Can Drupal be the right choice for mobile / web application development?

August 12, 2018 John Wells 0

Developing websites and applications for the mobile audience is quite different from developing the same for the desktop/laptop/tablet users. Whether you’re building a website/application for yourself or your clients, you need to be aware of this thin line of difference between developing for mobile audience and for the laptop/desktop customers. Increasing customer loyalty and adding revenue have always been the sole reasons behind website/web app development. As an alert entrepreneur, you need to opt for a web development platform that renders you the flexibility of meeting both these reasons with excellence. With a wide range of web-based content management systems available in the web market, choosing the right one is a tedious job.

Drupal is one of the most renowned web development platforms used for building simple as well as complex websites and web applications. The question here is whether Drupal can serve as the right software for building mobile websites and web applications? Well, this blog is an answer to this question which often arises in the minds of people who’ve loved Drupal for developing desktop websites/web apps but are quite dicy about using it for building mobile responsive website/web applications.

Drupal- Offering a nice separation between content and presentation

Every good website needs to have well-streamlined content. In addition to this, there must be a nice separation between content and presentation. Drupal comes with modules/extensions that allow you to have full control over the content and its presentation for both standards as well as mobile websites. If you surf the internet, you’ll come across a large number of mobile modules that allow you to have a stable version of your website that runs flawlessly on both desktops/laptops as well as smartphones. 

Drupal- Offering flexibility of serving multiple domains via a single site

Every website owner wants to have a unique domain for standard as well as the mobile version of his/her portal. Drupal comes with the flexibility of serving different domains from the same site: Domain Access. The webmaster just needs to enable Domain Access for receiving two separate versions of the website. After receiving the versions, he/she can easily set different themes for each of them, followed by customizing the same to suit the preferences of site visitors. And that’s not all, there are tons of other Drupal modules that can well be integrated with Domain Access for rendering options that can ensure the effective functioning of your website/web application.

Drupal encompasses reduced deployment time

One of the distinct advantages of using Drupal for building a mobile app is the reduced deployment time. Since the developed mobile app already has a companion Drupal site for traditional web browsers, you can expect it to reach a larger audience within a short span of time. The best part of Drupal powered mobile apps is that you need not worry about their compatibility with the traditional web browsers. The mobile responsive themes of these Drupal apps allow you to stay worry-free about building a native app that’s compatible with the older web browsers. The web version of the respective Drupal app is readily available just by requesting the specific URL.

Once you’re familiar with the target mobile browsers, integrating mobile features into the Drupal site becomes simple and can be easily performed with the help of following modules:

  • Browscap– This is a module that will assist you in detecting the browser type.
  • Mobile Tools– This module helps you with browser detection, redirection to mobile site and theme switching that’s based on the device type.
  • Mobile Plugin– This is a handy module for detecting the device and performing image scaling.
  • WURFL– This is a module that detects mobile device capabilities.
  • Mobile jQuery Theme– This is a theming module that utilizes jQuery Mobile framework for theming.
  • Mobile– This is yet another theming module that can be used as a custom theme base.
  • Fusion Mobile– This is a Fusion Core sub-theme that’s targeted for mobile users.

Buzz around Drupal and mobile is getting bigger and better

Considering all the aforementioned factors, it’s quite simple to say that the buzz around Drupal and mobile is getting better with each passing day. It’s hard to imagine a single day wherein developers will be building apps using the mobile IDEs. Whether it’s about making code edits to a module file or committing codes via your phone, Drupal has built-in features that allow you to perform all this and much more.

Conclusion

From everything mentioned above, it’s quite clear that Drupal has the potential to contain your content, user management, business logic, and search functionality. With the never-ending demand for mobile apps development, the usage of Drupal will definitely witness an incredible amount of popularity.

 

10 unique social networking apps for your smartphone

May 29, 2018 John Wells 0

Social networking is the process of building social relations with people who share similar interests or people from similar backgrounds. The social networking practice is mostly carried out using a web-based online application or interface. These online applications are commonly referred to as social networking sites. There are a number of highly popular social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google Plus etc. Today almost all people who know how to access the internet will have an account with any of the above mentioned social networking websites.

A recent report published on TechCrunch states that more than 50% of Facebook’s active monthly users (AMUs) are mobile users. The number of users who access Facebook every day, on average, grew 8 percent to 665 million in March, from 618 million in December. The number of people who access social networking sites using smartphones or tablet computers has been growing so rapidly.

