Do you have a content-rich WordPress website that you believe will help boost your business profits? Developing a feature and content-rich website is definitely the first step, but you cannot increase your conversions if you have not maximized the engagement on your website.
You need to continually work on expanding and improving user engagement so that the readers convert into customers.
You need to continually work on expanding and improving user engagement so that the readers convert into customers.
WordPress plugin development service makes life easier for you. You can choose from a variety of plugins, add it to the website, and optimize it for engagement. The idea is to improve user experience, make it more relevant for your target audience, and make them want to spend more time on your website.
Who doesn’t like a good discussion? If you give your readers an excellent platform to discuss, you are likely to increase your engagement. Disqus helps you give your comments section a stylish layout. You can use your social login to signup with this plugin, and post your comments on the post. Voting or adding comments to a particular thread is possible with this plugin. With easy coding options and multilingual options, this plugin is a must-have for your website.
You need a plugin that not only supports social media but also incorporates all the regular social media updates and trends. With super socializer, you don’t need the other individual social media plugins, as all the functionality is bundled into this one plugin. This plugin offers a range of features that include social sharing, share counters, social login etc. You can even customize the tool to meet your requirements
For a content-rich website like yours, it simply means you can target your posts to a certain audience located in certain parts of the world. This is particularly useful to the travel and news websites as well as the marketing agencies who want to market their products to a particular region. You can even use this plugin to automatically redirect the website to the preferred language, in case of multilingual websites.
4. Ninja Forms
Contact forms are a great way to understand the user’s preferences and know what they are looking for from your website. You can use Ninja forms to customize the contact form to match your needs. being an easy drag-n-drop tool, it will help you with data collection as well as with growing your email list.
5. BuzzStream
Influencer marketing is the way to build your social media audience and increase conversions for your brand. Add Buzzstream to your website, and know the influencers in your niche, and start building relationships with them for better outreach. This plugin allows your team to collaborate over outreach by giving them a single database to work on. You can easily organize the projects and manage content using earned media for better engagement and conversions.
Forums are a great way to increase engagement, and what better way to integrate forums than activating BBPress, the plugin that benchmarks forums for your website. Easy-to-customize offers impressive management tools and supports Akismet, the plugin that keeps the spammers at bay, the BBPress plugin is lightweight, stylish and pretty too. Start meaningful conversations with this plugin!
Engagement is directly proportional to the time people spend on your website, and you need to make them spend as much time as possible on the site. That’s why you need Yoast SEO premium. It helps with internal linking and suggests ways in which you can keep the user looped into your website. With the crosslinking process automated for your website, you will see more engagement as a result.
The performance of your website needs to be considered to increase the engagement on your website WordPress AMP plugin will help improve the website’s performance and user experience along with mobile devices, thus increasing the amount of time the user spends on your website. The reason being, the users can easily navigate through the pages, read the articles on mobile, and not wait for a particular page to load.
Have you ever entered a website to read one particular content, and then stayed there for a long while then you had planned because you saw other interesting pieces of content? Bibblio is the plugin that will help you engage your audience by showing them relevant content. You can keep showing them relevant articles that will keep them interested in your website.
You need to create subscribers off the visitors, who have chanced upon your website. OptinMonster is the plugin for you. You can use the geo-targeting method or, simple pop-up techniques to get people to opt for your emails or newsletters. The opt-in marketing tactics introduced with this plugin are hassle-free, easy to incorporate and does not bother the visitor’s user experience.
If you believe that the people visiting your blog to comment are interested in a particular type of post, then you can get them to subscribe to a particular post. Each time the post is updated with a comment, or there are relevant posts on the subject, then the subscriber will be notified about it. This will increase engagement and improve conversations on your website.
Get your visitors to not only opt-in for your emails, but also the desktop notifications. So, every time you post new content, they will receive a notification from you. this way they can stay connected with your website, and you can keep them engaged.
13. Contest Hopper
Another great way to engage the users is by running contests on your website. Everyone loves a good contest. Contest Hopper allows you to add and customize the contest forms to your WordPress site. You can add the contest rules, the timeframe and other details that you want your audience to know of, to this form. Sharing the contest is also made easy with this plugin.
14. MailChimp
Marketing your content to the subscribers and letting them know what’s new on your website is another way of increasing engagement. MailChimp plugin makes it easier for you to create targeted email campaigns, automate the follow-up to your campaigns, and refine your products based on your customer’s preferences and interests.
15. Yet Another Stars Rating
Trust is a strong factor, one that ensures a good amount of engagement on your website. If influencers or the online community commend your work, then people will visit your website and stay there for a long while. You can build trust within the online community by adding the “Yet Another Stars Rating” plugin to your website. The readers can share their ratings and review, which will help visitors engage with your posts.
Summing up
If you have a content-rich website, you need to engage the visitors using all aspects such as social sharing, discussions, contests, subscriptions etc. Using the right mix of plugins will help give out an enriching experience that will help the users engage the right way, and increase website conversions for you. Create your plugin with WordPress plugin development service, in case you don’t want to use any of the off-the-shelf plugins.
Grasping information from a CSV or a JSON file isn’t only complicated, but is also tedious. Representing the same data in the form of visual aid is simpler. In this article, we’re going to represent the locations of the non-medical fire incidents to which the SF Fire Department responded on a map.
For this tutorial, we will be utilizing the following tools:
At about 27k stars, Leaflet.js is one of the leading open-source JavaScript libraries for mobile-friendly interactive maps. It takes advantage of HTML5 and CSS3 on modern browsers while being accessible on older ones too. All in all, it supports all the primary desktop and mobile platforms.
Leaflet weighs about 38KB and works perfectly for basic things. For additional extensions, it can be extended with a vast amount of plugins.
A lot of newspapers, including NPR, Washington Post, Boston Globe, among others, and other organizations use Leaflet for their in-depth data projects.
The San Francisco Chronicle, for example, did a project called the California Fire tracker — an interactive map that provides information on wildfires burning across California, using Leaflet. Not only did they pinpoint the origin of the fire, but they also showed us the trajectory of it.
Since this is an introductory tutorial, we will only be marking the locations of the fire incidents and display some details about it.
Before jumping into React, let’s understand the basics of Leaflet. For this, we will create a simple example where we will be setting up a Leaflet map, working with markers, and popups.
First, let’s create index.html and app.js files in our /project folder and link the latter to our index.html file.
To start using Leaflet, we need to link Leaflet CSS and Leaflet JS in our head tags. One thing to keep in mind is that Leaflet CSS comes before Leaflet JS. That’s it for Leaflet.
There’s one more thing we need to add to our index.html file — a container that will hold our map.
<div id="mapid"></div>
Before we forget, let’s give height to our div.
#mapid { height: 1000px; }
Now comes the fun part. Whether you decide to create a new JavaScript file or continue in script tags, make sure
is added to the dom before calling L.map('mapid').
You’re probably asking “But, why?” Well, it’s because it will give you an error if you bind the map to a container that doesn’t exist just yet.
Uncaught Error: Map container not found
Creating A Map
Now, onto the fun part. To initialize the map, we pass in our div to L.map() with some options.
Let’s go step by step to understand what just happened. We use Map class of Leaflet API to create a map on the page. We pass in two parameters to this class:
We passed in a string variable representing the DOM ID
An optional object literal with map options
There are many options we could pass to our class, but the main two options are the center and zoom. The center defines an initial geographic center of the map while zoom specifies an initial map zoom level. They both are undefined by default.
For the center, we passed in San Francisco’s coordinates. There are a lot of places where we can perform forward and reverse geocoding, but for basic search such as this, we can google it.
Usually, the value for zoom will depend on what you want to display. Do you want to show a city or a state? Country or a continent? Go ahead and play around with the zoom value to get a better idea. For this example, we chose 13 because it shows the entire city.
Another way of initializing the map is by using setView(). It takes the in an array of coordinates and an integer for the zoom level.
By default, all mouse and touch interactions on the map are enabled, and it has zoom and attribution controls.
Creating A Layer
Next, we’ll add a tile layer to our map; in our case, it’s a Mapbox Streets tile layer. We can append various types of tile layers by instantiating the TileLayer class.
To create a tile layer, we need to set the URL template for the tile image, the attribution text, and the maximum zoom level of the layer. The URL template is what gives us access to the desired tile layer from the service provider. Since we are using Mapbox’s Static Tiles API, we will need to request an access token.
At this point, if we open our index.html in a browser, we should be able to see a map of San Francisco. Let’s drop a pin on the map.
Markers And Circles
We’ve got the map and the layer, but it doesn’t point us to anything specific. To point to a particular location on the map, Leaflet provides us with markers.
To pin a location, we instantiate the marker using the Marker class, pass in the coordinates, and add it to the map. Here we are using the coordinates of Twin Peaks in the city.
Similarly, we can bind a circle to the map using a Circle class. We pass in a few optional options, such as radius, color, and so on. For the circle marker, we are passing in the coordinates of Point Bonita Lighthouse.
This is all great, but what if we want to pass in some more information about the location. We do this using popup.
circle.bindPopup("I am pointing to Point Bonita Lighthouse");
marker.bindPopup("I am pointing to Twin Peaks");
The bindPopup method takes in a specified HTML content and appends it to the marker, so the popup appears when you click on the marker.
React-Leaflet
Now we know how to create a map, and add markers using Leaflet and vanilla JavaScript. Let’s see how we can achieve the same results with React. We aren’t going to make the same application but instead make an advanced application.
The first task for us is to get an access token from the San Francisco Open Data portal. It’s an online portal where we can find hundreds of datasets from the City and County of San Francisco. I decided to use this resource, but there are plenty of other resources out there that we can use instead.
Access API Key
Make an account and sign-in to the portal.
Click on the manage link towards the bottom-right.
Click on Create New API Key and give it a name.
Copy your Key ID and Key Secret. You’d need this to access the data.
For this, we will use React-Leaflet – react components for Leaflet maps. Let’s create a react app.
npx create-react-app react-fire-incidents
cd react-fire-incidents
Then let’s install react-leaflet, and Leaflet by running the following command in our terminal:
npm install react-leaflet leaflet
App.js
Let’s create a folder /components inside src. Inside components, let’s create a file named Map.js. This is where our Map will live. Now let’s edit App.js by removing unnecessary code and importing modules from react-leaflet axios and the newly created Map.js.
import React, { Component, Fragment } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
import Map from './components/Map'
In our App class, we are going to define an array in our state called incidents — when the page loads, we will push our data into this array.
