Month: September 2023

Predicting Future of Web Development: Key Front-End, Back-End and Tech Trends for 2023

The foundation of the Internet as we know it was laid down in the year 1991 with the publication of the first-ever webpage. Fast forward to today, web development has come a long way from simple static pages to intricate, dynamic websites. For a business to stay relevant, it is now virtually mandatory to make its presence felt on the digital landscape.

In this fiercely competitive ecosystem, web development is continually evolving to keep up with shifting user expectations and technological advancements. What defines the future of web development? Let’s delve into the latest trends in both front-end and back-end web development, as well as other crucial technology trends.

Front-End Web Development Trends

Front-end development plays a fundamental role in shaping user interaction and experience. Although trends come and go at the drop of a hat in this realm, some manage to stand the test of time. The following are expected to gain significant traction in 2023.

1. JS

An astounding 65% of respondents in a 2022 Statista survey reported using JavaScript in their careers, rendering it the most employed web technology globally. Key reasons for its popularity include:

  • Wide-ranging support by popular browsers such as Safari, Firefox, and Chrome.
  • Its object-based, dynamic nature that allows use on both the server and client side.
  • Its capacity to make web interactions seamless.
  • An array of awesome libraries and frameworks for developers to utilize.

2. Jamstack

Jamstack, an architecture that displays dynamically generated content on a statically delivered website, is fast becoming a darling of front-end developers. It offers a faster, simpler, and more cost-effective environment, and its websites require no server or database protection, making them more secure.

3. Mobile-First Approach

With mobile internet usage steadily outpacing desktop usage, the mobile-first approach for web development continues to be a dominant trend.

4. Headless CMS Architecture

Headless CMS is rapidly gaining favor over traditional CMS solutions. Its significant advantage is the ability to store and manage content in one place and deploy it across any desired front-end via APIs.

5. Server-Side Rendering

Server-side rendering (SSR) is now considered a vital tool for SEO by Google, especially when it comes to high-ranking search results.

6. PWAs

Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) bring to the table their offline working capability, coupled with support for push notifications and background updates.

Back-End Web Development Trends

The back-end ecosystem is steeped in continuous innovation aimed at enhancing codebases, raising code quality standards, and fortifying infrastructure security. The following tools and applications are set to be game-changers.

7. Django

Django, a Python-based framework, allows developers to create complex, feature-rich web apps with ease.

8. Elixir

Elixir, with its simplicity and concurrency, is a favorite among developers.

9. Serverless Computing

Serverless applications running on cloud servers eliminate the need for back-end developers to worry about server availability, infrastructure management, or idle capacity.

10. Enhanced Cyber Security

Given the exponential increase in cyber threats, cyber security is poised to be a major focal point in the back-end ecosystem in the coming years.

Other Pivotal Technology Trends for Web Development

Besides the front-end and back-end trends, certain overarching technological developments are set to shape the landscape of web development.

11. Chatbots and AI

Chatbots and AI are fast becoming indispensable. They automate processes, ensure user engagement with the brand, and offer an excellent user experience.

12. Dark Mode Experience

Dark Mode, which offers reduced eye strain with light text displayed on a dark background, is fast becoming popular and is expected to continue to trend in the coming years.

13. Motion UI

A well-crafted Motion UI grabs user attention by providing a visually appealing sequence of animated elements that are often easier and quicker to perceive than static information.

14. Augmented and Virtual Reality

AR and VR technologies have immense potential to uplift the user experience across a wide array of industries, making them a likely trend to take off in the future.

Are You Ready to Embrace the Future?

As the world of technology continually evolves, so do the trends shaping it. Staying abreast of these trends and integrating them into your tech stack can ensure your business remains at the forefront of its industry.

If you’re seeking a technology partner to future-proof your business, could be the ally you need. Feel free to explore our services from the menu.

