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Entrepreneurs, startup founders, and small business owners all share a common goal: building a thriving brand. But in today’s competitive landscape, achieving success requires more than just a great product or service. You need effective marketing strategies that resonate with your target audience.

Something few entrepreneurs consider is that the structure you choose for your business can influence the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, making your life easier or harder depending on the stage of growth your business is in.

In this article, we’ll explore how a Limited Liability Company (LLC) structure empowers you to cultivate brand success through well-defined marketing strategies.

The Limited Liability Company (LLC) structure

An LLC offers a business structure that combines the flexibility of a sole proprietorship with the personal liability protection of a corporation. This means you have more control over your business operations compared to a corporation while also shielding your personal assets from business debts and lawsuits.

Benefits of forming an LLC

LLCs are popular business structures for small and medium-sized businesses for the following reasons:

• Limited Liability Protection: This is one of the LLS structure’s main advantages. Personal liability protection means your personal finances are safeguarded from business liabilities, offering peace of mind when investing in new initiatives.
• Pass-Through Taxation: LLCs avoid double taxation for their members (corporate tax and personal income tax). Profits and losses “pass through” the business to the owner’s personal tax returns. This simplifies tax filing and can offer better tax efficiency than other business structures, depending on your individual tax situation.
• Flexibility and Management: LLCs offer more management flexibility than corporations. Decision-making is streamlined, allowing for quicker adaptation to market changes. There’s a less complex corporate hierarchy to navigate, empowering you to seize fleeting marketing opportunities or respond to sudden shifts in consumer preferences.

The LLC structure’s downsides

Despite the advantages, LLCs do have some cons:

• Less Credibility: Compared to corporations, LLCs may be perceived as less established, especially when dealing with larger companies or securing significant funding. This can be a hurdle to overcome, particularly in industries where a corporate image is important.
• Profit Sharing: Profits and losses pass through to the owners, potentially impacting their personal tax brackets. This can be a consideration, especially for businesses with high profits.

Steps to form an LLC

The process for forming an LLC varies by state but is usually quite simple and streamlined (especially compared to corporations). In many US states, you can complete the whole process online.

Forming an LLC generally involves:

1. Filing Articles of Organization with your state’s Secretary of State.
2. Paying a filing fee.

Some states may also require filing an Operating Agreement, a private document defining ownership and profit sharing, outlining management structure, and detailing voting rights, among other specifics of the business.

Though a simple process, consulting with a lawyer or legal service to ensure you complete the process accurately is advisable.

What is a marketing strategy?

A marketing strategy defines your overall approach to reaching your target audience and achieving your business goals. It outlines your brand messaging, target markets, marketing mixes, and budget allocation. It’s the foundation upon which you build your marketing efforts.

The LLC structure enables better marketing strategies. To understand why and how, we must first clearly separate a marketing strategy from two related terms wrongly used interchangeably: a marketing plan and marketing tactics.

Marketing strategy vs. marketing plan vs. tactics

You can think of your marketing strategy as the “big picture” roadmap to connect with your potential customers and reach your marketing goals.

A marketing plan, on the other hand, translates that strategy into specific, actionable steps. It details tactics, timelines, and performance metrics for your marketing initiatives, forming the nitty-gritty that brings your marketing strategy to life.

The tactics outlined in your marketing plan are the specific actions you take to execute your strategy. For example, in a digital marketing strategy, tactics could include social media campaigns, email marketing, content creation,  and others.

How the LLC structure enables more effective marketing strategies

The unique advantages of an LLC structure can significantly enhance your marketing efforts in different ways:

Increased flexibility

LLCs are more flexible legal entities than other structures like corporations. This flexibility allows businesses to create and promote a unique brand identity, enabling them to tailor marketing messages to specific target audiences, increasing resonance and engagement.

An LLC structure also makes it less cumbersome to form partnerships and collaborations with other businesses, influencers, or organizations. By leveraging these partnerships, LLCs can extend their reach, access new customer segments, and benefit from shared resources, amplifying the impact of their marketing initiatives.

A more agile structure

LLCs’ lower organizational and hierarchical complexity means there’s less momentum to overcome when changing direction. In other words, marketing virtual assistants can change and implement marketing strategies with minimal bureaucracy.

This agility is crucial for seizing fleeting opportunities and addressing challenges promptly, helping businesses stay ahead of competitors and maintain relevance in the eyes of consumers.

Limited liability protection

Knowing your personal assets are shielded from business liabilities allows for bolder marketing investments. You can confidently allocate resources to advertising, promotions, and other marketing activities critical for brand recognition, something you may be hesitant to do if you’re running your business as a sole proprietorship.

In short, the financial freedom brought about by personal liability protection empowers you to experiment with a broader range of marketing strategies without the fear of risking your personal finances.

Smaller size equals better connection with customers

Many LLCs operate on a local scale, fostering a closer relationship with their customer base. This allows them to gather valuable insights into consumer preferences and tailor marketing campaigns that speak directly to their target audience.

This proximity also allows them to participate in community events and support local causes. Such involvement with the community not only fosters customer loyalty but also enhances brand reputation, leading to more effective word-of-mouth marketing.

More streamlined decision-making

In LLC structures, decision-making isn’t bogged down by complex corporate hierarchies and bureaucracy. This agility enables faster adjustment to market changes and execution of novel marketing tactics.

Real-world LLC marketing success stories

Here are some inspiring examples of how LLCs have leveraged their structure to develop winning marketing strategies:

SpaceX’s  digital marketing strategy

SpaceX, the famous aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company founded by Elon Musk, operates as an LLC. This unicorn startup is now worth $175 billion. It’s second only to Boeing in the aerospace industry, making it one of the clearest examples of how an LLC can grow to become wildly successful.

SpaceX’s marketing strategy has been unconventional and highly effective. They’ve used social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to create a buzz around their ambitious space exploration endeavors, generating excitement and attracting a passionate following.

Elon Musk himself is a passionate CEO who frequently posts on social media about the company’s latest successes. This social-media-driven approach perfectly complements the LLC structure’s flexibility and allows SpaceX and its directives to directly engage with its target audience, generating brand awareness and increasing brand reputation.