Next, we will make a GET request when the component mounts. We have the app token, but we still need an endpoint. Where do we find the endpoint?
Let’s head over to the portal and click on Browse Data. In the search bar, let’s search for fire incidents. The first result that shows up is what we are looking for. Once we click on the link, we can get the URL by clicking the API button on the top-right.
We will pass in the endpoint to our GET request, and pass in a limit and our app token as parameters. The original data has thousands of records, but for the sake of keeping things simple, we have limited it to 500. We update our incidents array with our results.
Since we already know how to create a Leaflet map, this part will be relatively easy. We will import Map, TileLayer, Marker, Popup components from react-leaflet.
import React, { Component } from 'react'
import { Map, TileLayer, Marker, Popup } from 'react-leaflet'
If we remember from the previous example, we need coordinates and a zoom level for initializing the map. In our Map class, we define them in our state using lat, lng and zoom variables.
Then we will check whether our array of incidents is empty. If it’s empty, we will return a message saying “Data is Loading”; otherwise, we will return a map.
In our react-leaflet‘s Map component, we will pass center coordinates and a zoom level along with some styling. In our TileLayer component, we will pass attribution and URL similar to our previous example.
Next, we loop over our props.incident and pass in the coordinates of every incident to the Marker component. Since React warns us to pass a key to every item in an array, we will pass in a key to Marker as well.
Inside the Marker component, we pass in a Popup component. I’ve added some information about the incident inside the popup.
And this is it. If we run our app, and if everything went fine, we should be able to see a map of San Francisco with 500 markers pointing us to the locations of the fire-incidents. If we click on one of those markers, a popup will appear with more information about the incident.
Wrapping Up
Even though we covered a lot, this was just the basics. Leaflet is a very powerful tool, and we can create a lot of different kinds of maps. If you want to play around, try adding another layer or a custom icon. Or maybe you would like to create an interactive Choropleth Map.
Sadly, some clients can be just as sensitive, and triggered as online trolls; You recommend an update to a logo they designed themselves (even though you didn’t know that at the time); You disagree with their suggestion that paying for backlinks is a legit marketing strategy; You ask them to clarify what “I don’t like it” means in response to the mockups you delivered.
Before you know it, they’re providing irrelevant feedback, slinging insults at you, or poo-pooing every action you take. It’s not really professional or fair, but it is what it is, and now you’re left having to deal with it.
I recently had someone respond to an article I wrote, calling the design concept I was proposing “evil” and “s***”. It’s not like that hasn’t happened before. I’ve had my content written off as “stupid”, “pointless”, and once had someone feel the need to tell me they wouldn’t read an article I wrote because dating apps (the subject of the piece) only cater to “the attractive 1% of the population”. It’s not just trolls that will direct illogical and unfair criticisms at creatives either. I managed web design and marketing projects for years, and encountered a number of clients who were more than happy to personally attack our team, or voice unhelpful feedback when they weren’t satisfied.
So, today, I want to look at how web designers, and creatives in general, can more effectively handle unfair or unhelpful criticism of their work. Wherever your unfair or negative criticisms come from, keep the following in mind before you respond to any of them:
1. Understand Where the Negativity Comes From
Let’s be honest: People are super sensitive these days and it’s very easy to “trigger” highly emotional and volatile responses.
Social media is partially to blame for this as it makes it easy for people to hide behind their screens and avatars as they spew hate speech, abusive comments, and generally try to stir up trouble.
You also have to consider the state of the world — on a global scale as well as the personal worlds we build for ourselves. I think it’s a lot easier for some people to nitpick about something trite or something that goes against their personal beliefs than it is to deal with real problems in the world.
This doesn’t justify or excuse any unfair comments made of your work. But it helps to understand where the underlying anger, jealousy, or nastiness is coming from.
2. Remove Yourself from the Criticism
When people make comments about you or your work that’s irrelevant, illogical, or mean-spirited, it’s a tricky situation to be in. The same thing goes for clients who give vague, unhelpful, or hurtful feedback like “I could’ve done that myself” or “You don’t get it”.
Unfortunately, the response you have to these kinds of unfair criticisms could end up hurting you in the long run if you:
Get defensive and fight back, potentially compromising positive relationships you worked hard to build;
Take it personally and let it feed into insecurities you’ve tried to tuck away “Why should anyone pay me to build their website?”;
Become fearful of taking risks and pushing boundaries and, thus, become stifled creatively.
Instead of letting your emotions run amok, you need to remove the “you” from the criticism. This goes for any kind of feedback you receive.
You are not the one under the microscope here; it’s your work that’s under scrutiny. If you can take yourself out of the equation, then the response you give becomes less about defending your personal integrity, skills, etc., which makes you more likely to respond calmly and professionally.
3. Choose the Best Response for the Situation
Whether a comment has come from a troll or a bad client, you need to quickly work through your options.
Here’s what you can do to determine the best response:
Is the Argument Clear?
For now, don’t focus on the validity of the argument. You just need to establish if the commenter is thinking clearly or being driven solely by raw emotion.
If the argument is something like “This is stupid” or “This isn’t good”, you know it’s going to be like pulling teeth to get a clear explanation of the grievance. The comment is vague and hurtful for a reason.
If it comes from a troll, it’s probably not worth responding to. They’re just looking for a fight. If it comes from a client, you will need to respond. The best thing to do is to ask, “Why?” Again, you don’t want to get personal. Just focus on getting them to give you specific details or examples of what isn’t good and what they actually want.
Is the Feedback Relevant?
Nothing is more frustrating than putting something out there, only to receive feedback on something else entirely… or something that doesn’t matter.
I recently wrote an article on a controversial subject, so I expected a lot of heated debate around it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. What I hadn’t expected, though, was that someone would try to reduce everything I’d written to a spelling error in the piece.
Now, spelling and grammatical errors happen. When someone is nice enough to call them to my attention, I make sure they’re fixed right away. However, this person wasn’t looking for that. The comment was phrased so as to make my argument seem invalid because of one typo.
This is the kind of commenter that doesn’t want you to say, “Hey, thanks for pointing that out! We fixed the error.” They want you to open up the conversation and give them the floor to point out more issues with what you’ve done.
When you receive this kind of feedback or comment — one made for the sake of meanness or to demonstrate dominance over you — it’s probably best to leave it be. They just want to nitpick for nitpicking’s sake.
Is it Worth Debating?
Let’s say that you’ve received a comment that you don’t agree with, but is valid enough in its own right. Is it worth responding to?
If it sounds as though they genuinely want to have a conversation or healthy debate, then yes, it’s worth responding. That’s part of the reason why art is created: to get people thinking and talking.
Just remember to check yourself before you respond. This isn’t about you. You can certainly disagree with what they have to say and you can bring data to back up your argument, but you don’t need to be defensive.
Here’s what I always remind myself before I engage with someone who has a counter-argument for something I created:
There’s a lot to learn when you step outside the bubble of your work and look at it from someone else’s perspective.
I actually find that responding to feedback and comments makes me better at my job and I think this is something that would be especially helpful for web designers. Why? For starters, it helps me figure out what people like and dislike (especially as the market changes). I also enjoy getting to learn more about other people’s perspectives as it almost always inspires future work of mine.
Wrap-Up
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and to take risks in your work. I know it’s hard when one voice comes through so clearly, casting doubt on your body of work or your talent overall. But that’s just one person who’s made up their mind to be mean-spirited or unfair.
If you’re ever feeling down about something someone said and you can’t shake the comment, take a step back and look over the good feedback you’ve received. These are the people who appreciate what you do. And even when the feedback isn’t always positive, they’re the ones who’ve chosen to share feedback that’s productive because they want to help you become better at your job.
These are the people worth listening and responding to.
If you have a limited-width container, say a centered column of text, “breaking out” of that to make a full-width element involves trickery. Perhaps the best trick is the one with left relative positioning and a negative left viewport-based margin. While it has it’s caveats (e.g. requiring hidden overflow on the body, the container needs to be centered, etc.), at least it’s easy to pull off and everything else in the container just happily goes about its business.
There have been quite a few posts about another way to do this, involving CSS grid:
The one thing that all these have in common is that they presuppose you have an edge-to-edge grid. I kept thinking to myself, “Do people really use CSS grid for their entire page layout?” Like, essentially body { display: grid; }¹? The articles themselves tend to use a class name, but the assumption is that that parent is a full-browser-width container.
I asked around a little, and there was some murmurs of, “yes, I totally do that.” So, cool, it’s a thing people do. My first thought was that that seems like a pain in the butt for a few of reasons:
A typical “header” and “footer” are full-width, so having to explicitly place them on the grid and stretch them over the correct number of columns and keep that up to date as you fiddle with the columns seems like a lot of work compared to having the header just be a block-level sitting at the top (or bottom) of the site. You can still have an edge-to-edge grid in the middle, and have block-level elements above and below.
Having to explicitly place all the items in an “article” into a middle column (e.g. article > * { grid-columns: 2 / 3; } just so you can occasionally “stretch” something by spanning more columns just feels weird to me. Like, if 95% of content lives in a centered column, something feels both more robust and relaxed about just putting that content into a parent element that handles the layout, rather than having each individual element needing to place itself onto the grid and the end result is that it appears as if it’s all in a shared parent.
I’m not hating on the technique necessarily, just noting that it makes me feel weird somehow. But I’m probably just old.
I’d advise never using display: grid; directly on the body element. One common problem: browser extensions might place things into the DOM within the body, which would then be placed onto your grid and could screw up your layout. Seen it happen. I’d say it’s just like the React best practice not to bind the whole body, but to use a div child that is effectively the same thing anyway, just scoped to a selector.
Mike Solomon worked on a fancy scrollytelling post for Esquire and blogged about it. It has GIFs of each step along the way of figuring out not just position: sticky; but also using negative margins, wrapper divs, backgrounds, and even a smidge of JavaScript measuring to get it all right.
What it doesn’t have is any isolated demo of the effect. I figured I’d give a crack at reverse engineering it.
Here’s mine, which I’ll call “Sticky Figcaption with Protruding Figure”:
CodePen Embed Fallback
That demo is full of magic numbers to make the exit do the “tuck behind” effect. If that’s not important, this version is much cleaner.
