10 Main Key Factors To Ensure Software Project Success

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Completing projects successfully and within schedule and budget can be a very challenging endeavor. Design and development teams around the world struggle to deliver on the demands of their stakeholders, while still retaining their life and sanity. Throughout this blog we discuss the common reasons that software projects go over budget, and what you can do as a developer or stakeholder to successfully complete projects and deliver real value to your users and business. 

Whether you’re looking to create an app or build a better website for your business, you’ll be investing in a software project. To ensure software project success, you want to understand why the majority of software projects fail. 

According to a Standish report, about 31.1% of software projects will be canceled and about 52.7% of projects will cost 189% of their original estimates. 

Here are 10 key factors that will ensure software project success: 

1.) CONSIDER END USERS AND IMPLEMENT USER TESTING 

One of the best ways to increase your chances of success is to make sure you’re designing and developing for your intended users. This is why it’s crucial to understand the needs of the user throughout the process. When you create a value-driven statement you can identify what solutions your product brings to your target audience. For example, you can write out a statement at the beginning of your project that answers the question of who your product targets and what problem your product will solve for intended users. 

Consider which phase of your project you want to implement user testing. You can use different methodologies depending on where you want valuable user feedback. Conducting user testing before you design can determine whether you have an adequate user interface while conducting it post-build can compare your product to competitors. Make sure that you prepare your participants and testing zone to achieve accurate results.  

2.) HAVE CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND SPECIFICATIONS 

It’s useful to create a product roadmap that lays out a strategic plan and highlights your  objectives. Be detailed and specific about what your team needs to help meet your ultimate goal. Before diving into the software development life cycle, create a value-driven statement to help set a precedent for what your project is, who it aims to target, and what problems it will solve. 

3.) HIRE EXPERIENCED DEVELOPERS 

Hiring skilled developers makes for a smooth development process. The investment in senior developers will certainly cost more, but it will save you headaches, time, and money in the long run. 

You should make sure that each team member understands their roles and responsibilities for the project. Assigning project roles will give you the confidence that the team can complete the project effectively. Also, ensure that your team is following software development protocols and workflows. A project that doesn’t follow best design and development best practices is destined to break or fail in the future. Last but not least, work with a team that is passionate about your product and genuinely cares about the outcome of your project.  

4) HAVE A PLAN 

Proper planning will ensure that everyone knows exactly what  they are responsible for throughout the project. Before you begin working, you should determine the project strategy and approach that will lead you to achieving the end goal. Take the time to figure out which development tools you’ll be using throughout the process and identify the technical architecture that will support your software. 

Make sure you have all of the following: 

  • Sprint plans with clear milestones
  • Application framework
  • Code reviews
  • Automated testing 
  • Bug and task tracking

5.) PRACTICE EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

All stakeholders of the project must agree to a set of deliverables and acceptance criteria to avoid scope creep and the accompanying additional costs. A formal agreement between your business and the software development team is a great way to set clear expectations and eliminate any confusion. 

You should find a team that uses the agile project management methodology, which develops software with an iterative approach. To ensure that your project is always moving forward, the team should set clear milestones with hard deadlines.  

The software design and development company should have weekly, internal standup meetings where they discuss what was completed, what will be completed next, and if there are any obstacles hindering their progress. 

Client meetings should be scheduled regularly to update your business on the progress of your project. This is an opportunity for your team to provide feedback and clarification to the development team. 

6.) HAVE CLEAR COMMUNICATION 

Clear communication is critical at the onset of a project. As a client, you should clearly communicate your product requirements and vision for your product. Communicating your needs ensures that the development team builds exactly what you ask for. Document your scope of work to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Clear communication will increase your chances of creating a successful software project. 

Clear and consistent agreement is the backbone to a successful software project which helps to ultimately avoid confusion, delays, and mistakes. Regardless of the stage of the project, communication plays an integral part. Whether it’s understanding concerns, achievements, or ongoing project updates, there should be a dedicated communication channel (i.e. Slack, Skype, Email, etc.). 

