress now allows you to change your username without too much fancy footwork. If you can’t change the username, create a new username and ditch the old one. You could even use a plugin or edit it through phpMyAdmin. However you do it, make sure you set your username to something unique. It’s an extremely simple step that goes a long way.

6) Disable PHP File Execution In Certain WordPress Directories

Websites are made up of files and folders (directories). Some directories store images, others store web files, and some are even empty. You can learn more about WordPress directories on wpbeginner.

If some directories don’t need PHP file execution, why should you leave it enabled on all of them?

If you leave PHP file execution enabled when you don’t need it, hackers can upload malware or backdoor access files to your website.

Disabling PHP file execution in certain directories is pretty simple. Wpbeginner has a straightforward guide for disabling PHP execution, so I encourage you to check it out.

7) Install The “Limit Login Attempts” Plugin

The most devastating attacks don’t need a ton of code. All it takes is one person guessing username/password combinations indefinitely.

If visitors can attempt multiple logins, they can brute force their way into accounts. However, by limiting the number of login attempts, you significantly reduce the risk of a damaging attack or a compromised user account.

The Limit Login Attempts plugin is a great solution. It allows you to set a maximum number of login attempts.

This plugin pairs especially well with any two-factor authentification plugin, since they both prevent malicious logins–just remember to add a reset password option in case your users forget their password.

8) Randomize The WordPress Database Prefix

Security isn’t just about plugins–those would be some boring WordPress security hacks. You can also secure your website on the database level.

A WordPress database is made up of rows and columns. These rows, or “tables,” have different names like “wp_users” or “wp_options.” Renaming the “wp_” prefix obscures the true table’s name. WordPress still knows where to find them, but hackers don’t.

9) Disable Directory Indexing And Browsing

If you want to keep hackers from snooping through your website, don’t give them a free guide on how to do it.

By default, visiting an Apache web server that doesn’t have an index.php file will return a recursive directory listing of all files and folders–that’ll look like this:

In case you can’t tell, it’s a hacker’s goldmine. They can use it to observe your directory structure, look at files, and more. It’s basically a map to your website.

Disabling directory indexing and browsing will prevent this nightmare scenario from unfolding. Follow this wpbeginner guide to disable it yourself.

10) Disable XML-RPC

XML-RPC is awesome–but it shouldn’t be enabled across the board.

XML-RPC a pretty simple protocol: the call is encoded with XML and transported with HTTP. It was enabled in WordPress 3.5, and many custom websites use it for app integration.

While it does some powerful stuff, it can also be used by brute force hackers. They use it to make multiple password guesses in a single login attempt, which lets them bypass login attempt limits and save time and computing resources.

If you’re using XML-RPC to connect your website to an app, keep it. However, if it’s sitting idle and unused, disable it. Use this wpbeginner guide to turn it off.

Did you enjoy this guide? While these are some of the most important tips, there are plenty more ways to secure your WordPress site. Learn more WordPress security tips on wpbeginner. It’s a great resource for beginners and pros alike. For more hands-on assistance building or securing a WordPress website, check out our web development services. We have years of experience working directly with the client to build secure and stunning custom and semi-custom websites. Reach out online to find out what we can do for you.

IOS Vs Android App Development: Which OS For My Native App?

Fyresite — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 17:22:22 +0000

Story by Stephen Orr

Embarking on a new app development journey can be scary. Even when you know the results will be worth the wait, your team still needs to commit to hundreds of hours. This journey will be huge for your company, so choosing the right starting platform for your native application is crucial. To help you make the best decision for your company, we’ll give you some of our “agency insight” by comparing iOS vs Android app development head-to-head.

Many different factors should impact your decision, but the three biggest ones to consider are the capabilities of each platform, the app development process, and the target audience of your final application. Let’s explore each category.

IOS Vs Android App Development: Audience

Let’s cut to the chase: your target audience is the single most important factor to consider when choosing a platform.

Every part of an app should start with the target audience, and the platform is no different. Building your app on the wrong platform is no different than building it for the wrong people. Consider the following factors before picking your OS:

Market Share

Android and iOS aren’t an even 50/50 split. In 2019, Android maintained a firm grip on 87% of the global market, while iOS only had 13%. That’s a pretty huge gap. However, the gap closes a bit depending upon your country. In the United States, iOS took the lead at 59% market share. However, in India, Android holds a whopping 92% market share.

The better option depends on your audience. If your customers are primarily American, either OS works fine. However, Android may be a wiser bet for an international audience.

Remember that the audience does not stop at a broad national level. Perhaps your app is about to launch in India–where Android has a huge lead–but your specific target audience almost exclusively uses iOS. In that case, demographics are much more important.

Demographics

Demographic data is the secret sauce that makes your app scrumptious. If your audience strongly prefers one OS, you should probably build on that OS.

But who uses which OS? Let’s break down the demographics, based on the statistics from asonalex and PR Newswire:

IOS Demographics

29% more likely to be over 35
18% more likely to be women
14% more likely to identify as extroverted
Prefer Minimalism, Abstract Expressionism, and Bauhaus
37% more likely to have a graduate degree
Average salary of about $53k and 67% more likely to make more than $200k per year
Spend about $100/month on tech
26% more likely to spend money

Android Demographics

Skew toward people ages 18-34
10% more likely to be male
12% more likely to identify as introverted
Prefer Gothic Art, Street Art, and Surrealism
Average salary of about $37k and 24% more likely to make between $50k and $100k per year
Spend about $50/month on tech
29% more likely to save money

These trends are limited, but they tell a lot about the user. One of the most noticeable differences is that iOS users tend to spend more money–we’ll talk about that trend in the next section.

Another surprisingly-important trend is behavior. Apple users skew slightly toward the extroverted side of the spectrum. These statistics match up with the “loyal Apple cult” stereotype, and it may even suggest that apps are more likely to move by word of mouth (though more data would be needed to confirm that claim).

Of course, these statistics only represent a few basic trends. They should never replace your own research. Research your target audience. Collect as much data as you can. Use your own demographics data to predict which OS your audience prefers.

Post-Installation Behavior

Android and iOS users don’t just behave differently in their day-to-day lives. They also behave differently once they have installed the app.

To learn more about the differences, Liftoff analyzed post-install engagement with five metrics: registration, reservation, purchases, in-app purchases, and subscriptions. Here are their results:

Shockingly, iOS wins in every category except registration. Even that category is far too narrow to call. The takeaway is clear: iOS users are much more engaged in the app.

However, Android doesn’t fall too far behind. While iOS users are more likely to install, subscribe, and spend, Android users are more likely to open notifications. If your app thrives on notifications, Android could work beautifully.

There are a few distinct reasons that Android’s CTR is so high. The most obvious difference is that Android notifications are more visible. When users have an unread notification on Android, a sticky alert remains visible in the upper-left corner.

Since the notifications are always visible, users are more likely to interact with them. At any time, they can pull down the shortcut menu and open a notification.

However, iOS offers none of these features. Notifications are less customizable and less visible. That’s another win for Android in the iOS vs Android app development battlefield.