Probably not quiteas Mike had it, but I’m not privy to the exact details he was going for in the blog post. His final GIF is:
Here’s a quick video I’ll shoot from the article itself in case that inspires you to figure out a different approach:
Erp! I actually spoke with Mike about all this, and he says that the main takeaway from all this (which flew right over my head — sorry Mike!) is that “sticky isn’t just for the top of the screen.” Notice in the final product how the sticky element becomes sticky long before it becomes the element at the top of the screen. It’s more like the middle of the screen. That’s what the top value is for with position: sticky; but, in this demo where the goal is to have it slide in and out of an image, it gets tricky.
For the last six years, Vue, Angular, and React have run the world of front-end component frameworks. Google and Facebook have their own sponsored frameworks, but they might leave a bitter taste for anyone who advocates for an open and unbiased web. Vue is another popular framework that has multiple sponsors, but isn’t run by a single corporation, which may be attractive to some folks.
There’s another player in the framework space that’s gaining attention and operates very much in the same spirit as Vue as far adopting an open MIT license: Svelte.
Svelte has been covered here on CSS-Tricks before, like Ollie Williams’ excellent overview of how it can be used to write more convenient, component-based CSS. This article is going to zoom out a bit and provide a little more context about Svelt, as well as how it differentiates itself from other frameworks, and how to implement it in your own projects.
What makes Svelte different?
I can confidently say that Svelte has been the easiest JavaScript component library to learn and start putting to use in a productive way.
OK, so Svelte is a JavaScript component library. But so is React. And Angular. And Vue. What makes Svelte stand out from the bunch?
Svelte is trying to do a few things that are different from the rest:
All the code is compiled ahead of time.
There is no virtual DOM.
CSS scoping is baked in.
Let’s break those down a bit because they significantly distinguish Svelte from other front-end frameworks.
All the code is compiled ahead of time.
Svelte is a compiler, meaning that the code in Svelte files gets converted from an easier-to-write hybrid language that mixes HTML, JavaScript, and CSS into lower-level optimized JavaScript, HTML, and CSS files.
This is very similar to the way C# gets compiled down to bytecode, or how Typescript compiles down to JavaScript. But where traditional compilers tend to go down to one language, Svelte mixes all three.
This makes writing code a lot more flexible, and benefits the client (web browser) as the computation is done when the application is built, not on every browser when the web app is visited.
There is no Virtual DOM.
A DOM (or Document Object Model) is an interface that defines the logical structure of a webpage. It takes HTML and converts it to a structure that can be manipulated and accessed. Chris has a classic post that thoroughly explains it.
The Virtual DOM extends the concept of a DOM by creating a “second” DOM in memory. Like the DOM, this is manipulated and accessed by traditional frameworks (e.g. Angular, Vue, and React). At build, this second “virtual” DOM gets consolidated with the actual DOM, allowing the UI to render.
And what about the Shadow DOM? Well, the Shadow DOM is technically part of the “real” DOM, just in the shadows. As such it is a great tool for isolating chunks of code that don’t leak into or conflict with other elements on the page — a little bit like (but at the same time almost nothing like) an iframe. The shadow DOM is sorta the crux for most component-based front-end frameworks because they leverage the siloed nature of the Shadow DOM to serve specific code to specific elements.
While that isn’t exactly a key selling point of Svelte, it is possible to work with the Shadow DOM experimentally. The Shadow DOM hasn’t really quite caught on in progressive web practices, which is a shame, and probably due to the confusion between drafts and lack of support from IE and Edge.
So, where am I going with all this? The difference between Svelte and other JavaScript frameworks is the lack of a Virtual DOM. That’s important because it contributes to faster apps — faster than frameworks using a Virtual DOM. Yes, the Virtual DOM can be super fast because it only updates parts of the DOM when needed, but as applications grow, the impact of a duplicate DOM stored in memory can have an overall negative impact on performance.
Svelte takes a different approach and does a lot of these heavy calculations at build time. All that heavy lifting in advance, which allows Svelte to surgically insert changes only where needed.
CSS scoping is baked in.
Svelte has built-in styling, which is essential in other modern frameworks. The different between CSS in Svelte and CSS in other frameworks is that Svelte takes the CSS from each component and spits it out to a separate CSS file on build.
A personal gripe I have with most CSS-in-JS approaches is that it seems like an over-engineered solution. Svelte’s approach keeps things lean, vanilla, and encapsulated — while keeping everything where it should be.
For those who love preprocessors, there are plugins, whether it for Sass, Less or Gulp. But since Svelte is still in its infancy, I would recommend using plain ol’ CSS with a minified CSS framework of your choice so you can utilize Svelte’s handy dandy component scoping.
You could just as easily keep to your usual styling preferences and completely forgo Svelte’s CSS builder. However, I’d argue that is a massive shame, as Svelte’s solution has been extremely clean and enjoyable, at lease in my experience. But anyone who has to work with IE11 (?) and even older browsers will know that normalizing styles is a must. This is a good place to stop and check out Ollie’s post because he dives much deeper into Svelte’s styling features and advantages.
How Svelte stacks up to other frameworks
We just looked at what how Svelte has a different approach for compiling, interacting with DOM and writing CSS. You might be wondering: how does Svelte compare to other popular frameworks?
There are plenty of comparisons already out there, but suffice to say that Svelte is pretty darn fast. But speed isn’t the only basis for comparison. Instead, let’s do a side-by-side that looks at a broader overview in a format much loved by the development community: a table!
Svelte is in a strong position considering its late entrance and small community. Developer satisfaction is high, while the big three have been seeing recent declines. The Svelte community is small, but growing, and the code is open source which is a huge plus for the overall web community.
Let’s look at an example of using Svelte
I hope that I have convinced you that Svelte is worth at least a try. If so, let’s fire up the terminal and try a real-world examples of an everyday use case: implementing the Intersection Observer. If you’ve ever run a Lighthouse report, it may have been shouted at you for not using passive scroll events. That may be the most boring sentence I have written in my life, but it’s scores points for performance and isn’t overly complicated to do with the Intersection Observer in Svelte.
Let’s skip all the installation and setup stuff because we can avoid it with REPL, the online editor Svelte uses to demonstrate the framework on its site. The standard “Hello world” boilerplate is in there. Go ahead and download the ZIP file of the app, in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Now, unzip the file and cd into the folder from the terminal and run npm -i to initialize the project. Once that’s done, do npm run build and you’ll get a copy of your lightweight miniature Svelte “Hello, world!” app.
Now we can get into the actual task of adding the IntersectionObserver.
First, we import the code that has already kindly been written by the Svelte team. It’s in the source code of the svelte.dev git repo (the inner cogs of which make for fascinating reading).
<script>
import { onMount } from 'svelte';
export let once = false;
export let top = 0;
export let bottom = 0;
export let left = 0;
export let right = 0;
let intersecting = false;
let container;
onMount(() => {
if (typeof IntersectionObserver !== 'undefined') {
const rootMargin = `${bottom}px ${left}px ${top}px ${right}px`;
const observer = new IntersectionObserver(entries => {
intersecting = entries[0].isIntersecting;
if (intersecting && once) {
observer.unobserve(container);
}
}, {
rootMargin
});
observer.observe(container);
return () => observer.unobserve(container);
}
function handler() {
const bcr = container.getBoundingClientRect();
intersecting = (
(bcr.bottom + bottom) > 0 &&
(bcr.right + right) > 0 &&
(bcr.top - top) < window.innerHeight &&
(bcr.left - left) < window.innerWidth
);
if (intersecting && once) {
window.removeEventListener('scroll', handler);
}
}
window.addEventListener('scroll', handler);
return () => window.removeEventListener('scroll', handler);
});
</script>
<style>
div {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
</style>
<div bind:this={container}>
<slot {intersecting}></slot>
</div>
Stick this in a file called IntersectionObserver.svelte in a src/components folder. Then, reference it from the main Svelte file: App.svelte.
import IntersectionObserver from "../components/IntersectionObserver.svelte";
Now that we have the Intersection Observer available as a component, we can wrap other elements with it.
<IntersectionObserver let:intersecting top={400}>
{#if intersecting}
<section>
This message will Show if it is intersecting
</section>
{:else}
<section>
This message won't Show if it is intersecting
</section>
{/if}
</IntersectionObserver>
That’s really it! You can see how the Intersection Observer component allows us to use like a wrapper and define where the intersection should trigger, which is 400 pixels from the top in this example. As a reminder, this is all being exported as vanilla JavaScript! Super performant, no funny business. We’re sandwiching JavaScript and HTML together which is cool because we can see what the Intersection Observer is directly affecting, leaving no ambiguity and without being penalized for performance.
The OnMount function is necessary to tell Svelte that this code needs to run within the browser, as the Intersection Observer can’t be figured out ahead of time.
We’ll need to add some styling so that we can experience the observer in action, and we can do that directly in your App.svelte file. This might look super familiar if you have worked with any of the other front-end frameworks:
Finally, we can copy and paste our Intersection Observer element four times to create more intersections. That gives us a mini web app that reactively adds and removes content as it comes into view — perfect to use with media, like lazy-loading. Check out a demo of the final result and be sure to crack open DevTools to see the Intersection Observer
Some final thoughts
My personal recommendation is to give Svelte a try. We’ve only scratched the surface of the framework in this article, but having converted my personal website to Svelte, I can confidently say that it is a pleasure to work with. It is performant, has a brilliant VSCode linter, and best of all, is easy to use. It may be small and new on the block, but I have a keen feeling that it is the relief from bloated “Goliath” frameworks, the “David” that frontend-ers have been looking for.
So should you use Svelte in a real project? Comparing risk and reward definitely comes into play. The community is smaller than other frameworks, meaning you’re likely to find less support and fewer tutorials to guide your along. At the same time, Svelte is in its third generation, meaning most of the gremlins should have been driven away, leaving a lean and reliable framework.
As with anything new, common sense rules, try it out with something non-commercial, take it for a spin, and see how you go.
