This month marks 11 years since we started our monthly donation initiative. To date, Sidnet has donated more than 130 times to open-source projects and charitable causes nominated by team members.
The campaign’s initiator, Michał Wojciechowski, renews his choice from the first edition of #SidnetDonations, supporting FreeBSD and Przystan Ocalenie. Our CEO stresses that these two foundations have been constantly operating since we included them in 2012, persistently pursuing their goals.
FreeBSD Foundation
The FreeBSD Foundation has been in operation since 2001, developing the operating system of the same name. While FreeBSD as an open-source system remains in the shadow of the hugely popular Linux, its existence was instrumental in the birth of many other operating systems popular today.
Systems such as macOS and iOS used in Apple devices or TrueNAS (a free system for managing network disk resources) are based on FreeBSD’s source code.
“In our company, we have been using FreeBSD on several servers from the beginning, providing basic services needed for daily work, such as e-mail and LDAP.” – Michal emphasizes.
Przystan Ocalenie Foundation
Przystan Ocalenie (Harbour of Rescue) is a shelter for horses, farm animals, and many others. The foundation’s dedicated team works tirelessly to provide care, shelter, and the proper treatment for Poland’s abandoned, injured and abused animals.
The foundation’s activities and the pursuit of its mission to save animals’ lives are based solely on donations and the work of volunteers. On the Przystań Ocalenie website, there is an active store. Anyone can contribute to help the animals get the necessary vitamins, feeds, or vegetables. We encourage you to support them – spending even a small amount can improve their living conditions.
Let’s see–your website is already running in the top search results. Your site’s visitors increase monthly, but user engagement is surprisingly low.
Many websites, web apps, and online shop owners face the same problem–insufficient user engagement. The growing number of potential customers browsing your website does not translate into the desired activities, such as leaving a comment, rating a product, sending an inquiry, or purchasing.
If you want to increase user engagement on your website–we will tell you how.
Why Is User Engagement so Meaningful?
The answer is simple: every interaction users have with your website builds your relationship. The better your users feel about your website, the better their experience of that interaction, translating into favorable opinions about your company, product, or service.
You can benefit from such positive feedback from your website users and soon-to-be customers. They wish to communicate with your brand and are looking for various ways to interact with it. As they visit your site more often, you can find ways to dialogue with your company, express an opinion, and feel an important part of the community created around it.
If you enable them to engage, users will likely be eager to spread good word of mouth about your brand. It usually results in a growing number of visitors to your website, as well as committed users and spokesmen of your brand.
This ideal scenario–getting visitors who actively spend time on your site and recommend it to others–is achievable in any industry and for any website, app, or online shop. How do you make it happen? Continue reading.
Make It About Your Users
When users have problems, they look for a quick fix online. If you know how to solve them, share this on your website.
Be user-centric. Be helpful and share your knowledge. Provide your users with solution-oriented content to address doubts regarding your brand. If the users find your content useful and valuable, they will share it.
Regularly publishing valuable content is the fastest way to elevate user engagement on your website. After all, you decide what is worth posting on your page or through your web app. However, well-tailored content is sometimes enough to keep your website visitors involved.
Keep Your Website Easy To Use
A well-designed website is easy to navigate, well-designed, and allows reactions and interactions intuitively. To make the experience of users gushing through your site the best it can be and translate into higher engagement, mind these factors:
Easy Navigation
Easy access to information is the key to attracting and increasing user engagement. Your website’s proper arrangement allows the user to reach the desired content quickly. If you design the information architecture correctly, users will move through web pages smoothly. They will keep track and save time.
Furthermore, when you plan the user flow poorly, visitors will leave immediately. Good content is crucial, as it can convert first-time visitors into loyal customers. Ensure that the most relevant content is close to the users. If access to the information the user seeks is challenging, they will return to the search engine and probably your competitors’ websites. Accessibility of data is the key to attracting and increasing user engagement on your site.
Good Looks
We all know how important the first impression is. The better your site looks, the more reliable and trustworthy it will appear to the users.