Airbnb’s affiliate program

Airbnb, the hospitality service that allows people to list, rent, and find vacation rentals, initially started as an LLC. Airbnb’s key marketing strategy revolves around affiliate marketing. Its innovative affiliate program, where travel bloggers and websites could earn commissions by promoting Airbnb listings, is a prime example of how LLCs can leverage partnerships for effective marketing.

In fact, LLC is a recommended business structure for affiliate marketing companies. This strategy allowed Airbnb to tap into a vast network of influencers and reach a wider audience without incurring significant upfront marketing costs.

The Bottom Line

The LLC structure offers a unique blend of flexibility, agility, and financial security that can empower your business to develop and implement highly effective marketing strategies. By understanding the advantages of an LLC and how it aligns with your marketing goals, you can unlock significant growth potential for your brand.

Remember, a well-defined marketing strategy is the cornerstone of building brand success, and the LLC structure provides a solid foundation upon which to build your marketing efforts.

Featured image by Pixabay

The post Cultivating Brand Success: Leveraging LLC Structure for Effective Marketing Strategies appeared first on noupe.

Google Analytics is great, but not everyone in your organization will be granted access. In many places I’ve worked, it was on a kind of “need to know” basis.

In this article, I’m gonna flip that on its head and show you how I wrote a GitHub Action that queries Google Analytics, generates a top ten list of the most frequently viewed pages on my site from the last seven days and compares them to the previous seven days to tell me which pages have increased in views, which pages have decreased in views, which pages have stayed the same and which pages are new to the list.

The report is then nicely formatted with icon indicators and posted to a public Slack channel every Friday at 10 AM.

Not only would this surfaced data be useful for folks who might need it, but it also provides an easy way to copy and paste or screenshot the report and add it to a slide for the weekly company/department meeting.

Here’s what the finished report looks like in Slack, and below, you’ll find a link to the GitHub Repository.

GitHub

To use this repository, follow the steps outlined in the README.

• https://github.com/PaulieScanlon/smashing-weekly-analytics

Prerequisites

To build this workflow, you’ll need admin access to your Google Analytics and Slack Accounts and administrator privileges for GitHub Actions and Secrets for a GitHub repository.

Customizing the Report and Action

Naturally, all of the code can be changed to suit your requirements, and in the following sections, I’ll explain the areas you’ll likely want to take a look at.

Customizing the GitHub Action

The file name of the Action weekly-analytics.report.yml isn’t seen anywhere other than in the code/repo but naturally, change it to whatever you like, you won’t break anything.

The name and jobs: names detailed below are seen in the GitHub UI and Workflow logs.

The cron syntax determines when the Action will run. Schedules use POSIX cron syntax and by changing the numbers you can determine when the Action runs.

You could also change the secrets variable names; just make sure you update them in your repository Settings.

# .github/workflows/weekly-analytics-report.yml

name: Weekly Analytics Report

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 10 * * 5' # Runs every Friday at 10 AM UTC
  workflow_dispatch: # Allows manual triggering

jobs:
  analytics-report:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    env:
      SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL: ${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL }}
      GA4_PROPERTY_ID: ${{ secrets.GA4_PROPERTY_ID }}
      GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS_BASE64: ${{ secrets.GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS_BASE64 }}

    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20.x'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm install

      - name: Run the JavaScript script
        run: node src/services/weekly-analytics.js

Customizing the Google Analytics Report

The Google Analytics API request I’m using is set to pull the fullPageUrl and pageTitle for the totalUsers in the last seven days, and a second request for the previous seven days, and then aggregates the totals and limits the responses to 10.

You can use Google’s GA4 Query Explorer to construct your own query, then replace the requests.

// src/services/weekly-analytics.js#L75

const [thisWeek] = await analyticsDataClient.runReport({
  property: `properties/${process.env.GA4_PROPERTY_ID}`,
  dateRanges: [
    {
      startDate: '7daysAgo',
      endDate: 'today',
    },
  ],
  dimensions: [
    {
      name: 'fullPageUrl',
    },
    {
      name: 'pageTitle',
    },
  ],
  metrics: [
    {
      name: 'totalUsers',
    },
  ],
  limit: reportLimit,
  metricAggregations: ['MAXIMUM'],
});

Creating the Comparisons

There are two functions to determine which page views have increased, decreased, stayed the same, or are new.

The first is a simple reduce function that returns the URL and a count for each.

const lastWeekMap = lastWeekResults.reduce((items, item) => {
  const { url, count } = item;
  items[url] = count;
  return items;
}, {});

The second maps over the results from this week and compares them to last week.

// Generate the report for this week
const report = thisWeekResults.map((item, index) => {
  const { url, title, count } = item;
  const lastWeekCount = lastWeekMap[url];
  const status = determineStatus(count, lastWeekCount);

  return {
    position: (index + 1).toString().padStart(2, '0'), // Format the position with leading zero if it's less than 10
    url,
    title,
    count: { thisWeek: count, lastWeek: lastWeekCount || '0' }, // Ensure lastWeekCount is displayed as '0' if not found
    status,
  };
});

The final function is used to determine the status of each.

// Function to determine the status
const determineStatus = (count, lastWeekCount) => {
  const thisCount = Number(count);
  const previousCount = Number(lastWeekCount);

  if (lastWeekCount === undefined || lastWeekCount === '0') {
    return NEW;
  }

  if (thisCount > previousCount) {
    return HIGHER;
  }

  if (thisCount < previousCount) {
    return LOWER;
  }

  return SAME;
};

I’ve purposely left the code fairly verbose, so it’ll be easier for you to add console.log to each of the functions to see what they return.

Customizing the Slack Message

The Slack message config I’m using creates a heading with an emoji, a divider, and a paragraph explaining what the message is.

Below that I’m using the context object to construct a report by iterating over comparisons and returning an object containing Slack specific message syntax which includes an icon, a count, the name of the page and a link to each item.

You can use Slack’s Block Kit Builder to construct your own message format.