Is there anything else? Funny you should ask! There are two co-projects that live in the Svelte Ecosystem: Sapper and Native. Sapper is a framework that utilizes Svelte for building full web applications, including routing, service workers, and all the good stuff you need to get started. I have used it to rebuild my personal website, and so far, I am a fan. Svelte Native is the most experimental of the Svelte projects, a NativeScript mobile app builder that utilizes Svelte under the hood. I confess that is where my knowledge on the subject ends. Luckily, it has a website with further information.
What do you think? Have you given Svelte a try? Do you think it stacks up to other frameworks? Let’s discuss it in the comments!
Based on a mix of Github Contributions, NPM Downloads and StackOverflow topics
Here’s a great in-depth post from Adam Silver about his journey to create an autocomplete field that’s as accessible as possible. There are so many edge cases to consider! There are old browsers and their peculiar quirks, there are accessibility best practices for screen readers, and not to mention dealing with the component design when there’s no JavaScript, etc.
Adam offers a warning before he begins:
[…] I’ve been looking at ways to let users enter a destination country. Unfortunately, native HTML form controls just aren’t good enough for this type of interaction. And so we need to build a custom autocomplete control from scratch. A word of warning though: this is one of the hardest UI components I’ve ever had to make—they’re just way harder than they look.
I also just bought Adam’s book, Form Design Patterns, and this post now makes me extra excited to read it.
So you’re thinking about becoming a real estate agent? We get the excitement. Spending your time helping people find their dream homes can be rewarding. And getting the commissions that come with selling expensive properties, holding elaborate parties to drive sales, and playing a key part in developing neighborhoods all add to the allure.
But it isn’t all glamor and beautiful houses. Real estate agents have to do a lot of legwork to get to the more attractive parts of the job, and the work comes with its fair share of responsibilities, including
Handling sensitive personal and financing data
Brokering deals worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars
Negotiating zoning and financial services regulations to ensure compliance
Navigating complex negotiations between buyers and sellers
Analyzing local and regional housing markets to help individuals understand their investments
Engaging in marketing and promotional activities to create excitement around properties and your personal or agency brand
Real estate agents and brokers wear lots of hats, taking on responsibilities that require a rare blend of sales, marketing, relationship-building, financial management, investment, and process management skills. It takes a lot to be a good real estate agent, but the benefits are real.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the mean annual salary for real estate sales agents was $48,690 as of May 2018. Data from the same time period indicates that the mean annual wage for real estate brokers was $58,210.
Brokers tend to generate more income, as they are not only licensed to list and sell properties, but also to run their own agency, operating independently. Sales agents, on the other hand, are only authorized to sell properties and typically need to work under a broker or larger real estate agency.
On top of the solid pay, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that jobs are being created at a rate of 6 percent for brokers and agents, meaning demand for new workers in the sector is growing approximately as fast as the national average for all occupations.
And real estate agents aren’t just in demand and making decent salaries; they also don’t need a college degree. Anybody with a high school diploma or equivalent can pursue their real estate license.
This guide will detail the process of becoming a Realtor so you can get your career as an agent or broker up and running. We’ll discuss everything from the skills and responsibilities required for the job to the licensure process and what to expect from your examination.
It’s important to note a central theme emerging in the sector: digital technologies. Gathering and communicating information through digital channels is changing the real estate industry, and using these digital channels is increasingly necessary to keep up with customer demands. This is a key trend to keep in mind as you consider how to become a real estate agent.
What is a real estate agent?
In the simplest terms, real estate agents and brokers facilitate the buying and selling of homes. If you want to be a Realtor, that’s going to be the central part of your job. But there’s more to it, with a great deal of background work involved along the way.
What you’ll do on the job
Some of the specifics of real estate work will vary based on sector. If you want to sell commercial property, you’ll deal with regulations and sales processes that vary from those involved in working with residential properties. If you become a broker, you may have the opportunity to engage in property management.
While these points of distinction are important (we’ll address them in more detail later), most real estate professionals will share many core responsibilities.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides a solid rundown of primary duties associated with work in real estate, and most of the specific tasks fall into one of three categories:
1. Preparing and marketing properties for sale
Imagine you’re selling a home. What’s the best way to put the home in the best light while maximizing the return on investment?
Sometimes, that may be to make a few key repairs and stage the property. Staging is the process of decorating a home with rented furniture to showcase the potential lifestyle options the house could provide and help potential buyers picture themselves living there.
In other cases, you could find the house is in such a poor state of repair that the costs of renovation, refurbishment, and staging would be so expensive that it wouldn’t deliver value. In that instance, you’ll want to be prepared to highlight the investment opportunity, put attractive architecture details under a spotlight, and make the property stand out for any advantages it does offer.
You could also find that the homeowner needs to live in the home through the sales process, limiting your ability to stage the property, but turning you into an advisor for any work needed to make the home stand out on the market. For example, some low-cost landscaping that improves curb appeal can be a valuable option.
These are just some of the ways you can prepare a property for sale. The BLS also highlights key tasks, such as doing market research to help clients set the right price, promoting the property so home buyers are aware of its availability, and researching key details about the property’s location and unique features as part of this process.
Beyond all of this, you’ll need to think about hosting open houses, building relationships with prospective buyers, creating listings with third-party services, and similar key tasks.
2. Managing the sale
You’ve found a buyer for a home you’re listing. Now you get to be the person who walks your client through the negotiation process. You have to know the ins and outs of property inspections, closing the sale, escrow, and similar matters.
The BLS emphasizes the importance of effective mediation between parties and ensuring contract details are met.
3. Backend office work
Remember when we mentioned that this job isn’t all about the allure of beautiful houses and big sales? This is where the grit and grind come into play. According to the BLS, real estate pros spend time generating lists of properties for sale, preparing documents, and collecting records such as deeds.
Buying or selling a house comes with a lot of bureaucracy. It’s necessary for such a large transaction that involves so many stakeholders, and someone has to manage the entire thing. That’s what real estate professionals do, and it’s a task that comes with a lot of administrative work.
Be ready to go back and forth between government agencies and private citizens seeking information; spend your time pulling records from a variety of databases and file cabinets; and play your part in gathering, storing, and managing data relevant to properties and deals.
We’ll delve more into some of the specific day-to-day tasks of real estate professionals later on in this guide. But these three core areas of responsibility set the baseline for what you can expect in the industry. The more nuanced tasks can vary substantially depending on your job role and the sector you work in. Understanding those distinctions is key.
4 key distinctions dictating work in the sector
1. Agent vs broker
The first thing you should understand is the difference between a real estate agent and a real estate broker. If you have a vision of passing your real estate agent exam and going off to sell properties as an independent entity, working for yourself, you may want to rethink those plans. The terms “agent” and “broker” aren’t interchangeable.
Real estate agents are certified to manage the sale of properties. They can advise clients, post listings, oversee negotiations, and otherwise work to make a sale happen. But they can only do so with a broker overseeing them.
Some of the higher-level legal matters that go into managing a real estate business and overseeing transactions are, to put it bluntly, above the paygrade of an agent and require a higher degree of certification.
On a given day, a real estate broker may do much of the same work an agent does, but the broker has the freedom to run their own business and operate independently. In most cases, a broker will either be part of an agency that manages a variety of sales agents or will simply run a personal business selling properties.
The licensing requirements are slightly different for agents and brokers, so if your long-term goal is to be your own boss, you may want to get started as an agent but keep your education going so you can eventually become a broker.
2. Commercial vs residential
This distinction is relatively simple. A residential property is a home, multifamily dwelling, or similar property meant to be lived in. A commercial property is an office space, lab, factory, or other facility designed for people to work in.
A property doesn’t have to be used for for-profit work to count as commercial, although there are some gray areas when it comes to zoning laws for places of worship and similar nonprofits.
For the most part, the status of a building is determined by a local or municipal zoning commission, which determines which parts of the town qualify for different building types. Some lots may be exclusively commercial or residential, while others may have the flexibility to be used for either purpose.
This can get very complicated — for instance, if a healthcare professional offers services out of a home. In these cases, specific local laws or rules set forth by a group, like a homeowners association, will usually dictate what is considered appropriate.
Beyond zoning and similar formal guidelines, an agent also needs to understand some basics about architecture and dynamics in the market. Structures designed for commercial use are often very different from those meant for residential purposes. Everything from floor plans and electrical design to the materials used and connections to local roads vary between the two.
What’s more, purchasers generally look for very different traits in each building type. For example, a residential buyer seeking a single-family home will want to know if the property is a good fit for both their immediate needs and a solid long-term investment. A person looking for a commercial property may be much more focused on how many tenants it can host, what types of businesses it can support, and similar attributes.
Whereas being an agent vs being a broker depends on distinct industry certifications and guidelines, working as a commercial real estate agent vs a residential real estate agent is often simply a matter of understanding a different customer base and having the relevant skill sets to reach that group.
3. Buyer vs seller
Don’t worry — we know you already understand the difference between a buyer and a seller. But real estate professionals need to be prepared to support both. Sellers will hire an agent to manage the sale of their home, asking the agent or broker to do everything from creating the listing and marketing the property to negotiating the contract and closing the sale.
Buyers will go to the real estate professional seeking information on properties currently on the market. From there, the agent or broker may provide tours, invite someone to an open house, and provide guidance during the purchasing process.
4. Realtor vs real estate agent
In terms of job responsibilities and skills, a Realtor and a real estate agent are the same. So why are there two terms? It’s a matter of official certification. A person who is recognized as a Realtor has been certified as a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). A real estate agent may have licensure and the same skill set but hasn’t gone through the certification process.
These distinctions shed light on how the work can vary depending on your specific role, but some of the same core skills remain. Both agents and brokers need to be able to manage complex clerical work, provide personable advice and guidance to a variety of stakeholders, create a network of contacts to help promote sales, and bring authentic sales and marketing expertise to the table. It’s a job with a lot of demands, but the entry point can be fairly accessible.
The requirements to become a real estate agent
In the simplest terms, real estate license requirements boil down to four steps:
Take an exam/licensure prep course.
Pass your exam.
Register with your jurisdiction (usually a state in the U.S.).
Find a broker to work under.
While each of these steps is fairly straightforward, a Realtor.com report offered a more detailed rundown of what to think about during each step of the process.
When it comes to taking a prep course, don’t take it lightly. If you think you can study for the exam on your own, learn what you need to know, and go take the test, think again.
The Realtor.com article explains that the pre-licensing prep course is mandatory in most states and serves as a way to provide key training in best practices to position individuals for success not only on their exams, but in their careers.