But does the behavior really matter if the users don’t convert?

Revenue Generation

Android may have a larger market share, but how many of those customers convert to buyers on the app store? As it turns out, not that many.

Even though Apple has a much smaller market share, the App Store generates 80% more gross revenue than Google Play, according to Apple Insider statistics. However, Google Play is growing. Despite having much lower revenue per customer, Google Play grows 19.6% each year.

So what do these statistics mean for your revenue? Overall, it depends on your app.

iOS users spend a lot more money than Android users. That’s not just the app store; it’s in-app purchases, too. If your business model relies on consumer purchases, iOS is a very strong choice–if not the best choice.

However, Android still has more users. And in many cases, purchases aren’t going to be your main source of revenue. What if you’re building a free mobile app? Most of your revenue will come from advertisements. What if you’re a big brand who wants to give already-paying customers some handy tools? In-app purchases aren’t as important.

Revenue generation isn’t something to guess on. You absolutely must do your research. Iron out your business model. Research your target audience. Revenue generation is critical, yet delicate. A simple misstep–such as choosing the wrong platform–could topple everything you’ve worked so hard to build.

After analyzing your audience, consider the app itself. Certain features may work better on a specific OS.

IOS Vs Android App Development: Capabilities

Each OS comes with different capabilities that could impact your final product. Consider how the OS differs for the end-user to build the best possible app on the best possible platform.

Latest Versions

Both iOS and Android have grown up into dashingly-handsome operating systems with a lot to offer. Here’s what the latest versions have to offer:

IOS 13 Key Features

Better photo app with improved zoom, powerful editing tools, and a new photos tab.
Improved portrait mode with adjustable lighting sensitivity and an updated Portrait Segmentation API
Dark Mode looks great, of course.
Sign in with Apple lets you, well, sign in with your Apple ID
CarPlay enables car radios to control iOS devices
ARKit 3 just came out with iOS 13
Updated privacy controls
Siri update
Performance Boost
3d maps

Android 10 Key Features

Live Caption automatically captions videos and audio
Smart Reply auto-suggests messages and follow-up actions
Sound Amplifier boosts and fine-tines headphone audio
Better Gesture Navigation lets users get around with swipes instead of buttons
Focus Mode temporarily disables distracting apps
Dark Theme is always a nice touch
More privacy controls
Better location controls
Immediate security updates
Family controls

Depending on your application, specific features may make or break the operating system. Apps that rely heavily on the camera, for instance, may want to consider how Apple’s Portrait Segmentation API or Android’s CameraX library impacts the final product.

Customizability

One of the most noticeable differences between iOS and Android is customizability. Apple keeps things simple: you use what you get. Users can customize wallpaper, but that’s about it. Even the default browser is locked into Safari: third-party browsers are forced to use the Safari rendering engine, which makes them slower.

Android, on the other hand, lets users customize just about anything. Users can change their SMS Client, edit their lock screen, or even add a custom ROM. As a result, Android gives you a lot more room to build a customizable experience for your user.

However, customizability doesn’t end with the user. Android app development is much more flexible. Since the publishing standards are much looser, Android apps can do things that iOS apps cannot. As a result, some apps, such as game emulators and torrent downloaders, are not possible on iOS–or at least require a lot of extra work to build correctly.

Security

Apple devices have developed a reputation for security. While iOS is hardly virus-proof, it remains remarkably secure.

The big difference is that iOS is much more closed off than Android. While Android is entirely open-source, Apple’s source code is hidden. Since iOS is a closed system, security threats are pretty rare. Plus, Apple blocks all third-party apps, so malware is harder to install.

Android, on the other hand, lags behind in security. Even though Google releases security updates every month, device manufacturers tend to push updates a bit late. As a result, many Android devices run a slightly-outdated version of the OS. In the event of a major security update, this lag can be a big security issue.

To make matters worse, hackers tend to target Android devices. Since Android has a much larger global market share, attacks scale better.

Despite the clear iOS advantage, both operating systems are pretty secure.

IOS Vs Android App Development: The Process

App development isn’t just about the OS; it’s about how you use it. Depending upon which OS you build for first, your app development process could look radically different. Consider how your decision will impact the final result.

Languages

Programming languages don’t always impact the final app, but they do impact what your developer can do for you. Unless you want to hire separate developers for iOS and Android, make sure your development team is well-versed in the relevant programming languages.

To develop for iOS, you need to know a fair bit of Objective-C or Swift. Android, on the other hand, requires Java and Kotlin.

Swift is elegant, fast, and easy to read. Most developers prefer Swift to Objective-C because it is more concise and a lot less clunky. However, Swift uses the Cocoa Touch API for UI elements, so developers who aren’t familiar with Cocoa Touch may prefer Objective-C.

On the Android side of the table, you have a similar dynamic. Kotlin is newer, faster, and more concise than Java. However, Java is still a powerful tried-and-true language with a lot of life left in it. Plus, lots of developers are very familiar with it. As a result, Java is still extremely popular in Android app development.

Language usually boils down to a matter of developer preference, but it’s worth noting. Since both Swift and Java are object-oriented languages, transitioning between them isn’t too difficult. As a result, it may be wise to find developers who are well-versed in both iOS and Android.

IOS Vs Android App Development Complexity And Timeline

iOS app development is pretty straightforward because you only have to build for a few devices. Android developers, on the other hand, have to worry about device fragmentation.

Device fragmentation is a big problem for Android app development. Since so many different devices run Android, not all of them are capable of running the latest versions. Android 10, for instance, is only available outside of beta on the Google Pixel. Some manufacturers, such as the Chinese manufacturer Oppo, didn’t even get 2018’s Android 9 until January 2020. In fact, 11.5% of Android devices are still running Android 5.1.

As a result, developing an app for Android can be difficult. Even if they build an app compatible with Android 7, a whopping 42.1% of users get left out.

However, iOS app development has its own hurdles because apps need much more vigorous maintenance. If your app isn’t upgraded to the latest version within nine or so months of its release, Apple will remove it from the app store. Plus, iPhones become obsolete much more quickly. That means iOS apps have a shorter shelf life.

Nevertheless, these issues don’t outweigh Android’s device fragmentation. All things considered, Android still takes longer to develop.

Release

While Xcode is free, releasing your app on iOS isn’t. Developers must pay a $99 annual developer fee for access to the SDK and app store. That number seems high, but it makes sense. Since iOS is a closed platform, Apple employees need to vet every app for errors, security risks, design mistakes, and rule violations before release. That process usually takes anywhere from a day to a week.

Android, on the other hand, is an open platform. That means the Android source code and SDK are available for free, so developers can distribute their apps outside of the official Google Play store. As a result, publishing to the Google Play store is much easier. After paying a one-time registration fee of $25, your app will be down to download in just a few hours.

Despite the differing review stages, both the Google Play store and the Apple App Store offer developers a staggered release. In Google Play, you set a percentage of users who get an update. However, the App Store’s phase release is driven by time. The percentage of users that receive an update depends upon the day.