The visual aspect of your website should be consistent with your brand. Ensure your content and graphics are readable and clear so the visitors feel safe. Large blocks of text, low-quality photos, and unclear navigation can discourage users from interacting with the website.
High-quality Content
Thoughtfully planned website content is a must. If you present it properly, it will be effective and increase user engagement. Therefore, add hints and tips on your topic to make it work. That will help the users learn about your brand.
Provide blog articles with a table of content for easy reading, link articles on similar or trending topics, and create a know-how page or a FAQ section. Make each ‘call to action’ visible (e.g., newsletter subscriptions, ebook, or report download), and add ‘click-to-call’ buttons. Verify if the content is displayed correctly on every laptop, tablet, and mobile device.
Let the Users Interact with Your Brand
Website users love expressing their opinions–prepare places where they can comment or react to your content. It would be wise to find some room for them to do so on your websites. You can quickly propel their engagement by adding a comment section and a share button at the end of each blog article.
If you manage an online shop, allow users to review and rate the products. It may also be a good idea to create a separate platform for the users if it fits your brand’s character. A forum or a fan page could be a perfect place for users to share their emotions and interests. Built-in live chat will also increase user engagement on the website.
Once you have addressed the ‘front-end’ issues, let’s look at the website backstage and see how you can increase user engagement and make it user-friendly overall.
Does Page Loading Speed Affect User Engagement?
Statistics show that 90% of the users will leave your website if it loads for 5 seconds. If it takes even more time for your page to appear on the screen, the users will simply give up browsing it.
In May 2021, Google updated its algorithm for Core Web Vitals. The improved algorithm is expected to assess better the quality of the user experience of any website and rank higher sites that:
Quickly display elements such as text, images, or videos
Allow users to navigate the site efficiently
Avoid sudden shifts of content on the screen
Again, page speed influences the website’s usability. It is significant in the same way as the page navigation pattern. A well-designed website will address the mentioned metrics and focus on improving the user experience by shortening the page loading time. Quick access to information is crucial for users and can significantly influence their commitment to the brand. If you care to increase user engagement on the website do not make them wait!
Check If Your Activities on Increasing User Engagement on the Website Are Effective
To audit the effectiveness and usability of content implemented on your website, you can track simple metrics with free website statistics analysis tools. When you want to measure the increasing engagement of the users on your website, it would be helpful to define events or activities that are strategic for your business and the type of website.
Suppose you are a pro in your industry, developing a corporate blog. In that case, you should regularly check the following:
The bounce rate
The average time spent by a user on a given page
Traffic source
The number of comments
Shares for your articles
For large e-commerce websites, you will recognize user involvement by tracking the shopping carts, interactions with product pages, and the growing number of ratings and reviews.
The array of handy metrics to assess your on-site actions is much more significant. If you plan to engage the users even more, also check the following indicators:
Number of visits
Number of page views
Number of unique users
Number of active / returning / registered users
Conversion rate
An adequately connected analytic tool can provide valuable insights into your online activities. You can quickly assess what content your users like and what is not interesting for them. You can identify sub-pages that engage users poorly or cause them to abandon further action on the site.
Well-designed Website Increases Satisfaction and User Commitment
Creating a user-friendly, intuitive, and visually appealing website can improve your online presence, reach more customers and ultimately grow your business. It takes expertise and time to design such a website, app, or online shop that is effective for business.
Outsourcing this part of the job may be a good idea. It helps business owners and retailers who, knowing their industries, are aware of the benefits an online presence will bring. A well-designed website will reduce frustration and improve user experience, increasing user satisfaction. Furthermore, it will translate into more satisfied users who will spend more time on the site, return to it and recommend it to others.
If your company does not have a trusted web development partner, when choosing one, pay attention to their:
Range of the services provided
Understanding of the business side of the project
High communication skills
Portfolio of completed projects
If you like what you see, they may be an excellent technological partner to develop your website.