// src/services/weekly-analytics.js#151 

    const slackList = report.map((item, index) => {
      const {
        position,
        url,
        title,
        count: { thisWeek, lastWeek },
        status,
      } = item;

      return {
        type: 'context',
        elements: [
          {
            type: 'image',
            image_url: ${reportConfig.url}/images/${status},
            alt_text: 'icon',
          },
          {
            type: 'mrkdwn',
            text: ${position}.  <${url}|${title}> | *${x${thisWeek}}`* / x${lastWeek}`,
          },
        ],
      };
    });

Before you can run the GitHub Action, you will need to complete a number of Google, Slack, and GitHub steps.

Ready to get going?

Creating a Google Cloud Project

Head over to your Google Cloud console, and from the dropdown menu at the top of the screen, click Select a project, and when the modal opens up, click NEW PROJECT.

Project name

On the next screen, give your project a name and click CREATE. In my example, I’ve named the project smashing-weekly-analytics.

Enable APIs & Services

In this step, you’ll enable the Google Analytics Data API for your new project. From the left-hand sidebar, navigate to APIs & Services > Enable APIs & services. At the top of the screen, click + ENABLE APIS & SERVICES.

Enable Google Analytics Data API

Search for “Google analytics data API,” select it from the list, then click ENABLE.

Create Credentials for Google Analytics Data API

With the API enabled in your project, you can now create the required credentials. Click the CREATE CREDENTIALS button at the top right of the screen to set up a new Service account.

A Service account allows an “application” to interact with Google APIs, providing the credentials include the required services. In this example, the credentials grant access to the Google Analytics Data API.

Service Account Credentials Type

On the next screen, select Google Analytics Data API from the dropdown menu and Application data, then click NEXT.

Service Account Details

On the next screen, give your Service account a name, ID, and description (optional). Then click CREATE AND CONTINUE.

In my example, I’ve given my service account a name and ID of smashing-weekly-analytics and added a short description that explains what the service account does.

Service Account Role

On the next screen, select Owner for the Role, then click CONTINUE.

Service Account Done

You can leave the fields blank in this last step and click DONE when you’re ready.

Service Account Keys

From the left-hand navigation, select Service Accounts, then click the “more dots” to open the menu and select Manage keys.

Service Accounts Add Key

On the next screen, locate the KEYS tab at the top of the screen, then click ADD KEY and select Create new key.

Service Accounts Download Keys

On the next screen, select JSON as the key type, then click CREATE to download your Google Application credentials .json file.

Google Application Credentials

If you open the .json file in your code editor, you should be looking at something similar to the one below.

In case you’re wondering, no, you can’t use an object as a variable defined in an .env file. To use these credentials, it’s necessary to convert the whole file into a base64 string.

Note: I wrote a more detailed post about how to use Google Application credentials as environment variables here: “How to Use Google Application .json Credentials in Environment Variables.”

From your terminal, run the following: replace name-of-creds-file.json with the name of your .json file.

cat name-of-creds-file.json | base64

If you’ve already cloned the repo and followed the Getting started steps in the README, add the base64 string returned after running the above and add it to the GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS_BASE64 variable in your .env file, but make sure you wrap the string with double quotation makes.

GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS_BASE64="abc123"

That completes the Google project side of things. The next step is to add your service account email to your Google Analytics property and find your Google Analytics Property ID.

Google Analytics Properties

Whilst your service account now has access to the Google Analytics Data API, it doesn’t yet have access to your Google Analytics account.

Get Google Analytics Property ID

To make queries to the Google Analytics API, you’ll need to know your Property ID. You can find it by heading over to your Google Analytics account. Make sure you’re on the correct property (in the screenshot below, I’ve selected paulie.dev — GA4).

Click the admin cog in the bottom left-hand side of the screen, then click Property details.

On the next screen, you’ll see the PROPERTY ID in the top right corner. If you’ve already cloned the repo and followed the Getting started steps in the README, add the property ID value to the GA4_PROPERTY_ID variable in your .env file.

Add Client Email to Google Analytics

From the Google application credential .json file you downloaded earlier, locate the client_email and copy the email address.

In my example, it looks like this: smashing-weekly-analytics@smashing-weekly-analytics.iam.gserviceaccount.com.

Now navigate to Property access management from the left hide side navigation and click the + in the top right-hand corner, then click Add users.

On the next screen, add the client_email to the Email addresses input, uncheck Notify new users by email, and select Viewer under Direct roles and data restrictions, then click Add.

That completes the Google Analytics properties section. Your “application” will use the Google application credentials containing the client_email and will now have access to your Google Analytics account via the Google Analytics Data API.

Slack Channels and Webhook

In the following steps, you’ll create a new Slack channel that will be used to post messages sent from your “application” using a Slack Webhook.

Creating The Slack Channel

Create a new channel in your Slack workspace. I’ve named mine #weekly-analytics-report. You’ll need to set this up before proceeding to the next step.

Creating a Slack App

Head over to the slack api dashboard, and click Create an App.

On the next screen, select From an app manifest.

On the next screen, select your Slack workspace, then click Next.

On this screen, you can give your app a name. In my example, I’ve named my Weekly Analytics Report. Click Next when you’re ready.

On step 3, you can just click Done.

With the App created, you can now set up a Webhook.

Creating a Slack Webhook

Navigate to Incoming Webhooks from the left-hand navigation, then switch the Toggle to On to activate incoming webhooks. Then, at the bottom of the screen, click Add New Webook to Workspace.

On the next screen, select your Slack workspace and a channel that you’d like to use to post messages, too, and click Allow.

You should now see your new Slack Webhook with a copy button. Copy the Webhook URL, and if you’ve already cloned the repo and followed the Getting started steps in the README, add the Webhook URL to the SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL variable in your .env file.

Slack App Configuration

From the left-hand navigation, select Basic Information. On this screen, you can customize your app and add an icon and description. Be sure to click Save Changes when you’re done.

If you now head over to your Slack, you should see that your app has been added to your workspace.

That completes the Slack section of this article. It’s now time to add your environment variables to GitHub Secrets and run the workflow.

Add GitHub Secrets

Head over to the Settings tab of your GitHub repository, then from the left-hand navigation, select Secrets and variables, then click Actions.