Tags: #WebDevelopment #TechnologyTrends #FrontEnd #BackEnd

[Reference Link](!https://www.techtic.com/blog/web-development-trends/)

Boost Your Small Business in 2023: Top Marketing Strategies & Trends

Latest Intake from SMB News 🥵🗞️

Interestingly, a trend of small businesses hiring during lay-offs has been noticed recently. Additionally, Alberta reinforces the scene by announcing funds specifically allocated for economic expansion. Not to forget, Wix announcing its integration with Meta for Business Owners is a cherry on top. Let’s dive in further on how to maximize these developments for your business marketing.

Fueling Social Media/Content Expenditure 💰

Social Media Spend

Social media has seamlessly woven into the fabric of small business marketing strategies. In 2023, it is forecasted that small businesses will increase their expenditure on social media content. This signifies investing more in generating content that is customized for social media platforms. Creating content that is engaging, informative, and visually stunning is of utmost significance now, more than ever.

Shrinking Ad Spend 🔻

Ad Spend Decrease

Surprisingly, ads no longer produce anticipated results. Traditional billboard ad campaigns and magazine features are not rendering returns on investment that equate the significant spends. Instead, people are more drawn towards content that seems less promotional. Time to bid adieu to costly ad campaigns that do not deliver value for money.

Small businesses are expected to shift their focus to creating organic content that directly communicates with their customers. Showcasing your brand’s unique personality through shareable, eye-catching content is the way to go.

Video Content & Tutorials Taking Center Stage 🎥

Video Content and Tutorials

It’s showtime! Video content is revolutionizing the small business marketing arena. 2023 anticipates businesses to generate more video tutorials that demonstrate their products or services in a captivating and instructive manner. So gear up, roll cameras, and let the world see your brilliance!

Rise of Social Media Influencer Campaigns 👥

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing, earmarked at a whopping 21.1 Billion for this year, is not reserved for large brands anymore. Small businesses can grab a slice of this pie too! Collaborating with social media influencers aligned with your brand can help you reach a broader audience. Be it Instagram stories or YouTube videos, influencers can help you generate buzz around your brand that cannot be ignored.

The Comeback of In-Person Events 🎉

In-Person Events

The year 2023 witnesses a resurgence in in-person events after three long years of encumbrance to virtual meetings due to a pandemic. Small businesses are utilizing events to provide their audience with a more immersive and unforgettable experience. This can range from pop-up shops, product launches, or community events. Hosting in-person events can help businesses connect with their customers on a personal level and cultivate a sense of community.

Wrapping Up

The small business marketing dynamics evolve continually. Businesses need to adapt to these changes and adopt innovative strategies like increased social media spending, decreased ad spend, video content showcasing, social media influencer campaigns, and hosting more in-person events to create a personalized and immersive experience for their customers. Ultimately the thriving businesses will be those that leverage these trends to drive growth and success.

About SMBL: Welcome to The Small Business Lifeline! Your go-to place for practical and constructive SMB marketing tips and strategies. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section! If this piece aids your understanding, give it a thumbs up and share it with others. Keep following us for more weekly insights.

Tags: #SmallBusinessMarketing, #MarketingTrends2023, #SocialmediaMarketing, #InfluencerMarketing

[Reference Link](!https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-small-business-marketing-trends-follow-2023-roseline-kapongo)

Step-by-Step Guide to Collect and Analyze TS Server Crash Logs in Visual Studio Code

Often times, when working with Typescript in the Visual Studio Code (VS Code) editor, we can experience sudden crashes or unexpected behavior. In such cases, the Typescript Server logs can provide useful insights to better understand the issue and carry out troubleshooting effectively. This blog post will guide you step-by-step on how you can collect the TS server log from a crashed instance in a VS Code environment.

Prerequisites

Before we proceed, make sure that the following conditions are met:

  1. VS Code is installed on your system.
  2. The Typescript extension is installed and enabled on your VS Code editor.

Collecting TS Server log

First, you need to set the typescript.tsserver.log to verbose. This is done to ensure that the log level includes all detail. Here is how you do it:

  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Go to settings by clicking the gear icon at the bottom left.
  3. Search for typescript.tsserver.log.
  4. Change the setting to verbose.