You may already have a website or online shop operating for a while now, and neither needs any significant amendments. In this case, look for a development team that provides consulting services like website audits. After carefully examining your page, they will suggest necessary modifications, e.g., increasing the efficiency and security of the website or improving its visual side.
As you can see, increasing user engagement on your website is a process. Constant testing and monitoring of implemented changes and user reactions allow you to find and fix the weak points of your website. Expert data analysis makes finding promising or innovative ways to activate website users easy. Tasks related to increasing user engagement also involve teamwork. You provide business insight. We at Sidnet provide skills and knowledge on how to build engaging websites.
Contact us today, and let’s create a great website together!
Contributions to an open-source project can take many forms: bug reports, code fixes, documentation updates, etc. But for our PHP developer, Gabriela Walczyk, the best way to give back to the community was to choose Git–an essential tool for developers to support financially this month.
In addition to the open-source projects, we donate monthly to charity. Gabriela aims to make a positive impact as effectively as possible. For this reason, The Hunger Project–fighting hunger and poverty–seemed an obvious choice for her, so it will also receive our support.
Git
Git is an open-source project and a tool allowing developers to manage changes to a source code and collaborate on software development projects.
“It’s a vital tool for programmers,” says Gabriela, adding: “Git enables multiple people to work on the same code simultaneously. It also allows us to go back through the history of changes and makes completing tasks less stressful. If something goes wrong–changes can always quickly roll back. Once you start using it, you can’t imagine working without it.”
The key feature of Git is the ability to work offline. Each developer has a local copy of the repository to work on independently. Later changes can be merged back into the main repository when they are ready to be shared.
Some other Git features include:
Support for multiple users
Built-in conflict resolution tools
Support for annotated tags
The ability to manage large files
Git has become a popular choice for version control in the software development industry. Companies such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft and open-source projects use it. However, many available tools and services integrate with Git, such as GitHub, Bitbucket, and GitLab.
The Hunger Project
The Hunger Project is a global organization fighting hunger and poverty across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Its mission is to provide those in need with the necessary tools, knowledge, and resources to achieve sustainable progress.
“According to UNdata, from early 2022, 850 million people are at risk of dying of hunger, and this number has been increasing instead of decreasing over recent years. Martin Caparrós tells the story of many of these people in his reportage, ‘Hunger.’ He looks closer at the causes and consequences of extreme malnutrition and gives the problem the face of suffering people. After reading this book, my choice of organization was obvious. The Hunger Project considers the broad spectrum of the problem and seeks to eradicate the root of it through its actions.”, explains Gabriela.
There are three pillars of The Hunger Project:
Empowering women
Mobilizing communities for self-reliant action
Supporting effective partnerships with local government
By engaging communities, the organization helps to identify their needs and aspirations and works with them to develop strategies to achieve their goals. The organization also provides training and resources to help individuals and communities build the skills and knowledge needed to take action. Finally, The Hunger Project works with other organizations, governments, and the private sector to create a global network of supporters committed to ending hunger and poverty.
There is a saying popular in the IT world: “There are two kinds of people: those who make backups and those yet to start making them,” and it did not come from nowhere. Those who understand the importance of creating backups know that data loss can occur anytime. Those who have yet to realize the importance of it, and therefore the risk of losing essential data, may simply be unaware of how to create them. The loss of customer data can be costly and troublesome for a company. It can also be painful for a private individual. That is where backups come in.
What Is a Backup
A backup is a copy of important data or files you can use to restore the original data in case of loss or damage. You can do a backup on physical media or online. It is a security measure that can help protect critical information and prevent catastrophic data loss.
How to Make Backups
There are several ways to create a backup, depending on how the copy is stored and the data type. A few popular methods you can find below:
External Hard Drive
Connect an external hard drive to your computer and copy the files you want to backup onto it–that is a simple and relatively inexpensive backup method.
Cloud Backup
Use a cloud backup service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive to upload your files to the cloud. That provides remote access to your data and can be helpful if your computer is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
A type of storage connects to your home or office network, allowing multiple devices easy access to your files and folders. The NAS is accessible from the web, and you can use it as comfortably as local data.
