WordPress Plugins for Two-Factor Authentication
In today’s world with the proliferation of the internet services, along with the massive growth in information consumption and online goods-services purchase, there is also an equivalent threat to the security and stability of websites. Websites, if not protected adequately, may face virtual attacks. This can lead to loss of credibility of websites, loss of site traffic and even de-listing from search engines – the last thing business owners want. In simple terms, businesses are vulnerable to malware attacks which can subsequently hurt their bottom lines. Therefore, there is a need to secure websites in an effective and efficient way.
The need for two-factor authentication
Most of us would be familiar with two-factor authentication, especially since we would have had so much experience in creating new accounts or installing new applications. However, for the uninitiated, two-factor authentication is essentially an additional layer of security along with the default password. This two-factor authentication can range from simple forms such as entering picture captcha or pattern to more secure forms of providing device-linked OTPs (One Time Passwords). These two-factor authentications ensure that only the rightful owner of the website is able to access the website.
Depending on the kind of authentication that clients want they can go for either of the following means to implement two-factor authentication:
1) E-mail – the secret code is sent via the client’s registered mail ,
2) SMS – OTP is sent to the client’s registered mobile number,
3) App-Generated code – Some apps come with the feature of generating random codes which the client has to enter while accessing,
4) Tokens – Inserting dedicated tokens into USB ports
Now, in this blogpost, we take a look at some of the popular WordPress plugins that can be used to setup two-factor authentication. Why WordPress? Because, it is one of the most widely used CMS platforms.You can also hire a wordpress programmer from us who can help you with this.
Duo Two-Factor Authentication
First in this list, we have Duo developed by the folks at Duo Security. This software proclaims to setup two-factor authentication within minutes to prevent data theft. Initially, clients will need to verify themselves with a device of their choice – a mobile phone for example – to increase security manifold. In our time with the software, we can say that Duo is easy to setup without complexity. Having provision for different user roles like admins, authors, editors Duo also has multiple ways to provide authentication ranging from one-tap passcodes, phone call-backs to one-tap authentication using Duo’s own app.
Two Factor
This is a free-to-use open source software which in our opinion is one of the simplest two-factor authentication in this list. All one needs to setup is to go to Users section, click on Profile and then click on Two-Factor options. The plugin claims to have provision for Email codes, OTPs, Backup codes. A delightful feature is the presence of a simple testing provision that clients can use to check their authentication.
Google Authenticator
Google Authenticator is an easy recommend for those clients who want to hire a WordPress developer for implementing complete end-to-end security solutions. All of this without having to pay anything – always good news for developers. Needless to say, we found the software that has a beautiful UI, easy to install. What’s more? It is GDPR compliant and has support for multiple languages. The free plugin features include even two-factor authentication on login page itself. It distinguishes itself from other plugins from monitoring user logins. Clients can do more by going for the premium versions.
GatewayAPI
GatewayAPI is a no-nonsense two-factor authentication service that banks on purely on SMS sent from the back-end. All one needs to do is signup for a free account and clients can choose from a range of features including short-codes, integration with Contact Form 7, import of recipient list, remember device for 30 days and more. The software also adds a bit of personalisation by providing clients the freedom to use their own keywords to receive as SMS.
Rublon Two-Factor Authentication
Last on our list in Rublon – yet another software that emphasises ease of use and simplicity.It supports email, SMS, QR code, Time OTP among other two-factor authentications. The best highlight of Rublon is that there is no need for any configuration. Clients only need to install the plugin and connect to the API using the relevant security key. Having support for five languages and a friendly interface, it makes for a satisfying security implementation.
Get in touch with our team at HireIndianProgrammers to enlist our services.
WordPress and October CMS – A Comparison
Recently, WordPress launched its React powered Gutenberg to provide a revamped content management system (CMS) experience. But this has gone too well with much of the users and has rather garnered a lukewarm response. Are you one of those people, looking to shift to another platform? Then this post might be for you.
So, in this blogpost we will look at the next best alternative – October CMS and also see how it stacks up with our beloved WordPress. If you are looking for any developer out there, you can now hire a WordPress developer at HireIndianProgrammers, who will make your transition into website development for your business a smooth process.
October CMS is a free, open source, relatively new and dynamic content generator that is based on the Laravel framework. Having a sizeable community, one key difference between WordPress developmentand October CMS is that while the former has basis on procedural programming the latter has basis on object oriented programming.
Both WordPress development and October CMS run on the LAMP stack i.e Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. You must also know that they both have the same language basis – HTML, CSS, Javascript.
Content Creation and Plugins
With the launch of Gutenberg, there are two new features for WordPress developers – Introduction of the usage of components over the earlier coding blobs of HTML and another feature known as the block. Blocks are supposedly introduced to provide a way to insert content into the site.
