Category: Guest Post

New PHP Features That You Should Embrace For Better Development

There are many programming languages in which to develop your applications and systems, but choosing which to use for what work has been a major dilemma among developers. Some of the languages that are common include Javascript, PHP, Ruby, Java, Python, and of course you have to use a scripting language like HTML, and for styling you need CSS. However, this script is not meant to highlight all the above languages, but will talk more about PHP and its usage and features. PHP has seen massive improvements and most of these changes are features that were added when PHP 7 was released. Here are few you should know about that will help you to program better.

Class constant visibility
Using class constants helps you to offer meaningful names for select values used in a class. The constants were public before the update to PHP 7, but you now have a chance to alter visibility, which points to a massive improvement in the object oriented form of syntax offered by PHP. If you are not looking to expose classes to the outside world, it’s advisable to apply this feature as it easily executes your needs.

Speed
Another addition to PHP 7 that you will love is the improvement in the speed of the language. This has come as a major boost to developers looking to create apps that are modern and matching with the needs of clients. The language was developed further to offer a good alternative to other scripting languages, which also have a great library and features that are developer-friendly. Its gradual improvement has helped to cement the position the language has held for years, and this might bring about an increase in usage although other technologies like Node have been on an upward trend.

Type declarations
This basically means you have to specify the type of variable that is set instead of letting PHP to set it automatically. Experts like David Lubbat point that PHP is a weak typed language, and for this reason it does not require that you have to declare data types. You will learn that variables come with data types and you are able to do radical things including adding an integer to a string without getting an error. The new changes in the language have made it possible to define what is supposed to occur to help you get the right outcome. It also makes code clean and easier to read.

Return type declarations
Another thing that makes PHP a good language is the fact that it supports return type declarations, which work with all same types of arguments. This feature allows you to write clean code that you can easily follow up, which makes debugging an easy task should there arise an issue. The feature forces things to happen the way they are intended so you will not have to always end up making syntactical mistakes.

Error handling
Another improvement to PHP 7 that you might want to embrace is the error handling capabilities added to the language. In the past, this was impossible in PHP and it made it difficult to identify where errors are coming from, but with the new changes you will easily spot parts of your code that need changes or have errors. Whenever a fatal error occurs, an exception is shown. You can change the behavior of the system by tinkering with the php.ini file, which instructs the system which type of errors to expose. Overall, the language is made to allow developers to have easy time when going about their work using the language.

Brian Speier

5 Top Tips To Improve Your Online Reputation

Building a successful brand requires years of hard work. It involves adopting a focused strategy to develop an impressive online reputation. The online scene presents a more dynamic space. It is easier to share information. This includes both positive and negative opinions about your brands. Experts argue that it is easier to resolve issues with customers before they reach an open public forum such as the internet.

The cost of a bad online reputation

Most people result to public forums when they feel their grievances are not addressed and they wish to warn consumers about your brands. A deterioration of your online reputation can have a devastating impact on the business’ bottom line. A proactive strategy ensures you build on the goodwill you have created online to grow your brands. It helps you avoid costly processes to repair your reputation and mitigate against revenue loss.

Business executives who adopt a neutral strategy without an online presence also run the risk of destroying their reputation quickly. When there are no digital assets to counter bad press, it spreads faster as there is no information to counter it. In like manner, an ineffective social media strategy can have disturbing effects on your brands.

Luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure your online reputation stays impressive. Let us look at how to leverage online reputation for growth.

1. Establish an extensive online presence

A business should have a website, a blog and a presence on the mainstream social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and Instagram among others. Numerous online forums cater to niche markets in particular industries. Sites such as LinkedIn empower business executives to publish and share their brand portfolios as well as management experience.

2. Adopt a proactive strategy towards social media

Merely having an online presence is not sufficient. Develop an audience and strive to keep them engaged on an ongoing basis. Build a plan to increase awareness about your brands, resolve arising customer issues and influence your followers. Create and populate the accounts before negative reviews hit. Monitor the posts of people close to the business. This includes management executives, employees, business associates and related brand ambassadors.

3. Protect your brands and business associates

Create separate online profiles for your brands, its ambassadors, and business associates. Reserve each brand name at every level of online real estate. Develop captivating and engaging content that aligns them with the overall business strategy. Flesh out the online profiles of key brand representatives including executive management. Build as much positive content as possible and mobilize positive reviews from your customers.

4. Leverage digital marketing

Refine your digital marketing strategies to complement your reputation management efforts. This includes tactics such as video and email marketing, SEO and blogging among others. Correctly implement authorship of your online content especially if you are the founder-owner. It aligns you as an online authority on your company. Regularly update your blogs and social media channels with new content.

5. Quickly respond to customer feedback

Consumers are increasingly adopting the justice delayed is justice denied attitude. Respond to queries, opinions and online reviews as soon as possible. Listen to online complaints to understand the concerns being raised. Review your internal processes to increase customer satisfaction. Make authentic apologies for honest mistakes and reconcile with the affected. Adopt a professional response strategy that keeps emotions out of your online interactions. Respond to negative as well as positive online reviews.