Disk Imaging
Disk imaging software backs up your entire computer system, including the operating system, installed software, and all files and folders. This method is helpful if you must restore the system during a catastrophic failure.
Manual Backups
You can back up files by copying them to an external drive or burning them to a DVD or CD. This method is time-consuming and less reliable than the others but can be helpful for small data.
Whichever method you choose, it is crucial to set a backup schedule and stick to it. In this way, your data is always protected and up-to-date.
How to Automate Backups
Backups do not have to be overseen by yourself. Life-saving automation solutions use software to regularly and automatically back up data at scheduled intervals, usually daily or weekly. You can configure it to run in the background without user intervention, making it a convenient and reliable way to ensure a constant backup of your data.
Automatic backups have several advantages over manual methods. Firstly, they save time and effort by eliminating the need for manual backups, which can be time-consuming and prone to human error.
You can choose from various solutions: cloud-based services and local backup software on your computer. Some may offer additional features like encryption, versioning, and automatic data synchronization between devices. When choosing among them, consider your needs, budget, and security (redundancy) required to protect your data.
Why You Should Make Backups
Backups are only sometimes thought of and can significantly increase the demand for disk space. However, it will pay off greatly in case of a failed system update, unexpected data loss, or even hardware destruction. In such a situation, restoring data from a backup saves time, money, and stress.
Protection Against Data Loss
Backup is a safeguard against unexpected data loss due to hardware failure, human error, or malware attack. Losing important data can be devastating, and having a backup will allow you to avoid the considerable time and expense of trying to recover lost files or restore lost data.
Business Continuity Assurance
If you run a business, backups are essential to ensure business continuity in the event of data loss. With a backup, you can quickly restore data and continue your business without major disruption, minimizing downtime and loss of productivity.
Regulatory Compliance
Many industries have regulations regarding data storage and protection. By creating backups, you can ensure that you comply with these requirements, avoiding costly fines and penalties.
Less Stress
Knowing that you backed up data can provide internal peace of mind and reduce the stress and anxiety associated with potential data loss.
In summary, backups are a simple but effective way to protect valuable data and guard against unexpected events that could lead to data loss. They provide peace of mind and can save both time and money in the long run.
Not sure which backup method to choose? Call us at +48 22 120 17 00 and tell us about your needs.
A professional website is much more than just a showcase of online business activities. It is a useful tool that helps sell products or services and gain a positive customer experience. From this article,you will learn why your company should develop a website from scratch rather than use one of the ready-made templates offered by popular website builders.
Benjamin Franklin once aptly stated that only death and taxes are certain in this world. In business, we would add, the proven figures are equally certain. Let’s take a look at what they say about the dynamics of e-commerce growth. They will show why you must stay active with your business in the virtual world.
Online Sales in Numbers:
In 2020, 256 million Americans shopped online. By 2024, this number is projected to grow to 278.3 million and the value of products and services sold online could reach $6 trillion annually.
Nearly three out of four internet users in the European Union shop online. Almost every second of these people spent between 100-500 euros on online shopping in the three months preceding the survey.
Why is the Popularity of Online Shopping Growing so Fast?
There are several reasons for this. Over the last decade, we have become accustomed to convenient, cashless, and time-saving online shopping. The market is changing all the time to make the whole process even easier and more pleasant.
Today, as customers we appreciate:
Access to a larger range of products and services
The possibility of deferred payment or 0% installments
Free shipping and returns
Cashback
Exclusive online offers
More convenient return policy
Price comparison websites
Real-time availability of products and services
The opportunity to find out others’ feedback as well as to give your own product rating.
Additionally, the Coronavirus pandemic has had a strong impact on our shopping habits and decisions. During this period a large percentage of traditional consumers have had the opportunity to benefit from the convenience of online shopping and be convinced by it. Certainly, this time and money-saving shopping is here to stay with us and on a scale, we never even dreamed of a few years ago.
