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In today’s digital age, businesses need to leverage the power of the internet to reach their target audiences effectively. Digital marketing encompasses all online marketing efforts, using digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and websites to connect with current and prospective customers. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essentials of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://admin.darkbears.com/blog/post/add/Discover the comprehensive guide to digital marketing, covering SEO, content marketing, social media, PPC, email marketing, and more. Learn the latest trends and best practices to boost your online presence and drive business growth.">digital marketing,</a> its various components, and how to create a successful digital marketing strategy for your business. <h2>What is Digital Marketing?</h2>Digital marketing refers to all marketing activities that use digital devices or the internet. It’s an umbrella term that includes various online marketing strategies, such as content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and more. Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing offers real-time data and insights, enabling businesses to adapt and improve their marketing strategies continuously.<h2>Why Digital Marketing is Important</h2><ol><li>Increased Reach: Digital marketing allows businesses to reach a global audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing methods.</li><li>Targeted Marketing: With digital marketing, you can target specific demographics, geographic locations, and even customer behaviors, ensuring your marketing efforts are reaching the right people.</li><li>Measurable Results: Digital marketing provides valuable metrics and analytics that help businesses measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and adjust strategies as needed.</li><li>Cost-Effective: Compared to traditional advertising channels like TV, radio, and print, digital marketing offers a more affordable alternative with a potentially higher ROI.</li><li>Enhanced Customer Engagement: Digital channels provide various touchpoints to engage with customers and build stronger relationships.</li></ol><h2>Core Components of Digital Marketing</h2><h4>1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)</h4>SEO is the process of optimizing your website and its content to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). A higher ranking increases visibility and attracts more organic traffic to your website. Key elements of SEO include:<ul><li>Keyword Research: Identifying the right keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for.</li><li>On-Page SEO: Optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. This includes optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content.</li><li>Off-Page SEO: Building backlinks from reputable websites to increase your site’s authority and trustworthiness.</li><li>Technical SEO: Ensuring your website is technically sound with proper indexing, mobile optimization, fast load times, and secure connections (HTTPS).</li></ul><h4>2. Content Marketing</h4>Content marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. The goal is to drive profitable customer action by providing content that educates, entertains, or inspires. Common content marketing formats include:<ul><li>Blogs: Regularly updated articles that provide information or insights on specific topics.</li><li>Ebooks and Whitepapers: In-depth resources that offer more detailed information on a subject, often used to capture leads.</li><li>Infographics: Visual representations of data or information, making complex topics easier to understand.</li><li>Videos: Engaging visual content that can explain concepts, demonstrate products, or tell stories.</li></ul><h4>3. Social Media Marketing</h4>​<a target="_blank" href="https://www.darkbears.com/expertise/digital-marketing/ppc-social-media-ads">Social media marketing</a> uses platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok to promote your brand, products, or services. It helps in building brand awareness, engaging with customers, and driving traffic to your website. Key strategies include:<ul><li>Creating Engaging Content: Share posts, videos, stories, and other media that resonate with your audience.</li><li>Community Management: Actively engaging with followers, responding to comments, and fostering a sense of community.</li><li>Social Advertising: Running paid campaigns to target specific demographics and achieve business goals like increasing website traffic or generating leads.</li></ul><h4>4. Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)</h4>PPC is a digital advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked. It’s a way of buying visits to your site rather than earning them organically. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.darkbears.com/expertise/digital-marketing/ppc-social-media-ads">Google Ads and social media ads</a> are popular PPC platforms. PPC strategies include:<ul><li>Keyword Targeting: Using relevant keywords to ensure your ads appear in search results when potential customers are searching for related products or services.</li><li>Ad Copywriting: Crafting compelling ad copy that encourages clicks and conversions.</li><li>Bid Management: Adjusting your bids to ensure you get the most value for your budget.</li></ul><h4>5. Email Marketing</h4>Email marketing involves sending targeted messages to a group of people via email. It’s one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.darkbears.com/expertise/digital-marketing/email-marketing">most cost-effective ways to reach and engage your audience, nurture leads, and convert them into customers.</a> Effective email marketing tactics include:<ul><li>Personalization: Tailoring emails to individual preferences and behaviors to increase engagement.</li><li>Segmentation: Dividing your email list into smaller segments based on demographics, behavior, or other criteria to send more relevant messages.</li><li>Automation: Using automated email sequences to nurture leads and guide them through the sales funnel.</li></ul><h4>6. Affiliate Marketing</h4>Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where businesses reward affiliates (partners) for driving traffic or sales to their site through the affiliate’s marketing efforts. Affiliates can be bloggers, influencers, or other businesses.<ul><li>Affiliate Networks: Platforms that connect businesses with potential affiliates, manage payments, and track performance.</li><li>Commission Structures: Defining how affiliates will be compensated, such as a percentage of sales or a fixed fee per lead.</li></ul><h4>7. Influencer Marketing</h4>Influencer marketing leverages individuals with a significant following on social media or other online platforms to promote your products or services. This strategy builds trust and authenticity because recommendations come from trusted figures.<ul><li>Identifying Influencers: Finding influencers whose audience aligns with your target market.</li><li>Building Relationships: Developing long-term partnerships with influencers to foster genuine endorsements.</li><li>Tracking ROI: Measuring the impact of influencer campaigns on brand awareness, traffic, and sales.</li></ul><h2>How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy</h2><ol><li>Define Your Goals: Clearly outline what you want to achieve with your digital marketing efforts. Goals could include increasing website traffic, generating leads, boosting sales, or enhancing brand awareness.</li><li>Understand Your Audience: Conduct market research to understand your audience’s demographics, preferences, behaviors, and pain points. Create buyer personas to represent your ideal customers.</li><li>Choose the Right Channels: Based on your audience’s preferences, select the most effective digital marketing channels to reach them. This might include SEO, social media, email marketing, PPC, or content marketing.</li><li>Create a Content Plan: Develop a content strategy that aligns with your audience’s needs and your business goals. This includes planning the types of content you will create, the topics you will cover, and the frequency of publication.</li><li>Implement and Optimize: Launch your digital marketing campaigns and continuously monitor their performance. Use analytics tools to track key metrics, identify areas for improvement, and optimize your strategies accordingly.</li><li>Measure Success: Evaluate the success of your digital marketing efforts against your defined goals. Adjust your strategy as needed to improve results and achieve your objectives.</li></ol><h2>Trends in Digital Marketing</h2><ol><li>Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: AI and machine learning are transforming digital marketing by enabling more personalized and automated customer experiences.</li><li>Video Marketing: The popularity of video content continues to rise, making it an essential component of any digital marketing strategy.</li><li>Voice Search Optimization: With the growing use of voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, optimizing for voice search is becoming increasingly important.</li><li>Data Privacy and Security: As data privacy concerns grow, marketers must prioritize transparent data practices and comply with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.</li><li>Omni-Channel Marketing: Providing a seamless experience across all channels (online and offline) is crucial for engaging modern consumers.</li></ol><h3>Conclusion</h3>Digital marketing is an ever-evolving field that offers businesses endless opportunities to connect with their audiences and achieve their goals. By understanding the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.darkbears.com/services/digital-marketing">core components of digital marketing</a> and staying up-to-date with the latest trends, you can create a successful strategy that drives growth and delivers measurable results.