7.) FOCUS ON YOUR DESIGN 

During the design phase, the UX designers should create a detailed design document that specifies the techniques and tools that support your product goals. The software developers should then review the document to correct technical changes. The design is the blueprint for what is going to be built. It may take a few test runs to find the right design. This is why it’s important to have testing and improvement phases throughout the development process. You should have an excellent team of UX designers that prioritize the user experience. They’ll need to have some technical tools such as wireframing and prototyping tools for user flow mock-ups.

Wireframes and visual compositions are critical for your project’s objective. To create a software project such as a website or a mobile app, you’ll need to begin by creating wireframes which show picture representations of information and features. Wireframes are valuable as they help you visualize a general layout of your website or app. They are also used to define specifications and obtain approval from clients. Wireframes can supplement visual comps as these mockups go a step further to provide a visual representation of your product. Other diagrams that provide value to your project process are flowcharts which help define the workflows by providing clear visual models of what a programmer will code.

8.) IMPLEMENT RISK MANAGEMENT 

Let’s face it. Things always go wrong, so you should try to fail as gracefully as possible. To do so, create a risk log with action plans to mitigate and tackle risks early on in the process. The software development team should create a plan to confront risks and inform clients about potential problems. 

You should identify any risks that might emerge and then analyze the potential impact it might have on your overall project budget, scope, and quality. Implement the proper risk management to mitigate any risks and prevent derailing your project.

9.) FOLLOW SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT BEST PRACTICES 

It’s crucial for your team to follow software development best practices. The development team should abide by the guidelines of coding standards. Source control is another vital component as it allows you to manage the changes to your code and provide a centralized source for your code.  

Some other modern development practices include continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD). CI is a preparation aimed at getting regular updates as quickly as possible to get fixes to users. There’s a huge emphasis on automated testing to validate the changes made throughout the process. CD extends the process of CI as it allows you to deliver changes to your customers. 

Before moving into the launch process of your application, the software development team should have a code review. Code review is an integral phase of your software project that will help you identify any bugs and defects. Code review ensures that software developers are following best practices while making sure the whole team has reviewed the code.

10.) DO A FINAL REVIEW AND POST-RELEASE REVIEW 

Don’t leave your release planning until the very end. At the beginning of the project, you should test your system with the setup and data that are as close to production as possible. 

Once you’ve done all this and completed your final acceptance tests, it’s onto the next step, deployment. The deployment process is customized based on your project’s specific requirements. Your operations team should review, confirm, and approve the deployment documentation. Then, when you release the product, you should analyze and reflect on what went well and what didn’t throughout the project cycle. This will help your team adjust performance accordingly for the next project. 

Ready to start your software project? We have a dedicated team here at EXsphere Technology to help ensure your software project success. Contact us today to discuss your plans so we can help make your ideas become a reality!

Why Do You Need Digital Marketing Consulting Services?

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Suppose you want to execute a great digital marketing strategy. In that case, your first step should be managing and assessing various activities, understanding where each marketing approach fits in your plan, and mapping out real-life scenarios. Fortunately, top digital marketing consultants in India can assist you with this.

What exactly are digital marketing consulting firms? And what does a digital marketing consultant do to assist your company’s growth?

A Brief Introduction To Digital Marketing Consulting Services In India

A digital marketing consultant is an outside adviser specialising in generating leads and increasing sales through online marketing platforms. Digital marketing experts’ services differ based on your requirements. Some will be in charge of specific marketing efforts. Others will be responsible for your complete marketing approach from beginning to end.

Enterprises must not only design a process to ensure that their efforts and investments in online-based activities produce fruit, but they must also have experienced, qualified assistance to get there. A B2C and B2B digital marketing consulting agency can assist brands in resolving any issues that prevent them from having an appropriately optimised digital presence.

A digital marketing consultant can help firms:

Discover new methods to engage existing consumers and attract new ones by analysing their current marketing approach.

Improve SEO, social media, email marketing and website design by suggesting or implementing changes.