Conclusion

Over two-thirds of global consumers trust online reviews. Make online reputation management an integral part of your digital marketing strategy. It empowers you to deal with bad press around your brands before it destroys them. Professional reputation management experts such as Aaron Minc can help you recover from online defamation and rebuild your good standing. He is a highly experienced internet defamation attorney based in Ohio. He suggests embracing a proactive reputation management strategy to grow your brands online.

Brian Speier

Why The Future Of Software Development Is Agile

The development scene has evolved to keep up with dynamic customer requirements. Agile methodologies allow software development houses to prioritize the client. It enables quicker delivery of high-quality software products and services. The strategy enables customers to realize value quickly without waiting for the completion of the entire project. Agile development strategies have revolutionized the way software houses operate.

Agile development has quickly gained traction as companies look to increase efficiency and ultimately their bottom line. It removes bureaucracy, rigid guidelines, and inconsistent processes.

The case for agile development

Let us examine some of the core values that make the case for agile methodologies.

  • It leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Customers get access to high-value products and services earlier than expected.
  • Agile development natively embraces change at every step of the process. This guarantees a competitive advantage to the customer. It also assures them that all their current and future requirements captured in the product.
  • It accelerates time-to-market and delivers working software products on a continuous basis. This has become critical as service users are looking for offers with short project timelines.
  • Agile methodologies employ an inclusive approach. It encourages face-to-face meetings between the various stakeholders. This includes the business side of owners, marketers, and customers as well as the production teams such as developers, quality assurance, and testing. Closer collaboration adds a level of integrity to the process and improves the quality of service delivery.
  • It puts more focus on quality as opposed to completion. This increases value for the customer and enables developers to leverage lower costs of production. Success is measured in functionality and milestones in lieu of timelines.
  • Agile teams are collaborative and self-organizing. They are continuously adjusting their strategies to achieve greater efficiency. The aim is to make the processes simplistic and minimalistic. This results in high-quality discovery and requirements. It empowers them to build first-class designs and architecture.

Adopting an agile methodology drives productivity. It mobilizes multiple layers of teams to accelerate an explicitly defined process. This requires elaborate planning to reduce resistance and smoothen the transition. It has a direct impact on your productivity and bottom line. The shift involves evaluating products against requirements, processes, development, and test management tools.

Advantages of agile over traditional strategies

It enables greater transparency in the whole development lifecycle. Each team member is aware of his or her roles, those of his or her colleagues and stakeholders, as well as the progress they have made.

Agile development demands frequent and fast-tracked deployment and implementation. This creates a cycle of continuous delivery as part of the overall product lifecycle. Software houses can accurately predict features and releases.

It has a strong focus on the user requirements and business value. Every deployment cycle creates incremental value to the users. Stakeholders can prioritize the features they need first setting the pace for the development teams.

Agile ensures more attention is paid to quality code, quality assurance, testing, as well as fixing identified defects. The modular development provides manageable units and builds. Additionally, there is more focus on the testing and review processes.

Extreme programming advocates for leaner code and processes, test automation, building features on demand as well as clear and logical code. As an integral part of agile development, it promotes closer collaboration between all the stakeholders.

Conclusion

Agile is here to stay. It has become the definitive strategy for new software developers. It is important to get your whole team on board and not just the developers. This will enable you to realign your workflows and build the requisite momentum to drive innovation and flexibility. Agile is built to leverage teamwork and collaboration. This focus on people is evident throughout the process. Take time to understand it and evaluate how to transition into it.

 

Brian Speier

5 Tips on Building a Better Business Marketing Strategy for Your Company in 2017

The times are changing. It is no longer 1980 or 1995. We are now in 2017. Your business needs to reflect the changing times in your marketing. You cannot rely on the old methods anymore, as unfortunate and sad as that may be. Below, business marketing consultant Lewis Syring shares five ways to ensure your company succeeds in 2017.

1) You have to focus on the mobile applications. 90% of your business will be done via some sort of mobile device. Your strategy needs to cater to this. You cannot stay stuck in the brick and mortar way of life forever. It is not going to help.

There are lots of mobile apps to chose from. You should have no problem finding something that fits your business plan.

2) Using email is still a productive marketing tool. Many think it is too old school. It is not. More people are starting to discard their email tools. Their loss is your gain.

3) You need to increase your visuals. You need to increase your visibility. You will need more video content for this. More people are using videos to get their stuff out. Why do you think youtube is popular? It is a brilliant way to market yourself. Years ago, the Youtube thing was just starting out. Now it seems very commonplace. Use it. Video content is one tool that will never go out of style.

4) Blogging still counts in 2017. You may need to upgrade yours at some point unless you have already done it. Say you have already done this. Say your efforts have been met with mediocre attention at best. You will need to put more effort into this. You get what you put into it. Take your game to the next level. Do you not have the skills? Learn them. Bloggers tend to get more visibility. Take a page from those who are already doing it. There is a great deal of competition in the blogging world. Once you do rise above the rest of the crowd, then you will be a force to be reckoned with.

5) You need to get better with social media. Sorry. Do you want to get seen? You need to be on social media platforms more. Do you want to take your brand to the next level? You need to put yourself out there. Part of this includes being on social media pages.

Find something that fits your lifestyle. Some of you may not be into Facebook. Try something else. Try a platform that not a lot of people are utilizing. You can try Twitter. You can do Snapchat. There is Instagram. Get yourself out there. It is the only way to get your brand the attention it wants and deserves.

Brian Speier