These are both pay-per-click advertising platforms. Both have the same goals, but I wanted to delve a little deeper.
Microsoft Advertising has a cheaper CPC, anywhere from 32.5% to 60.2% less than Google Ads. There also tends to be less competition on it’s keywords. One interesting thing I found is the difference in the target audience. Bing (which Microsoft Ads utilizes) has most users over the age of 35 and about half of those have an income of $75,000 or more, which apparently they tend to spend on purchases. Microsoft Ads tends to target mobile users specifically. Microsoft Ads also lets you import an existing Google Ads campaign, which saves you time and effort.
On the flip side, Google Ads has a larger reach than Microsoft. While Bing is making big strides towards search engines, Google still holds a major advantage there.
Google Ads is obviously the more well known of the two. but it seems to me that Microsoft Ads is working diligently towards giving them a run for their money.
Squarespace is a simple solution for anyone to use. The one problem with Squarespace (in my opinion) is that is comes with a default subdomain and is located on Squarespace servers. This restricts how much control you actually have over your own site. While it is not free, it does have a free trial to give you time to ensure it is the perfect solution for your needs.
I have personal had someone use Squarespace and I was surprised at how much they really do restrict what you can do. Depending on what you need, this may be a deal breaker, or it could not affect you at all.
If your main focus is eCommerce than Magento is the way you may want to go. You can either choose from the free self-hosted community version or one of the many premium services.
Magento is a part of Adobe Experience Cloud, which basically bring all your marketing tech into one place so you can manage it more effectively. According to magento.com it works hand -in-hand with the world’s biggest retailers.
Drupal is probably next in line for popularity. Although it is probably more known amongst the more technical advanced users. Even though Drupal is free, you will still need to have your own hosting.
Major League Soccer is one of the real world examples of Drupal. You can visit it at https://www.mlssoccer.com/.
This is the second most popular CMS and the one currently being used for this blog. It is also free to use and even support over 60 languages which makes it a good fit for just about anyone.
A few of the benefits (according to joomla.org) are
Search engine friendly
Mobile friendly
Unlimited design
Multi-User Permission Levels
There are many volunteers from all over the world that all help build this wonderful, easy CMS. In fact, it is the ONLY CMS built entirely by volunteers. That is one community that gets things done. Even you can volunteer and play your part.
Michael Phelps is just one great example that uses Joomla. There is a whole directory that shows many more examples of outstanding Joomla site. It can be found at https://showcase.joomla.org/.
WordPress is by far one of the more popular and well known CMS out there. WordPress is free to download and use.
According to wordpress.com you can “Create anything, for anyone”. That pretty much sums it all up. With hundreds of themes available (and more constantly in the making) you are sure to find one that fits your ideas and needs.
If you need more than the free option offers there are four other plans you can choose from ranging in price from $4 to $45.
Several major companies use WordPress for their website needs…
CNN
NBC
Spotify
CBS
The New York Times
UPS
Time
WordPress allows you to own your content. They also offer customer support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Many might ask, what exactly is Content Management System? It is a system that is generally used to create a website without needing to know how to code a website.
Way back in the caveman days of web development, you would need to have a decent understanding of HTML in order to write your website code from scratch. Then that code would allow you to publish your content for all to see.
CMS makes it so you can build a site without knowing exactly what is going on behind the scenes. You can pretty much choose a look that appeals to you and modify it to fit your needs.
CMS can be used to…
start a blog
create a store that sells a variety of items (virtual products, simple products, subscriptions, etc)
build a portfolio to show off your talent
start up your own small business
and many more
Even though you may not need or want the ability to further customize your site past the options supplied, someone who is knowledgeable in coding may choose to free code some aspects of their site.
In the next few articles I am going to give a run down of a few different CMS that can be used to make your very own site for your needs.
Backend web development refers to the server side of development. This deals with a focus on how the site works and usually consists of four main components
the server
the database
the middleware
the programming languages and frameworks
Servers
These are computers that store, process and deliver web pages to the user. A few web servers that you may run across are Apache (the more popular one), IIS, nginx, and GWS.