E-commerce Website from a Wizard vs Website Built From Scratch
The internet has a global reach which means that an online business can potentially meet millions of customers around the world. This is particularly important for businesses that offer niche products or services as it can be difficult to find a large customer base in a specific geographical area. To run a successful online business having a user-friendly website is key. It can help increase engagement and improve customer satisfaction.
An effective website for selling products and services should be responsive, fast-loading, attractively designed, and intuitive for the user. An optimized website is a must for almost any business activity today. With this in mind, it is time to face the title question. Is a website built from scratch much better than a ready-made template from Wix?
As is often the case in the IT industry: it depends.
It depends on the purpose of the site, its size, and the direction of business growth. Is it just a simple showcase of your online business or something more? Let’s say we run a small florist. If we want contact details, an access map, and a gallery kept up to date along with a social media presence–a ready-made template from the website creator will work just fine.
Things are different when a small florist is just the starting point for a larger brand that will transform over time into online sales and a florist’s center with a wide range of products and services. The same applies when we intend to acquire new customers mainly online. If the project is to be large, flexible, and SEO-friendly we will need functionalities that website builders usually don’t offer for free.
Do you already know that you need a bigger project? Great, let’s move on.
The Main Advantages of Building a Website From Scratch
Management
Undoubtedly, a great advantage of a website builder is its low price, especially compared to the expense of a complete website development. There are, however, considerable limitations behind the attractive rate. When building a website using available templates, we usually have only basic-level functions at our disposal and only the provider has the possibility to make major changes. When we build a bespoke website we have the ability to manage every element of it from content and the admin panel to decide how it looks in the browser.
Responsiveness
Let us refer to the numbers again. One of the most significant trends in e-commerce is the dynamic increase in the use of mobile devices in purchasing processes. As of the last quarter of 2022, smartphones accounted for approximately 74% of retail site traffic worldwide and generated 63% of online shopping orders. Purchases made via mobile devices are extremely popular in Asia. In South Korea, two-thirds of total online transaction value comes from mobile traffic. Why are we mentioning this? Because if we want to play a vital role in the game for customers who make purchases using smartphones, we must have a responsive website, i.e., one that looks as good on a tablet and mobile as it is on a laptop.
Appearance
The website builder is based on ready-made templates. On the one hand, it favors the quick and efficient construction of the website and on the other–it severely limits the possibilities of a creative approach to the subject. The number of ready-made solutions and templates is limited. It doesn’t always respond to your needs and ideas (advanced work with the creator requires at least basic design skills). It means that your page may not be consistent with the visual identity and character of the brand. Working with a software development company and a professional web designer you will not experience such problems.
Speed
Have you ever left the site before it is fully loaded? Exactly. The studies show: a delay of two seconds in loading a site causes almost nine out of ten people to skip elsewhere. The conclusion is obvious. The website must load fast. Sites created using templates sometimes have a problem with the loading speed, especially if they are running on a server alongside hundreds of other similarly built websites, which is often the case. It is much easier to work on website performance with programmers when we give the loading speed a high priority at the beginning.
Optimization
Speed plays a significant role in the positioning of websites by Google. The mechanism is simple. Silicon Valley’s giant’s algorithms promote high-quality content and websites that pay attention to user experience and satisfaction. In terms of their display, quality, and service as well. With pages from templates, we do not have control over many of the website’s performance parameters. It is difficult to adapt the website to the changing search engine guidelines and thus the website ranking may be lower.
Hosting
There is a significant difference between a Wix or Element website and one commissioned from scratch. When building a website with a software development company it becomes our property. It means that changing the server provider—in case of dissatisfaction with the services provided—will not be a problem. It is different in terms of websites from the wizard. Usually, there is no way to export the page. You have to start building elsewhere or stay with the existing infrastructure.