Improve, maintain corporate branding and boost client engagement and communications using innovative social media, email, mobile, and local marketing initiatives.

Coordination of content platforms such as website landing pages and blogs is required.

Increase the Google ranking of your company website by adding new keywords, evaluating, and optimising web pages. Use a content creation plan for your website and blogs.

Many of the finest digital marketing consultants in Pune have experience in marketing, advertising, or data analytics. They also have skills in copywriting, visual communications, and public relations. They are also up to speed on the latest internet marketing trends, technologies, and best practices. More significantly, they understand customer behaviour psychology.

With digital marketing consulting rates becoming reasonable as competition rises, it is critical for your company to conduct marketing efforts that will persuade your target audience to act without looking overbearing.

Benefits Good Digital Marketing Consulting Companies Can Provide

One of the primary reasons for engaging a consultant is to obtain an outside perspective. They perceive things with greater clarity and, most importantly, impartiality. A digital strategy consulting business also allows you to collaborate with experts in all aspects of marketing, including UX, SEO, Social Media, and more.

Working with professionals in these sectors will allow you to optimise timelines and resources. Time is money, and a consultant may help a company save money. Their knowledge will allow them to solve difficulties more quickly. In addition, an excellent consulting firm will guarantee that your investment is worthwhile, and you may track its profitability using your performance metrics.

Digital marketing consultant in India will also deliver critical issues for the development of any business such as:

Control Your Online Communications:

An online marketing consultant in India may examine your company’s current condition and establish and construct the comprehensive profiles of your future customers that you intend to target. Then they’ll take all that data and create a 360° Marketing strategy based on a study of your market, competitors, and business objectives. One of the other essential foundations of your corporate communications strategy is determining which digital platforms will be included in your approach.

Developing/Improving a Website:

A digital brand consultant examines what is required and the most sophisticated technologies for building your website and your firm. It will assist you in creating a website that best represents your business while also being the most appealing to your clients and increasing its capacity to convert.

Assist in Performance Evaluation:

All of these factors are inefficient if we fail to measure everything that influences the success or failure of our project. These metrics include the website visitors, the ROI of various campaigns, conversion rates, new customers, and more. An internet marketing consultant in India will assist you in developing an online dashboard that will allow you to monitor the development of your digital strategy using analytics data and provide you with real-time insights to improve your plan rapidly.

Furthermore, several different solutions are available on the market, and with the expanding number of options available, having an expert digital transformation consulting business at your disposal can assist you in finding the one that best matches your demands.

The consultant will also assist you in implementing it in your firm and training your employees on making the most of it. It is one of the most valuable services we can obtain in today’s corporate world.

Today’s marketing is so fast-paced that it might be tough to determine which areas you should focus on to achieve tremendous success in 2022 and beyond. The realm of content marketing is large and full of many tactics. And each primary strategy comes with its own set of challenges.

A digital marketing agency assists you in developing, implementing, and tracking your personalised plan, taking into account the needs of your business and identifying the online strategies you should implement to achieve your goals.

It is all based on fundamental aspects such as who your potential clients are, where they are, how you can communicate with them, the more effective channels to contact them, what you can offer, and so on. Looking for a digital marketing consultant near me is the right choice for you now.

So, if you are a growing company and plan on expanding your business space, hiring the best digital marketing consultant in India is the best way forward.

7 Ways to Find a Good Web Development Company

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If your business is not on the internet, then your business will be out of business, says the billionaire Bill Gates. And we couldn’t agree more.

In this modern time, your business must have a digital presence to keep up with the market. And do you know what is the most important part of this digital presence? It is your website.

Your business website plays a vital role in creating brand awareness, building trust, and helping you stand apart from the competition. Therefore your website must be functional, user-friendly and built with the right principles.

To ensure a professional website, you should look to partner with an expert web development company. And the painful truth is it may be challenging to find such companies. Hence in the following sections, we have listed seven ways to find the best web development company in the UK.