Databases
The database accepts a query, retrieves the data, and returns it to the website. The number 1 ranked database is MySQL. It is one of the most popular Open Source SQL database management systems.
Middleware
Middleware creates a middle layer between the apps and the network. It can be multi-layered. This is where APIs (application programming interfaces provide a bridge between the business layer of middleware and the presentation layer.
Programming Languages and Frameworks
A majority of sites are built on PHP, which is one of the most popular back-end scripting languages. Languages differ in performance, compatibility, style and how many lines of code are required.
As a Full Stack Web Developer, I have the opportunity to work either front end or back end. Today I am going to discuss front end and what that involves.
Front end web development is also known as client side development. It is the process of implementing the web design through coding languages such as
HTML
CSS
Javascript
HTML (Hypertext markup language)
Hypertext: a software system that links topics on the screen to related information and graphics, which are typically accessed by a point-and-click method.
Oxford Languages
Markup language is a computer language that uses tags to define elements within a document.
Together HTML is the standard markup language for creating Web pages. It is used to create pages and make them functional.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Along with HTML, CSS is the next basic building block of web coding. These two skills will allow you to build the most basic website. CSS is a stylesheet language that describes how elements should be rendered on the page. Some key changes you can use CSS for are
alter font
backgrounds
colors
text and image positions
Image gallery
forms
There are many areas CSS can be used to make your page look and feel exactly how you want.
JavaScript
JavaScript allows you to add a little more functionality to your site. It is used to create and control aspects of your site. It is most important to learn because it is the most popular programming language in the world.
One of my goals is to find a career that allows me to utilize both my current medical knowledge and my new found development knowledge. While searching for news and information in this area I ran across this article explaining developer roles that are in pretty high demand in healthcare. Read the article for yourself and/or keep reading to see my perspective on it.
8 Developer Roles That Are in High Demand in Healthcare
By: Ben Dickson
Data scientists and machine learning engineers
Data scientists create algorithms that assist healthcare workers be more efficient. By analyzing data collected we have the ability to make predictions and therefor improve patient care significantly.
Blockchain developers
Blockchain (individual records linked together in a chain – techterms.com). This is used in tracing drugs, tracking clinical trials and managing patient data. With IBM leading the field, I’m sure there will be an increased need in this area.
Robotics engineers
Robots are no longer a thing of the future. They are used in assisting with surgeries, in patients during surgeries and even to clean, therefore reducing time and energy spent by the medical staff.
Mechatronics engineers
Mechatronics is mechanics, electronics, and computer science all rolled into one. This can be found inside a patient with a prosthetic arm, or in the operating room assisting with surgery. It includes such designs as the FlexArm, that allows multiple imaging without having to move the patient.
Virtual reality developers
VR has began to play an important role in healthcare by providing training and education from patients all the way to surgeons. By utilizing VR, there is a decreased risk of infection, time and resources. Virtual reality is no longer just for entertainment.
Augmented reality developers
This provides information quickly and efficiently, which could ultimately help save a life. There are even special glasses that allow surgeons to view needed information directly in front of them, even in the middle of surgery.
Mobile and wearables app developer
Apps are almost a necessity considering how many smartphones are in existence now. Patients can view results, pay bills, make appointments and even update their information immediately. Doctors are able to communicate directly more effectively with their patients. With the increase of smartwatches and fitness trackers, people are becoming more aware of their health. I expect it won’t be long before insurance companies offer incentives to those who are willing to upload their information, proving they are making healthier choices.
Software developers
Software is a part of our daily lives and is just about everywhere we look, especially hospitals. These software’s need to be updated frequently. Not to mention the fact that new and exciting opportunities are appearing daily. This will always be an area that needs continual assistance.
After reading this post, I feel like there is definitely a place for me the healthcare developer world. There are several options already to choose from and more arriving daily.