The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing

What’s the first step in setting up an online business? – Building an online storefront. Today, there are innumerable website builders for DIY eCommerce website development; still, people are more inclined towards WordPress development.Why?Because 40% of the online eCommerce websites are empowered on this open-source content management system, however, a few features seem more like a necessity rather than an alternative.&nbsp;The ability to list down products, inventory tracking, order shipment and fulfillment, payment system, and many more is a pre-requisite of a business owner, which a default WordPress installation cannot do. And that’s where WooCommerce – An eCommerce plugin for WordPress comes into play. This blog post talks about a few WooCommerce alternatives that can be a better option for specific use cases. It also explains why there’s a need for such alternatives, how they’re better, and some of the downsides compared to WooCommerce. But before listing down the alternatives, let’s get the basics clear. <h2>WooCommerce -The Basics</h2><h4>1.It’s a WordPress Plugin</h4>For beginners, it isn’t a standalone DIY Site builder. Instead, it’s an open-source WordPress plugin. This means that WooCommerce works as a third-party integration within WordPress.It means:<ol><li>Customer needs to acquire hosting services from a web hosting provider.</li><li>Later they install and configure WordPress CMS.</li><li>Once they build the web design using a theme, they can install and configure WooCommerce to handle the eCommerce functions.</li></ol><div class="se-component se-video-container __se__float-"><figure style="width: 100%; height: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1KahlicghaE?feature=oembed" data-percentage="100%,56.25%" data-size="100%,56.25%" data-align="" data-file-name="1KahlicghaE?feature=oembed" data-file-size="0" data-origin="100%,56.25%" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1.5em; width: 100%; height: 100%;"></iframe></figure></div>The above is a short promo video to give you an overview of the WooCommerce platform. <h4>2.It’s versatile</h4>WooCommerce works with both physical and digital goods.Here, you can sell products with innumerable variants and configurations. It also allows instant access to download digital items. When it comes to marketing, WooCommerce website developers can use it for the affiliate marketing model. <h4>3.It’s free to use: But, I’m sure you’d always prefer opting for paid ones!</h4>To date, the basic WooCommerce plugin is free to use.If users want to integrate additional features and flexibility, they can install plugins and other multiple add-ons that are not free. Yes, they’re PAID.So, as the online store expands and the user base increases, it’s essential to improve the customer experience for seamless shopping. In such cases, it becomes necessary for store owners to buy those plugins, and those additional costs are worth every penny. <h2>Why and who needs WooCommerce alternatives?</h2>Since WooCommerce allows the quick launch of an online store, it is the first choice of businesses and enterprises to build a quick online store. Moreover, due to its popularity and ease of use, technically advanced people store.Though it is highly popular, there might be some scenarios where it may not have the specific features you need for your business. WooCommerce lacks seamless integration with other third-party tools and plugins that can grow your business. Apart from this, choosing WooCommerce will let you figure out web hosting on your own. It has no backend integrated and synchronized.&nbsp; Moreover, it does not come with support for payment gateway, printable invoices, and shipping solutions which makes it even harder to manage an online store. That’s where businesses often need to pick an alternative to WooCommerce to leverage better solutions. This blog post focuses on WooCommerce alternatives which include both plugins for WordPress and entirely new platforms that offer variant features and options best-suited for business. So, let’s discuss a few top WooCommerce alternatives and what it offers to expand online business opportunities. <h2>Which are the top WooCommerce alternatives? </h2><h4>1.Shopify – An easy and simpler approach for Ecommerce Development</h4>Both the e-commerce giants, WooCommerce and WordPress are open source and self-hosted platforms. It simply means that finding hosting to maintain the website is on your shoulders. Though it’s quite convenient for developers web design beginners might find it a bit difficult.And that’s where Shopify wins the race.Offering a comprehensive package of online store builders, Shopify has everything that a business might need – hosting, domain name, design, themes, marketing all together in the dashboard.Let’s talk about the main thing now,<h5>PRICE STRUCTURE:</h5><ul><li>Shopify Lite&nbsp;– $9 per month.</li><li>Basic Shopify&nbsp;– $29 per month.</li><li>Shopify&nbsp;– $79 per month.</li><li>Advanced Shopify&nbsp;– $299 per month.</li><li>Shopify Plus&nbsp;– If you want to avail yourself of Shopify Plus, get in touch with our eCommerce experts and discuss how they can customize Shopify’s web development service for your business needs.</li></ul><h5>WHAT IT DOES BETTER THAN WOOCOMMERCE?