Licensing details can vary from state to state, but most center on passing a single exam. According to Realtor.com, about half of the exam covers federal or general industry issues, while the other half focuses on state-level matters.
Most states let you take the exam as many times as you’d like but will usually require you to retake the pre-licensure course if you haven’t passed the exam within two years of completing the course.
If you’ve passed your exam, congratulations! Now it’s time to get registered with your state real estate commission and your local multiple listing service. The Realtor.com report emphasized this last point, as the local multi-listing system is often where properties are distributed to various listing sites. If you’re not in the service, you can’t engage with local listings.
The article also recommended getting certified as a Realtor with the National Association of Realtors to take advantage of benefits associated with joining the industry group.
The final step is joining a broker. We discussed this in more detail earlier in this guide, so go back if you’ve skipped ahead.
Here’s a brief rundown: A broker is certified to oversee transactions and maintain compliance with industry standards. Agents must work under brokers who are trained to deal with more complex, nuanced issues associated with a home sale. Agents have some responsibility for compliance, but brokers effectively serve as supervisors in the industry.
Key details about licensure
Here are a few quick details you’ll want to keep in mind when pursuing a license:
The process doesn’t necessarily take that long. While the length of the pre-licensing course can vary from state to state, it’s not uncommon for the course to come to a total of less than 150 hours. In some states, that total is as low as 40 hours. A Frequently Asked Question post from Real Estate Express, an online exam prep service, mentioned that it typically takes students between four and 10 weeks.
The pre-licensure course can be taken online or in person.
Exams occur frequently throughout the year.
You can get licensed in less than a year.
In the U.S., licensure happens on the state level, but the NAR explained that some states will reciprocate licenses from other states. The specifics can vary substantially, however, from states entirely rejecting out-of-state licenses to adjusting the licensure process in light of existing knowledge or even transferring the license outright.
Beyond licensure: Getting your career started
Naturally, following the necessary steps to get a real estate license doesn’t ensure you’ll have a successful career.
The National Association of Realtors recommends that those who are newly licensed continue learning about the industry and pursue growth, because the learning curve can be steep. The industry organization offers a Rookie Tool Kit and other benefits to help individuals get off the ground.
Whether you choose to get certified with a group like the NAR or go it alone, networking with experienced professionals and getting help to launch your career can be invaluable.
It can be tempting to focus so much on licensure that you don’t think about the hard work of getting an initial job in the industry. You’ll need to work with a broker, so you’ll have to ask yourself if you’d like to find an independent real estate broker who is looking for an agent to partner with or join an existing agency.
You’ll also need to plan for the economic realities of working on commission, creating space in your life for a highly variable schedule, and preparing for the general disruption that comes with starting a new career.
Becoming a real estate agent can be a quick, accessible way to launch into a new profession. The flexibility of the pre-licensure course and exam make it easier to work on your own schedule, and the lack of formal degree requirements lets you start fresh. But the work doesn’t end at licensure. That’s where it starts.
Real estate exam prep guide
If you’re thinking about licensure but wondering how to pass the real estate exam, this section is for you. We won’t go into much detail on the test itself (we’ll do that in the next section), but we will provide some general advice and focus on study tips and exam-day guidance to help you prepare.
Bare-bones basics of the exam
At this stage of our guide, what you really need to know is that the real estate exam will vary substantially from state to state. Each state has its own laws, best practices, and unique market dynamics. As such, every state has different content for the exam. It’s vital to keep this in mind so you avoid falling into the trap of focusing on industry-wide best practices and ideas only to neglect the nuanced issues specific to the state where you’re seeking licensure.
Exam study tips
There’s one study tip that stands above all else, whether you’re thinking about the best way to study for the real estate exam or preparing for any other test: Know yourself. Everybody learns a little differently, and you’re going to be more successful if you identify what works for you. Don’t get so caught up in a specific method of studying or some exam prep fad that you don’t reflect on your own needs and tendencies and adjust accordingly.
Of course, figuring out what works for you requires some experimentation. What’s more, even if you know your preferred study style, you may like to vary your routine so you don’t get bored. With this in mind, here are a few study techniques that can be particularly beneficial for your real estate exam:
Flash cards. Yes, flash cards are a pretty standard study tool, and you probably know all about them. But we’re highlighting them here anyway because they’re an especially good fit for this exam. The real estate exam is usually a multiple-choice test based on factual information and rules. Basically, you have to memorize a lot of details in order to succeed. Flash cards are great for that.
Role playing. Do you have friends or family who want to support your real estate licensure efforts? Are you getting bored reading through complex laws and guidelines? Try role playing.
Give a friend or relative your book and have them look at a couple of the issues you’re studying. Then have them pretend to be a buyer or seller who you’re supporting and make requests relevant to the issue you’re learning about.
From there, it’s up to you to point to the correct regulation and steer the conversation in the right direction. Sometimes, experience is the best teacher, and role play can be the best way to gain experience when you can’t actually work in the industry yet.
Exam guides. There’s a budding industry surrounding the real estate exam process. Publishers regularly release guidebooks to help prospective agents prep for the exam and get comfortable with the licensure process. These books can cover everything from the format of the exam to the specific information commonly covered on the test.
Sample tests. You can find online resources or books that contain sample questions formatted in the same style as state licensure exams so you can take a shot at a prebuilt exam that is likely similar to the actual test.
Exam-prep courses. The licensure prep course should help you get ready for your test. Beyond that, professional development and training centers in your area or online may provide courses that supplement the official required classroom hours and give you an extra boost i.
Study groups. Consider networking with other participants in your pre-licensure course. If you take your class online, think about joining forums on industry websites or using other channels to connect with other individuals who are preparing for the exam. You can use these relationships to form a study group or chat with other prospective real estate agents to get help, quiz one another on materials, and otherwise prepare for the exam.
State resources. Each state has its own government division devoted to real estate licensure. Be sure to check out your state’s website and take advantage of the materials offered there. While not everything available will be specific to the exam, you’re likely to find some information to help you prepare for the test and get more comfortable as you work toward licensure.
These are just a few ways to study for the real estate exam. We’ll discuss more about what to study for the exam in the next section. But before we get there, here’s some guidance on what to expect on exam day.
Exam-day advice
This concept is probably drilled into your brain by now, but it can’t be emphasized enough: Your specific experience in any part of the licensure process can vary substantially depending on the state. For the most part, though, state governments outsource the actual exam process to third-party test centers. These facilities typically provide a neutral location where test takers complete exams, usually on computers, at a preset time.
The advantage of the third-party test center model is that different organizations may offer the exam at different times. The test center in the next town over may have quarterly exams, while one a half-hour drive away does two exams per year. The flexibility in terms of timing and location means you’re more likely to find a test that fits your schedule and your ability to travel.
On test day, give yourself plenty of time to get to the exam site and get comfortable. Don’t let bad traffic make you arrive late and miss your chance to sit for the exam. Most test centers will have specific protocols and expectations they ask you to follow. These can include
How early you’re expected to arrive for the exam
If and when you’re allowed to take breaks
If you’re allowed to bring food or beverages into the exam room
Whether you need pencils, paper, pens, calculators, or other supplies
How phones and other personal electronic devices are handled (i.e., do they simply need to be put away, or does the test center collect them to help prevent cheating?)
Rules like these will influence your exam-day experience, so make sure you take the time to read any information sent from the exam center you choose for your test and spend some time digging online to ensure you’re prepared.
While specific requirements will be different based on your situation, the importance of following the rules is constant across states and testing centers. These exams are meant for professional certification and are handled by neutral third parties that have no stake in seeing you pass. Don’t let an overly relaxed approach to exam day derail your licensure.
Our other advice about exam-day prep is to relax. As we mentioned earlier, you can take the exam as often as you need. Yes, it can be expensive to retake the test several times, but the fact that you can do so without hurting your professional standing can be a major relief if you tend to get nervous or even experience anxiety about exams. Study hard, make sure you know what to expect at the exam site, and don’t stress.
Now that you have a big-picture understanding of how to get ready for the exam, let’s look at the specifics of the test so you can get even more prepared for what’s ahead.
Real estate exam information
If you’re wondering how to take the real estate exam or are unsure about similar details behind the actual test for real estate agent licensure, this section is for you.
According to a Realtor.com report, the licensure exam is delivered in two sections, each with between 60 and 100 multiple-choice questions. One section will focus on federal requirements in the industry and the other will be specific to your state.
You should come ready to do some math, as you’ll be asked to calculate tax and perform similar computations that are common in the industry. Most exams are held at a third-party testing center, as states tend to favor that method over hosting the test themselves.
If you’ve read this far, you already know most of those details, but here’s a deeper look at the examination to help you get ready.
The exam format
As we’ve mentioned throughout this guide, just about everything in the licensure process can vary by state. That said, let’s look at examples from a few states to explore what the exam looks like. All advice is based on information available on various state government websites.
In California, the exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions, and participants have three hours and 15 minutes to complete the test. There are four answer choices for each question, and there are no breaks.
In New York, the exam is multiple choice, you have 90 minutes to complete it (time starts after instructions are given), and the test is available in a variety of languages.
Some states, like Georgia, don’t provide as much detail about their exam online but do offer prospective candidates a full handbook they can use to prepare for the exam.
Massachusetts has a similar exam to those we’ve discussed so far, with a fairly large number of multiple-choice questions on topics covering general industry knowledge and state-specific matters.
The exact contents of the exam can change from year to year, as state government agencies revisit what they consider the most critical topics to cover in the exam. It’s key to use state resources early on in the licensure process so you don’t spend too much time on issues that aren’t relevant or particularly important.
Most state tests use a computer-based test solution in which you select answers to multiple-choice questions. You’ll usually be allowed to bring a calculator with you, but it will need to be a simple model that doesn’t connect to the internet as concerns about cheating run high at exam centers.
Most states detail the testing locations and any organizations they partner with for the exams on their real-estate licensure website.
The exam contents
As in many other parts of this guide, some of the best advice we can give you is to look to your state government for guidance. Most states publish handbooks, guides, or similar documents to help prospective agents understand what to expect on the test.