Now that the log level has been set to verbose, next you should reproduce the problem that led to the crash.

Finding the Error Log File

After reproducing the problem and experiencing the crash, the next step is to locate the first line that prints the path to the semantic error log file. It will look something like this:

[Info - 19:54:59.247] <semantic> Log file: /Users/matb/Library/Application Support/Code - Insiders/logs/20200213T104930/exthost55/vscode.typescript-language-features/tsserver-log-ZT2zau/tsserver.log

This states the path to the semantic typescript log which contains error logs and potential clues to resolve the problem.

Analysing the Log File

Once you obtain the path to the log file as shown in the example above, open the respective log file. Skim through the log file to find the first error or stack trace. This will give you an indication of where things went wrong.

You can also share the log file for advice and suggestions from others. Having someone else take a second look at your log file could lead to a faster resolution as they may catch something you might have overlooked.

Note

When adding images to the comment section to clarify any points, use the format “, where alt will serve as the title for the image and url is the link to the image. The image URL should be a valid image link you have. Please do not use arbitrary URLs.

Conclusion

That’s it! By following this guide, you should now be able to collect TS Server Logs from a crashed instance and find possible error origins to troubleshoot Typescript server crashes in VS Code.

Tags: Technology, Programming, Typescript, Visual Studio Code

[Reference Link](!https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/171156)

Enhance Your Coding with JavaScript and TypeScript Shorthand Techniques

Optimizing your workflow is one of the key steps to becoming a proficient developer, and a great way to do that is by learning and implementing shorthand alternatives in your code. Two languages that offer many opportunities for shorthand coding are JavaScript and TypeScript. This guide will walk you through several shorthand alternatives that can make your code cleaner, more scalable, and easier to read.

Table of Contents

Ternary Operator

A ternary operator is a shortcut for an if...else statement, and is made up of three parts: a condition, a result for true, and a result for false. Here’s an example of how it can simplify your code:

// Longhand
const mark = 80;
if (mark >= 65) {
  return 'Pass';
} else {
  return 'Fail';
}

// Shorthand
const mark = 80;
return mark >= 65 ? 'Pass' : 'Fail';

Short-circuit Evaluation

This is a less-known yet handy feature that uses the OR (||) operator. It allows you to run an operation not when the first operand is true, but when the first operand is false.

// Longhand
let str = '';
let finalStr = str || 'default string';

// Shorthand
let str = '';
let finalStr;
if (str !== null && str !== undefined && str != '') {
  finalStr = str;
} else {
  finalStr = 'default string';
}

Nullish Coalescing Operator

The nullish coalescing operator checks whether a provided variable is null or undefined and returns a provided default value if it is null or undefined. It’s a shorter and more intuitive way to default-assign your variables.

// Longhand
let num = null;
if (num !== null && num !== undefined) {
  actualNum = num;
} else {
  actualNum = 0;
}

// Shorthand
let num = null;
let actualNum = num ?? 0;

Template Literals

Template literals, introduced with the ES6 syntax, allow for easier string manipulation. They are a new way to create strings and allow embedded expressions, multiline strings, and string formatting.

// Longhand
const name = 'Iby';
const hobby = 'to read';
const fullStr = name + ' loves ' + hobby;

// Shorthand
const name = 'Iby';
const hobby = 'to read';
const fullStr = `${name} loves ${hobby}`;

Object Property Assignment Shorthand

In JavaScript and TypeScript, you can assign a property to an object in shorthand. This simply involves mentioning the variable in the object literal.

// Longhand
const obj = {
  x: 1,
  y: 2,
  z: 3,
}

// Shorthand
const x = 8;
const y = 10;
const obj = {x, y};

Optional Chaining

The optional chaining operator permits reading the value of a property located deep within a chain of connected objects without having to check that each reference in the chain is valid.