</h5>Shopify eases building an online store less since it has a comprehensive range of tools in a single dashboard. With Shopify, you do not need to worry about things like security, hosting, or updates – Shopify does it all for you. <h5>DOWNSIDES COMPARED TO WOOCOMMERCE</h5>You can find a wide variety of themes for WooCommerce. It’s quite easier to scale your website with WooCommerce since it deliberated full control of your website.&nbsp;Since Shopify uses the liquid coding language, its advanced chances are tougher. <h5>WHO SHOULD USE IT?</h5>Shopify is a good choice for absolute beginners who still want a great-looking, fully functional store. <h4>2. Magento – A high powered fully functional eCommerce-focused CMS</h4>Missing some features in WooCommerce?In that case, an extension might overcome the problem. However, there are people who would want each and every e-commerce feature integrated into their store. Such configuration not only scales your business but also expands your selling opportunities. And that’s where Magento plays its colors. Magento is a solid and strong WooCommerce alternative for people who are technically advanced and looking for solutions apart from WordPress. <h5>PRICING</h5><ul><li>Starter plan: $2000 per month</li><li>Pro plan: $3147 per month.</li></ul>There’s also a free, limited open-source version available for novice developers.<h5>WHAT IT DOES BETTER THAN WOOCOMMERCE</h5>Magento eCommerce website development is highly beneficial for a larger business. It’s a unique content management system with every little feature an online eCommerce store might ever need and thus eliminates the need to find plugins or add-ons.<h5>DOWNSIDES COMPARED TO WOOCOMMERCE.</h5>When it comes to setup, Magento is not a tough nut to crack. But its designing and configuration usually demand an experienced eCommerce developer, whereas WooCommerce is relatively easy for beginners.Honestly, the paid version of Magento Commerce is relatively heavier on budget.<h5>WHO SHOULD USE IT?</h5>Choosing Magento can be the best option for growing a business with advanced eCommerce needs. It’s quite rare to find a need for customization in Magento. But you’ll need an experienced developer or spare some good budget to hire the one.<h4>3. MemberPress for selling membership subscriptions</h4>MemberPress is a WordPress plugin with every membership feature you can ever expect. Right from subscription management, drip content to awesome pricing pages, most of your subscription operations are all set.<h5>PRICING</h5><ul><li>Basic Plan&nbsp;– $129 per year.</li><li>Plus Plan&nbsp;– $249 per year.</li><li>Pro Plan&nbsp;– $369 per year.</li></ul><h5>WHAT IT DOES BETTER THAN WOOCOMMERCE</h5>The premium support of Membership is what makes it a standout amongst the crowd. These sites are completely different as compared to regular eCommerce stores. The WooCommerce documentation is fine for quick fixes, but sometimes you need something more than that. Apart from this, WooCommerce requires an extra extension for full membership, which is not the case with MemberPress.&nbsp; <h5>DOWNSIDES COMPARED TO WOOCOMMERCE.</h5>MemberPress lacks a regular eCommerce shop for fixed-price items. Also, WooCommerce has support for more payment gateways. <h5>WHO SHOULD USE IT?</h5>Anyone who needs an entire membership or subscription suite in one place. <h4>4.Easy Digital Downloads for selling digital downloads</h4>The name says it all. This platform will turn any WordPress site into a full-fledged digitized eCommerce store. You can purchase different add-ons for multiple extensions like software licensing, payment gateways, frontend submissions, and more. The essential plugin creates a store, manages marketing, and accepts payments. <h5>PRICING</h5>The core plugin is free, and the add-ons start at $15.20. You can also buy add-on packages starting at $108.50. <h5>WHAT IT DOES BETTER THAN WOOCOMMERCE</h5>When it comes to selling digital downloads, EDD is the best and the simplest option to be considered. Though WooCommerce supports digital sales, its configuration process is a bit confusing, and some of the free advanced features of EDD, like product bundles, need to pay extension in WooCommerce. On the other hand, EDD adds customer management, discount codes, shopping cart, and data reporting in a single go with one installation. Furthermore, if selling digital items is your goal, with EDD, your dashboard isn’t cluttered with physical product features.<h5>DOWNSIDES COMPARED TO WOOCOMMERCE.</h5>EDD is restricted to only virtual goods. So, if you plan to sell physical products alongside, WooCommerce is the best. The EDD Simple shipping add-on can help you with physical products, but it’s limited and does not have variables like shipping company integration, cost, reporting.<h5>WHO SHOULD USE IT?</h5>If you want to sell digital products like eBooks, photography, videos, and music, all works will start with EDD.<h3>WHICH OF THESE WOOCOMMERCE ALTERNATIVES IS BEST FOR YOU?</h3>Now the ball is in your court. WooCommerce works wonders with a majority of the eCommerce stores. However, there may be random situations when WooCommerce might not serve you better. In such a case, check out the above alternatives and select the best as per your business needs. If you’re thinking of going for a fully tailored eCommerce solution, I would suggest you&nbsp;hire the best eCommerce website development companyto get a responsive solution at a competitive price model. Have any other questions about choosing between these WooCommerce alternatives? Let us know in the comments!