Add the three variables from your .env file under Repository secrets.

A note on the base64 string: You won’t need to include the double quotes!

Run Workflow

To test if your Action is working correctly, head over to the Actions tab of your GitHub repository, select the Job name (Weekly Analytics Report), then click Run workflow.

If everything worked correctly, you should now be looking at a nicely formatted list of the top ten page views on your site in Slack.

Finished

And that’s it! A fully automated Google Analytics report that posts directly to your Slack. I’ve worked in a few places where Google Analytics data was on lockdown, and I think this approach to sharing Analytics data with Slack (something everyone has access to) could be super valuable for various people in your organization.

“Never, ever hire for JavaScript framework skills. Instead, interview and hire only for fundamentals like web standards, accessibility, modern CSS, semantic HTML, and Web Components.” — Alex Russell

Quick Hit #16 originally published on CSS-Tricks, which is part of the DigitalOcean family. You should get the newsletter.

Almost missed that the WP Twenty Twenty-Five theme was approved a couple weeks ago.

Quick Hit #15 originally published on CSS-Tricks, which is part of the DigitalOcean family. You should get the newsletter.

Invitations have evolved far beyond traditional printed cards. With the advent of digital tools and technologies, it’s now easier than ever to learn how to make digital invitations that are both beautiful and impactful. These digital invitations can be just as stunning as their physical counterparts, and the best part is that you can design them with minimal effort.

Why Choose Digital Invitations?

Before we dive into how to make digital invitations, let’s first understand why digital invitations are a great choice:

• Cost-Effective: Digital invitations save you money on printing and postage.
• Eco-Friendly: They reduce paper waste, making them an environmentally friendly option.
• Convenient: You can send them instantly to your guests, and they can RSVP just as quickly.
• Customizable: With digital tools, you have endless options for personalization.
• Trackable: Easily keep track of RSVPs and reminders, ensuring that no one forgets your event.

How to Make Digital Invitations: Getting Started

Creating digital invitations might seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it’s simple. Here’s how to make digital invitations in a few easy steps:

1. Choose the Right Tool

The first step in learning how to make digital invitations is to choose the right tool. There are many online platforms and apps, such as invitation maker, that allow you to design invitations with minimal effort. Look for a tool that offers a variety of templates, easy-to-use customization options, and the ability to send invitations directly through email or social media.

Some popular tools include:

• Canva: Known for its user-friendly interface and extensive template library.
• Evite: A platform dedicated solely to creating and sending digital invitations.
• Adobe Spark: Ideal for those who want more advanced design options.

2. Select a Template

One of the biggest advantages of using digital invitation tools is the availability of templates. Templates simplify the design process, providing a pre-designed structure that you can customize to suit your event.

When selecting a template, consider the following:

• Theme: Choose a template that matches the theme of your event. For example, a floral design might be perfect for a wedding, while a sleek, modern design might be better for a corporate event.
• Color Scheme: Ensure the colors align with your event’s theme or your personal preferences.
• Layout: Look for a template with a layout that fits all the necessary information without looking cluttered.

3. Customize Your Invitation

Once you’ve selected a template, it’s time to make it your own. Customization is key to learning how to make digital invitations that are unique and personalized.

Here are some elements you can customize:

• Text: Edit the text to include details about your event, such as the date, time, location, and RSVP instructions. Use clear, easy-to-read fonts.
• Images: Add images or graphics that are relevant to your event. Many tools allow you to upload your own photos or choose from a library of stock images.
• Colors: Adjust the color scheme to match your event’s theme or your personal preferences.
• Font Styles: Choose fonts that are not only stylish but also legible. Avoid using too many different fonts, as this can make the invitation look cluttered.

4. Add Interactive Elements

One of the benefits of learning how to make digital invitations is the ability to add interactive elements. These features can enhance the overall experience for your guests:

• Clickable Links: Include links to your event’s website, RSVP page, or social media event pages.
• Videos: Embed a short video that introduces the event or sets the tone.
• Maps: Add a map to the event location for easy navigation.

Best Practices for Designing Digital Invitations

Now that you know how to make digital invitations, let’s discuss some best practices to ensure your invitations are visually stunning:

1. Keep It Simple

Less is often more when it comes to design. Avoid overcrowding your invitation with too much text or too many images. Focus on the key information and keep the design clean and simple. This not only makes the invitation look more elegant but also makes it easier for your guests to read and understand.

2. Use High-Quality Images

The quality of images can make or break your invitation’s design. Always use high-resolution images to avoid any pixelation or blurriness. Whether you’re adding a personal photo or a graphic, ensure it’s clear and sharp.

3. Maintain Consistency

Consistency is key in design. Use the same fonts, colors, and styles throughout the invitation to create a cohesive look. This not only makes your invitation look more professional but also helps reinforce the theme of your event.

4. Pay Attention to Spacing

Good spacing is essential for readability. Ensure there’s enough white space between different elements, such as text, images, and borders. This makes the invitation look more organized and easier on the eyes.

5. Proofread

Before sending out your digital invitations, double-check all the details. Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors and that all the event information is accurate. A simple mistake can cause confusion and reflect poorly on your event.

Sending Your Digital Invitations

Once you’ve mastered how to make digital invitations, it’s time to send them out to your guests. Most digital invitation tools allow you to send invitations directly through their platform, via email, or by sharing a link on social media.

1. Email Invitations

Email is one of the most common methods for sending digital invitations. When sending via email, consider the following tips:

• Personalize Each Invitation: Address each guest by name to make the invitation feel more personal.
• Use a Catchy Subject Line: Your subject line should grab the recipient’s attention and encourage them to open the email.
• Include a Clear Call to Action: Make it easy for guests to RSVP or get more information by including a clear, clickable button or link.

2. Social Media Invitations

If your event is open to a broader audience, consider sharing your invitation on social media. You can post it on your personal or business pages, or even create a dedicated event page.

• Tag Relevant People: Tag speakers, performers, or other key participants in the event to increase visibility.
• Use Hashtags: Include relevant hashtags to help your invitation reach a wider audience.