Support
Suppose you are unfamiliar with IT, employ few people, or there are no IT specialists on a payroll. What will you do in case of technical problems? We can get professional help at Wix or Elementor but it requires an additional fee. Professional software development companies take care of their clients comprehensively. They help not only to create a website that meets the needs of the business but also take care of its launch and subsequent maintenance on the server.
Develop Your Website With Sidnet
Every business is unique and a website should reflect this. If we operate in the e-commerce sector or are planning an online presence far beyond the traditional business card, it is worth considering building a website from scratch based on a personalized design.
Not familiar with IT? You’ve come to the right place. You can entrust us with a complete set of works on your website.
Comprehensive Website Development Includes, Among Others:
In March, it was Dominika Gajda who selected the non-profit organizations that would receive our support. Dominika is a programmer who mainly codes in Python. She is currently using her skills on a project for the Carlsberg Group.
As an informed Internet user, Dominika supports the Tor Project, which cares about privacy rights and freedom of expression. She also promotes the Empowering Children Foundation–an organization that protects children from violence (also cyberviolence) and sexual abuse.
The Tor Project
Probably the best-known product of the Tor Project–a non-profit organization that has been operating for the past 17 years–is the Tor Browser, which is available on popular operating systems.
“It enables free communication, gives access to censored content in countries that restrict freedom of speech, and helps avoid unwanted advertising,” says Dominika, and adds that the Tor browser “provides a high level of anonymity on the Internet. It allows you to hide your activity, identity or location“.
The Empowering Children Foundation
The Empowering Children Foundation, formerly operating under the name Nobody’s Children Foundation, has been protecting children from violence and sexual abuse for more than 30 years. Above all, it offers abused children professional psychological and legal assistance and introduces the Child Protection Standards in Poland.
It is the largest non-governmental organization in Poland dedicated to protecting children from abuse and providing assistance to children who have experienced various forms of violence and sexual abuse.
Its activities include:
Conducting social campaigns
Educating children on how to avoid violence and abuse
Providing telephone support
Influencing Polish law to best protect the interests of children
Conducting workshops for those working with children to enable them to more easily identify the problem and intervene.
Why is this important? “Proper development in childhood has a significant impact on functioning in later stages of life. Traumas from this period cause changes in brain structure and function as well as increase the risk of problems in the future,” explains Dominika.
Are you looking to work with a software house? Learn the specifics of the most popular contract types: transparent and flexible Time & Materials vs. Fixed Price—a variant that works well in small IT projects with strictly defined requirements, budget, and deadline. We help you make an informed decision and choose a solution not only tailored to your needs and capabilities but above all the one that’s the most cost-effective.
After reading our miniguide, you will know:
How the Fixed Price and Time & Materials models work
What are the benefits and risks resulting from them
When it is best to use each variant
What Does “Fixed Price” Mean?
In the Fixed Price model, you know the total cost of the project before signing the contract. The price is usually set on the basis of predetermined requirements and the work schedule. Thanks to this, you can plan the course of all works step by step and calculate the amount of time needed to complete the project.
In this model, you know exactly how much you will pay for the completed project and can include the specific amount in your calculations. If you have a small project, or part of a project, to implement with strictly defined expectations as to the features and appearance of the software, and the budget and deadline for its launch are fixed, then setting a “fixed price” may be a good idea.
Fixed Price—Pros and Cons
The advantage of Fixed Price is predictability because in this model you know the budget and scope of work in advance. Thanks to this, there is a limited risk that unforeseen changes will be required during the project implementation. You receive a finished product and save time that you would have to spend on participating in the team’s work.
Cons? Every responsible software house will present a price slightly exceeding the expected costs of the project. Why? The contractor must take into account a safety margin to avoid a reduction in product quality in the event of unforeseen complications and to ensure that a solution that meets the customer’s needs is provided. So the price, although known in advance, does not have to be the best for you.
Having to specify all design requirements at the very beginning may also be a disadvantage. To estimate the cost of the project before it starts, a meticulous specification is usually drawn up. Performing such a detailed analysis is time-consuming. In addition, the execution time may be affected by how efficiently you provide contractors with the necessary access or answers to follow-up questions.