Some states take things to another level and make detailed information readily available online. Massachusetts is one of those states, and the outline it provides for its exam offers an overview of the kind of content you can expect on the test. Based on that outline, here’s a look at some of the major topics you’ll need to study when preparing:
Details of property ownership. Subject matter in this area covers key issues, such as how land characteristics are measured and documented in legal descriptions; distinctions between terms like “livable,” “rentable,” and “usable area”; and rights associated with the land, such as access to minerals, air, and water.
This category also features questions that cover the difference between real and personal property, various forms of encumbrance that can be applied to property ownership, and different types of ownership models.
Land controls and regulations. This category is fairly straightforward. The materials in this portion of the exam are meant to ensure agents understand inherent government rights for land and methods government and private entities use to apply controls over the land. This can range from zoning and building codes to homeowners association rules and conditions set forth in a deed.
Valuation and market analysis. Since understanding how to price properties relative to the market is key to the job, the exam includes questions meant to identify whether prospects understand how appraisals work, how to perform valuation through a variety of approaches, and how to perform market analysis.
Financing. This represents a major category for real estate agents, as much of their responsibility centers on facilitating sales. This portion of the exam covers types of loans, core concepts in the financing sector, and how the lending process functions.
General principles of agency. This part of the exam asks prospective agents about their knowledge of how agency and non-agency relationships function; what an agent is responsible for in relationships with clients; how agreements are handled across different listing contract types; issues of disclosure, integrity, and basic accounting; and even how the termination of agency process works.
Property disclosures, contracts, transfer of title, and real estate calculations. Each of these sections deals with highly specific elements of operating within the industry and features questions meant to ensure agents understand the legal requirements and have the practical skills, such as tabulating taxes, to carry out their responsibilities throughout the sales process.
Practice of real estate and leasing and property management. These portions of the assessment cover best practices for issues like fair housing, advertising, and use of technology, as well as rules about how to handle leasing processes and property management.
These aspects of the exam are far-reaching and feature a variety of nuanced subject areas that real estate agents need to understand to perform their jobs effectively. On top of that, for the Massachusetts exam, these topics cover only the general areas of information included in the exam. The test also has nine sections devoted to issues where specific state laws or regulations come into play. These include matters such as licensure, Massachusetts fair housing law, laws surrounding tenants and landlords, a state-specific contracts section, and a segment covering consumer protections.
This snapshot of the Massachusetts exam may not be a comprehensive look at how every state handles its assessment, but it should provide a good overview of the types of subjects covered on the test. Think of it as a general idea of the knowledge you’ll need so you can better decide if becoming an agent is something you want to pursue.
Anyone working to become a real estate agent has a lot to learn, and the process can seem daunting. That’s where the mandatory pre-licensing courses and myriad study resources really come in handy. With state governments and private entities all providing resources, you’ll have plenty of places to look if you need some help along the way.
From exam to licensure
If you pass your exam, you’ll need to supply the state where you want to work with your credentials — proof of completing necessary coursework, background checks, exam results, and similar details — to obtain a license. This process can be fairly quick as many of the documents need to be submitted prior to the exam and the shift toward digital, computer-based tests allows for rapid computation of grades.
Generally speaking, you don’t need more education beyond initial licensure to get started as an agent. However, further professional development is key in dealing with the question, “How long is a real estate license valid?” Specific rules can vary, but most states will require some form of continuing education every few years to ensure agents stay on top of changing industry regulations.
The more critical matter, at least for those seeking to become an agent, is the need to complete your exam relatively soon after finishing the pre-licensure course. Most states provide only a two-year window before you need to take the class again. Waiting until the last minute to take the licensure exam, failing the test by a few points, and having to go back to precertification is a much larger blow than simply going back and taking the test again.
Exploring a real estate agent’s duties
We already unpacked some of the primary responsibilities and duties of real estate agents, but we’ll dig deeper here, getting into the specifics of matters like lead management, hosting an open house, and dealing with other major tasks that are part of day-to-day real estate work.
Most duties fall under one of the three categories we highlighted earlier: preparing a property for sale and marketing it, managing the sales process, and performing backend work to support everyday operations.
Here’s a look at three key areas of emphasis within those categories that represent major parts of the job.
1. Managing seller and property information
This part of the job begins with obtaining and managing leads. A lead is simply an individual who could, if the circumstances come together properly, make a direct contribution to your bottom line. Typically, leads are thought of as buyers, because the person making a purchase is ultimately the source of revenue. But it isn’t that simple in the real estate industry.
Before you can find a buyer, you need a seller. A person interested in listing a property — either for sale or rent — is just as important a lead as the eventual buyer. After all, other agencies will want to list that property if it’s attractive, and you’ll need to convince the seller that you’re the right person to go with.
For agents, much of the job comes down to transitioning from real estate lead generation to creating a listing. As such, you need to be ready to manage sensitive information early and often.
If a broker you’re working with gives you the personal details and contact information for 10 local residents who have mentioned that they’re thinking about selling or renting their homes, you’re going to need to manage that data effectively. Personally identifiable data can be extremely sensitive, and the potential pitfalls of letting that information get into the wrong hands can lead to regulatory and business challenges.
Once you’ve converted a seller lead into someone who wants to list a home, it’s time to dive deeper into the data. You’ll need to get details on when the home was built, the lot size, the livable/rentable space, the total square footage, the number of rooms, the status of basements and attics, zoning details for the property, and other specifics that are necessary to file the listing. And you’ll need to do all of this in a format that complies with industry best practices for creating transparency among all parties throughout the sale.
While all of this data gathering can seem overwhelming, it’s also one of the areas where digital technologies are making life much easier. Instead of having to get photographs of the home developed and printed, you can simply post them on a website.
What’s more, you can move past printing paper forms and working with clients to fill them out. You can use custom form creation tools, like JotForm, to build documents for sellers, buyers, and more.
You can create forms that use proper terminology and include data fields for the relevant information, then work over the phone and via email to fill them out with clients, home inspectors, and other stakeholders involved with the listing. You can then share the forms with a broker to confirm compliance and convert them to a format that allows data to be posted to listing sites.
2. Managing leads
Identifying and partnering with sellers is only one component of real estate lead management. You’ll need to keep in touch with those sellers to provide the kind of service they’re looking for and ensure they have a positive experience.
Long-term relationships are key. If you’re lucky, you could help a family sell a house only to have them come back to you a few years later when they’re looking to purchase a rental property, all because they trust you from your earlier work. The relationship building you did converted that seller into a buyer lead.
Generating leads in the form of buyers is critical once you have sellers listing homes with you. As with seller leads, this process requires a lot of networking and relationship building so people in your community will trust you as a person to come to when they’re looking for a home.
The key is to think about your lead management strategy as a funnel. At the top of the funnel are people who are beginning to search for a home or thinking about putting their home up for sale. You may be able to reach them through blog posts and community workshops that bring interested parties to you in organic ways.
In the middle of the funnel are those who have chosen to buy or sell and are now comparing agents. This is where meeting them in person and helping them understand what you bring to the table is important.
At the bottom of the funnel, you have to think a bit differently depending on whether someone is a buyer or a seller. For sellers, the bottom of the funnel is the person who has narrowed down their options to a few agents and is close to a final choice. For buyers, it’s people who are considering just a few homes, and one of them is your listing. These leads should get significant, personal attention to ensure you can get them on board.
Balancing constant relationship building with lead management throughout the funnel is vital to maintaining a strong sales pipeline as a real estate agent. Hosting open houses helps, as they can capture both curious parties at the middle or top of the funnel and those moving toward a purchase.
3. Running an open house
There’s a lot of detailed information available that tells real estate agents how to host an open house. You can find some great advice pretty easily, but the messaging tends to boil down to a few key points:
Market the event thoroughly, but make sure you target your messaging to the types of buyers you’re looking for.
Have clear expectations about how you’ll process and compare offers that stem from the event.
Create a comfortable, attractive environment that will help people feel at home in the property.
Those are great tips, but how do you go from raising interest at an open house to driving sales? A common tactic is to use a one-sheet description of the property alongside an offer sheet or rental application that allows prospects to reach out. But as more people have transitioned to digital lifestyles, fewer want to carry around and mail paper forms.
This is another area where custom form creation solutions, like JotForm, pay off. You can craft a an online version of a one-sheet template that you populate with key details and use an open house form to collect lead info. From there, you can craft and distribute a custom offer or rental applications. With these electronic forms available, you can simplify the open house. You can make the forms available via web or mobile, creating flexibility that improves your open house.
These three key aspects of the real estate agent job — handling seller and listing data, managing leads, and hosting an open house — all point to the benefits of digital technologies in the industry. Whether you’re embracing online marketing to build your personal brand and generate leads or using custom forms to eliminate data management headaches, being comfortable with digital tools can pay off.
Conclusion
You’ve made it this far. Do you still want to be a real estate agent? If so, great! You have your work cut out for you, but hopefully you also have a better idea of what that work is and what your job will look like if you get your license.
While the amount of work ahead may be daunting, the good news is that the rewards are real. The real estate industry is growing, and modern technologies are changing how people work.
The days of printing huge packets of home listings into books you show prospective buyers are fading away as online listings are now mainstream. The need to create, store, print, mail, and manage documents is disappearing.
Instead of sending out a rental application in the mail and hoping for a timely response, you’re using tools like JotForm to create custom online forms and distribute them to customers through whatever means is most convenient for them.
The ability to create secure electronic documents is a real game changer for the real estate industry, and it’s one perk you have to look forward to if you become an agent. If the idea of using digital tools to boost your future real estate career sounds exciting, reach out. We’d love to hear from you and talk more about what our technology does and your options for deploying it in your business.
Real estate agents who embrace digital technologies can set themselves apart in the market. Consumers are demanding faster, more responsive experiences with the organizations they work with. They may be willing to tolerate some old-school practices in real estate, but the Realtors who give them convenience can stand apart from the rest of the field.
Whether you’re looking to mostly go it alone and have a minimal partnership with a broker, or you want to join an existing agency, being aware of the opportunities created by technology can give you an advantage.
In the end, no digital technology can guarantee your success in the industry. But real estate is competitive. It’s a space where every advantage you can get could make the difference between getting a listing and losing the sale. Creating convenient, customer-focused experiences is key to maximizing your potential, and tools like JotForm make that possible.
We wish you the best of luck on your journey toward licensure as a real estate agent.