// Longhand
const obj = {
  x: {
    y: 1,
    z: 2
  },
  others: ['test', 'tested']
};
if (obj.hasOwnProperty('others') && obj.others.length >= 2) {
  console.log('2nd value in others: ', obj.others[1]);
}

// Shorthand
const obj = {
  x: {
    y: 1,
    z: 2
  },
  others: ['test', 'tested']
};
console.log('2nd value in others: ', obj.others?.[1]);

Object Destructuring

Object destructuring allows you to create a new variable by extracting some properties from an object and can greatly simplify your code.

// Longhand
const obj = {
  x: {
    y: 1,
    z: 2
  },
  other: 'test string',
};
console.log('Value of z in x: ', obj.x.z);
console.log('Value of other: ', obj.other);

// Shorthand
const obj = {
  x: {
    y: 1,
    z: 2
  },
  other: 'test string',
};
const { x, other } = obj;
const { z } = x;
console.log('Value of z in x: ', z);
console.log('Value of other: ', other);

Spread Operator

The spread operator allows an iterable to be expanded in places where zero or more arguments or elements are expected. In simpler terms, it’s a quick, easy way to copy all properties from one object to another or to combine two different arrays.

// Longhand
const arr = [1, 2, 3];
const biggerArr = [4, 5, 6].concat(arr);

const smallObj = {
  x: 1
};
const otherObj = Object.assign(smallObj, { y: 2 });

// Shorthand
const arr = [1, 2, 3];
const biggerArr = [...arr, 4, 5, 6];

const smallObj = {
  x: 1
};
const otherObj = { ...smallObj, y: 2 };

Continue reading for more detailed explanation and examples of each shorthand…

Tags: #JavaScript #TypeScript #ProgrammingShorthands #CodingTips
Reference Link

Best Practices for Clean and Maintainable TypeScript Code: Strong Typing and Null Checks

Writing TypeScript code may seem daunting given its complexity and the need for highest precision. However, by following a set of practices you can manage to write TypeScript code that is not only clean but is also highly maintainable. In this blog post, we delve into some of these practices that you can use to make your code easier to understand, reduce bugs, and make your fellow developers happy.

Make Use of Strong Typing

TypeScript’s most powerful tool is its ability to do static type checking. Instead of using generic types like “string” or “number”, TypeScript allows us to use strong typing. This is the practice of using specific, custom types for variables and functions. The benefit is that this could catch mistakes in your code even before it runs.

For instance, creating a custom type called “Person” and using it in the function in the example below:

interface Person {
    name: string;
    age: number;
}

function greet(person: Person) {
    console.log(`Hello, ${person.name}`);
}

In the example above, the Person type is an interface that requires a name and an age. Using this in our greet function means that TypeScript will throw an error if we attempt to use this function with objects that do not meet the exact Person type.

Avoid Any Type As Much As Possible

It may feel tempting to use the “any” type in TypeScript. It gives you the flexibility of assigning any type of value to a variable. However, this could lead into numerous issues down the line because it makes the code less reliable and harder to maintain. Instead, using more specific types (as explained above) and union types wherever possible can help catch errors well in advance.

For instance, here is how any type can be liberally used:

function addValues(value1: any, value2: any): any {
    return value1 + value2;
}

A better approach would be a function where you specify the exact types:

function addNumbers(num1: number, num2: number): number {
    return num1 + num2;
}

Employ Strict Null Checks

Enabling strict null checks can help you avoid potential errors related to null and undefined. This forces you to explicitly handle these cases and catches potential problems at compile-time. This means errors related to null or undefined values can be avoided even before the code actually runs.

To enable strict null checks, add the following line to your tsconfig.json file:

{
    "compilerOptions": {
        "strictNullChecks": true
    }
}

In conclusion, TypeScript gives us powerful tools such as strong typing and strict null checks, to prevent bugs and make our code more maintainable. The allure of using any type might seem great, but it can lead to harder-to-maintain code in the long run. These practices will help you to write better, more maintainable code in TypeScript.

