17 May 2021

The React framework advantage

We’re big fans of React at Catch. But just what is React, and how do we use it?

React is a JavaScript library used in web development to build interactive elements on the web. The main advantage for end users is the fast interactivity they’re provided with, as there should be very little reload time when new data is presented on their screen. This, in turn, leads to a more positive user experience.

The React advantage for End Users

As you probably know, we’re Drupal experts. Whilst Drupal is an excellent CMS for general website usage, there comes a time when users want a bit more which is when we reach for React to build a ‘web app’ to sit on a page.

Think of Google Maps, for example. What a pain it would be if there was a noticeable page refresh (such as clicking on a link and waiting for the page to reload) each time you zoomed in or out or panned across the map. React helps eliminate this friction, allowing elements to quickly load on a page as the user interacts with them.

React makes it painless to create interactive UIs. Design simple views for each state in your application, and React will efficiently update and render just the right components when your data changes.

ReactJS.org

The React advantage for Developers

React is a JavaScript library that at a fundamental level is used to build many components each with their own independent ‘state’ that tells the component what to do. If you think of a button on a website as a component, the state might include the colour, the text (e.g. ‘Click Here’) and the URL (e.g. ‘https://www.catchdigital.com’). As you build out your React project with components, it allows you to avoid the time-intensive process of coding and testing over and over meaning you can build new features and scale your application.

Developers can reuse the button all over the web app and update the ‘state’ of each of these using ‘props’. The advantage to this is that every button on the site will look and behave in the same way. Of course, components will be much more complicated than just a button, and can do more than just take a user from one page to another.

Below are some helpful definitions to understand the terminology used when discussing React.

State - The current data that is within the component, any time this is updated and the state changes, a re-render will take place
Props - This is how information or data is passed from one component into another. For example if we reuse the button analogy where have colour, text and url managed in the state of the button, we could also have disabled as a state. If the button component is associated with a contact form, we could set the disabled state of the button to be true until all of the fields of the form are completed and then update the state of the button component using props

Developers are able to reuse tested code and know that it will stand up to stress.

The React advantage for our clients

We now know that React is a data driven tool, and allowing our clients to manage the content for a data driven API means we can treat Drupal as a headless CMS for the output of JSON in an API format. New content can be created in the same way new pages can be created. The same goes for content within each page, reducing what could be a time intensive process to update their site (or multiple sites from one data source).

Some examples of our use of React

From quickly adapting to what the user is looking for on the TV Guide on our Freeview web platform:

To helping students filter and book available accommodation in London via IQ Student Accommodation:

To helping global telecommunication company SES provide users with the ability to search for satellite footprint information using their “Our Coverage” tool within their existing Drupal solution:

Or providing the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) Members with a quick and easy way to view Adspend data in a graph that instantly updates as you change dates and add filters:

Catch is experienced in offering our clients effective solutions that take advantages of all the benefits of React.

If you're ready to start your journey and see how we can help you improve your connection with your audience through smart technology like React, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Related news and work

We're a Top 50 UK client rated digital agency

15 Mar 2021

We've been named as one of the top 50 client rated digital agencies in the UK in The Drum's Digital Agency Census 2021

Helping UK SMEs unlock the value of digital advertising

11 Nov 2020

Helping IAB to help the UK’s small businesses unlock the value of digital advertising for their brand

The biggest TV platform in the UK

Freeview

A website for the UK’s biggest television platform, used daily by almost 18 million households

13 May 2016

Bye bye bloggers, hello micro-influencers

At Catch, we work with a wide range of consumer brands day in day out; so when we throw around the term “influencer”, we assume its meaning is common knowledge.

The dictionary definition of an influencer is a person who, “has a compelling force or produces effects on the actions, behaviour, opinions etc of others.”

A common misconception in the industry is that influencer = blogger. Influencers CAN be bloggers, yes. But it is becoming more and more apparent that bloggers do not hold the strength that they used to.

Over recent years, the blogging industry has blossomed beyond compare. Blogs provide a creative outlet for people to channel their passions into an online media where they can share their talents and interests with the world. There are blogs on just about anything, but the ones that we tend to work with the most are fashion and beauty blogs. These types of blogs in particular have taken the industry by storm.

The beauty of this industry is that ANYONE can become a blogger. If you have access to the internet and basic competence using Wordpress, you can become a blogger overnight. You don’t necessarily need to be able to write particularly well either; audiences these days are all about visuals and glossy photography. However, this ease of entry has led to a huge over-saturation in the market. Sure, there are bloggers who stand out above the rest. But these “stand out” bloggers still come by the bucket-load.

So what does all this mean for influencers? You don’t need a blog to be an influencer anymore. Micro-influencers are taking over, in a big way.

A micro-influencer is usually an Instagrammer or YouTuber, with a high social following, who has a great impact on their audience and what they do. This power enables them to influence their followers’ buying habits and encourage them to buy into brands by association. Instagram is the most popular platform on which influencers tend to flourish; essentially creating visual micro-blogs showcasing their inspirational lifestyle. As long as they continue posting engaging, glossy visuals and keep growing their audience, brands will pay them to talk about them.

This industry is booming like no other.

Brands and influencers are working together to promote just about anything: clothes, cosmetics, holidays, even down to simple things like vitamin supplements. It all comes down to the power of, “well, if _____ is doing it, I want to do it.”. And it’s as simple as that.

How are blogs already going into decline; they only just became cool?

Millennials want their information faster, in snackable pieces. Being taken off their half-asleep newsfeed crawl to trawl through blog posts isn’t ideal anymore. They need to digest the information there and then, if it is going to make any impact. Full length YouTube tutorials are being taken over by short videos on platforms like Instagram/Snapchat; whilst these short videos are being supplemented with live streaming. Instagram feeds used to be a way of getting users onto your blog; now your Instagram feed IS your blog, featuring carefully curated, glossy stories and inspiration.

Where will the industry go next? Does anyone who isn’t “Insta-famous” by now even stand a chance?

At the end of the day, influencers aren’t going to disappear any time soon, that’s for certain. As the industry progresses, they are set to hold an important role in the way brands talk to customers. The power these influencers have over consumers will increase over time; but it is the channels they are using that will really evolve and change the industry as we know it.

The social media team at Catch have worked on many successful influencer outreach and social campaigns for brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Thomas Cook Airlines, Rimmel London, The Body Shop and more. If you’re interested in finding out more please Get in touch.