There are two types of websites: static and dynamic. Django is a framework for developing dynamic websites. While a static website is one that solely presents information, there is no interaction (beyond simple page requests) that gets registered to a server. In a static website, the server sends HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to a client and that’s it. More capabilities require a dynamic website, where the server stores information and responds to user interaction beyond just serving pages. One major reason to develop a dynamic site is to authenticate users and restrict content.
Writing, deploying, and administering a static website is about an order of magnitude easier, cheaper, and more secure than a dynamic site. Thus, you should only create a dynamic website if the dynamic paradigm’s additional capabilities are necessary for your project. Django simplifies and streamlines the process of creating a dynamic site with its built-in components. As one of the primary components of a dynamic web application, the “user account” object, like the wheel, is tempting to re-invent, but the standard shape is appropriate for most uses. Django provides a powerful out-of-the-box user model, and in this article, we’ll walk through the best way to provide secure, intuitive user authentication flows.
Getting Set Up
If you’d like to create your own Django application to experiment with the concepts in this article, you can create a directory (and preferably a virtual environment) and then run the following commands:
If you’re looking for a walkthrough of creating your first Django project, Django’s own website provides a great one. In this article, we’re not using an example project, but the concepts discussed will apply to almost every Django application.
Standard User Model
Fundamentally, the concept of a user account exists for two reasons: access control and personalized application state. Access control is the idea that resources on a system are only available to some users. Personalized state is heavily dependent on the purpose of the application but may include settings, data, or any other records specific to an individual user. The Django stock User model provides sensible approaches to both use cases.
Initially, there are two types of users in a Django application: superuser accounts and regular users. Superusers have every attribute and privilege of regular accounts, but also have access to the Django admin panel, a powerful application that we’ll explore in detail in a future article. Essentially, superusers can create, edit, or delete any data in the application, including other user accounts.
To create a superuser on your own Django application, run:
python manage.py createsuperuser
The other benefit of a user account is storing personalized data to the database. By default, Django only requires a username and password but provides optional fields for users to enter their first name, last name, and email address. You can read a complete model reference on the Django website. We’ll discuss extending this model below.
Security And Reliability
Django includes substantial password management middleware with the user model. User passwords are required to be at least 8 characters, not entirely numbers, not match too closely to the username, and not be on a list of the 20,000 most common passwords. The Django stock forms validate these requirements. When a password is sent to the server, it is encrypted before it is stored, by default using the PBKDF2 algorithm with a SHA256 hash. Overall, the default password system provides robust security without any effort from the developer. Unless you have specific expertise and a compelling reason to change the way passwords are handled in your application, don’t modify this behavior.
One other convenient built-in is the requirement that usernames are unique. If you think about it, if there were two users with the username “djangofan1” and the server received a login request for that username it would not know which user was trying to access the application. Unfortunately for them, the second user to try to register with “djangofan1” will have to pick a different name, perhaps “djangofan2”. This uniqueness constraint is enforced at the database level but is again verified by the forms that Django provides.
Finally, a note on deleting users. While deleting users is a possibility, most complex applications will have a number of resources tied to each user account. If you want to effectively delete a user without removing those attached objects, set the user’s is_active field to false instead. Then, those other resources remain associated with the account rather than being deleted themselves, and the user account is able to be re-activated at any time by a superuser. Note that this does not free up the username, but setting the account as inactive in conjunction with changing the username to a random, unique value could achieve the same effect. Finally, if your site policies or applicable local law require that user accounts be fully deletable, the is_active approach will not be sufficient.
When you want to register a new user account, the view for doing so will probably look something like the following in views.py:
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login
from django.contrib.auth.forms import UserCreationForm
def signup(request):
if request.user.is_authenticated:
return redirect('/')
if request.method == 'POST':
form = UserCreationForm(request.POST)
if form.is_valid():
form.save()
username = form.cleaned_data.get('username')
password = form.cleaned_data.get('password1')
user = authenticate(username=username, password=password)
login(request, user)
return redirect('/')
else:
return render(request, 'signup.html', {'form': form})
else:
form = UserCreationForm()
return render(request, 'signup.html', {'form': form})
Let’s break that down:
If the user is already signed in, we’ll redirect them away from the signup page.
If the request method is POST, that means that the form for creating a user has already been filled out and it’s time to create a user.
First, construct the form object on the backend with the user-provided data.
If the form is valid, create the user and log them in, then send them to the main page.
Otherwise, dump them back on the user creation page with information about what data was invalid (for example, they requested a username already in use).
Otherwise, the user is accessing the page for the first time and should be met with the form for creating a new account.
Now examining account signin:
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login
from django.contrib.auth.forms import AuthenticationForm
def signin(request):
if request.user.is_authenticated:
return render(request, 'homepage.html')
if request.method == 'POST':
username = request.POST['username']
password = request.POST['password']
user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password)
if user is not None:
login(request, user)
return redirect('/')
else:
form = AuthenticationForm(request.POST)
return render(request, 'signin.html', {'form': form})
else:
form = AuthenticationForm()
return render(request, 'signin.html', {'form': form})
Another breakdown:
If the user is already signed in, we’ll redirect them away from the sign-in page.
If the request method is POST, that means that the form for signing in has been filled and it’s time to authenticate the user to an account.
First, authenticate the user with the user-provided data
If the username and password correspond to an account, log the user in
Otherwise, bring them back to the sign-in page with their form information pre-filled
Otherwise, the user is accessing the page for the first time and should be met with the form for logging in.
Finally, your users may eventually want to sign out. The basic code for this request is simple:
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from django.contrib.auth import logout
def signout(request):
logout(request)
return redirect('/')
Once the user has been logged in to their account, and until they log out on that device, they are having a “session.” During this time, subsequent requests from their browser will be able to access account-only pages. A user can have multiple sessions active at the same time. By default, sessions do not time out.
While a user has an active session on their device, they will register as True for the request.user.is_authenticated check. Another way to restrict pages to logged-in users only is the @login_required decorator above a function. There are multiple other ways of achieving the same, detailed here.
If this level of configuration is more than you want to perform, there is an even more out-of-the-box approach to user management. These stock authentication views provide standard routes, views, and forms for user management and can be modified by assigning them to custom URLs, passing custom templates, or even subclassing the views for more control.
Extending The User Model
Generally, you need to expand the user model to provide finer-grained access controls or store more user data per account. We’ll explore several common cases below.
Dropping Fields From The User Model
Contrary to this section’s header, I do not actually recommend making changes directly to the user model or associated database schema! The generic user model is established in your database by default during the setup of a new Django project. So much is tied to the default user model that changing it could have unexpected effects in your application (especially if you’re using third-party libraries), accordingly, adding or removing fields is not recommended and is not made easy by the framework.
By default, the only two fields that are required for a user are username and password. If you don’t want to use any of the other fields, simply ignore their existence, as a user can be created without a first name, last name, or email address. There is a collection of default fields like last_login and date_joined that can also be ignored if you don’t want them. If you had an actual technical constraint that required dropping optional fields from the user model, you would already know about it and wouldn’t need this article.
A common reason you might want to drop a field in the user model is to drop the username in favor of the email as a unique identifier. In that case, when creating the user from form data or authenticating a request, simply enter the email address as the username in addition to its use in the email field. The username field will still enforce the uniqueness constraint when usernames are formatted as email addresses. Strings are strings, they will be treated the same.
Similarly, if you want to store extra information about your users, you should not attempt to modify the default user model. Even for a single field, define your own object with a one-to-one relationship with the existing users. This extra model is often called the Profile. Say you wanted to store a middle name and date of birth (dob) for each user. The Profile would be defined as follows in models.py:
from django.db import models
from django.contrib.auth.models import User
class Profile(models.Model):
user = models.OneToOneField(User, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
middle_name = models.CharField(max_length=30, blank=True)
dob = models.DateField(null=True, blank=True)
Custom Access Control
Your application may have required a distinction between different types of users for accessing information and functions. Django provides a system for creating custom fine-grained access control: permissions and groups.
Permissions are objects that determine access to resources. A user can have one or more permissions. For example, they might have read access to a table of products and write access to a table of customers. The exact implementation of permission varies substantially by application but Django’s approach makes it intuitive to define permissions for data and assign those permissions to users.
Applications for enterprise and other large organizations often implement role-based access control. Essentially, a user can have various roles, each of which has certain permissions. Django’s tool for implementing this pattern is the Group. A group can have any number of permissions, which can each be assigned to any number of groups. A user then gains permissions not directly but by their membership to groups, making the application easier to administer.
Overview: Integrating A Payment Provider
The precise process of integrating a payment processor varies substantially by application and provider. However, I’ll cover the process in general terms.
One of the key advantages of outsourcing payments is that the provider is responsible for storing and validating highly regulated data such as credit card information. The service then shares some unique user token with your application along with data about their payment history. Like adding the profile, you can create a model associated with the core User and store the data in that model. As with passwords, it’s important to follow the given integration with the provider to avoid storing sensitive information improperly.
Overview: Social Sign-In
The other broad, complex field I want to briefly touch upon is social sign-in. Large platforms like Facebook and Google, as well as smaller sites like GitHub, provide APIs for using their services to authenticate users. Similar to a payment provider, this creates a record in your database linking an account to an account in their database.
You might want to include social auth in your site to make it easier for users to sign up without creating a new set of login credentials. If your application solely targets customers who already use a specific site that provides a social auth option, it might help you attract users from that market by lowering the barrier of entry. Furthermore, if your application intends to access the user’s data from a third-party service, linking the accounts during authentication simplifies the process of granting permissions.
However, there are downsides to using social auth. API changes or outages from the third party provider could interrupt your application’s uptime or development activities. In general, external dependencies add complexity to the application. Finally, it’s worth considering the data collection and use policies of third parties that you are integrating with and make sure that they align with your and your users’ expectations.
If you do decide that social authentication is right for your application, fortunately, there’s a library for that. Python Social Auth for Django is a package for enabling the capabilities of Python’s social auth ecosystem in Django projects.
Wrapping Up
As universal as the user account is, its widespread use can lead to resolving the same problems needlessly. Hopefully, this article has shown you the range of powerful features available in Django and given you an understanding of the basic responsibilities of an application when creating user accounts.