3. Track RSVPs

Most digital invitation tools offer RSVP tracking features, which allow you to see who has responded to your invitation. This makes it easy to keep track of your guest list and follow up with anyone who hasn’t replied.

Conclusion

Learning how to make digital invitations doesn’t have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. With the right tools and a few simple design principles, you can create beautiful invitations that impress your guests and set the tone for your event. Whether you’re hosting a wedding, a birthday party, or a corporate event, digital invitations offer a convenient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly way to invite your guests.

By following these steps and best practices, you can create digital invitations that are not only visually appealing but also easy to design, ensuring your event is a success from the very start.

Featured image by Ephe N on Unsplash

The post How to Make Digital Invitations: A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on noupe.

I was recently asked by a student to help with a seemingly simple problem. She’d been working on a website for a coffee shop that sports a sticky header, and she wanted the hero section right underneath that header to span the rest of the available vertical space in the viewport.

Here’s a visual demo of the desired effect for clarity.

Looks like it should be easy enough, right? I was sure (read: overconfident) that the problem would only take a couple of minutes to solve, only to find it was a much deeper well than I’d assumed.

Before we dive in, let’s take a quick look at the initial markup and CSS to see what we’re working with:

<body>
  <header class="header">Header Content</header>
  <section class="hero">Hero Content</section>
  <main class="main">Main Content</main>
</body>

.header {
  position: sticky;
  top: 0; /* Offset, otherwise it won't stick! */
}

/* etc. */

With those declarations, the .header will stick to the top of the page. And yet the .hero element below it remains intrinsically sized. This is what we want to change.

The Low-Hanging Fruit

The first impulse you might have, as I did, is to enclose the header and hero in some sort of parent container and give that container 100vh to make it span the viewport. After that, we could use Flexbox to distribute the children and make the hero grow to fill the remaining space.

<body>
  <div class="container">
    <header class="header">Header Content</header>
    <section class="hero">Hero Content</section>
  </div>
  <main class="main">Main Content</main>
</body>

.container {
  height: 100vh;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
}

.hero {
  flex-grow: 1;
}

/* etc. */

This looks correct at first glance, but watch what happens when scrolling past the hero.

See the Pen Attempt #1: Container + Flexbox [forked] by Philip.

The sticky header gets trapped in its parent container! But.. why?

If you’re anything like me, this behavior is unintuitive, at least initially. You may have heard that sticky is a combination of relative and fixed positioning, meaning it participates in the normal flow of the document but only until it hits the edges of its scrolling container, at which point it becomes fixed. While viewing sticky as a combination of other values can be a useful mnemonic, it fails to capture one important difference between sticky and fixed elements:

A position: fixed element doesn’t care about the parent it’s nested in or any of its ancestors. It will break out of the normal flow of the document and place itself directly offset from the viewport, as though glued in place a certain distance from the edge of the screen.

Conversely, a position: sticky element will be pushed along with the edges of the viewport (or next closest scrolling container), but it will never escape the boundaries of its direct parent. Well, at least if you don’t count visually transform-ing it. So a better way to think about it might be, to steal from Chris Coyier, that “position: sticky is, in a sense, a locally scoped position: fixed.” This is an intentional design decision, one that allows for section-specific sticky headers like the ones made famous by alphabetical lists in mobile interfaces.

See the Pen Sticky Section Headers [forked] by Philip.

Okay, so this approach is a no-go for our predicament. We need to find a solution that doesn’t involve a container around the header.

Fixed, But Not Solved

Maybe we can make our lives a bit simpler. Instead of a container, what if we gave the .header element a fixed height of, say, 150px? Then, all we have to do is define the .hero element’s height as height: calc(100vh - 150px).

See the Pen Attempt #2: Fixed Height + Calc() [forked] by Philip.

This approach kinda works, but the downsides are more insidious than our last attempt because they may not be immediately apparent. You probably noticed that the header is too tall, and we’d wanna do some math to decide on a better height.

Thinking ahead a bit,

• What if the .header’s children need to wrap or rearrange themselves at different screen sizes or grow to maintain legibility on mobile?
• What if JavaScript is manipulating the contents?

All of these things could subtly change the .header’s ideal size, and chasing the right height values for each scenario has the potential to spiral into a maintenance nightmare of unmanageable breakpoints and magic numbers — especially if we consider this needs to be done not only for the .header but also the .hero element that depends on it.

I would argue that this workaround also just feels wrong. Fixed heights break one of the main affordances of CSS layout — the way elements automatically grow and shrink to adapt to their contents — and not relying on this usually makes our lives harder, not simpler.

So, we’re left with…

A Novel Approach

Now that we’ve figured out the constraints we’re working with, another way to phrase the problem is that we want the .header and .hero to collectively span 100vh without sizing the elements explicitly or wrapping them in a container. Ideally, we’d find something that already is 100vh and align them to that. This is where it dawned on me that display: grid may provide just what we need!

Let’s try this: We declare display: grid on the body element and add another element before the .header that we’ll call .above-the-fold-spacer. This new element gets a height of 100vh and spans the grid’s entire width. Next, we’ll tell our spacer that it should take up two grid rows and we’ll anchor it to the top of the page.

This element must be entirely empty because we don’t ever want it to be visible or to register to screen readers. We’re merely using it as a crutch to tell the grid how to behave.

<body>
  <!-- This spacer provides the height we want -->
  <div class="above-the-fold-spacer"></div>

  <!-- These two elements will place themselves on top of the spacer -->
  <header class="header">Header Content</header>
  <section class="hero">Hero Content</section>

  <!-- The rest of the page stays unaffected -->
  <main class="main">Main Content</main>
</body>

body {
  display: grid;
}

.above-the-fold-spacer {
  height: 100vh;
  /* Span from the first to the last grid column line */
  /* (Negative numbers count from the end of the grid) */
  grid-column: 1 / -1;
  /* Start at the first grid row line, and take up 2 rows */
  grid-row: 1 / span 2; 
}

/* etc. */

This is the magic ingredient.