Both the development process and the capabilities of the platform are extremely important for making your decision, but they aren’t the only factor to consider. Remember: your app is a product, so don’t build an Android app for iOS users. Consider your target audience.

IOS Vs Android App Development: The Verdict

Ultimately, the better OS depends on your application. No written guide can beat a professional consultation, so reach out online to chat about your application. We’d love to hear what you have in mind.

Nevertheless, certain apps do work better for certain platforms. While there are always plenty of exceptions, here are some brief, broad suggestions:

Start With IOS If…

Your target audience has a strong preference for iOS devices or fits firmly in the iOS demographic.
Your app will generate revenue through in-app purchases.
The app will be used by a local or American audience.
The project needs to be completed as soon as possible.
Security is a major concern.

Start With Android If…

Your target audience has a strong preference for Android devices or fits firmly in the Android demographic.
Your app will generate revenue through advertisements or will not generate revenue directly.
The app will be used by a global audience.
Notifications are critical to your app strategy.
Certain features are easier to develop on Android because of the increased flexibility.

However, native apps aren’t always the best solution–especially if all this talk of “iOS vs Android app development” seems confusing. If your app doesn’t need to be super close to the hardware, a cross-platform solution may be the right move. Cross-platform apps are built in a cross-platform framework that “translates” the code into native iOS and Android. Of course, cross-platform solutions can’t always replace truly native ones, but they remain a valuable tool to consider.

Again, every app is unique, so contact us for a professional consultation. We look forward to hearing your ideas.

AR Is Spoiling Shopaholics: How AR Impacts ECommerce Apps

Fyresite — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 19:42:36 +0000

Story by Lauren Lively.

Part two of a five-part series on how augmented reality is changing every industry

The way you shop has been the same for decades.

You go to the store, find some clothes you like, maybe try it on, and then check out with the apparel.

Only as of recently have you been able to purchase items online. And even then, there are still faults that leave you with wanting to ship back the products.

Augmented reality (AR) is improving the entire process.

Shopping Retail

Retail shopping has never been easier.

In the past, you had to either get your measurements or guess your clothing size before you buy. This leads to a high return rate because clothing sizes vary per manufacturer.

Clothing also looks different on every body type, so even if it looks good on the image of the model, there was no way to tell if it would look good on your body type as well.

Now, brands like American Apparel, Gap, and Lacoste use augmented reality within their apps to measure your body and let you know your estimated clothing size.

The apps allow you to see what the product would look like on your body before you buy it. Now, the customer is able to make a better-informed decision on what they’re about to buy. This leads to less returns overall.

Let’s take a look at Lacoste.

To measure your shoe size all you have to do is place your foot by their sticker, point the camera at your foot, and then the app will scan your foot and tell you your size, as well as showing you different styles that you might like.

Helpful tools like this are soon going to be available through most retail apps.

Other characteristics the apps include are letting the customer see similar styles to the one they’re viewing and they’re also able to see reviews of the item they chose.

This way, customers are able to get the full shopping experience while also knowing all the information about the product.

Facial Recognition

Accurate facial recognition is one of the key elements in making AR work well in retail.

Because AR can track your face, you can try on hundreds of glasses without having to spend hours at a store.

Companies like Frames Direct and Warby Parker make this a reality.

You can use their apps to see the glasses on your face, tell the company your prescription, and get your favorite glasses shipped straight to your doorstep. This can all be done without leaving your home which truly takes shopping to the next level.

Facial recognition isn’t only useful for shopping for glasses.

Facial tracking also lets you view what makeup products look like on your face without you having to wear any of it.

Popular cosmetic companies like Sephora already have this feature and are continually making improvements to the app.

Other facial recognition technologies include AR makeup mirrors.

A popular cosmetic brand, MAC, has introduced a mirror that lets you try on different makeup shades, without having to use any product.

While also helping with cosmetics, AR can also help by saving in-store costs.

Because the virtual assistant can tell you what items they have in stock and all other information about the product, there is less of a need for clerks. There will still be people working in stores, but when AR takes off, there will be less of a need to have in-store clerks.

Retailers can also save money on product sampling.

Because cosmetics companies have magic mirrors that allow you to test makeup virtually, less real-life sampling will be used, saving the companies lots in the long run.

Grocery Shopping

Now, you can buy all your groceries online and have them shipped right to your door with companies like Amazon. But if you like to physically go grocery shopping, new apps have come out that are helpful in any grocery store.

The Swiss company, Scandit, created an app that not only gives you general product information but also warns you about allergens in the product you’re scanning.

So instead of taking the risk with new products, you’re warned ahead of time and can skip the gluten.

While helping steer clear of food allergies, AR can also help in navigating the customer towards products they are looking for.

With AR navigation, you don’t have to rely on your map reading skills to find products. Instead, arrows point through your camera to show you where you need to turn. This way even a four-year-old can find the most hidden product.

This technology also offers you the best coupons and gives you a mobile-pay option which is the most crucial element to skipping the worst part of shopping:

The long lines!

Home Improvement

Decorating your home can be a lot of fun. From picking out colors to finding the perfect piece of furniture, good interior design is essential in creating your perfect space.

But what happens when you think you’ve found the couch of your dreams and then once you haul it back to your place, the couch doesn’t fit.

You have to lug it all the way back to the store and start their return process.

Skip the returns with these AR-integrated home improvement apps:

Ikea and Target have unveiled apps that allow the user to test different furniture throughout their space.

Along with furniture, AR also lets you test paint colors throughout your home.

Home depot has introduced a feature that allows the user to change their wall colors to their available paint. That way you don’t have to swatch your own walls and you don’t have to waste time running back to the store if your colors don’t work out.

Is AR For Shopaholics?

The way we shop is changing as we know it. With augmented reality, the industry is becoming more consumer-friendly by bettering the shopping experience in every way.

From protecting you from the food you’re allergic to, from being able to order your size on the first try, AR inclusion is a no-brainer in shopping.

Like this article? Check out others in this series or check out Fyresite for more.

React Native Vs Flutter For Cross-Platform Development In 2020

Fyresite — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 17:34:33 +0000

Story by Michael Strong.

You’d be hard-pressed to find an app developer who’s never heard of React Native–it’s the biggest, baddest cross-platform framework around today. However, a new up-and-coming framework, Flutter, has challenged the time-tested Goliath for its throne. It’s a tale as old as time: an innovative underdog goes against a well-established champion. Who will win in the React Native vs Flutter showdown?

What Are React Native And Flutter?

React Native and Flutter are both cross-platform frameworks, which means that they help developers build apps for both iOS and Android at the same time.

Normally, developers have to write apps in native machine code for each platform–that means there will be separate iOS and Android apps. Making sure two separate apps look the same, work the same, and get maintained the same way can get very expensive very fast, so cross-platform frameworks offer an elegant solution.

Cross-platform frameworks let developers write a single code base for both the iOS and Android apps. The framework converts this code into native machine code for each platform, which saves developers time and money.