WooCommerce Not Working Out? Here Are 4 the best Alternatives to Manage Your Online Store

6 Content Promotion Strategies to Drive More Traffic & Visibility

The Internet of Things (IoT) now needs no introduction. IoT is expected to make our homes, cities, and devices smarter and to lead the fourth Industrial Revolution. The dawn of Industry 4.0, a connected and more efficient manufacturing ecosystem, where machines communicate with each other seamlessly is credited to IoT. Intel projects that by 2020, we can expect an ecosystem of 200 billion connected devices. IoT is also expected to contribute an additional $10 to $15 trillion to worldwide GDP growth by 2030 according to GE. And Business Insider reports that the total business spending on IoT solutions will exceed $6 trillion by 2021. The C-suite is also showing its confidence in IoT with 80% of organizations having a more positive view of IoT today than a few years ago.The&nbsp;Internet of Things&nbsp;is not just driving technological transformation but is also leading a radical business overhaul. It will assist businesses to function with greater efficiency both internally and externally by leveraging the connectivity and more intelligence built into objects, devices, and systems in the IoT ecosystem.With organizations realizing the huge potential of IoT we are witnessing widespread IoT-driven solutions development. However, IoT solutions development is complex given the number of touchpoints to consider. Here’s a snapshot:1. DevicesHardware such as sensors and actuators constitute the basic hardware of the IoT ecosystem. This hardware becomes IoT-ready using MCUs and firmware. With these, the hardware becomes a ‘simple’ connected device, a device that has the capability to generate and transmit data and perform certain actions. MPU’s and OS’s are added to make these devices smart to enable edge analytics, local computing, and the capability to make time-sensitive decisions. We have to bear in mind that these devices are not made with security in mind. Hence, identify and access management, firmware attestation, and device protection become important points of consideration here. There is a substantial software component to these devices.2. Communication channelsThe devices used in IoT solutions get a voice that helps them communicate with the outside world using connectivity networks. Modern communication technologies connect the heterogeneous object ecosystem to offer specific services. Here companies developing IoT solutions have to factor in E2E encryption of data and communication for optimal data security and also to prevent hacking or data breach attempts.3. Optimized cloud servicesIoT solutions work because of the vast computing powers provided by the cloud. It is in this layer that the data ingesting, analysis, and interpretation at scale takes place. It is in this layer that all the important ‘insights’ are generated. The scalability of the cloud, the security it provides, its computing power, and its ability to create shared services play an important role in the success of all IoT solutions.4. Firmware securityThe main thing that separates an IoT solution for a mobile or desktop app is its capability to stay connected with things and communicate seamlessly with them. To enable this, it is imperative to design a robust solution that allows comprehensive data capture and communication without any security slip-ups. Authenticated and updated firmware thus becomes a critical component to factor into any IoT solution.5. Optimized IoT gatewayIoT devices such as sensors are connected to a hub or an IoT gateway to coordinate the data received from multiple sensors and to then communicate this data back to the cloud or to the data servers. Device control and management, and IoT protocol translation can also be conducted on optimized IoT gateways. Factoring in the IoT gateway or hub while designing IoT solutions is a key consideration to drive computing and analytics closer to the IoT devices.6. Optimized data capture capabilitiesIoT solutions should be optimized to ensure correct data capture at all times. Solution developers must ensure that they create a robust solution that can handle system anomalies such as run-time errors without feeding the wrong data into the system.7. Enabling optimal analyticsThe real value of IoT solutions is derived from their capability to present actionable insights and drive actions derived from generated IoT data. For this, it is imperative to employ the use of a high-performance analytics platform that can manage the existing volume of data. Additionally, the data analytics platform should offer extensibility and should be capable of scaling to manage added data in the future. It should also have the capability to add predictive analytics at a later date.8. Correct software choicesDiscussions of IoT solutions are often restricted to the hardware and devices. Mobiles, sensors etc. all fall into this category. However, an IoT solution functions only with the appropriate use of software technology over this hardware. This creates the software interfaces that give the organizations the capability to access real-time metrics and the capability to evaluate data both pre and post-cloud analysis while performing the actions it was designed for. Making the correct software technology choices become essential here.9. Navigating the security chasmThere is a much conversation around IoT security. When it comes to IoT solutions, it is important to ensure that the IoT endpoints are not exposed to security threats. IoT devices generate vast volumes of sensitive data. Devices too could be vulnerable to attacks. Thus having a robust security management solution in place that accounts for device attestation, identity and access management, prevention of data loss, authentications, network connectivity etc. are important. It is also essential to factor in the testing of the IoT apps and to assess the application runtime environment, access and authentications etc. for app security.With diverse network technologies, IoT endpoints, IoT software, and protocols, IoT solution development can seem overwhelmingly complex. The level of sophistication desired from an IoT solution determines how many elements and services will need to come together seamlessly. We will continue to take a deeper dive into the complexities and nuances of&nbsp;<a href="https://darkbears.com/expertise/advanced-computing/iot">IoT solution development</a>&nbsp;in our upcoming blogs and address more of these complexities. Stay tuned.