By adding the spacer, we’ve created two grid rows that together take up exactly 100vh. Now, all that’s left to do, in essence, is to tell the .header and .hero elements to align themselves to those existing rows. We do have to tell them to start at the same grid column line as the .above-the-fold-spacer element so that they won’t try to sit next to it. But with that done… ta-da!

See the Pen The Solution: Grid Alignment [forked] by Philip.

The reason this works is that a grid container can have multiple children occupying the same cell overlaid on top of each other. In a situation like that, the tallest child element defines the grid row’s overall height — or, in this case, the combined height of the two rows (100vh).

To control how exactly the two visible elements divvy up the available space between themselves, we can use the grid-template-rows property. I made it so that the first row uses min-content rather than 1fr. This is necessary so that the .header doesn’t take up the same amount of space as the .hero but instead only takes what it needs and lets the hero have the rest.

Here’s our full solution:

body {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-rows: min-content 1fr;
}

.above-the-fold-spacer {
  height: 100vh;
  grid-column: 1 / -1;
  grid-row: 1 / span 2;
}

.header {
  position: sticky;
  top: 0;
  grid-column-start: 1;
  grid-row-start: 1;
}

.hero {
  grid-column-start: 1;
  grid-row-start: 2;
}

And voila: A sticky header of arbitrary size above a hero that grows to fill the remaining visible space!

Caveats and Final Thoughts

It’s worth noting that the HTML order of the elements matters here. If we define .above-the-fold-spacer after our .hero section, it will overlay and block access to the elements underneath. We can work around this by declaring either order: -1, z-index: -1, or visibility: hidden.

Keep in mind that this is a simple example. If you were to add a sidebar to the left of your page, for example, you’d need to adjust at which column the elements start. Still, in the majority of cases, using a CSS Grid approach is likely to be less troublesome than the Sisyphean task of manually managing and coordinating the height values of multiple elements.

Another upside of this approach is that it’s adaptable. If you decide you want a group of three elements to take up the screen’s height rather than two, then you’d make the invisible spacer span three rows and assign the visible elements to the appropriate one. Even if the hero element’s content causes its height to exceed 100vh, the grid adapts without breaking anything. It’s even well-supported in all modern browsers.

The more I think about this technique, the more I’m persuaded that it’s actually quite clean. Then again, you know how lawyers can talk themselves into their own arguments? If you can think of an even simpler solution I’ve overlooked, feel free to reach out and let me know!

Are you running your dropshipping eCommerce business in the EU? Then you should’ve heard about the General Data Protection Regulation. 

Whether you’re already established or just launching your dropshipping business in the EU, it is important that you comply with the GDPR regulations. No matter how big or small your business is, if it handles the personal data of EU citizens, GDPR applies to it. 

Your website might use cookies to collect information from your site visitors, which could risk your compliance with GDPR. In this article, we will show you how to ensure GDPR cookie compliance for your WooCommerce Dropshipping business. We will also outline the essential steps to achieve full compliance with GDPR.

What Is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the principal data protection regulation passed by the European Union on May 25, 2018. The law aims to protect the privacy rights of individuals and the personal data they share with businesses. 

Below are the eight rights that GDPR grants to every EU consumer: 

1. Right to be informed: Users have the right to be informed about their data collection practices. They have the right to know what data is collected, its purpose, its retention period, and who else has access to it. 
2. Right to access: GDPR grants users the right to access their personal data held by businesses. Upon prior requests, businesses should provide a copy of the personal data to users. 
3. Right to object processing: Users have the right to object to the processing of their personal data for purposes like marketing and promotions.
4. Right to be forgotten: GDPR grants users the right to have their personal data deleted when it is no longer necessary for the original purpose it was collected.
5. Right to rectification: Users have the right to ensure the accuracy of their personal data shared with businesses and can request rectification of any incorrect data.
6. Right to data portability: Users have the right to request their personal data to be transferred in a portable format. 
7. Right to restrict processing: GDPR grants users the right to restrict the processing of their personal data in specific circumstances, such as when the data is inaccurate, the processing is unlawful, or the data is no longer needed for its original purpose.
8. Right not to be subject to automated decision-making: Users have the right to opt out of decisions made by automated processes, including profiling, that have legal or significant impacts on them.

Why Is GDPR Important for Dropshipping Businesses?

Complying with GDPR is very crucial for any business that operates in the EU and/or handles the personal data of EU citizens. This applies to dropshipping businesses, too. 

Now, let’s have a detailed look at why GDPR is important for dropshipping businesses:

1. Legal Obligation

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a legal obligation for businesses operating in the EU and collects the personal data of EU citizens. Not complying with GDPR could cost you hefty fines, such as €20 million or 4% of the company’s global annual revenue, whichever is higher. 

To date, Meta has received the highest fine for GDPR violation, which is €1.2 billion. To avoid such huge fines, it is important that your dropshipping business should also comply with the GDPR guidelines. 

2. Follow Better Data Handling Practices

GDPR guides businesses to follow better data handling processes for your business. By complying with GDPR, dropshipping stores are encouraged to collect only the minimum data required for order fulfillment and to implement robust security measures to protect that data. 

3. Gain Customer Trust

People are concerned about their privacy in the online space. By complying with GDPR, you can show your commitment to protecting the privacy of your customers. This will build your brand reputation and help you gain the trust of your customers. 

4. Transparency and Accountability

GDPR holds businesses accountable for their data collection practices. It requires businesses to be transparent about what data they collect, why they collect it, and how long it will be retained. 

5. Market Standards

GDPR compliance has raised market standards, making it essential for businesses that sell products or services to follow its regulations. If you hesitate, you could face hefty fines and lose potential customers. Even people outside the EU look for GDPR-compliant alternatives, seeing them as a badge of trust and responsibility.

How Do Website Cookies Affect Your GDPR Compliance?

Cookies are small text files that websites place on a visitor’s browser to collect data and track their activities on the internet. Since cookies collect information from site visitors it also affects your GDPR compliance. 

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires businesses to obtain prior consent from users for collecting or processing their personal data. The consent should be freely given, specific and should be given with affirmative action, such as checking a checkbox or enabling a toggle button. This means pre-ticked cookie notices and opt-out consent mechanisms don’t comply with GDPR.