Tags: #TypeScript #StrongTyping #StrictNullCheck #CodingBestPractices

[Reference Link](!https://blog.bitsrc.io/best-practices-for-writing-clean-and-maintainable-typescript-code-1cc6a7f029dc)

Browser Automation Tools for 2023: Detailed Review and Comparison of Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright

Every modern development team and organization needs to know about browser automation. This is because it is one of the most critical aspects of software development that aids in improving the software quality and the speed of delivery. In this context, there are three primary browser automation tools that you need to be aware of – Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright.

An Overview of Automation Testing

Automation testing is crucial as it helps in accelerating the testing process. It examines whether the results generated by specific code lines match the expected results. Automation testing helps improve efficiency, accuracy, coverage of tests, and it is highly cost-effective and reliable.

Automation testing diagram

Keeping this in mind, let us delve deeper into the big three – Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright.

Selenium: The Groundbreaking Automation Tool

Selenium has had a major impact on the automation testing world despite not initially being designed as a testing tool. It boasted features such as multiple language support, an array of browser support, maximum community engagement, and being entirely open source.

Pros of Selenium:

  • Multi-language support
  • Wide range of browser support
  • Large user community
  • Recognized standard

Cons of Selenium:

  • Slow execution
  • Complexity in setting up
  • Occurrence of Flaky tests

Cypress: The Developer-Focused Testing Tool

Cypress is entirely focused on developers and was built with the aim of improving the reliability and speed of automated testing. It has a completely different approach to testing as compared to Selenium, and runs inside the browser for executing precise automation.

Pros of Cypress:

  • Focused on front end developers
  • Provides detailed error messages
  • Automatic recording of video on test run

Cons of Cypress:

  • Limited browser support
  • The only language supported is JavaScript
  • Certain functionality requires relevant plugin knowledge

Playwright: The Latest in Browser Automation

Playwright is a new cross-browser automation library developed for end-to-end testing. It provides the ability to emulate mobile browsers and comes with multiple benefits like supporting multi-tab and multi-user scenarios, and provides new browser contexts for each test.

Pros of Playwright:

  • Supports multiple programming languages
  • Can emulate mobile browsers
  • Auto-wait functionality

Cons of Playwright:

  • Smaller community
  • Complexity in API
  • Less intuitive syntax for beginners

Comparison of Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright

| Feature | Selenium | Cypress | Playwright |
| — | — | — | — |
| Development and History | Developed in 2004 at ThoughtWorks, Selenium WebDriver later followed it. It has a large ecosystem and is a W3C standard. | Started in 2015, built to improve reliability and speed in automated testing. Runs inside the browser. | Developed by Microsoft in 2019, aims for e2e testing and auto-waits for elements to be ready. |
| Language Support | Supports multiple languages like Java, C#, Python, Ruby, and JavaScript. | JavaScript only. | Supports multiple languages like TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Java, and C#. |
| Browser Support | Supports many browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE, and Opera. | Limited browser support. | Supports Chromium, WebKit, and Firefox and can emulate natives mobile browsers. |
| Community | Has the largest community with plenty of resources for solutions. | Over 5 million weekly downloads and over 43,000 GitHub stars. | Relatively smaller community due to recent market debut. |
| Drawbacks | Slow execution can lead to flaky tests and complexity in setup. | Limitations require knowledge of relevant plugin. | API may appear complex to beginners. |
| Additional Features | Can be extended with drivers, bindings, plugins, and frameworks, being a W3C standard. | Provides a real-time view of tests with a simple yet powerful API along with a rich library of plugins. | Ability to emulate mobile browsers, auto-wait functionality, can support multi-tab and multi-user scenarios. |

The Best Advice for Automating Your Tests

The choice of automation tool largely depends on your team structure and the project requirements. If you are a tester, you might want to start with Selenium. For front-end developers, Cypress might be more suitable. SDETs might be more inclined towards Playwright.