9 Things to factor into your IoT Solution Development

Decreasing agricultural land and depletion of the naturally available resources have arisen the need to enhance the farm yield. The limited availability of natural resources like fresh water and cultivated land essential for good harvesting has slowed down the yield of several staple crops. Apart from this, the decline of the agricultural workforce is a massive concern for the farming industry.So, to reduce the need for manual labor, the adoption of internet connectivity solutions in farming practices has been provoked. And this raises the need for IoT-powered solutions.<h2>How IoT Technology in Agriculture took its footprints?</h2><a href="https://darkbears.com/expertise/advanced-computing/iot">IoT solutions</a>&nbsp;are more focused on helping farmers shorten the gap of demand and supply by churning out more crops, boosting profitability, and protecting the environment. The main aim behind using IoT technology in the agricultural sector is to ensure the best application of resources to yield more crops and thus reduce the operational cost to a greater extent. IoT in agriculture technologies comprises specialized equipment, wireless connectivity, along IoT service providers to make agriculture smarter. So, hire IoT developers if you want to derive better results and advance your old-age farming business to a modern agri-tech business.As per the BI intelligence survey reports, the global agriculture market size is expected to triple by 2025, around $15.3 billion.This article will focus on how IoT technology is reshaping the agricultural industry and how it benefits the agriculture industry. So, if you’re thinking of financing smart farming to advance your Agri-tech business, consult an&nbsp;IoT development company&nbsp;for enhanced solutions in agricultural farming.So, let’s get started.&nbsp;<h2>What is smart farming?</h2>Smart agriculture, aka smart farming, allows farmers to have better control over growing crops and raising livestock. In technical terms, smart farming is a hi-tech system that produces foods and grains cleanly and is highly sustainable for the masses. It is the application of modern information and communication technology. A system that monitors crop fields, including soil moisture, humidity, light, temperature, etc., using sensors and thus automates the entire irrigation system. This approach allows farmers to monitor their field condition regardless of location. Compared to conventional and old-school farming, IoT-based farming is a smart approach and is highly efficient.Implementation of an IoT-powered solution will allow you to:<ul><li>Collect real-time data and statistics</li><li>Offer a solution that is accessible globally and not just restricted to local networks.</li><li>Easy to install, low-powered, and cost-effective.</li></ul>The impact of IoT-based smart farming will not only target conventional and large farming operations but also game up the level of common trends in agriculture, including organic farming, family farming, and boost farming transparency. Along with this, it will optimize the farming inputs and treatments, make the efficient use of water storage, better yield, save electricity and labor.<h2>Transform the agriculture industry using sensor-based IoT and predictive analysis</h2>IoT has the potential to transform the agriculture sector in many aspects like:<h4>1. Data analytics:</h4>In this smart farming approach, the key components are control systems, sensors, robotics, automated hardware, autonomous vehicles, motion detectors, button camera, and wearable devices. The real-time data collected through sensors are used to track general business and quality efficiency and staff performance. It gives an idea of the output production and allows better decisions to plan for product distribution.<h4>2. Agricultural Drones&nbsp;</h4>These ground-based and aerial-based drones are used to assess agriculture health like irrigation, crop monitoring, crop health assessment, planting, crop spraying, and soil and field analysis.<h4>3. Livestock tracking and geofencing&nbsp;</h4>Using wireless IoT applications, farm owners can collect data regarding cattle location, well-being, and health. This information will help to prevent the spreading of disease and also lowers down the overall labor cost.<h4>4. Smart Greenhouses&nbsp;</h4>A smart greenhouse designed with IoT technology will monitor and control the climate, which indirectly eliminates human intervention.<h4>5. Predictive analytics for smart farming&nbsp;</h4>Since crop production plays a crucial role in farming, the data collected from predictive analysis help farmers to decide the plans in regards to crop production, storage, risk management, and marketing techniques. The artificial networks use information collected by farm sensors, including soil, temperature, pressure, humidity, and rainfall, to predict the overall production rate of the crops. The customized mobile app help farmers to get accurate soil data.<h2>Conclusion</h2>IoT-enabled agriculture has helped farmers to bridge the gap between yield quantity, output, and efficiency. The real-time data gathered, collected, and imported from multiple sensors stored in the database help to make quick and effective business decisions with minimum crop loss.The production is handled quickly, and the turnaround time has minimized, which delivers the inventory to the supermarket in the shortest time. A big thanks to streamlined intelligent processes and enhanced business process execution.