Even though there are many social media networks on the internet today, each has its own unique focus, user-base, and intended use. Facebook is a general purpose personal networking service, Twitter is also a general social networking service which is basically about sending short messages known as tweets, while LinkedIn is purely a professional networking platform. Similarly, each social networking platforms has its own intended use.

Here in this post, we are presenting some of those coolest social networking mobile apps, each of these apps are unique in its own way. All these applications are available both for Android and iPhone devices.

Tango Text, Voice, and Video

With Tango, you will be able to make the highest quality video & phone calls, texts, photo & video sharing, games and more for FREE! It’s an all-in-one social networking application that finally combines every way you want to interact with your dear ones. Join over 100 million people around the world using Tango today!

Snapchat

Snapchat is one of the fastest ways to share a moment with your friends. You have the full control on how long your friends can view your message – simply set the timer up to ten seconds and send the message.

Badoo – Meet New People

Badoo is another social network service using which you can meet new people. With over 180 million users, Badoo is really good for chatting, making friends, sharing interests, and even dating! Badoo is completely free and user-friendly. Try and find new people near you now!

WeChat – The new way to connect

WeChat is an emerging networking app which supports free texting, voice messages and video calls in your pocket. 300 million people love WeChat because it’s really fast, reliable, private and always on.

Skout for android

Skout is the global network application for meeting new people. Instantly meet people near you or around the world. Find new friends at a local bar or in Barcelona. Millions of people are connecting and meeting through Skout every day. Use skout’s exciting in-app features to increase your chances of meeting or chatting!

Bump

Bump is a groundbreaking innovative concept, use Bump™ to share contact info, photos, videos, and files simply by bumping two phones together. Just open Bump, hold your phones, and gently bump your hands together – Bump will magically do all the rest.

Text Plus

textPlus is a perfect option for free SMS texting and inexpensive local and international calls. It is damn easy if your friends and family have this app installed on their devices, it’s always free. textPlus works on all popular smartphones and tablets.

Seesmic

With Seesmic for Android, you will be able to view and update your Facebook and Twitter accounts all at the same time. Share photos, videos and take advantage of the Android shortcuts for direct access to your @ Replies from one of your Twitter accounts, or you can access your feeds from one of your Facebook pages and much more!

Tagged

Tagged – Meet, Date, Chat, Flirt, Free, Fun!
With over 300 million members make Tagged the largest and best FREE app to meet new people and make new buddies for flirting, dating, friendship and fun! Completely Free to download and – unlike other dating apps it’s free to connect with people too!

MeetMe

MeetMe shows you who’s sitting nearby and ready to chat, Kik, and meet — Completely FREE!
Whether you’re at the bar, on the beach, or hanging out at home, MeetMe is always the BEST app for meeting new people near you!

 

Must have free android apps for web designers and developers

January 31, 2018 John Wells 0

Android is a Linux-based operating system developed mainly for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Android is an open-source operating system owned by Google. What makes android special is the community support. Android has the support of a large developer community who writes applications. Android applications are used to extend the basic functionality. As of October 2012, there were approximately 700,000 android apps available in the app market, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play, Android’s primary app store, was more than 25 billion.

With these powerful apps, people can now perform almost all things on the go, which were previously possible only with computers. As far as web designers are concerned, they can now perform so many web design related things on the move using an Android powered device. That is the power of Android apps.

Here in this post, we have collected more than 5 best and useful android applications for web designers and developers. You can download the application from the play store,.

WM FTP Client

WM FTP Client is an FTP client developed with WinDev Mobile edited by PC SOFT.
This application will allow you to easily interact with an FTP server from your smartphone or your tablet.
You will be able to, among other things, rename, delete, download and send some files.

Adobe Photoshop Express

Edit and share photos virtually anywhere. Touch to crop, rotate, adjust color, and add artistic effects. Access all your photos and videos directly from your free Photoshop.com account. Quickly share with family and friends. Requires SD card. By downloading you agree to the Terms of Use at www.photoshop.com/misc/terms.html

DroidEdit (free code editor)

DroidEdit is a text and source code editor (similar to Notepad++ or gedit) for android tablets and phones with the following features:

– Syntax Highlighting for several languages (C, C++, C#, Java, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Python, Ruby, Lua, LaTeX, SQL, …)

Color Pal

Easily find color palettes and schemes for any design project. Whether you’re a web designer or just looking to paint your son’s room, you’ll find some of the best color palettes/schemes available.