Before you make a decision, it is always recommended to run a 2-week proof-of-concept with any tool involving the whole team to see how it performs in your environment.

tags: #Selenium #Cypress #Playwright #AutomationTesting #2023FutureTrends

[Reference Link](!https://testguild.com/top-3-automation-testing-tools/)

Comparative Analysis: Selenium VS Cypress for Web Automation Testing

In the domain of website testing, two tools – Selenium and Cypress, have gained the spotlight due to their remarkable and contrasting characteristics. This blog post seeks to delve deep into the distinct features, benefits, and limitations of the two, and provide a clearer picture when one should opt for Selenium or Cypress.

Introduction to Selenium and Cypress

Selenium follows a modular architecture and has been the go-to tool for web automation testing. It is an independent application that runs on a machine and executes remote commands to evaluate website performance.

However, Cypress entered the scenario to ameliorate some of Selenium’s limitations and leverage the nuances of contemporary web architecture. The tool, built on node.js, operates as an npm module instead of an independent application.

Operational Difference

While most automation tools run separately from the application or browsers, Cypress unfolds a novel way of operation. It assimilates itself inside the browser and influences website components directly, making it convenient to stub or mock your tests by manipulating the DOM directly.

Benefits of Using Cypress

As this technological realm is highly dynamic, tools with extended benefits always enjoy user preference. Some of the advantages of using Cypress include:

Easy to Update

Cypress comes as an npm module, which enables different versions of the tool to operate across various repositories. This makes updating the tool effortless.

Easy Operation

Cypress is constructed as an all-in-one testing framework, aiming to minimize the complexity of the overall testing framework.

Speed and Reliability

Running within the browser makes Cypress highly reliable and promotes quicker execution of tests. However, it doesn’t support parallel execution as well and would require multiple browser instances for parallel operation.

Advanced Mocking and Stubbing

Cypress’s ability to manipulate the DOM directly makes the mocking and stubbing process more straightforward.

Automatic Waiting and Real-time Reloading

Cypress is designed with asynchronous operations in mind, providing a better deal against asynchronous operations than Selenium. It also offers features like automatic waiting and real-time reloading.

Built-in Debugging

Cypress comes with a built-in debugging feature, promising an optimized testing experience.

Limitations of Cypress

Despite its numerous benefits, Cypress is not free from drawbacks:

Limited Cross-browser Support

Support for parallel testing, mobile testing, integration with other tools is quite limited in Cypress.

Lack of Parallel Testing

Cypress isn’t as effective in parallel executions and hence multiple browser instances are required for performing parallel tasks.

Limited Mobile Testing

Compared to Selenium, Cypress’s performance in mobile testing is not quite up to the mark.

When to Choose Cypress

Opt for Cypress when your application-under-test is mainly web and node-JS based, your automation scripts need to operate directly within the CI/CD pipelines, and you are clear about your mocking and stubbing requirements to substantially ameliorate execution speed. However, Cypress may not be the best choice if traceability to your requirements or manual tests is vital to you.

Conclusion

Cypress, with its unique capabilities, offers a fresh and powerful approach to end-to-end testing for web applications. Its built-in features and distinct operation model provide developers with increased control over their test automation scripts. However, careful consideration of the tool’s limitations is imperative to leverage its benefits fully.

With these insights, it should be easier to make an informed choice between Selenium and Cypress based on the particular needs of your testing environment.

Tags: #Selenium #Cypress #AutomationTesting #WebApplication

[Reference Link](!https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pros-cons-different-ui-automation-test-tools-cypress-craig-risi)

Boosting Performance and Speed of Your Next.js Applications: Best Practices and Optimizations

The performance of an application is intimately linked with the time it takes to serve the application’s code, style elements, and data to the client during the first interaction. The application’s performance can degrade if the server needs to send additional assets like images during the initial interaction. Good news is, developers can employ several strategies to enhance the speed of their Next.js applications.

Leveraging Server-side Rendering

Server-side rendering (SSR) is a technique that involves rendering the initial HTML of a webpage on the server before delivering it to the web browser. Using SSR can decrease the time needed to render the first page on the client side, which means users get to see your page’s content much faster. In addition, SSR is beneficial for improving application performance, particularly on mobile devices.