5 Ways IoT Technology Reshaping The Agriculture Industry

Very soon IoT will become a part of our lives that we take for granted. Even now, it is estimated that there are four connected devices per person. The IoT ecosystem is slated for growth. IDC claims that by 2020 the number of connected devices will be 30 billion, creating a revenue opportunity of $1.7 trillion.Industries across the board like agriculture, supply chain, logistics, oil and gas, manufacturing, finance, health, travel and tourism, telecom, construction, eCommerce, and, even, the government are trying to explore how to exploit this technology. That said, issues like cost and security are often spoken of as concerns while going about trying to adopt IoT in business operations. Let us now look at some of the concerns of the business stakeholders that are impeding IoT adoption.<ul><li>Data privacy issues</li></ul>All the sensor data that the organization collects becomes the raw material for making data-driven business decisions and for formulating strategies. A huge amount of data is constantly in motion, which is perceived as being extremely vulnerable to breaches. One of the challenges is the many disparate vendors who provide the hardware. To mitigate these challenges data carriers, network services, and <a href="https://darkbears.com/expertise/advanced-computing/iot">IoT solution providers</a> are joining hands to secure the data at rest and in transit.<ul><li>Protection worries</li></ul>This is an extension of the first point. All that data flowing around through so many systems has given rise to a Wild West-like situation in the network world. Forces with nefarious intentions are always striving to gain access to the data. In response, IoT solution providers have taken great strides in bringing in token-based authentication and other encryption to prevent such intrusions.<ul><li>High cost of implementation</li></ul>The IoT world is still in its nascent stages and is yet to achieve the necessary scale to bring down unit and implementation costs. The hardware and implementation costs combined can burn quite a hole in the pocket. Devices are on the road to becoming cheaper -as the IoT world’s equivalent of Moore’s Law starts to take root. That apart, the&nbsp;IoT service providers&nbsp;have been proactive in creating their IP and accelerators to bring down the implementation time. Moreover, by leveraging a global delivery model, the people cost can be brought down immensely. All that helps bring down the implementation cost.<ul><li>Not enough information about the available solution</li></ul>In several sectors, the full potential of IoT is yet to be realized. Most companies are toying with a few implementation ideas and POCs and few concrete solutions are in place. This means that data is still being gathered about the possible impact, possible use-cases, and likely benefits. This is a natural phenomenon and the sector is going to settle down in the future. Sectors like Automotive and Oil and gas have projects in place. The Supply Chain and Logistics sector is already seeing benefits. We have ourselves&nbsp;written about the role of IoT in industries like Hospitality. With time IoT will pervade several sectors.<ul><li>Uncertainty about the process of adoption</li></ul>With IoT, various types of devices will be feeding the system with an unfathomable amount of data. The scalability, security, reliability, and availability of the system will be put to the test. Will the systems, processes, and people come through? This will call for more than a technology change. The speed of decision-making will have to be much faster, actions will have to be taken much faster, and job roles and skills will have to transform. Current workflows and processes will exist in limbo over the process of adoption but will have to be jettisoned after that. Organizations that are early in this cycle are taking the bull by the horns -they are creating a clear picture of what could change and the impact that change would bring. All stakeholders are being made a part of the transformation and information flows are comprehensive and transparent. The adoption process will be disruptive -but the benefits will be worth it.<ul><li>Lack of skills</li></ul>As with any new technology, the lack of experts is a key hindrance in realizing IoT’s full potential. Talent with the technical know-how and the acumen or understand the business implications is scarce. But, things are changing. Creating an IoT-capable resource pool has become a key priority for many organizations.<ul><li>Integration challenges</li></ul>There still are challenges regarding the scalability of IoT implementations. Organizations are still not fully equipped with the capability to integrate a large number of devices and to collect the data constantly flowing in. This makes integration a bigger challenge. This is why organizations are choosing to partner with companies that have IoT integration as a core competence.<ul><li>Identify use cases</li></ul>IoT is still new. Organizations need to start small. The suggestion is to start from one business process or a line of business, where it can have a considerable impact and then expand to other areas. The challenge is in identifying the appropriate use case. Too complex, and the implementation could fail. Too trivial, and the impact could be low. The selection of the appropriate use case often determines the future of the IoT initiative.<ul><li>Management buy-in</li></ul>Until the leadership throws its full weight behind it, the IoT ball will not roll. As we have already seen, this could be disruptive for the organization. This means that the tone for IoT adoption must be set by the leadership. It is up to them to show direction, allocate the budget, identify the areas of implementation, and make it an integral part of the company agenda.One can see that the IoT world has its own set of challenges. But choosing the right partner and use cases and knowing exactly why they are implementing IoT, will help organizations make the most of their goals. IoT could bring about a transformational impact -it’s up to organizations to be ready to reap the rewards.