But what sets them apart? How do you set React Native vs Flutter?

React Native

React Native is an open-source framework from Facebook. It lets developers use the React web framework to build native UI elements. React Native has been around since 2015; however, since React came out in 2013, developers have had even more time to ease up to the software. Right now, React Native dominates cross-platform development.

Flutter

Flutter is Google’s open-source UI Toolkit, and it’s been fighting pretty fiercely for React Native’s spot. Although it’s newer and less well-established than the tried-and-true React Native, its tech is very sound and its community has grown at a remarkable rate.

React Native Vs Flutter: Which Is Better?

Each framework offers some pros and cons, but listing their features doesn’t help anyone judge the React Native vs Flutter showdown. Instead, we’ll analyze each framework in a few separate categories and score appropriately.

Framework Design
App Metrics
Developer Support
Ease of Use

React Native Vs Flutter: Framework Design

Let’s start off with the basics: the best toolkit should be well-made. If the framework has poor architecture, it’s not very good, is it?

That’s why I’ll start by looking at the languages and architecture of each framework, as well as the ways each one handles UI components and native APIs. These factors should give us a good idea of how well each framework is designed.

Let’s start with the programming language.

Programming Language

Language is the most noticeable difference between React Native and Flutter.

React Native uses JavaScript, which is extremely popular amongst developers. As a result, most developers don’t have to do much work to pick up React Native.

Flutter, on the other hand, uses Dart. Dart is an object-oriented programming language that compiles to ARM and x64 for machines or Javascript for the web. Since the language is so new, it’s much less popular than JavaScript. However, Dart is easy to learn, since the syntax is very similar to Kotlin, Swift, and Java. Flutter even provides documentation for developers switching from React Native to Flutter.

Verdict: A Point For React Native!

Dart is an elegant language that eliminates the need for a lot of platform-specific code, but JavaScript is so common and widely-supported that I can’t not give this point to React Native. As beautiful as Dart is, it’s still a relatively-obscure new language, and learning an easy language is harder than just using a language that you already know. Sorry, Flutter, but this point goes to React Native.

But the programming language alone doesn’t make the toolkit. In fact, architecture is arguably more important.

Architecture

Both React Native and Flutter work in a similar way: they convert your code into native code for both iOS and Android. However, the way they go about doing it is very different.

React Native communicates to the native components using a JavaScript Bridge that translates the calls into native API. This bridge can impact performance–especially if the user accesses UI elements frequently in a short period of time.

Check out Lorenzo Sciandra’s article on Formidable to learn more about React Native’s architecture.

However, Flutter’s components are built-in, and it compiles ahead of runtime. That’s right: there’s no bridge! You can learn more about Flutter’s architecture in this Flutter video or on the Flutter Engine Github Wiki.

Needless to say, no bridge means better performance.

Verdict: A Point For Flutter!

Flutter’s solution is creative, innovative, and effective. It may make files a bit bigger, but it runs much more smoothly.

However, we can’t talk about architecture without discussing APIs.

Hardware-Specific APIs

Flutter does have a few important APIs, such as NFC and Bluetooth, but it lacks React Native’s massive array of community packages. Of course, there are a few ways around the problem: you could install a third-party plugin (if you can find one), or you could write native code in Swift or Java specifically to interact with those APIs.

However, React Native developers don’t have to worry about those programmatic gymnastics because React Native has everything from Bluetooth to biometrics, including geolocation, camera, and NFC. If you can think of a package it probably exists. While developers still need some native code to customize certain graphics, most of the important hardware-specific APIs are already supported.

Verdict: A Point For React Native!

React Native is still a great choice for hardware-dependent apps. The growing Flutter community is still developing some of these APIs, but for now, the point goes to React Native.

User Interface

User Interface is arguably the most important part of any cross-platform framework. If the framework can’t get the UI right, the app won’t really feel native. So which one does UI better?

At its core, React Native doesn’t have very many UI components. It only supports the basics, such as buttons and loading icons. However, React Native has so many different third-party options that the limited out-of-box components are hardly a problem.

While Flutter doesn’t have nearly as many third-party libraries at its disposal, it more than makes up for it with lots of built-in components and libraries, including Material Design and Cupertino widgets.

Out-of-the-box components are nice, but they aren’t enough to win Flutter this category. We’ll have to dive into the details a bit more

React Native components are basically wrappers around native, which produces a more native-like feel, but requires a bridge. However, if the app has lots of native calls, it may not perform as well. Plus, developers lose some customizability.

Flutter, on the other hand, cheats a little bit. Instead of mapping over to native, Flutter draws the entire UI from scratch with Skia. These custom components technically aren’t native, but they look and feel very close–as long as you only redraw the elements that have changed.

Verdict: A Point For Flutter!

Between Skia and the built-in components, I have to give this one to Flutter–even if React Native feels slightly more native.

We’ve been through a lot of different sub-categories, but which framework wins the entire Framework Design category?

Verdict: Flutter Wins Best Framework Design

React Native feels more native-like, but Flutter’s innovative and unique architecture really makes a big difference. As far as toolkit design goes, Flutter is the clear winner.

But does Flutter hold up when its apps are put to the test?

React Native Vs Flutter: App Metrics

You can’t judge a framework by its parts alone. Ultimately, the winner is the one that makes better apps. In this section, I’ll cover a few important metrics, such as performance and file size, to determine which one makes better apps.

Performance

Many developers claim that Flutter has better performance. However, measuring the difference can be a bit tricky.

Part of the reason performance comparison is so difficult is that React and Flutter compile in two very different ways. On one hand, React bridges between native modules with JavaScript. On the other hand, Flutter doesn’t need a bridge as often because many of the components are built into the framework itself. It also compiles the entire system in machine code for more native-like performance.

But how do these differences impact performance? Alex Sullivan of Thoughtbot put React Native and Flutter to the test. He developed a timer app in Native Android, React Native, and Flutter to compare performance (you can check out the exact code in his wonderful article Examining Performance Differences Between Native, Flutter, and React Native Mobile Development ). After running some basic performance tests, Sullivan measured the results.

The first time he ran the experiment, Sullivan found that React Native used less memory than Flutter, but Flutter had lower CPU Utilization.

However, Sullivan updated the blog post after a Flutter engineer observed some inconsistencies in the code. After this change, Flutter came out on top. Here are the results:

Native on a Google Pixel

React Native on a Google Pixel

Flutter on a Google Pixel

While React Native used 27MB of memory, Flutter only used 23MB. You can see the code on the original blog post and the revised version.

Of course, this experiment is too tiny to make a conclusion, but it’s consistent with the narrative that Flutter has better performance. It makes sense, too. Flutter’s architecture doesn’t need a JavaScript Bridge, so it should perform better.

Verdict: A Point For Flutter!

At its core, Flutter’s architecture is more performant. The results speak for themselves: Flutter performs measurably better than React Native.

But is a performance boost worth the size tradeoff?

Size

Let’s face it: size matters.