Here’s an example of how you can use server-side rendering in your code:

// This function will be called by the server
export async function getServerSideProps({context}){
    // Fetch data from external API
    const res = await fetch(`YOUR_API`)
    // Returning the fetched data
    return {
        props: {
            data: res
        }
    }
}

The Power of Dynamic Imports

Traditionally, applications usually load all the necessary components and CSS during the initial load. Dynamic import, however, allows you to break your code into smaller chunks and load them on demand. This approach implies you can import particular components as and when they’re needed. For instance, you can lazy load the login component for users who aren’t logged in. To use dynamic imports, you should import your code via an ES2020 dynamic import.

Caching Frequently Used Content

For API routes, apply Cache-Control to enforce caching rules, like this:

export default function handler(req, res){
    res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 's-maxage=10')
}

And for server-side rendering:

export async function getServerSideProps({ req, res }){
    res.setHeader('Cache-Control','public, s-maxage=10, stale-while-revalidate=59')
    return { props: {} }
}

Next.js automatically adds caching for static files and assets, so you don’t need to manually set it.

Removing Unused Dependencies

Unused dependencies can increase the size and loading time of your app and may also cause unexpected behaviors. So, it’s always a good idea to keep track of the dependencies that aren’t in use and remove them.

Image Optimization

Image optimization, which includes reducing the size of image files and saving them in the correct format, can greatly improve performance. You can use the Next.js Image Component for this purpose.

Here’s an example:

import Image from 'next/image'

function OptimizedImage(){
    return (
        <>
            <h1>Optimized Image</h1>
            <Image 
                src={image_url} 
                alt="Any Text" 
                width={500} 
                height={500} 
                blurDataURL="URL" 
                placeholder="blur" 
            />
        </>
    )
}

export default OptimizedImage

Optimizing Your Scripts

Use Next.js script component to optimize your scripts. For instance:

import Script from 'next/script'

export default function OptimizedScript(){
    return (
        <>
            <Script 
                id="YOUR_ID" 
                src="URL" 
                onError={(err) => console.log('Error')} 
                onLoad={() => {
                    // Function to perform after loading the script
                }}
                strategy = "beforeInteractive"
            />
        </>
    )
}

Next.js is popular because it allows developers to build vibrant JavaScript apps without constructing backend infrastructure. Additionally, it is packed with features that can significantly improve application performance while carrying out most of the heavy lifting on the server. Following these best practices can help you harness these features and build faster Next.js applications.

Tags: #nextjs #performance #serversiderendering #dynamicimport
Reference Link

Mastering Digital Marketing: Top Trends and Strategies for Success in 2023

As the world continues to evolve digitally, businesses need to keep up with the latest trends in marketing. With a whopping 1.5 billion users on social media across the globe, businesses need to not only keep an online presence, but also understand digital marketing techniques that can effectively engage these users. Here are some of the significant digital marketing trends you should anticipate for 2023.

Knowing the Benefits of Digital Marketing

Before diving into the trends, it’s essential to understand the benefits digital marketing brings to your business:

Targeting the Right Audience – Digital marketing allows businesses to target their audience more effectively through data collection and consumer behavior analysis.

Optimizing and Improving Conversion Rates – Only 22% of businesses are currently satisfied with their conversion rates. Digital marketing provides the tools necessary to understand and improve these rates.

Increasing Customer Loyalty – Digital marketing allows businesses to maintain a constant presence, keeping customers engaged and encouraging repeat business.

Building Credibility – A positive online presence helps potential customers trust your brand, increasing the likelihood of them doing business with you.

The Top Digital Marketing Trends for 2023

  1. Zero-Party Data Collection – The demand for privacy has led to the rise of zero-party data, voluntarily provided by users, collected through practices like form building. Gathering this type of data is expected to become a significant trend in 2023.

  2. Email Marketing Renaissance – With 89% of marketers using email for lead generation, this medium is expected to continue being influential in 2023, particularly for product launches and small businesses.

