People have been deliberately talking on social media about the possibility of a widespread internet outage caused by a coronal mass ejection. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is so powerful that it can cause a geomagnetic storm that could knock out the internet for months, causing devastation to the economy across the world.

 

CMEs are eruptions of extremely hot and charged particles from the Sun's corona. These charged particles travel at a speed of millions of miles per hour, and upon contact with the Earth, they interact with our planet's magnetic field, eventually causing geomagnetic storms.

 

A severe geomagnetic storm can disrupt the overall communication system and satellites, and, in the worst scenario, it could knock out the internet for weeks to months. A Professor at George Mason University describes this scenario as an "internet apocalypse." Becker said: "The internet has come of age during a time when the Sun has been relatively quiet, and now it's entering a more active time.

 

“It’s the first time in human history that there’s been an intersection of increased solar activity with our dependence on the internet and our global economic dependence on the internet.”

 

 As a lead investigator on a project with the school and the Naval Research Laboratory to create a warning system, Becker talks about coronal mass ejection (CME), and he believes that we can actually predict this ejection before 18 hours to 24 hours of reaching the Earth.

 

While explaining the dark scenario of this event, Becker explains that the big blob of plasma flies through space, and when part of it interacts with our planet, it disrupts our magnetic field. In such events, if you drive inductive current to the Earth's surface, it's more likely to work backward, and you'll end up frying things. That you may have thought were relatively safe.

 

It has happened before. According to a report by Fox Weather, Becker points to the Carrington Event in 1859 (the last time a CME reached our planet).

 

Having said that, all the power grids, satellites, underground fiber optic cables, GPS systems, and communication equipment are vulnerable to these conditions. And it's not only about the communication; it's a massive economic disruption, too.

 

These concerns were also fueled by a recent NASA article where they predicted powerful storms that could have disruptive effects on power grids, satellites, and telecommunication. According to Vanessa Thomas, a science writer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland,  “The risk of geomagnetic storms and devastating effects on our society is presently increasing as we approach the next ‘solar maximum’  — a peak in the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle — which is expected to arrive sometime in 2025.”

 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) further reported that the current solar cycle is becoming active at a faster rate than the expert's predictions. Scientists and experts expect an average amount of activity through the rest of the cycle. It means the experts believe it isn't likely to happen. But we've witnessed disruptive effects in recent years, including a 1989 solar storm the

Businesses of all sizes opt for custom web development to ensure their brand's availability in the market in the way they want. Although many web solutions are available with ready-made templates that are easy to set up, there are many functionalities you might be missing out on while using these ready-made templates. It doesn't mean ready-made templates and WordPress websites are of no value, but the benefits of using a custom website are more considerable. Custom web development allows businesses to create their brand identity, provide greater customer access, and eventually help drive business growth. That's the reason we've witnessed an increasing trend of custom web development in today's world.

In this article, we'll discuss everything you need to know about custom web development, from what it is, why your business needs it, how it differs from ready-made websites, and the potential advantages a custom website can bring about your business. So, let's get started with it! 

What is Custom Web Development? 

Custom Web Development has become crucial as users expect a rich online experience. You can recall some ten to twelve years back when we visited a website and enjoyed the available content. But today, we easily get annoyed when things do not happen according to our expectations. It is where web customization has played a key role. 

Custom Web Development refers to the process of creating a website from scratch without using any ready-made or pre-defined template. Customization websites are designed to meet the specific needs of your business. This approach enables your business to build a brand identity. Such functionalities are made possible due to the extensive capabilities provided by a customized website.

Why you may need Custom Web Development solutions for your business?

Whether you need a customized website for your business or you're comfortable with a pre-defined template depends on the type of business and the type of website you want. For example, you own hotel rooms and want to create a website to rent out your rooms. You'll only need a simple website featuring a menu, location, contact information and your Team's overview. There are many templates available for this task. 

But suppose you want to help your hotel rooms stand out, not just in design but with additional functionalities such as reservations, reviews, ecommerce, etc. In that case, customized web development is the way you would want to choose.