What does it entail for users?It ensures a simpler user experience. It is in stark contrast to the earlier version of WordPress that added content through shortcodes, buttons, menus etc; Installing many blocks isn’t a hassle either. What this essentially achieves is that it provides users with a modular approach. However, as with anything new, the learning curve for React is rather steep, thereby testing your patience.
For October CMS, knowing just HTML is enough to build sites. The pages are written using twig templates. With respect to design, it allows users to select the appropriate layout including header, footer, placeholders and so on. So customisation is a breeze. If at all, you are not satisfied with only HTML, you can always add PHP functions to produce a dynamic code.
While anyone can use a WordPress site, October CMS is rather developer-friendly.That means dedicated programmers may have no problems to use, but the layman like marketers may not find it helpful.
With regard to plugins, both platforms offer an advanced yet simplified mechanism that allows users to search, install new plugins and update existing plugins to their latest version. This can be achieved from the backend itself.
Documentation
We are all very much familiar with the documentation in WordPress. While in-site documentation doesn’t cover everything, there are several external sources and general sites such as CSS Tricks and online courses sealing with every WordPress topic under the sun.
On the other hand, the documentation provided by the founders of October CMS, though doesn’t enjoy widespread recognition, does the job pretty well for a new entrant. It’s more than enough for people looking to start coding. What’s more? The founders regularly add new content to the documentation. However, you must know that it is not 100% perfect and it is a work in progress.
Security
Due to its immense popularity, WordPress is riddled with large amount of negative externalities. Users therefore have to constantly update all of their plugins and related software to prevent any major hacks.
Meanwhile, October CMS being a fairly new entrant in this space and owing to its size, doesn’t have that problem. Moreover, during the wizard installation process itself, it allows users to input the CMS backend URL (changeable). This makes it almost impossible for hackers to attack.
Community Support
The sheer vastness of the community forums of WordPress programmers, both online and offline doesn’t need introduction. Not only in size, but also from a diversity point of view. It brings together people from different countries, backgrounds, professions – developers and users alike. So, it is very likely that whatever challenge you may be facing, there is always someone out there to help you out in these forums. In addition to that you could also make use of the WordCamps held in various cities to learn how to use the platform.
October CMS is not bad either, especially for one that recently came into picture. Though it doesn’t match the level of WordPress development support forums, it is steadily gaining popularity. Even the platform’s owners join the discussion forum from time to time. This is good news for those who are starting out, in need of tips and tricks. The only con is that these forums are more oriented towards the developer.
So what do you think would be a better choice for you? Both WordPress and October CMS have their own set of pros and cons. While WordPress is favourable for both the developer and the user, October CMS is geared towards developers.
However, your choice may differ according to the project or team or company. What are your requirements? Make a note of it and decide on THE CMS for you.
Things you need to know before selecting an E-Commerce Platform
The E-Commerce sector has been on the upswing in the recent years and there are no indications for this to change. Having said that, if you are someone who is looking to make a foray into the crowded online business space, then there are some things that you must need sorting out before choosing an appropriate E-Commerce platform. This will ensure that you get a strong head-start and grow without any hiccups while saving costs.
In this blogpost, we will discuss some key factors that you need to consider, following which you will be able to make an informed decision in choosing from tons of options.
Host
The first and foremost thing you need to do is to be clear on the product and the market – i.e what product you are selling and whom you are selling to. For example, if you are selling just digital products, there is no worry of shipping, rather you can concentrate on e-mail marketing.
On this basis, you have to decide whether you want a self-hosted platform or hosted platform. Going the self-host way gives you more control but also you need to be sure if it has a high uptime rate. On the other hand, going the hosted platform way will take care of your every need.
Support System
This is something that you must not take lightly. Given that you are conducting business online, there are some things that might go out of your hand like – for instance – software and server crash. In these moments, it would greatly help if you have a strong customer care service from your side. So, look for platforms that provide customer service, how they provide, what they provide and so on. OpenCart provides free community or dedicated commercial support!
Pricing
The next factor you need to consider is the pricing. Every platform out there has a monthly fee. It goes without saying that the pricing will vary with the kind of host you opt for. In fact, it will be useful to make a list of features and categorise it as Must have (critical), Should Have (Important but not necessary), Could Have (Desirable but not necessary), Won’t Have (Least critical). Especially, if you’re starting out, don’t hesitate and end up compromising on essential features just for a platform at a cheaper price.
For example, the checkout area in any e-commerce website is a crucial area and most customers will look for payment options like PayPal. It would augur well for you to give preference to those platforms that offer this support. If your site doesn’t have the usual payment options, then the customer will likely move on to a different site. Lost sale, period!