It may also be that already during the implementation it will be necessary to introduce changes that were not included in the initial assumptions. Adding more features and changes means modifying the specification and, as a result, increasing the total cost. When it turns out that the price of the project significantly exceeds the assumed budget, it may be necessary to reduce the scope at the expense of significant changes. All this can unfortunately lead to a reduction in the final quality of the product or service.
Pros of Fixed Price:
Predictability—you know the total cost in advance
Easy management—you receive finished and complete product
Limited risk of unforeseen changes
Only the minimum commitment on the client’s part after the start of the project
Cons of Fixed Price:
Lack of flexibility
The need to provide the software house with exhaustive requirements
The time-consuming analysis required to be performed upfront by the software house
Extra costs generated by complications not included in the requirements or incorrect selection of the contract type
Time & Materials—What is it About?
In the Time & Materials model you pay only for the work actually performed and the resources used (e.g. the costs of the necessary licenses, expert consultations in the area of software accessibility for people with disabilities, time devoted to training your team on the use of the newly created system, etc.).
Time & Materials is most often used for demanding and complex projects where it is difficult to determine the exact size and scope of work. This model assumes cooperation based on an hourly or daily rate and incurred expenses of external services and tools. Final calculations made at the end of the contractual period are usually based on a time report.
Time & Materials—Pros and Cons
The main advantages of the Time & Materials model are flexibility and cost-effectiveness. During the implementation, the product being developed is systematically presented to you, thanks to which you can verify the progress of the software house’s work and make corrections to the project on an ongoing basis, without having to renegotiate the terms of the contract. Such action enables free control of the budget and efficient implementation of particular stages of the project, and thus—savings.
Equally important, with swift approval of subsequent stages of the project, it can be completed ahead of the assumed finished date. Such a model will be more beneficial for you if you do not have specific project requirements or you anticipate that the initial assumptions may dynamically change during the development of the product.
Lower costs and the ability to make changes if necessary are the undoubted advantages of the Time & Materials model over Fixed Price. Can something go wrong with the Time & Materials model? Due to the greater freedom, this model is conducive to introducing too many changes, which may result in exceeding the deadline and budget expected at the beginning. It also requires involvement in the project’s execution, which can be time–consuming. In order for the Time & Materials model to be profitable, the participation of a competent person who will supervise the budget and the work of the software house is often needed.
Pros of Time & Materials:
Savings and costs transparency
The ability to monitor progress on an ongoing basis
Flexibility
Ability to react quickly
Cons of Time & Materials:
Time-consuming involvement on the client’s part
Supervision of a competent person over the work of the IT team on a daily basis
The risk of losing control over expenses and exceeding financial assumptions
What to Choose? Summary
The effectiveness of both models—Time & Materials and Fixed Price—depends on the nature of the project and the resources at your disposal. When you decide on a specific solution, take into account factors, such as business conditions, project specifics, internal resources of your company, and the conditions offered by a specific software house.
The Fixed Price model is worth using when your project has a deadline and a clearly defined end result. It will work well when you are able to work out a schedule and scope of work to be performed at the very beginning, and you cooperate with an experienced software house that is able to prepare a clear and fair estimation.
The Time & Materials model will work well when you are planning a non-standard, long-term project, which additionally does not have a clearly defined scope of work or completion date. Time & Materials is a good choice when you expect to introduce changes during the project and you care about a flexible approach and a quick start of the work, without lengthy arrangements and negotiations. In this case, it is worth having a competent person on your team who will communicate with the contractor on a regular basis.
Finally, the most important thing: sometimes you do not have to choose between the Time & Materials and Fixed Price models. You can try to combine both options: build the basic product in the Fixed Price model and then continue developing it using Time & Materials.
Do you need help choosing a contract type? Call +48 22 120 17 00 and tell us about your project.
Bartek Tkacz has been successfully ensuring the quality of the solutions we create for over a year—initially, he performed manual tests and currently, he also includes automated tests using the Postman and Cypress platform. Being enthusiastic about his work he shows interest in new and more effective testing methods.