Flutter may perform better than React Native, but it’s also bigger. Apps built on React Native take up a lot of space, too–especially compared to native apps–but they aren’t as big as Flutter apps.

For more details, check out the Comparing APK Sizes blog post by Dharmin Majmudar. He builds a simple “Hello World” app on Flutter, React Native, Kotlin, and Java to compare the size. Here are the results:

React Native totals at about 7mb. One of the reasons it’s so big is that the app has lots of reference methods, as shown in the image above.

Flutter is even larger, but for a different reason.

In this case, Flutter’s C/C++ engine and Dart VM get way too bulky.

Overall, Flutter is clearly bigger, but both cross-platform apps are much larger than the 539KB Java app. The conclusion is simple: React Native makes smaller apps, but they’re still pretty big.

Verdict: A Point For React Native!

While this architecture helps Flutter perform better, it takes up more space. React Native produces smaller apps than Flutter.

So when you crunch the numbers, which framework wins on the metrics?

Verdict: Flutter Wins Best App Metrics

Flutter may have better performance, but its file sizes are bigger as a result. Is that a big deal? It depends. In most cases, performance is more important than file size. Plus, Flutter provides plenty of official documentation for reducing the app size. Thus, Flutter wins this round.

So far, Flutter has been killing it, but we’re only just getting started. Will Flutter stay in the lead for Developer Support?

React Native Vs Flutter: Developer Support

The framework is nothing without a thriving community to provide advice and support and to build third-party libraries. Plus, official documentation is absolutely crucial for getting new developers started and integrating them into the community. Let’s see how well Flutter fares against React Native.

Community Support

React Native is tried and true. It’s got plenty of community support and coverage. Most importantly, you can find a solution for pretty much any problem you stumble upon.

Flutter’s community is much smaller. However, it’s also much more loyal. Disagree? Just look at Github. While React Native has 84.9k stars, the much younger Flutter has 86.8k. Flutter may have a smaller community, but it’s full of Flutter mega-fans.

Flutter may have bigger fans, but they can’t compete with React Native’s sheer popularity.

Of course, the Flutter community just needs some time to grow. Once it sinks its roots into the pavement, it will sprout from the cracks and grow much stronger and more resilient than it is now.

Verdict: A Point For React Native!

Will the Flutter community grow? Yes. Will it grow larger than the React Native community? We’ll have to wait and see.

For now, it’s no contest. React Native has way more community support than Flutter. But what about third-party libraries and tools?

Third-Party Support

Since React Native is more popular than Flutter, it has lots of third-party tools and libraries. If you can think of a library, it probably exists. Here are some of the best React Native Libraries on RubyGarage (keep your eyes peeled for a list of Fyresite’s favorites later down the road).

By comparison, Flutter is less impressive. It does have some pretty solid packages, and it certainly has more than when it first came out. However, Flutter is still new enough that it doesn’t have a package for everything.

If we were to stop at libraries it would probably be a bit close. However, Flutter does have another disadvantage. Since Dart is newer and less popular than JavaScript, it has worse IDE support.

Verdict: A Point For React Native!

Flutter’s third-party support is growing, but it still has a way to go before it’s at React Native’s level. This point goes to React Native.

Documentation

Neither framework has a shortage of documentation.

React Native, especially, has lots of documentation. On the surface, it looks great. However, it could be more helpful.

The setup guide, for instance, skips right past Xcode and Android Studio setup. Instead, it dives straight in on Expo CLI.

The rest of the official documentation is just as sparse and poorly-maintained. While it explains what the code does, it doesn’t explain why. Sure, you can find lots of third party information online, but wouldn’t it be nicer to have lots of high-quality documentation on the official website?

That’s exactly what Flutter does. Their documentation is superb, with guides that help you get started, transition from another framework, or optimize your current project. Many of the guides even include helpful graphics and videos.

Who would have expected documentation to be actually helpful?

Verdict: A Point For Flutter!

Flutter’s documentation is both fun and functional. Stand back, React Native!

But is Flutter’s documentation enough to make up for their small community? Let’s see which framework wins the Developer Support category.

Verdict: React Native Wins Best Developer Support

React Native wins this category by a long shot. Sure, Flutter has really great documentation, but is documentation really more important than community support and third-party libraries? React Native is tried and true, so it has lots of help guides, third-party support, and more.

Community support is one of Flutter’s biggest drawbacks, but it’s steadily growing. As Flutter grows with time, so will its community.

We have one category left: ease of use. After all, none of these other categories matter if developers hate using it.

React Native Vs Flutter: Ease Of Use

The best toolkit should be developer-friendly. Every developer has different preferences, but we can figure out which option is best for the developer by looking at code reusability, third-party libraries, and development speed.

Development Speed

Since developing separate native apps for both iOS and Android takes a long time and costs a lot of money, either React Native or Flutter will significantly decrease your time to market.

Both frameworks have “hot reloading,” which saves lots of time. While Live reloading refreshes the entire app when a file changes, hot reloading only updates the file that was edited. This means that the UI updates, but the state doesn’t.

However, hot reloading isn’t the only factor that impacts time-to-market. A variety of other factors, such as third-party libraries and components, can influence how fast a team can develop your app.

Similarly, the developer’s experience can impact the results. If a developer has lots of experience in object-oriented languages, such as C++ and Java, Flutter may be easier to use than React Native.

Verdict: It’s A Draw!

Most other guides give the point to React Native because it is supported in most IDEs; however, so many different factors determine development speed that I’m leaving this one open-ended. This factor really depends upon your team.

Code Reusability

The entire point of a cross-platform framework is to avoid reusing code. After all, keeping two separate native apps consistent will get very annoying very fast.

Thus, both React Native and Flutter support reusable code. However, not all code is reusable. Every app will have at least a little bit of code that needs to be platform-specific.

Flutter solves this problem pretty easily. Developers can just overwrite certain sections of their code to fit the platform better. React Native, on the other hand, requires developers to make a lot more adjustments on each platform, including style tweaks.

Verdict: A Point For Flutter!

Overwriting code is so much simpler, and it saves developers a lot of time and effort. Plus, you can reuse widgets pretty easily in different projects. Flutter clearly wins this category.

Quality Assurance

Since testing for every single bug is nearly impossible, the QA process can get pretty frustrating.

Flutter solves this problem by including lots of testing features. Want to run some integration tests? No problem–Flutter has you covered. Want to test an individual widget? Again, Flutter has it under control. Flutter also provides lots of detailed testing documentation.

React Native doesn’t have any official integration testing features, but since it’s a JavaScript framework, it comes with a few unit tests. However, that’s not too big of a problem. Third-party frameworks like Jest and Detox work fine.

Verdict: It’s (Barely) A Draw!

Flutter has better built-in testing features, but React Native has plenty of third-party options at its disposal. While Flutter is slightly better for QA, it’s not enough to earn any points. Besides, the ease of QA is pretty subjective.

Release

Pushing an app to the App Store or Google Play is already painful enough. Cross-platform frameworks shouldn’t make it harder.