Plugins
Make the most from your chosen E-Commerce platform that provides a variety of useful plugins that your business actually needs. For example, there are plugins in platforms like Shopify for specific aspects like Shipping, Accounting, tool to reward your customers to increase their loyalty and so on.
Mobile Friendly and SEO Ready
Most people are now purchasing on their smartphones. So, having a mobile friendly version of your e-commerce site will be an added advantage. In addition to that, consider search engine optimisation (SEO) for your business. This means enabling your customers to write reviews and adding blogs etc;
Having a platform that offers these services will prove to be highly beneficial, in the sense, it will not only increase your page rank but will also likely create engagement and guarantees your customer’s returning to your shop to purchase. Loyalty!
Other Things to Look Out For
Security is one major concern among customers. Ensure that the platform you choose has support for HTTPS for a safe and secure payment experience. Also check whether the said platform is Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant.
We know that you hope to make it big with your E-Commerce venture. That is why it doesn’t hurt to look for a platform that will scale along with you without charging exorbitant fees.
Depending on your preferences, you can now hire a Magento developer or hire an OpenCart developer at HireIndianProgrammers. They will work round the clock to ensure that you get the best e-commerce platform that you want as determined by you.
For more queries, feel free to contact us here.
Choosing the Right Framework for your Website
One of the key things you need to get your business started, especially if you are going to do business on the internet is a GREAT website. There are a number of frameworks around to develop a rich, enriching website promising a satisfying experience for customers like – Angular, PHP, WordPress, Ruby on Rails, Laravel, Magento, Open Cart and so on. However, with more choices, it might be hard to select the right framework, given that there would be several factors in play.
Fret not, for in this blog post, we will look at simplifying your decision in opting the right framework.
What’s more?!
You can also Hire a Programmer from HireIndianProgrammers to develop the PERFECT website for you – as per your needs, no strings attached.
Requirements
Have a clear idea about your business website, who it caters to, what you want your website to exactly address etc; You might want to check on the extent of CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations involved in your website. Whether you want to cater exclusively only on the desktop or even mobile users. Serving in mobile calls for optimisation and being SEO friendly. Determine the size of your project (mid-sized or large or specialised) and that will have a bearing on the kind of framework.
Resources
By resources, we mean both human and monetary. Depending on the size and complexity of your business, you may need to prioritise. If you feel that your business requires a new technology, outsourcing that piece of work can save you money. If your business caters to a small local neighbourhood market, you can opt from many open source frameworks that have the benefit of constant updating and of being license free.
Timeline
Sometimes it is crucial that you get your business started early and have an edge over competitors. In such a scenario, Time-To-Market (TTM) matters a lot. Frameworks like Ruby on Rails allows to reduce the TTM significantly. It will also save time in finding the person with the right expertise. Documentation is yet another aspect to keep in mind.
Goals
Finally, you also need to select a framework that allows you to scale in the future, provides an easy maintenance and assures decent security for your website. As your business grows, your website must be able to handle a lot of traffic – good and bad. Therefore, you need to take into consideration the above factors while selecting a framework.
At HireIndianProgrammers, we have coders having expertise in a range of frameworks. You can Hire from PHP, MAGENTO, OPEN CART, RUBY ON RAILS, WORDPRESS and even OPEN SOURCE.
Feel free to have a look at some of our projects.
For any queries, contact us here.
Mobile App Designing tips
The app can deliver the promised results if you use the elements correctly. An eye-catchy mobile application will improve the experience of the customers. Hire a Coder who understands the marketing strategy and behavior of the users. The following designing tips will enhance the appearance and functionality of the website.
Interaction Design
Good interaction design is important to get a success of your business. You may do research and surveys to full fill the user aspect. Keep the design elements or the design of the application responsive for all types of mobile users. You can get the feedback from the users and work on it.
Accessibility
Accessibility is the frustrating factor that affects most of the mobile application. Before launching the mobile application you should check whether the buttons and the functionalities of the website work properly. Design the button which is not overlapped to other. Security and compliance of the mobile app are also the important factors.
How to pick the right technology for web development?
Are you an entrepreneur having trouble in choosing the right technology for web development? Picking up the right technology is difficult especially in case of startup companies because most of the small scale companies want to create a website for a limited cost. In this post, you will get to know, how to choose the right technology for web development.
The first step is to decide which type of website you are going to develop. You need to know the type of websites such as single page website, online store or large enterprise level solutions. Hire a web developer who can help you to achieve the organization’s goal.
The scalability of the website matters when choosing the technology. Make sure the technology which you choose helps to handle more number of users. You may think of the functional scalability of the website. Security is one of the important concerns to check while choosing the technology.