Google Analytics

The Google Analytics app shows what is new and what is important on your Google Analytics profiles. See real-time statistics, customizable dashboards and intelligence events on your phone.

 

WebRank SEO

One of the Best SEO App in the Market.

Hurry! Ad-free version is available for a limited period only.

WebRank SEO gives you Website Ranks(Google Pagerank, Alexa Rank and Compete Rank), Sociometer(Facebook like tweets and google plus count), Pages Indexed and Backlinks in various search engines(Google, Bing, and Yahoo). A Search Engine Optimization(SEO) Tool for competitive website analysis.

 

How to make your app site look irresistible and awesome

April 2, 2017 John Wells 0

Since you are reading this article on a computer or mobile devices, I hope that it is safe to assume that you have at a certain point of your life have actually used mobile applications. In fact, unless you are not using those bulky and UN-smartphones that are on the verge of oblivion, you are mostly like to use some apps on a regular basis.

In fact, there are no such things as too many apps. We simply cannot get enough of them because apps are seriously making our lives simpler and bearable. Ok, it seems that you are not willing to agree. Well, in that case, I would request you to turn off all the apps that are currently running on your Smartphone and tablet computer and try to spend a week without them.

Don’t even think about it because if you dare to do such an insane thing, it will make your life really miserable. Apps help us manage things when they become unmanageable and simplify the way we try to live our complex lives and of course not to forget the fact that apps make our lives more bearable.

Now, there are hundreds and thousands of apps are out there but only a few of them make it to the top. So, as you can understand, in this cut-throat competition, the only way to survive and gain popularity is by doing something different from the other.

Of course, you have to follow the basic tenets of social media marketing; I mean the app needs to have a website where people can gather information from. A typical website meant for marketing app usually tells us what the app is all about and why the visitors should get this app installed on their devices. But these are those basic things that everyone around is doing and that means, if you wish to make a cut here, you have to go beyond this:

Try the boring Idea of A Landing Page

Of course, your website is meant for making people aware of the fact that your app exists, but the website has a larger and bigger role to play. The purpose of your website is to get people to use your app. You can educate them and can make them believe that your App is going to revolutionize the way they live, but unless you push and convince them, they are not really gonna use your app.

So, here comes the importance of incorporating some of the most common ingredients of a landing page into your website so that the readers take action and you will see visible change. These changes will have a positive impact on the user experience front.

The good thing is, you would not have to make any drastic change for making people take desired actions. Just put the focus on Call to Action Button. Make people aware of what is going to happen when they click on the ‘Call to Action’ button and also make sure that you have described in proper English what your app is going to do in the Above the Fold section of your website.

However, if I am not asking much, you need to use your graphic design skills to create some nice images of the app in action and bulleted points in the page to make your proposition more strong and robust.

Try to Narrate A Nice Story

Well, check any other App based websites and you will see the front page is stuffed with technicalities or in other words technical specifications about the app. From the perspective of a website owner, it might appear that the website is doing a great job but in reality, you are devastating all your chances.

When you are presenting specifications about your app directly to your visitors, there are good chances that they will be comparing and contrasting them with other apps. Well, I hope that this is not what you actually intended. In that case, it would be better if you can tell a story instead.

By telling a story, you will make it easier for people to relate to the app. And of course, the app needs to be believable. Please do not come up with another boring story describing how your app has solved the problems of a writer struggling with keeping distractions at a bay [if your app happens to be something to do with managing distractions]. That would not be enough to make a cut

Rather, you should try this. Narrate how a writer was facing trouble, lost his girlfriend and all that sort of stuff as he failed to concentrate on his writing and how your nice and shiny app solved all problems and helped him reunited with his girlfriend. How does that sound? I hope your targeted audience is going to appreciate this.

Do Not Focus on Screenshot of the App heavily

It is quite expected that you are going to put the focus on the screenshots of the app so that the visitors can understand how it is going to solve their problem. There is a better way to do this. Rather than following this often trodden path, why not feature a man or woman telling how the app has solved their problems.

A video would be great, however, if you cannot manage that, it is okay still. You can feature images of an average Emily or Joe holding a phone with your app in action. It will be a powerful impact on the audience and they will get to see that people are actually using your app and they are getting benefited from it.

Try To Match Your App With Your Design

Though this one is quite common, I think it would not hurt you if I reiterate the fact that your app and your website design should complement one another. What I mean to say is that if your app is simple and has a sober color combination, you should not make your website [where you will be promoting] complicated and it should also not have a riot of colors.