React Native’s release process is pretty standard, but it is entirely manual. Automatic deployment requires third-party tools. However, Flutter has official documentation for both Fastlane deployment and iOS/Android release. Plus, Bitrise announced out-of-box CI support for Flutter. If that’s not enough, you can deploy apps from the command line itself! All these little tidbits add up to a smoother release process.

Verdict: A Point For Flutter!

Automated release is very nice–and Flutter does it better.

So overall, which is more developer-friendly: React Native or Flutter?

Verdict: Flutter And React Native Tie On Ease Of Use

I prefer Flutter. In fact, I like it so much that I changed my Slack profile picture to the Flutter logo. But that doesn’t mean that Flutter is the best option for every project I work on.

For example, what if your project has lots of native API calls? Flutter may not be the best bet. You will probably have to add some plugins, or even write some extra code just to interact with the native APIs.

Overall, I think Flutter is easier to use, but that’s a personal preference. Both frameworks are incredibly useful for different purposes and different teams, so every developer should explore using both options.

That’s why this section has no winner. Sorry, Flutter! I still love you.

React Native Vs Flutter: The Final Verdict

We’ve been through a lot of material, so which one comes out on top?

Flutter won the Framework Design and Performance Metrics categories, while React Native won the Developer Support category. Neither one won the Ease of Use category since usability depends on the project.

Since usability is so variable, the winner depends on the circumstance. If you’re a wizard with native code, but don’t know any Dart, Flutter will be less usable. In that case, the Ease of Use category goes to React Native and the two frameworks tie. If you’re willing to learn a new language and you want to cut back on that native code, Flutter wins.

However, hardware requirements also impact the final verdict. Hardware-specific APIs may make or break the app. Again, it depends on the specifics of your project.

Still can’t decide which to use? Ask the pros! Fyresite builds the best-in-class native iOS, native Android, and cross-platform apps, so we know a thing or two about how to match frameworks to projects. Reach out online and tell us all about your big idea.

Dark Patterns: A New Scientific Look At UX Deception

Fyresite — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 18:16:29 +0000

Story by Reed Steiner.

Psychology can make your UX design better–or it can trick the user. Designers call these tricks “dark patterns,” and recognizing them is crucial for human-centered UX. Avoid dark patterns at all costs.

This post is the final part of a 9-part series on UX psychology. Read the first article on Social Proof.

What Are Dark Patterns?

Dark patterns are bits of deceptive UX that pressure, trick, or mislead users into doing things they don’t want to do. Sometimes, dark patterns abuse the principles of UX Psychology that we’ve talked about in this series. Other times, the designer simply build a UX so broken that users are forced to follow their every whim.

So What?

Dark patterns are pretty evil. Whether you design UX, work on a team that designs UX, or just use apps and websites, it’s your duty to fight back. This guide will help you recognize the most common dark patterns and call them out.

Wait–What About The Big 12?

There are a lot of dark patterns–and just as many ways to categorize them.

Most of the UX industry refers to what I call the “Big 12,” which are the items listed on the Dark Patterns website (if you haven’t visited that website, check it out).

While I absolutely applaud Brignull for initiating the whole movement and Darlo for keeping the website together (check out their mission here–it’s genuinely awesome), their categories could be better. For instance, “hidden costs” and “sneak into basket” are very similar–why aren’t they grouped together? And fake countdown timers are pretty malicious–which category do they fit into? While the big 12 are perfect for education, they aren’t very comprehensive.

The Scientific Dark Pattern Taxonomy

Brignull and Darlo have done absolutely amazing work, but their categories need an update.

In this article, I’ve used the categories listed in the academic paper Dark Patterns at Scale: Findings from a Crawl of 11K Shopping Websites. As the title of the paper suggests, researchers crawled 53,000 pages on 11,000 shopping websites. Then, they used this data to identify fifteen distinct types of dark patterns, which were organized into seven categories.

I will be using a modified version of the “Princeton List” because it prioritizes dark patterns that are empirically more common. However, I’ll also discuss a few more dark patterns that are extremely dangerous, but hard to measure on a large scale.

Sneaking

Sneaking occurs when a website adds extra costs and fees without telling the user. Usually, the website withholds these additional costs until the last possible second, in the hopes that the user won’t notice.

Dark Pattern #1: Basket Sneaking

1 in every 1,570 eCommerce websites (estimations based on the number of offending websites out of the 11,000-website sample in Dark Patterns at Scale, rounded to the nearest ten.)

Have you ever found items in your basket that you didn’t put there? That’s basket sneaking.

Unethical eCommerce websites will add extra items to your cart–even if you didn’t want them in the first place. For example, when I added a laptop to my basket on Laptop Outlet, it also added a mouse and one year of security software.

Unless the user steps in to remove these extra products, they’ll spend more than they bargained for. Basket sneaking is illegal in the UK and certain EU countries, but not in the US.

Dark Pattern #2: Hidden Costs

1 in every 2,200 eCommerce websites

While some websites trick users to buy items they don’t want, others will simply charge the user undisclosed fees.

Hidden costs have been around for as long as paid services, but they’re especially deceptive online. On the internet, many websites can keep these fees hidden until the last possible second and slap on an ambiguous label.

Fees aren’t always bad, but they become a bigger problem when they’re disclosed too late.

Dark Pattern #3: Hidden Subscription

1 in every 850 eCommerce websites

Have you ever been charged for a subscription you didn’t know about? That’s pretty problematic, right?

Many apps–especially mobile games–will rope you in with a “free” label before hitting you upside the head with a hidden subscription. While Google play does disclose this information, it’s not always enough to stop young kids from spending the big bucks on a parent’s account.

But hidden subscriptions hardly stop there. More devious websites will disguise a subscription as a one-time purchase. That way, the shopper doesn’t even realize that they’ve subscribed until it’s too late.

Fake Urgency

Urgency isn’t inherently bad, but it can be extremely misleading when abused. It becomes a problem when websites create false urgency to trick people.

Dark Pattern #4: Fake Countdown Timer

1 in every 80 eCommerce websites

Some online purchases require countdown timers. Movie theaters can only reserve your seats for so long, so they add a countdown timer.

But in most cases, such as the one below, countdown timers only add urgency to a sale.

However, that “1 in 80” statistic does not describe all websites with countdown timers. That statistic exclusively describes eCommerce websites with fake countdown timers. That means that a whopping 1.2% of eCommerce websites either reset their timers or continue the sale after it hits zero.

That number is even more shocking when you remove websites without countdown timers. Out of 393 websites with countdown timers, 140 were fake–that’s almost 40%!

Countdown timers can be stressful, but fake countdown timers are downright deceptive.

Dark Pattern #5: Sales With Ambiguous Deadlines

1 in every 130 eCommerce websites

If your offer is only available for a limited time, tell the user when it ends. Don’t list a sale without a deadline, as Samsung does.

Sales with ambiguous deadlines are problematic because they create an entirely false sense of urgency. However, that doesn’t mean you need to cut out all limited-time offers. Newegg removes the dark pattern by telling you exactly when the sale is going to end.