The Biggest Barriers to IoT Adoption

Every new technology introduced to the mainstream brings along new possibilities that stir change into the existing system to redefine and reinvent new trends.And when it is about a disruptive technology like IoT, which is built and raised on most advanced concepts, designed to serve the most innovative possibilities, it has to be a gamechanger.What’s on charts?As per PWC “IoT is transforming the everyday physical objects that surround us into an ecosystem of information that will enrich our lives.”&nbsp;And as stated in a Goldman Sachs report “The global industrial sector is poised to undergo a fundamental structural change akin to the industrial revolution as we usher in the IoT.”So, what world gets to see is pure technological bliss, with never-before internet-grouped device utility – offering next level accessibility and control with everyday tasks at home and work!IoT – as it goes!IoT is about connecting people with devices over hyper-digital communication networks powered by the Internet. Where digital programs work with industry equipment, domestic gadgets and user wearables to serve dynamic ideas of connected mobility like home automation, connected cars, and smart retail. Like you remotely turn off your AC back home using an app while rushing towards your office, is a very basic application of IoT.The course of evolutionIt tags back to early IT applications that steadily moved onto serve user communication needs to become the mighty Internet of Things. It began with basic hardware electronics that replaced traditional utilities, moving on to software resources with higher processing intelligence, and then sweeping in the great network of networks – internet, and now it is about connecting the internet with those software powered devices to create the ultra-advanced phenomenon of IoT.The entailing shift &nbsp;&nbsp;The Internet of Things is a new world concept designed to serve the most advanced ideas of connected mobility. It is a leap of a change in the information technology arena and here are some of the most noticeable trends it has brought in to redefine the development landscape.Advanced coding practicesIoT has brought in the need for advanced communication technology to be served with complex codes. It is not just about a program interacting with the user, but the user who is interactively handing a tangible gear or a machine seeking communication within a connected environment. To be able to do this effectively, programmers are required to gain an understanding of advanced coding practices and applications that are intrinsic to IoT development.<h2>Hybrid approach to development</h2>Building IoT applications requires an in-depth understanding of the latest approaches and practices (for designing connected mobile apps and facilitating gadget communication) that are innate to&nbsp;<a href="https://darkbears.com/expertise/advanced-computing/iot">IoT development</a>. But, keeping up with the applied science that is still growing to take fuller and fluid status is a challenge. This requires developers to put up with highly flexible development techniques that are all based on hybrid practices to deal with the new and volatile IoT.<h2>Compatibility issues top the QA charts</h2>Hyper-connected devices operating in sync with dynamic controller network and processing real-time interactive data need to be dealt with extra care. To keep it functioning and delivering well it needs to be supported with proficient QA practices. And has to be checked for compatibility, performance, and accuracy at every point, with precise QA programs and policies in place. Or otherwise, it could end up in futile operations and unfavorable results. &nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Increasing Data Security Challenges</h2>With IoT going big and vast to work in conjunction with different technologies utilizing various data networks and web resources, the conventional security measures are increasingly turning outdated. The data security challenges are aggravating with time and confidentiality and integrity are the two things that are being compromised the most. Developers are required to be in control of more sophisticated and assuring data security practices and implement them with a great level of compliance and authority.<h2>Project development TAT</h2>The more complicated and multi-faceted the process of development is, the more time it takes to build and deliver the product. IoT is not as much applied and practiced by engineers yet and is a fast-evolving technology that mostly needs various experimental tests and knowledge acquisition to be done before being applied to build a solution. This requires IoT development teams to invest more time in research and planning to build a solution and thus it has a higher turn-around-time for development and deployment.<h2>Usability testing takes the front row</h2>IoT applications are more about user experience. Most of its part is about how seamlessly the user can interact with the connected gadgets to produce utility within the operative environment. It has made developers in an&nbsp;Internet of Things development companywork towards real-time crowdtesting, advanced UAT, and environmental probing practices to allow them to make the most of bug fixing, feature additions and UI overhauling practices to make it best address the usability factors. So that they can build IoT solutions that work flawlessly with real users!<h2>Power Management Design &nbsp;</h2>When we talk about IoT devices the first things that strike are the batteries and power operators that make them work. This requires providing these with apt power management resources to make them utilize power to function optimally. The core of it rests with the product design which should be planned to minimize the drainage and maximize the preservation of energy resources. The team of developers and designers working on IoT applications is therefore expected to plan and create apt functional designs that are built to serve battery-supported devices optimally and this has a great bearing on the approach and practice of designing that is followed in&nbsp;IoT development.Final WordsThese are essentially the most prominent reasons to enumerate on how IoT is redefining and remodeling the development trends. And this is going to far impact the way things are being referred and practiced in the mobile and web development landscape – taking the entire course of development and allied practices through a significant transformation. &nbsp;If you would like to know more about the topic or hire IoT developer from a leading software development company USA, contact us at info@darkbears.com.