Businesses should inform users about their use of cookies through a cookie policy. This cookie policy should include the types and categories of cookies used, their purposes and duration, and the third parties that may access the data collected by the cookies.

Given that the GDPR is a comprehensive set of regulations with the potential for future changes, maintaining compliance is a proactive and ongoing process. Businesses should stay informed about any new developments in the regulations and regularly audit their data collection practices to ensure continued compliance.

How to Ensure GDPR Cookie Compliance for a WooCommerce Dropshipping Store?

If you are running your dropshipping business on a WooCommerce store, refer to the step-by-step guide below to ensure your website’s cookie compliance. 

Step 1: Install GDPR Cookie Consent Plugin by WebToffee

The GDPR Cookie Consent plugin by WebToffee is a native cookie consent solution for WordPress websites. It lets you comply with major privacy laws, such as the GDPR, CCPA, CNIL, LGPD, etc. when using cookies on your website. 

After purchasing the plugin, you will receive an email to download the plugin zip file. You can also download the plugin file from the My account page of their website. 

• Once you have downloaded the plugin, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin from your WordPress dashboard.
• Upload the plugin file, and then install and activate the plugin on your WordPress website.

Step 2: Create a Cookie Banner

• Go to the Cookie Consent > Cookie banner > General from your WordPress sidebar menu.
• Choose GDPR as the consent law. 
• Enable the cookie banner checkbox.
• Choose whether you want to set up geo-targeting for your cookie banner. This allows you to choose to show cookie banners only to EU and UK visitors or to all visitors across the world.

The other options on this page might not be relevant to you, choose them if necessary.

Step 3: Choose a Layout for the Cookie Banner

• Go to the Layout tab.
• Choose a layout for the cookie banner. You can choose banners, popups, and widgets. 
• Use the Banner preview toggle button to preview the banner layout.

Step 4: Customize the Cookie Banner

• Now, go to the Content & Colors tab. From here, you can customize the content and color of the elements in the cookie banner. 
• You can change the title and message of the cookie banner to change colors for the text, buttons, and links on the cookie banner.
• The plugin will have the default settings to comply with GDPR regulations, so you can keep the options as is. 

Refer to these cookie banner examples to customize your cookie banner and make it appealing. 

After making the necessary changes, click on Update settings to save the settings.

Your website will now have an active cookie banner based on GDPR cookie compliance requirements.

From this banner, your site visitors can accept or reject cookies on your website, provide granular consent to cookies based on their categories, and revisit or manage their consent preferences anytime they want to.

Step 5: Scan Your Website for Cookies

This WordPress cookie consent plugin enables you to scan your website and identify cookies. It categorizes and lists the cookies found on your site, allowing you to manage them effectively.

• Go to the Manage Cookies tab and select Cookie Scanner.

• Click on Scan for cookies button.

Once the scan is complete, the plugin will show the number of cookies on your website in different categories.

Step 6: Create a Cookie Policy

• Now, go to the Cookie policy tab. Here, you have a sample cookie policy template for your website. 
• Click on the Edit & publish cookie policy button.

Make any necessary changes, and click on Publish to publish the cookie policy page on your website. 

Tips to Achieve GDPR Compliance for Dropshipping Stores

Below are some general guidelines for dropshipping stores to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Disclose your identity and contact details to your users/customers. 
• Be transparent about the data collection activities on your website. Inform users about what data is collected, why it is collected, and how long it will be retained. 
• If you are sharing your customer data with any third-parties, let them know about who have access to their data. 
• Obtain explicit consent from your site visitors before collecting, processing, or sharing their personal data with third parties. 
• Update your privacy policy, cookie policy, and other legal documents to comply with GDPR requirements.
• Enable users to request a copy of their personal data. 
• Allow users to request modification of their personal data.
• Provide users with the option to download and transfer their data.
• Enable users to request the deletion of their personal data.
• If you are using any third-party plugins or services, ensure that they comply with the GDPR guidelines. 
• Use secure and GDPR-compliant payment gateways and payment providers, and avoid storing sensitive payment information on your server.
• In case of data breaches, inform users and concerned authorities and implement a proper breach response action plan.

Apart from these, we also recommend that you appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) for your business and conduct data audits regularly to identify and mitigate any potential risks. 

Frequently Asked Questions on GDPR Compliance for Dropshipping

1. Does GDPR apply to dropshipping businesses outside the EU?

Yes. GDPR applies to all businesses that collect or process personal data of EU residents, regardless of where it is located or operates.

2. What types of personal data do dropshipping businesses typically collect?

Dropshipping businesses often collect names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and payment information.

3. Can dropshipping businesses use customer data for marketing purposes?

Only if the customer has given explicit consent for their data to be used for marketing purposes. Businesses must offer an easy way for customers to withdraw their consent.

4. Do dropshipping businesses need a Data Protection Officer (DPO)?

A DPO is required if the business collects or processes large amounts of personal data from data subjects.

5. What are the consequences of non-compliance with GDPR?

Non-compliance with GDPR can result in huge fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher, along with reputational damage to the company.

Conclusion

GDPR compliance requires a proactive approach to protecting the personal data customers hold by businesses. It sets a standard to safeguard the privacy rights of data subjects. Complying with GDPR is not a one-time process; it requires continuous monitoring and evaluation. Even a slight negligence could result in millions of Euros in fines.

We hope this article has helped you ensure compliance with GDPR when using cookies on your website. The GDPR Cookie consent plugin we mentioned in this article is a complete cookie compliance suite for WordPress websites. It works within the WordPress ecosystem and saves all consent-related data on your web server. 

We have also listed some general guidelines to help you comply with GDPR. These guidelines will help you comply with GDPR for your dropshipping business. We also recommend that you hire a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to manage your data collection practices and address any compliance-related issues. 

That’s it, folks. We’d love to hear what you think about this article in the comments. 

Featured image by Mara Conan Design on Unsplash

The post How to Achieve GDPR Cookie Compliance for WooCommerce Dropshipping Store? appeared first on noupe.