Remember: there’s a fine line between clever UX and dark patterns, so be careful.

Misdirection

Misdirection is one of the worst dark patterns. It occurs whenever websites intentionally sway a user toward a certain choice.

Dark Pattern #6: Confirmshaming

1 in every 70 eCommerce websites

Confirmshaming shames users into confirming, hence the name. It uses tricky, emotional language to make the user feel bad about not making a choice.

Confirmshaming is most common in email lists and popup notifications. However, it is by no means limited to these sources. Even Neil Patel’s website uses confirmshaming to make users feel bad.

Of course, confirmshaming improves the website’s click-through ratio. However, it also reduces the value of each click. If people only clicked a link because they felt bad, they won’t convert as easily.

Since confirmshaming makes the user do something they wouldn’t normally do, it’s a form of abusive UX.

Dark Pattern #7: Visual Interference

1 in every 460 eCommerce websites

A good designer will make sure important elements stand out. A malicious designer will make important, but non-preferable elements harder to see.

“Visual interference” describes the use of visuals to trick the user. This category is very broad, but very common outside of eCommerce websites.

Emails use visual interference all the time. Instead of putting the unsubscribe link somewhere visible, they hide it away in the hopes that the user won’t see it.

Of course, visual interference is hardly limited to emails. The dark pattern lives on in any design that tricks or manipulates users with visuals.

Dark Pattern #8: Trick Questions

1 in every 1,200 eCommerce websites

Even forms aren’t safe from dark patterns. In fact, they’re especially vulnerable to manipulative design. This example from the Dark Patterns website is a classic.

Checking one box opts out of the newsletter while checking the other opts in. Unless the user reads carefully, they may check the wrong box. The user doesn’t want emails, but they may get them because of the way the text is written.

Dark Pattern #9: Pressured Selling

1 in every 180 eCommerce websites

Is pressured selling a dark pattern? That’s debatable.

On one hand, it can add genuine value to a customer’s experience. The Domino’s Pizza App gives the user an option to add extra cheese–that feature could be very useful.

However, the paper’s taxonomy defined pressured selling as “asymmetric” (pushing something pricy the user wouldn’t have purchased otherwise) and “partially covert.” In the context of the study’s sample, these criticisms make sense. However, I’m not sure if the same can be said for every single instance of pressured selling. This one is pretty nuanced, so it comes down to the case. However, I will admit that in the context of most eCommerce websites, it’s pretty overboard.

Fake Social Proof

Social proof isn’t bad on its own–Spotify uses it to help you find music, Youtube uses it to rank videos, and countless other apps and websites use it to help the user. However, social proof becomes a problem when companies lie.

Dark Pattern #10: Fake Activity

1 in every 550 eCommerce websites

Are there really “three people viewing this item” right now?

Social proof can be very powerful, but when companies don’t have the numbers to pull it off, they fake it. Instead of letting that “0” work against them, they generate numbers. In fact, it’s so easy and common that you can find simple instructions like these pretty much anywhere.

And the worst part is that these numbers could be much higher (I only counted instances of social proof that were verifiably fake instead of all social proof). While 20 of the websites in the sample used a number generator, many of them kept that information on the server-side.

Dark Pattern #11: Testimonials Of Uncertain Origin

1 in every 920 eCommerce websites

Testimonials and reviews are wonderful–if they’re real.

A surprisingly high number of testimonials are completely fake–the researchers searched several testimonials and found exact matches with different customer names on several sites.

But this research barely scratches the surface when you include Amazon. Reviews are so important on Amazon that most companies will spend as much as possible to get good ones. Even verified purchasers aren’t reliable when companies pay people to buy and review their items.

A great tool for combating fake Amazon reviews is ReviewMeta. It analyzes the reviews and generates detailed reports, then gives you an adjusted rating. I ran a report (shown below) to demonstrate what the chrome extension can do.

Of course, this program only works for amazon reviews–it doesn’t even begin to cover testimonials.

If you ever need to make a decision based on a testimonial, google it first to make sure it’s real.

False Scarcity

Scarcity, like social proof and urgency, isn’t always bad. However, it becomes a problem when websites lie about how scarce an item really is.

Dark Pattern #12: Low-Stock Messages

1 in every 20 eCommerce websites

Sometimes, companies run low on an item–that’s just how business works. But it’s a bit suspicious when their entire inventory is almost entirely gone–especially if it isn’t the holidays.

This message, for instance, appeared on most products at the time in which the paper was written (they’ve since toned it down a bit).

However, it’s hard to draw the line between a deceptive message and a genuine one. Maybe the company really does have low stock, or maybe they’re lying to drive sales. It’s impossible to tell, which is why so many websites were flagged by the research team.

Dark Pattern #13: Deceptive High-Demand Messages

1 in every 290 eCommerce websites

High-Demand messages function in the same way, but they’re a bit more manipulative. “Low stock” indicates that items are so popular, the company is running low. “High-demand” means the same thing, but it’s even more ambiguous.

Obstruction

Obstruction occurs whenever the UX prevents a user from completing an action. Instead of misrepresenting option A (misdirection) or forcing option A upon the user (forced action), an obstructive UX makes option B nearly impossible.

Dark Pattern #14: Roach Motels

1 in every 350 eCommerce websites

The researchers called these dark patterns “Hard to Cancel,” but let’s face it: Brignull hit the nail on the head with “Roach Motel.”

A roach motel is a situation that’s easy to get into, but very hard to get out of–just like a real roach trap. Usually, a company will make account deletion so difficult that most users will give up.

Amazon is notorious for this dark pattern. Deleting an Amazon account is so difficult that it’s nearly impossible without an internet guide.

This dark pattern restricts the user by making cancellation nearly impossible.

Forced Action

Forced action is a more extreme version of misdirection. Instead of misrepresenting an option, it forces the user to choose it.

Dark Pattern #15: Forced Enrollment

1 in every 1,830 eCommerce websites

While some websites make canceling your account very difficult, others prevent you from using the website without making an account.

TheRealReal, for instance, won’t even let you browse the website’s catalog without an account.

However, most instances are more subtle. Many websites will require the user to opt in to an email list before accessing the website’s basic functionality. Since this strategy uses pressures the user to act against their own best interests, it counts as a dark pattern.

Other Dark Patterns

The Princeton study is phenomenal, but it’s not perfect. Most importantly, it only analyzes shopping websites, which biases the results a bit. Sure, eCommerce websites are the biggest offenders, but they aren’t the only ones. Wherever there’s UX, there will be dark patterns.

The following four dark patterns did not appear in the Princeton study for a few reasons. Some, like Bait and Switch are most common in apps. Others, like LinkedIn-ing, are very common on social media, but uncommon in eCommerce. Though none are as common as misdirection and false scarcity, they are still important to address.

Dark Pattern #16: Bait And Switch

Wouldn’t it be awful if pressing the “X” button on a window forced you to install software? That’s what happened in 2016, when this pop-up appeared on windows computers everywhere.