Knowing Bartek’s approach to learning, the choice of projects we support this month seems natural. Both February donations share a common thought: comprehensive support in learning and personal development.
freeCodeCamp
An open-source interactive online learning platform powered by an engaged community from over 160 countries. The organization behind the platform offers free, practical, and theoretical courses, primarily to junior programmers. This form of learning, based on real projects, allows one to expand their portfolio and after passing tests also obtain appropriate certificates.
“This platform has contributed to my start in the IT industry and I know that some of my colleagues also use it. The courses are of high quality, completely free, and make it easy for people from all over the world to start their adventure in the IT world,” Bartek says.
The Pociecha Foundation
A non-profit foundation focusing its activities around community centers that provide children from poor and educationally inefficient families with professional care.
The community centers supported by the foundation are located in the children’s neighborhood. There, they can eat a hot meal after school, and receive learning support as well as space and tools to develop their passions. The institution also organizes summer and winter trips for children and provides school supplies and Christmas gifts.
“The activities of the foundation aim to counteract social pathologies by giving children a sense of security and a chance for better development. Every child deserves it!” emphasizes Bartek.
Are you thinking about a career change but you don’t know which way to go yet? The easiest way to start is to look for a path that more or less relates to your interests. If you have always enjoyed building LEGO, chances are you already have the right mindset to become a programmer.
The Danish bricks are a simple tool that helps to improve the key competences desired by future programmers.
LEGO almost unconsciously:
develops a creative approach because you can create different constructions from the same bricks based on the instructions or your own imagination. Such thinking promotes solving problems in non-obvious ways.
stimulates strategic thinking because the bricks must be properly selected and combined and at the end perform specific functions.
arouses curiosity and engages for long hours while practicing concentration and patience.
teaches determination, testing various solutions, enduring failures and … starting from scratch.
practices teamwork and clear communication skills when building in a group.
Having these attributes and skills make the work of a programmer much easier because writing code is also a creative activity favored by outside-the-box thinking. Logical reasoning and readiness to persistently search for optimal solutions also help in software development. Self-reliance as well as efficient teamwork are qualities appreciated and desired in the IT industry.
If you see this potential in yourself maybe it’s worth trying your way as a programmer?
Opposites attract in January, which marks both the saddest and one of the merriest days of the year. Blue Monday is considered the most dismal day out of 365. However, that gloomy mood fades away as the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity enters the stage with its joyful Grand Finale. It is a national charity event, and with our developer Damian Bełza we have decided to support it as a part of #SidnetDonations. The second beneficiary, by Damain’s choice, is the open-source project Manjaro Linux.
Manjaro Linux
Manjaro is an alternative operating system based on Linux. The users value it for prioritizing privacy issues, no licensing fees, and no hidden ads. The compatibility is also a great asset of Manjaro. It performs well in professional and home environments and on each device regardless the age – desktop computer, laptop, tablet, and smartphone.
Damian, who specializes in PHP, Perl, and JavaScript, appreciates Manjaro for the same reasons. “The system is based on the Arch distribution and uses the Pacman package manager that ensures basic compatibility. The unofficial Arch User Repository (AUR) is also accessible, which expands the availability of the software.”
Manjaro receives bonus points from Damian for its stability, speed, and reliability, thanks to which day-to-day work with the system is a breeze.
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation plays the loudest on one day in January. But in reality, it performs all year round, collecting funds to purchase modern equipment for Polish hospitals and medical facilities.
Besides its regular scope of operation, the Foundation provides support during emergencies, too. “We could count on it during the covid pandemic. Also, Ukraine received massive help during the unnecessary, bloody war”, sums up Damian.
The Foundation operates effectively, and for this reason, the Poles subside it generously. “In 2020, the estimation was that one in every five pieces of medical equipment found in Polish hospitals was delivered by the Orchestra. Such equipment even saved the life of my family member”, says our developer
