A two-act story ofwebsite development& API integration
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6 DIMENSIONS Inc.
PHP
6 DIMENSIONS Inc.
6 DIMENSIONS Inc. provides digital marketing tools for businesses, offering services such as brand management, reputation monitoring, social media management, centralized business data, and automated analytics. They offer a 14-day free trial along with paid service packages.
A digital challenge
6 DIMENSIONS Inc. is a member of Vendasta, an all-in-one SaaS platform that builds software and services that help online businesses by creating opportunities to up-sell and cross-sell.
Their primary aim was to grow their business by developing a WordPress website that would enable users to log in and register directly on their Vendasta dashboard, eliminating the need for a separate visit to the Vendesta portal. This would make it easier for users to register and log in with 6DIMENSIONS instead of switching between two portals to get started.
The Expert's arrival
Farhad turned to Virtual Employee (VE) to bring his vision to reality and found Ramakrishna, VE’s PHP expert who took on the challenge.
A two-act strategy was devised
Act 1 - Crafting the digital canvas
Created an attractive and user-friendly website, utilizing WordPress, PHP, and MySQL.
The journey
Design
Approach
Crafted a website with a minimalist design and integrated graphics elements to enhance content understanding.
Technology
Integration
Selected WordPress for its content management capabilities. Custom PHP and MySQL integration ensured smooth operations.
Performance
Optimization
We used WP Rocket for faster page loading, optimized images, and minimized CSS and JavaScript files to boost website performance.
Conducted comprehensive
testing, which included
Cross-Browser Testing
The website was tested on multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer) for cross-platform compatibility.
Performance Testing
The website was tested on multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer) for cross-platform compatibility.
Mobile Responsiveness Testing
Mobile performance was evaluated for different screen sizes and orientations.
Security Testing
Security was evaluated for vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and XSS, with subsequent penetration testing for issue resolution.
The outcome
A user-friendly and efficient website was developed with a sophisticated
design, offering specific features like:
Plot twist
The journey took an unexpected turn, presenting challenges like:
A lack of available plugins for Vendasta API integration. There was no off-the-shelf solution that could be easily added to the code to let users register directly on their Vendasta dashboard.
The need to dynamically generate authentication tokens for user validation. Any website attempting to generate a token for direct login had to be recognized as a trusted source first.
Solutions and triumphs
Challenges were met with straightforward solutions.
- To overcome the initial hurdle, our team began building from the ground up. Ramakrishna developed a tailored PHP script for communicating with and authenticating users on the Vendasta server. This enabled a seamless, automated process where the website could directly communicate with Vendasta.
- To address the second obstacle, the team revisited the basics. By incorporating a PHP library called JWT Generator, he enabled the generation of tokens for each Vendasta request. This action solidified the website's status as a reliable source for processing user data, establishing a digital connection that facilitated smooth user login verification.
Act 2 - Building the digital bridge:
API integration
Created a secure digital bridge for users to access Vendasta dashboards when logging in to the client's website. This streamlined the process, eliminating the need to juggle between two separate logins. Now, users only required a single login to get started.
The journey
Custom API
Integration
Connecting Vendasta API to WordPress using custom PHP code for user convenience.
Data
Security
Ensuring data security with PHP JWT library for real-time token generation.
Zero Downtime
Assurance
Prioritizing continuous service through careful planning during API integration.
Data Validation
Verified the correctness, completeness, and conformance to expected formats of data received from the API.
Error Handling
Assessed the API's error-handling capabilities by intentionally sending incorrect or malformed requests, ensuring it responded appropriately.
Rate Limiting and Throttling
Examined how the API managed rate limiting and throttling to prevent misuse and maintain equitable resource distribution.
Integration Testing
Confirmed successful website integration with the API by testing diverse scenarios, encompassing data retrieval, data submission, and real-time updates.
The outcome
After the successful completion of Vendasta integration, the client achieved:
User dashboards are now easily accessible with top-tier data security, ensuring a seamless user experience.
A secure and direct connection to the Vendasta Portal.
The technology involved
Backend Engine
Backend Engine
Relational Database
Performance
Optimization Tools
Security Fortification
The final run
In the end, simple solutions ensured the success of website development and API integration, greatly benefiting the client.
"Ramakrishna Pal is a professional who consistently goes above and beyond, taking ownership of tasks and providing exceptional service. Highly recommended."