Django Highlights is a series introducing important concepts of web development in Django. Each article is written as a stand-alone guide to a facet of Django development intended to help front-end developers and designers reach a deeper understanding of “the other half” of the codebase. These articles are mostly constructed to help you gain an understanding of theory and convention but contain some code samples, which are written in Django 3.0. Several concepts that we touched on in this article, including templates, admin users, models, and forms, will be explored individually in detail in future articles in this series.
How impactful is a well-designed brand for growing your business?
It can be the difference between connecting with your audience and getting lost in the massive amount of noise in the world.
Every year, the internet gets more and more crowded.
In 2020, we’ll produce roughly 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. Much of it is the noise that makes it hard for your potential customers to find the signal your brand is putting out.
500 million daily Tweets
23 billion text messages sent every day
77,760,000 links are shared on Facebook every day.
1 billion hours of video are watched on YouTube every day
Etc.
What will separate you from the pack, attract readers, listeners, and viewers, while growing your business?
The answer is simple – a distinctive brand tone that’s memorable and aligns with the audiences you’re trying to draw. In this guide, you’ll learn the nuances of a unique brand tone, how to define your own, and tips to implement it in your messaging.
What is a brand tone?
A brand tone is the embodiment of your brand’s personality and values. It’s the way you communicate your message to the world as opposed to what that message is.
For example, a brand’s message could be that everyone is special. Many people have been hearing it since they were born. What’s unique is how you communicate that to people.
Instead of saying “you’re special,” the brand may say “you have a unique gift the world is waiting to receive. Only you can give the world that gift and once you do, everything will change.” In both cases, the brands are saying people are special, but one is much more memorable.
Your brand tone encompasses the words you use, which ones you ignore, how you put them together, how energetic your messages are, etc. This is often associated with spoken language like when you’re on a podcast but for businesses, it’s usually applied to written communication.
Your tone of voice will define how your write website copy, the website design you choose, the way you post on social media, emails, packaging, and more. A great example of this is Innocent drinks. It has a well-defined brand tone that’s visible on its social media accounts and packaging.
If the amount of engagement is any indication, the brand is doing something right.
The role of brand tone in your brand voice
Your brand voice and personality are constant and don’t change but a brand tone is nuanced and evolves. It’s tailored to fit the medium, the audience, and the subject.
For example, if there has been a tragedy, your upbeat tone may be dampened to show respect. That doesn’t mean your personality or voice has changed, it just means your brand understands the situation and is responding accordingly.
It helps set you apart
Your overall message can be similar to others but the way you communicate that message comes down to the brand tone. It ensures no one else sounds like you so your customers and prospects recognize your messages.
Think about when you’re chatting with a close friend, family member, or partner. If someone starts to chat on your behalf, the people close to you can tell. Why’s that? The nuances that make you unique are missing and something is “off.”
You don’t have to be irreverent or abrasive to stand out. You just have to be different from what’s available. Frank Body is able to do this well through its website and packaging.
It communicates healthy radiant skin but does it with a tone that’s different from any other brand. It takes on the guise of a man. The inner voice inside of a woman’s head that’s at times masculine and calls her a babe while encouraging her to be confident in her skin.
The unique brand tone coupled with savvy marketing chops resulted in over $20 million in revenue within three years.
It builds trust
If repetition is the father of learning then familiarity is the father of trust. The more familiar you are with something, the easier it is to process it mentally. The easier it is to process, the more likely you are to feel at ease and trust it.
This happens in all humans because of a tiny section in our brain commonly known as the lizard brain. It’s responsible for the fight or flight reaction. If your brand is constantly jarring customers and prospects it’s interacting with then it may cause stress.
A stressed mind will try to relieve the stressor and in this case that results in less attention for the brand. This isn’t an issue for an organization with a consistent tone and message. Let’s look at how to design it.
How to design your brand tone
There are many steps required to get your brand tone right and it starts with the people you’re interacting with. Once you understand them, you can start to look inward to build out a compelling brand tone.
Get a deep understanding of your audience
This is the most important step because if it’s skipped, you’ll have no idea what appeals to your audience. At most, you’ll sound similar to everyone else in your space.
Remember Frank Body? The founders are part of its target audience but they still spent time researching to get the brand tone right. Here are a few ways to research your audience.
What do you find important in an X brand (x is the type of brand you have EG clothing, software, etc.)?
How would you describe our brand?
Is there anything you think is missing from our brand?
Name three of your favorite X brands. Why do you like it?
What, if anything, would you consider a deal-breaker in an X brand?
If our company was a human, what kind of person do you think it would be?
What social issues are important to you?
Beyond designing your brand tone, these responses deliver insights that you can incorporate into your marketing workflow.
Interviews
Another way to research your audience is to hold in-person or phone interviews. This is a great option because they give you the opportunity to probe deeper. If someone tells you something is missing from your brand, you can ask them why they feel that way or how it would change their perception.
Ask similar questions as you would in a survey but make sure you follow up with each answer. After about 10 interviews, you’ll have a clearer understanding of your audience, what makes them tick, and what they expect from you.
Social searching
The last research method focuses on understanding what your customers do on social media, forums, and even their own websites. Look up a few of your customers on the internet and follow them on social media.
Who are they as individuals
What other brands are they following
What kind of content do they share
How do they write their social posts (playful, irreverent, formal, etc.)
What causes they champion
Taken together, these research methods will give you a deep understanding of your audience and inform other decisions you’ll need to make.
Decide on what you stand for and the values you’re communicating
The audience research exercise helped figure out who you’re serving and the values that matter to them. Now, it’s time to align your company values with that.
For example, your customers may care about specific environmental causes like global warming or ethically produced raw materials. You can align with them by making a commitment to using green vendors and technologies.
Core values
When you practice radical transparency, 94% of consumers are more likely to be loyal. That’s powerful. Transparency starts with defining your core values and continues by communicating them often and consistently.
One of the core values of Everlane is radical transparency.
It shows in everything they do. I’m not saying you should be radically transparent just to get more eyeballs on your content and business. Instead, be clear about what values guide your decisions and brand tone.
Ask the following questions to help define those values:
Why did the company get started?
What’s unique about the company (people, processes, marketing, products, etc)?
Who do you serve?
What pains do you solve?
What causes do you champion (even if they’re not directly related to your business)?
Why should or do people trust you?
These questions allow you to refine your brand tone by making sure what you say and how you say it is consistent. Here are a few examples to inspire your core values.
Define (or refine) your mission statement
A mission statement is meant to be a guiding light for people within and outside of an organization. Now that you’ve defined your core values you can align the mission of the company with them. When done properly, all your marketing collateral and messaging will work to push that mission forward. A mission statement has three components.
Who you are
Who you serve
What you do (or are going to do)
Acme Inc. is a software company that makes cutting edge customer experience and conversion optimization tools (who they are) for small businesses (who they serve) that makes it easy to better understand their customers and turn those insights into more leads and revenue (what they do).
In the example above, Acme Inc. creates cutting edge tools for small businesses to make their work easier. Since it serves small businesses, it may not need to as formal. As a technology company, it can also get away with being a little geeky.
Define your brand tone
Defining your tone is the fun part – and the hard part. How do you boil your brand down to its essence in a way that is easily understandable by team members and customers?
It needs to be simple enough for everyone in your organization to understand but nuanced enough to stand out from the crowd. Here are a few ways to make that a reality.
Describe it with a few adjectives
According to Margot Bloomstein, choosing a few adjectives to describe your brand will make your messaging clearer and more powerful. It’s the beginning of a messaging architecture that allows you to push the qualities you want to be associated with your brand to the forefront.
She goes on to describe a simple exercise. Compile a list of 50 – 100 adjectives that could describe organizations in your industry. More importantly, adjectives that could describe your business. This list should then be divided into:
Who we are
Who we aren’t
Who we’d like to be
I’ll describe another exercise in a moment but for now, focus on who we’d like to be and group the adjectives that fall under this category into closely related groups. Here’s an example to illustrate:
From the example above, you know the brand wants to communicate trust and quality, innovation, and being socially conscious.
Don’t’ go through this exercise then abandon your messaging hierarchy on an old hard drive somewhere. Actively share this knowledge with your team because it’s there to serve as a reference point for all of your messaging.
We are this but aren’t this exercise
After you’ve gotten your messaging hierarchy right, it’s important to take those same adjectives and define how you want to use those qualities. For example, there’s a thin line between irreverent and rude or playful and silly.
The following exercise is simple but it helps avoid those problems when creating landing pages, content, marketing campaigns, infographics, and other forms of messaging.
We’re ____ but not ____.
Take three or four of the adjectives that describe your brand the most and go through this exercise.
We’re informal but not sloppy.
We’re knowledgeable but not cocky.
We’re authoritative but not overly serious.
It may take a few tries to get it right so don’t think it needs to be perfect in a day or two. Once you’re done, move on to the next step – a brand voice chart.
Create a brand voice chart
A brand voice chart is a simple representation that helps people understand how the adjectives you’ve used to describe your brand should be used in your marketing.
The left column is the adjective used to describe your brand, the one next to it is a short description, and the two on the right are what you should do and shouldn’t do to achieve the right outcome.
Don’t hesitate to ask for help here. The brand voice chart and the messaging hierarchy are important documents. They evolve with your business and should be revisited often.
Audit your brand voice and tone
We’ve covered a lot of ground in this guide. At this point, you should be crystal clear about what your core values are, what your brand stands for, and what doesn’t apply to you.
The last step is to audit what you currently have and implement changes to ensure your brand tone and voice are consistent. This is a straightforward process.
Go through your different assets which may include:
Blog posts
Ebooks
White papers
Landing pages
Product pages
Video content
Audio content
Print material
Signage
Etc.
Note what you’re already doing that aligns with your updated brand tone and also note what’s missing the mark. How can you improve what you’re already doing to better align with your values, voice, and tone?
Be as comprehensive as possible with this process because people will continue to find your content for years to come. You don’t want a situation where part of your messaging has the right tone and the other part doesn’t.
Over to you
Your brand tone is an important consideration but it’s not made in a lab somewhere. It requires input from people within and outside your organization.
Start with your audience to understand what they appreciate and their values
Decide on your own core values and mission statement.
Define your brand tone by going through the exercises outlined in this post
Audit your current assets and update to reflect your newly defined brand tone
Repeat this process as often as needed to ensure you have a consistent brand that stands out from the crowd.
