The post explains what type of apps are best launched on Ruby on Rails.
As a savvy traveler, you love the way Airbnb connects you with renters. As a movie lover, you track Hulu for a new TV show. And as an active Internet user, you’ve happened to browse through Slideshare. These are just some examples of apps built on Ruby on Rails. Apps that have started as MVPs and paved their way towards millions of users are becoming the brand names worth millions of dollars.
Now, as a business owner, you think of launching your own “next big thing”. Like others, you need to roll out a working solution quickly and gain the first audience. You need a technology that will allow to scale it in the future. And you’ve probably heard of Ruby on Rails advantages when considering the technology to implement it. Are you wondering if Ruby on Rails is the best choice for your solution? Here we are listing what types of apps are best launched on Ruby on Rails.
Websites
If you plan to launch a site that has a complex structure or is expected to handle a copious number of visitors and you plan to extend its functionality in future, Ruby on Rails is your best choice. Lots of startup owners favor Ruby on Rails for its fast development. And you needn’t worry about the load – Groupon, YellowPages, Twitter, etc. have proved to work fine.
Whatever functionality you need, Ruby on Rails has lots of ready-made modules.
There are also solutions for forums that can perfectly fit into existing projects on Rails, for example, Forem.
For simple sites there are Refinery, Zena, BrowserCMS, SkylineCMS, LocomotiveCMS, etc.
For e-commerce sites there are Synergy, RoR eCommerce and others.
MVP
Users are fastidious. If they find a similar service that offers functionality that you lack, chances to lose them are 9/10. Therefore, for startups, it is important to not only enter the market quickly but also to be able to update and integrate new functionality regularly.
Luckily, the Ruby on Rails allows to develop new features and integrate them seamlessly into working solutions without any troubles for users. You can enhance your solution and get feedback from real users. You can steadily and most importantly safely grow your MVP into a mature and fully functional product.
And the code conventions on Rails allow you to write an understandable program code, which can then be modified without any problems. The compliance with these conventions makes the program code easy to understand and work with even for other Ruby specialists.
The absence of a link to the original developer is a very important component of the project, developed by the Customer by the forces of the external company, and not by own forces.
Social network
If your solution is envisioned as a social network or collaboration platform, most likely you need quite a specific functionality in place. You need users to be able to register, communicate and collaborate. Your platform has clear roles and user rights e.g. a member, administrator, moderator, visitor, etc. You look to have a convenient management and data processing functionality.
In terms of technology, Rails doesn’t limit you to think of any social networking functionality and implement it. Ruby on Rails philosophy “convention over configuration” implies supplying many ready-made modules and configurations come out of the box including membership and social networking options. A developer doesn’t have to waste time on coding everything from scratch. Rather he adjusts the configurations to particular needs spending fewer efforts and time.
As an example of successful Ruby on Rails projects that feature social network functionality, you can check We Heart It, Couchsurfing, Yammer.
E-commerce platform
Are you thinking of launching an e-commerce platform? Wondering if Ruby on Rails will be able to provide fast and smooth performance even at the high loads? Fear not. Many e-commerce platforms opt for Rails due to its user-friendly approach to site development and further support.
You can implement features typical for high-end e-commerce suites, such as bulk uploads and updates (for product descriptions and photos, if there are thousands of products), custom pricing algorithms, and on-the-fly photo resizing/cropping (especially handy for making product thumbnails for browse pages).
Among the top e-commerce Ruby on Rails projects are Shopify, Spree.
SAAS
Ruby on Rails is a convenient framework to build all kind of SaaS products. It addresses the most common and difficult infrastructure issues that you may face when building a SaaS product or web app. With Ruby on Rails, you focus on building a useful application that has a clear logic and structure. And you can continue to extend it in the long run without compromising its lightweight.
Besides, Rails has been around for about 10 years. It has evolved into a mature product and is capable to provide the stability which most business owners seek in a technology collaboration platform.
Among the most popular SaaS products built on Ruby on Rails, there are Basecamp, Zendesk, UserVoice, and GitHub.
Summing up
The web development market has significantly grown. So has the competition. Rails allow web development companies to deliver a solution faster while saving man-hours and significantly reducing the cost.
Thanks to this, experienced RoR developers can reduce the price without compromising the quality of work. The Rails framework combines all the features, ideas and design patterns that allow startups to develop and launch products much easier and faster.
Do you need help implementing your solution? Get in touch.