  3. Use of Marketing Apps Like SurveyMonkey – SurveyMonkey and similar marketing apps provide fresh avenues for creativity in launching marketing campaigns.

  4. Real-Time Messaging Platforms for Data Collection – As customers become increasingly accustomed to immediate responses, real-time messaging platforms will continue to grow in popularity.

  5. Booming Influencer Marketing – The huge ROI yielded by influencer marketing is proof of its effectiveness. Choosing the right influencer for your brand remains critical.

  6. Focus on Instant Gratification – Customers now expect instant responses to their queries. To foster this type of engagement, businesses should maintain readily accessible knowledge bases for customer queries.

  7. Outsourcing to Digital Marketing Agencies – Outsourcing has always been a popular choice for businesses lacking in-house resources. This trend is expected to continue growing in 2023.

  8. Rise in the Use of Chatbots – Chatbots can handle customer queries outside business hours, fostering better customer engagement.

  9. Machine Translation for Multilingual Content Marketing – Machine translation and post-editing (MTPE) will gain popularity in 2023. It allows marketers to provide content in different languages, expanding their customer base.

  10. Shoppable Digital Catalogs – Shoppable digital catalogs provide a blended shopping experience, mixing aesthetics, user experience, and seamless shopping possibilities all in one place.

Keeping Up With the Trends

Keeping abreast with these trends could make the difference between the success and failure of your digital marketing strategy. Refer to resources like the Commerce Insights Blog, Shopify, and the eCommerceFastlane Podcast for the latest on digital marketing and ecommerce trends.

Tags: #DigitalMarketingTrends2023, #DataCollection, #Outsourcing, #ShoppableCatalogs, #InfluencerMarketing
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2023 Digital Marketing Strategy: Trending Stats for SEO, Paid Search & Content Marketing Success

In today’s rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape, keeping up with the latest trends and statistics is crucial for success. This article offers a treasure trove of statistics to help you plan your 2023 strategies.

SEO and Backlinks: Positioning Your Brand

Here are some explaining points on SEO trends for 2023, based on recent statistical data:

  1. Mobile searches contribute to nearly 60% of all searches.
  2. By the end of 2022, it is expected that at least 50% of consumers will utilize voice search.
  3. Search traffic can be boosted by as much as 157% for posts that incorporate videos.

Paid Search: Spotlight on Your Brand

When it comes to paid search channels like Google Ads, attitudes are changing. Users are understanding that ads may not always provide the best answers. Here are some related statistics:

  1. A potential brand awareness increment of up to 80% can be achieved through effectively crafted ads.
  2. Unbelievable it may seem, but about 94% of searchers demonstrate a higher interest in organic results over paid searches.

Content Marketing: Add Value With Your Brand

The following statistics highlight the importance of dedicating resources to enhance your content marketing strategy:

  1. Can you imagine a 30% boost in your ROI? It’s possible with a budget committed to conversion rate optimization.
  2. In 2023, 66% of marketers plan to redirect larger amounts from their budgets towards content marketing.
  3. The top four content marketing formats generating results include videos, blogs, images, and infographics.

Lead Generation: Brand Awareness To Conversions

Lead generation strategies must be captivating to ensure your brand stays top of mind for potential customers. Here are some statistics to ponder upon:

  1. For a cost that’s just half of outbound, content marketing is capable of generating three times more leads.
  2. An average conversion may call for about 10 lead nurturing steps.

Data-Driven Marketing: Brand Truth Lies In Here

In 2023, the first-party data is expected to take supremacy over third-party cookies. Here’s why:

  1. A whooping 451% increment in qualified leads is possible through marketing automation.
  2. For 88% of marketers, first-party data is a priority going into 2023.
  3. Data-driven strategies can drive ROI to heights of five to eight times.

Staying ahead of digital marketing changes requires proactivity. Use these data trends to future-proof your brand’s digital marketing strategy in 2023.

#DigitalMarketing #SEO #PaidSearch #ContentMarketing #DataDrivenMarketing
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