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Quick Hit #14 originally published on CSS-Tricks, which is part of the DigitalOcean family. You should get the newsletter.

In the early days of the web, I remember how annoying it was when print designers would claim they could design websites, too. They assumed that just because they could design for one medium, they could design for the other.

That assumption often led to bad user experiences. The skills for effective web design are quite different from those for print design.

A similar thing happens today. Designers know how to design traditional marketing and e-commerce sites. They, therefore, presume they have the skills to work on SaaS apps and other digital projects.

But when it comes to design, there’s a big distinction between traditional websites and digital products. If we want to work on digital products, we need to understand those differences and adopt a different approach to our work.

People Interact with Digital Products More Regularly

The biggest difference is that users interact with digital products more than most websites.

Think about your own web use. What are the sites you visit most often? If you listed your top ten, well over half would be some form of digital product, from a social media application to a productivity tool.

So, with that in mind, let’s dive into the specifics of how the frequency of usage impacts our design approach and what we can do about it.

Why Frequency of Use Matters So Much

The more we interact with a web app or website, the more important the overall user experience becomes. Users develop deeper connections with digital products. They also form more complex mental models of products they use often. This changes how they see the app in two fundamental ways.

Friction Becomes Significantly More Irritating

First, friction points become increasingly annoying. Users interact with a digital product many times per day. Any small problem in the interface compounds quickly.

When you encounter a clunky UI or confusing workflow on a website you only visit once in a while, it’s frustrating but easy to overlook. But, when that same friction occurs in an app you use multiple times per day, it becomes a major source of irritation.

Change Undermines Our Procedural Knowledge

Second, the more we use an app, the more familiar we become with it and how it works. We end up using the app automatically, without even thinking, much like when you’ve been driving a car for years, you don’t think about the process. This is known as procedural knowledge.

This is great news for digital product designers, as it means we can create interfaces that become second nature to our users. But, if we break their mental models or introduce unexpected changes, we risk causing frustration and disruption.

So, knowing these two things, how does this affect our approach to digital product design? Well, let’s start by considering the problem of friction.

Fixing Friction Points

As digital product designers, we need to become obsessed with removing friction from the user experience. Failure to do so will alienate users over time and ultimately lead to churn.

To mitigate friction, we need to constantly seek out friction points. We need to diagnose the exact problem and then test any solution to ensure it does, in fact, make things better.

So, how exactly do we find friction points?

Finding Friction

The most obvious way is to listen to customers. User feedback is crucial in identifying friction points in the user experience. However, we can’t simply rely on that. Analytics can be your friend, too.

Microsoft Clarity offers essential insights to pinpoint issues on your app.

I would highly recommend using a tool like Microsoft Clarity. It gives detailed insights into user behavior. They help find points of friction. These include the following:

• Rage clicks: Where individuals continuously click on something due to frustration.
• Dead clicks: Where people click on something that is not clickable.
• Excessive scrolling: Where users scroll up and down looking for something.
• Quick backs: Where a person accidentally lands on a screen and promptly navigates back to the previous one.
• Error messages: Where the user is triggering an error in the system.

These will help you identify potential friction points that you can then investigate further.

Diagnosing Friction

Once you know where things are going wrong, you can use heat maps and session recordings in Clarity. They will help you understand the problem. Why are people excessively scrolling or rage-clicking, for example?

Session recordings are valuable for pinpointing particular problems in the interface.

If the heat maps or session recordings don’t make things clear, that is where you would need to consider usability testing.

Once you understand the problem, you can then begin exploring solutions and testing them rigorously to ensure they effectively reduce friction.

Testing Your Friction Busting Solutions

How you test your solution to the point of friction will depend on the size and complexity of the changes you need to make.

For small changes, such as tweaking the UI or changing some text, A/B testing is often the best approach. You show the new solution to a subset of your users and measure the impact on those indicators of frustration.

But A/B testing isn’t always the right approach. If your app has lower levels of traffic, getting results from a statistically significant A/B test can be time-consuming.

Also, when your solution involves big changes, like adding new features or redesigning many screens, A/B testing can be expensive. That is because you need to first fully develop the solution before you can test it, meaning that it can prove costly if that solution turns out not to work.

Your best approach in such situations is to create a prototype for remote testing.

Initially, I usually conduct unfacilitated testing with a tool such as Maze. Unfacilitated testing is easy to set up. It requires minimal time investment, and Maze offers analytics, so you don’t necessarily need to watch every session back.

Maze serves as a valuable resource for conducting remote testing, offering both test data and recordings for each test.

If testing uncovers issues you can’t fix, then try facilitated testing. Facilitated testing enables you to delve into any arising issues by asking questions.

Once you have a solution that works, it’s time to roll that feature out. But you need to be careful at this point because of the procedural knowledge I mentioned earlier.

Dealing With the Dangers of Procedural Knowledge

Introducing fixes to a user interface has a good chance of breaking a user’s procedural knowledge. Interface elements are often moved and so are no longer where users expect to find them, or they look different, and so users miss them.

This can upset many existing customers. That can panic stakeholders and lead to rash decisions.

To some extent, you need to accept that this is inevitable and prepare stakeholders for this eventuality. Users will normally adapt in a couple of weeks of regular use, and so there is no immediate need to panic.

That said, there are things you can do to mitigate the reaction.

1. To start with, you can let people know that change is coming. This allows people to mentally adapt to the change before it occurs.
2. Secondly, if the change is significant, you may wish to give people the ability to opt out of it, at least in the short term. That is why some apps roll out features in beta and give users the option to opt in or out. This provides a sense of control that reduces people’s reactions.
3. Finally, you can also provide guidance within the user interface itself. Tooltips and overlays can show users where features have been moved so new interface elements can be highlighted.

Slack use tooltips to explain how their interface works.

The key is to strike a balance. You must add needed improvements while causing minimal disruption to users’ workflows. You will also need to carefully monitor adoption and adapt accordingly.

Change The Way We Work

That constant monitoring and adaptation lies at the heart of digital product design. You cannot rely solely on the initial solution but must be prepared to continuously refine and iterate as user behavior and needs evolve.

Welcome to September’s toolbox.