When starting your journey with Django, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with its structure and conventions. One of the 10 essential Django tips for beginners is to embrace the Django philosophy of 'Don't Repeat Yourself' (DRY). This principle encourages you to write reusable code, which can significantly speed up development. Additionally, leverage the built-in querysets to interact with your database efficiently and effectively without writing raw SQL queries, thereby reducing the potential for errors.

Another crucial tip is to utilize the powerful admin panel that Django provides out of the box. To get started, make sure to register your models by following the documentation here. Customizing the admin interface can greatly enhance your productivity, making it easier to manage the content of your application. Finally, testing your Django applications thoroughly is essential; utilizing the testing framework that Django offers can save you time in the long run by catching bugs early in your development process.

Building a web application with Django can be an exciting journey, especially for developers looking to leverage the power of Python. To get started, first, ensure you have Python and Django installed on your machine. You can check the official Django installation guide for the appropriate version. Once installed, you can create a new project by running the command django-admin startproject projectname. This will set up the initial structure of your web application, allowing you to dive into building your models and views.

Next, it's essential to understand the core components of your Django application. Follow these key steps to build your web app effectively:

1. Define your models: Models are the backbone of your application representing your database structure. Use Django's ORM to create these models.
2. Create views: Views control the logic of your application and define what users see.
3. Set up URLs: Map your views to URLs using Django's URL dispatcher.
4. Create templates: Use Django's templating system to design the user interface.

For a more comprehensive understanding, refer to the official Django tutorial, which provides detailed guidance on building your first web application.

Django stands out as a robust framework for web development due to its ease of use, scalability, and security features. As a high-level Python framework, it encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. One of the key advantages of Django is its batteries-included philosophy, which means it comes with numerous built-in features such as an ORM, authentication, and admin interface, allowing developers to focus more on writing the unique aspects of their applications rather than reinventing the wheel.

Additionally, the security features embedded in Django help developers create secure web applications effortlessly. The framework provides protection against many common web vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and clickjacking right out of the box. Due to these comprehensive security measures and its active community, which continuously works on updates, Django is considered a reliable choice for businesses looking to build robust and secure applications.