Normally clicking “X” closes the window, but in this case, it updated your computer to Windows 10.

Patterns like this one are called “Bait and Switch.” In every case of Bait and Switch, the user clicks a button expecting one thing, but gets an undesirable result. In the case of Windows 10, the user expected to close the window, but received an update.

Bait and Switch can also include advertisements disguised as UI elements (though Brignull gives disguised ads their own category). The user expects to click a button but receives an ad or virus instead. Illegal streaming services, like PutLocker, are full of these ads.

Bait and Switch dark patterns did not show up in the study because they are not very common on eCommerce websites. However, mobile game advertisements are full of them. The ad will show the user an image or video of the game interface, implying that the ad includes a free demo. But when the user tries to play the game, they tap the ad.

These ads are a clear example of Bait and Switch because the user does not intend to click the ad. While uncommon in eCommerce websites, Bait and Switch dark patterns can be very dangerous–especially if they’re riddled with malware.

Dark Pattern #17: Privacy Zuckering

This is another dark pattern from Brignull’s list.

Privacy Zuckering, named after Mark Zuckerberg, occurs whenever a website tricks you to share information. In most cases, the user has to agree to abusive terms of service.

Don’t think Zuckering is a problem? Stack Overflow makes you surrender certain legal rights, but nothing in its UX indicates that such a significant agreement has taken place.

An easy way to avoid abusive terms of service is with Terms of Service; Didn’t Read. Of course, it doesn’t do anything to stop the sale of private data or cross-site tracking, but it flags important parts of the Terms of Service agreement so you know what you’re getting into.

If you want to prevent your data from being brokered, opt-out of as many lists as possible. Opting out of a few lists won’t solve everything, but it’s better than nothing.

Dark Pattern #18: LinkedIn-Ing

Brignull calls it “Friend Spam,” but I prefer “LinkedIn-ing.” After all, LinkedIn is the king of LinkedIn-ing.

When you create a new account, LinkedIn asks you to add your contacts. You, naturally, assume that the contacts will connect you to your friends on the network, but in reality, LinkedIn would use these contacts to spam your friends.

Spam is bad enough, but the deception makes it worse. The app misleads users into spamming their friends, which is clearly a dark pattern.

What Can I Do About Dark Patterns?

As a rule, dark patterns abuse the user–what can we do about them?

Take action by pressuring companies to stop using dark patterns. How? Use twitter. The Dark Patterns website includes these instructions:

Retweet, quote and favourite other people’s tweets about Dark Patterns.
@mention the offending brands and tell them what you think about their practices.
When you see a Dark Pattern, take screenshots and tweet it.If you’ve got an example that doesn’t fit into a tweet, you can use a platform like Medium or Imgur, then tweet it.
Mention @darkpatterns or use the hashtag #darkpattern.

A simple tweet is enough to put pressure on devious companies. Let’s fight for ethical UX, one tweet at a time.

If you want to learn more about our human-centric UX design, reach out to us online or call us at 602.638.2839.

Mere Exposure Effect: The Psychology Of Familiar UX

Fyresite — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 17:31:55 +0000

Story by Eric Daily

When you have so many people using your app, it can be pretty tough to make a good first impression. But thanks to the Mere Exposure Effect, you can rest assured that they’ll love your design.

Just give it time…

This post is part of a 9-part series on UX psychology. The next post in the series will be coming soon.

What is the Mere Exposure Effect?

The Mere Exposure Effect dictates that people learn to prefer otherwise neutral stimuli simply because they’ve been exposed to them more frequently. Put simply, people like things they’re familiar with–whether that’s people, objects, symbols, brands, or apps.

So What?

Many of the previous psychological principles have been pretty easy to apply to UX–but this one feels more like something you’d hear about from Chad in Marketing. Does it really make a big difference in the wild world of UX?

Researchers have been asking the same questions.

A Berlin Institute of Technology study examined how the user’s perception of “good UX” changes over time. Each subject was asked to evaluate 102 interfaces. The following two images, 1a and 1b, were repeated 30 times each throughout the set.

The researchers hypothesized that the Mere Exposure Effect would kick in. These were the results.

While users grew to love the high-aesthetic interface, they grew to hate the low-aesthetic one. Why? Is the Mere Exposure Effect selective?

The answer is simpler than it seems: there’s a sneaky exception to the rule. The stimulus has to start out as neutral or good. If people don’t have any strong opinions about the design, they’ll grow to like it. However, no amount of exposure can fix 1a.

That’s a nice rule to remember in your own UI endeavors: mere exposure makes good designs better, but it makes bad designs worse. Keep longevity in mind and your design will be indestructible.

Familiar Buttons

What if I told you that familiar buttons are more clickable?

It should come as no surprise that the Mere Exposure Effect lends itself well to marketing and UI design. However, you may be surprised to learn that the rule comes in handy when building UI elements. If all your buttons have similar text and design, they’ll slowly grow on your users–so keep your buttons consistent.

That’s also one of the big reasons why a consistent call to action is so important: it sticks with your user. Think about Spotify. Throughout the UI, the call to action is to upgrade to Spotify premium.

As the user sees more buttons and ads, the message starts to sink in. Consistent copy makes them click.

Memorable Marketing

Not a designer? That’s okay. The mere exposure effect is useful for marketers, too.

Have you ever tried ad retargeting? Congratulations! You’ve used the mere exposure effect. By targeting ads at people who have already visited your website, you’re repeatedly exposing them to your brand. Over time, the visitor grows more familiar with your brand and, possibly, becomes a customer.

Once you take a look at the statistics, the results speak for themselves. While most ads have a click-through rate of 0.07%, retargeted ads top out at 0.7%. Plus, retargeted visitors are 70% more likely to convert into customers.

Why? Psychology.

Of course, there are many factors at play, but one is clearly the mere exposure effect. Visitors who are frequently exposed to your brand after leaving your website will learn to love your products or services.

Non-Annoying Notifications

Ads are pricy. How can your app live in your user’s head without paying rent?

Notifications are a great starting point. If you subtly remind your user that your app exists, they will be more likely to use it.

Audible is great at notifications. It notifies you of new sales and interesting titles without spamming you. Plus, when you’re listening to an audiobook, the app sends you a notification to pause, play, and skip.

Since these notifications are so subtle and strategic, users are more likely to click on them. Thus, they are exposed to the app more frequently.

Another great example is Facebook Messenger. Of course, it notifies you whenever someone sends a message–but that’s not what sets it apart. When you receive a notification on android, a chat head pops up. Now, the user has two separate notifications to worry about, so they are more likely to click one and expose themselves to the app.

However, not every app can get away with notifications. If you notice your user too frequently, they’ll get annoyed. But this problem is easy to fix: just do a little more planning. Instead of spamming your users, research them. Then, use that newfound information to send strategic notifications at specific times.

Mere exposure isn’t hard if you plan ahead. Simply considering the lifetime of the user will put your UX miles ahead of the competition and get you more bang for your buck. To chat with one of our expert designers about UX longevity, reach out online or call us at 602.638.2839.