Custom Web Development VS Ready-made Website Template

The differences between custom web development and ready-made templates  include:

1. Customization Limitations VS Tailored Functionality

In ready-made template websites, you won't be able to customize according to your business's needs. On the other hand, customized websites offer customized functions to meet your business needs. You can always make changes and upgrade whenever you need to.

2. SEO Constraints VS Unrestricted Optimization

The ready-made template websites are optimized according to search engine optimization rules. These templates are not search-engine friendly. On the other hand, customized websites can be optimized or customized with no boundaries. 

3. Device Compatibility Issues VS Responsive Layout Guarantee

There is no surety of ready-made template websites that these kinds of websites would work across all devices and browsers. On the other hand, custom websites guarantee a responsive layout across all screen sizes.

4. Limited Technological Integration VS Open Customization

Ready-made template websites run on a structured system, and it doesn't allow the installation of custom technologies. On the other hand, customized websites can be customized at any stage.

5. Rapid Deployment VS Time-Intensive Customization

There is a huge time difference when it comes to developing a ready-made template website and a customized website. A ready-made template website requires only a short time to develop, but customized web development takes time to be customized according to your business needs.

6. Generic Functionalities VS Competitive Edge

Ready-made template websites have standard functionalities, so it won't be helpful for your business to stand out. On the other hand, customized websites are search engine friendly and can help your business stay on top of search engine rankings.

7. Scalability Limitations VS Growth-Oriented Design

Ready-made template websites are not flexible enough and extendable with the growth of your business. But, customized websites can extend with the development of your business growth. Custom websites can be customized for future needs, like adding product groups and creating new services.

Now, you might have noticed why we should choose customized websites over ready-made template websites. A customized website can help you keep things well-organized and updated. Although it takes more time to develop as compared to ready-made templates, it can provide an excellent user experience in the long run.

What are the benefits of Custom Web Development?

Brand Identity

With a custom website, you can build a unique website targeting your desired audience. In addition, the website built according to your business requirements can match your brand. If you create a ready-made website, it will look the same as other websites in your niche. As a result, it would take a lot of work for your website to stand out. And that's what you can avoid by developing a customized website.

Excellent User Experience

User experience plays an important role when it comes to user engagement on your website. A custom website is created with your ideal customers in mind. Therefore, a custom website can ensure an excellent user experience by fast loading speed and responsive layout across different devices.

Search Engine Optimization

A website that is built with ready-made templates may need a better SEO, and as a result, it may not work according to your expectations. But when it comes to customized websites, you've created them from scratch, and you would have an idea from the start about your requirements. Therefore, your web developer can help you create a website while keeping all the SEO metrics in mind.

A Great Option For Complex Websites

Let's say you have created a website using WordPress where a simple template is installed. There would be little customization, and your website would be ready to go online. But, once you install other functionalities and plugins, your website becomes slower. Customized websites are efficient while maintaining their functionalities. 

Faster Loading Times

Your website's loading time is of significant value when it comes to determining its overall success. The amount of time your website takes to load frequently determines whether or not a user will convert into a paying client. It is important to note that a web page loading time must be at least three seconds.

However, custom websites have solved this problem by giving users fast web-loading experiences. Custom websites are developed using specific programming languages that help the website load faster and ensure better responsive UI and UX design services.

In conclusion, a custom website is a worthy investment for any business to thrive in the long run. It doesn't only give you enhanced functionality but a unique brand identity and excellent user experience. However, it's important to know that developing a custom website can be challenging as it requires strategy, research, front-end and back-end development, support maintenance and testing. It may be costly, but as we mentioned earlier, it's a worthy investment!

Need a custom website? Feel free to reach out and let Digi Inn's custom web development team back your ideas and turn them into reality. Contact us today and schedule a free consultation to discuss your project and learn more about our services.

knocked out power in Quebec and another disruptive activity of the Carrington Event (1859) that we've mentioned earlier in this article.

 

However, NASA is actively working on technology in order to predict such activities. They launched the Parker Space Probe to gather information on solar conditions in 2018. In addition, NASA scientists and some government agencies have been using Artificial intelligence to bring about further advancement in technology that could predict geomagnetic disturbance a half hour before taking place. Such duration could be enough to secure sensitive systems.