How IoT is Redefining the Development Landscape

Just think of a world where every device in your house is connected and giving you all the right directions to lead a fluent life. &nbsp;Right, form all the equipment’s such as lights, doors, water systems, thermostats etc are interconnected in such a way, that it allows you to control all the home management activities in a very seamless way.For accomplishing all the activities, the one that is playing an important role is Internet Of Things (IoT) well, yes it links all of your devices via the Wi-fi and transmits all the information.It has been stated that, till the year 2020, the automation market will reach around 21.5 US billion dollars while the annual growth is expected to raise up by 27% every year.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float- __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://darkbears.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IoT-Development-using-Home-Automation.png" alt="" data-proportion="true" data-align="none" data-file-name="IoT-Development-using-Home-Automation.png" data-file-size="0" data-origin=",auto" data-size="," data-rotate="" data-percentage="auto,auto" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; border-radius: 6px; margin-bottom: 20px;"></figure></div>According to a report by Statista, till the end of the year 2018, it is forecasted that there will be around 45 million connected devices in the US and the average revenue is expected to reach around $500 in the foreseen times.Well, the revenues earned in the niche are quite impressive and to mention here, we are still just on the surface of automation, there is still a lot more to come. The smart home solutions imply that all the automation related solutions can be interlinked with one another for managing and monitoring the household chores.We can state here that the remote control and the communication between the different connected devices are the major components of smart and astutely developed smart home solution.<h2>A Guide to Home Automation</h2>So, if you are planning to process a smart home solution, you must be embedded with just the right mindset, that focuses straight at the purpose and the core ideation linked with your venture. While developing any of smart home solution, you must have the objectives clear such as whether you are looking forward to controlling the lighting systems or are you looking for some other general-purpose devices such as Alexa.<blockquote>Read More–&nbsp;The Growing Influence of IoT in the Hospitality Sector</blockquote>Right from monitoring the thermostats till monitoring the entry and security monitoring systems, you can help your place to get converted into smart homes. The choice is completely yours that which option, you are looking forward to incorporating into your industry.It can be either the features that aid in influencing the buyers or it can be the one that can help you to beat the existing competition prevailing in the market.<ul><li>&nbsp;Before you start processing for developing any smart home solution, make sure to decipher and analyze the actual requirements of your room and the ones that are required to be connected. Processing further, grasp all the working criteria’s that is linked with your home.</li></ul>Comprehend the devices, that you look forward to controlling along with the different devices such as the key locking systems, lights, and other appliances. Identify the rooms to be controlled and the devices that fit in the best way to coordinate with all your requirements.<ul><li>&nbsp;In corresponding to the above devices, it becomes all the way more important to capture the required platform and the one that works in the right way for your network. Different hubs such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant etc are existing in the market for getting through the automation.</li><li>All you have to do is plug in the devices and be in touch with your network.</li></ul>Different Hubs that can be used are:Amazon Echo: A Cost-effective solution and the most dominant voice assistant existing in the market.Google Home: It can be said as Google’s cross attack on Amazon’s Echo. It works great when it comes to assisting the automation solutions.Control any: &nbsp;It can be described as a reliable IoT automation platform that helps in defining all the required home and security automation solutions. It comes with the solution for managing smart building and energy management solutions.Samsung SmartThings: Assists plentiful of smart home gadgets.Latest Smart Home Automation Trends to keep an eye on&nbsp;Kitchen solution will get smarterAccording to the reports, plenty of smart and automated kitchen appliances will reserve a place in the market. In the upcoming year 2019, we will witness an amazing shift in smart gadgets. Automated rice cookers, refrigerators, air conditioners etc have already gained an impeccable presence in the market and there are a lot more to come.These smart kitchen gadgets are just connected with the hubs (as described above) for making cooking a simple task. Different wireless countertops are also transforming the cooking concepts and its sale is forecasted to amplify further.Deliveries will get smarterSo, now you are not at all required to hold on your important work and keep waiting for the couriers to arrive. In recent times, two giant organization such as Walmart and Amazon, have announced smart in-home delivery solutions that will use smart key locks and with the aid of the secured camera, the delivery boys just can step into for delivering the couriers.The process is completely secured and tracked from the remotely through the mobile app.Will help in making health smarterRight from setting the alarm clock in a smarter way to tracking the sleep quality, we have devices for all. Be it in the sphere of analyzing the fitness goals or smart divans, currently, smart technology is all set to improvise the overall health of user by leveraging it with biometric data.Smart SurveillanceIn the modern times, the homeowners are not getting conscious about their houses and are tracking it for all day long on a remote basis.In order to combat with the crime, the ideation of controlling the home is becoming fierce day by day and thus the idea of providing security and protection to home is gaining an impressive friction.Facts that hinders the Home Automation Implementation.Major barriers that hinder the implementation of home automation are cost, security threats, and the existing technological fragmentation.Due to the difference in devices proliferation, networks standards and in different appliance infrastructure linking and integrating the different appliances become difficult.Existing connectivity problems that are being caused by distinct protocols, used in industry opens up the doors for Google and Apple, for developing sophisticated IoT solution to handle the interoperability issue existing among different devices.At&nbsp;<a href="https://darkbears.com/">DarkBears</a>, we will help you in getting just the right and innovative home automation solutions to make your life simple. By using the latest technologies, our team of&nbsp;IoT application development&nbsp;ensures to deliver all the justified and intelligent interconnection between different appliances for making the execution of smart solution very smarter.

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The Biggest Barriers to IoT Adoption

How IoT is Redefining the Development Landscape

Internet Of Things: IoT Application Development for Redefining Home Automation

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