1. The Company Should Be Trusted

When hiring a website development company, you are basically choosing a technical partner who will determine how good the online presence of your business will be. You certainly wouldn’t like to move from one company to other because they don’t match your standards. So, you must first know who you will be working with, their values and principles, and their image in the market.

You can visit the company’s website and social media pages. Check the design and functionality of their website, read their blogs, and analyse their digital presence and content on social media. Read their website’s About and Services pages and check how long the company has been in the market. This will inform you about the company’s expertise, credibility, and authority.

2. Check The Company’s Portfolio

A good website development company ensures you have a robust technical foundation for your business to flourish. So, you must first evaluate their experience.

All you have to do is to check the company’s portfolio. Most companies share their previous projects on their website. Go through them carefully to estimate the team’s development and design skills. Poor performance of websites in the portfolio could be a red flag.

If the team has done projects related to your own industry, you will better understand how well they can meet your expectations. You can ask them how many such websites they have developed and evaluate these for functionality and quality. This will help you estimate the company’s experience and you can better make a decision after the evaluation.

3. Take Feedback From Past Clients

An established company must have a good back catalogue of work. You can contact these previous clients and ask about their experience. In addition, you can check client reviews on platforms like Clutch.

4. The Company Must Have An Expert Team

A good Custom software development company must have a skilled and dedicated team who pays attention to detail. They should be experienced in front and back-end development, efficient algorithms, database management, graphic designing, etc.

The team should help you in the technical and non-technical aspects of the development equally. They should be familiar with trends like AI, blockchain, cloud computing, security measures, best design practices, etc.

With 60% of users browsing the internet on mobile devices, a responsive website is a must. Therefore ensure the company develops fast responsive websites that run properly on desktops, tablets, and phones.

And if you are still unsure about the company, you can ask for a trial period of 15 or 20 days. You can assign a specific part of the work to understand the company’s expertise. If you are satisfied with the trial period, you can proceed further with the complete project.

5. The Company Should Be Compatible With Your Needs

Understand what services other than web development you will need for your business. These services can include app development, search engine optimisation, IOS development, consulting, etc.

Certainly, switching companies for different services would be troublesome. It’s much better when you get everything you want under one roof. This will ensure a cohesive approach and an effective development process.

In addition, understand the various stages in the development process- research, analysis, prototyping, coding, designing, testing, etc. Make sure the company explains your role in these processes and keeps you informed from the start to the end.

6. The Company Should Be Supportive

Communication practices are crucial, and they must align with your requirements. A good company will give you access to a person who will actively communicate all updates and answer your queries.

Besides, once your website is designed, the task doesn’t end there. You will need to make changes to the site regularly. You may face problems updating content, posting an article, adding or removing pages, or resetting passwords.

Hence you need to ensure whether the team will be available to support you in the future. This is a vital aspect of choosing the right development team.

Call the company to ensure how fast they answer, how polite and helpful they are, and how interested they are in your business. Ask them about the channels of communication they are available; phone, email, etc. Also, know who will be responsible for answering your doubts and solving problems in the future.

7. Understand The Service Cost

Finally, you must decide whether the development cost is in your budget. Companies have different pricing strategies like fixed, hourly, monthly, value-based, etc. In addition, ongoing support costs also vary from company to company. Hence make sure you understand the cost and the services included in it- development, design, testing, support, etc.

The team may add extra tools and flashy features which add to the cost but don’t serve any purpose to your business. Identify those tools and determine whether you will need them. You are looking for a user-friendly website that serves your customers in the best possible way.

Final Words

You must partner with an experienced and trustable web development company with a supremely skilled team. They should understand your needs and serve you in the best possible way to build an irresistible brand.

And to fulfill all your needs one such web development company in India is eXsphere Technology. We are the leading custom software development company in India.

We provide fully customised, user-friendly, and cost-effective website building services using effective coding practices and intelligent designs. Our web developers in India are highly skilled and experienced with cutting-edge technology.

Book a free consultation with us now to know how we can help you.