The mortgage broker website framework we provide clients, and the associated Yabber integration, was built in such a way that various types of functionality was progressively drip-fed to the system. While this evolution hasn’t had an impact on the user experience, it has certainly introduced superfluous code on the backend. To mitigate this continued messiness, we’ve recently introduced some ‘common’ functions that will progressively replace some legacy code, and the first of the slightly enhanced features is the ability to find and replace placeholder text in WordPress shortcode, or with the use of an Elementor Widget. This article describes how to use the placeholder replace functionality.
Note: Your website has always included a large number of placeholders to replace a particular string of text with the lowest interest rate of a certain type, and we use the feature everywhere. This article introduces new functionality.
Note: Rate data has evolved into one of the most important resources to provide to your clients, and while we provide tools and various lender widgets to return this data everywhere, it’s the backend functionality that is able to crunch numbers and return products, recommendations, and comparison options that tends to be more functional.
Related Article: “Lending Widgets Updated to Include Business, Equipment, Personal, and Transactional Data“. The lender widgets now supports business finance, equipment finance, auto finance, personal loan finance, and transactional data.
The ‘Lowest of Type’ API endpoint returns the lowest rate associated with each product category. This is obviously important from a website perspective because it allows us to include the ‘Rates From’ style of headline, and the rates may be applied to resources such as the Bankbox, BM Box, blocks of general text, and virtually anywhere else.
Rate Placeholders
Rate placeholders are listed below. The ‘v‘ and ‘f‘ indicates a fixed or variable rate, while the ‘_c‘ indicates a comparison rate or, in the case of transactional accounts, the interest paid on credit.
Standard Home Loan Products
%%rate%%%%comparison_rate%%%%owner_occupied_v%%%%owner_occupied_v_c%%%%owner_occupied_f%%%%owner_occupied_f_c%%%%investment_io%%%%investment_io_c%%%%investment_pi%%%%investment_pi_c%%%%fixed%%%%fixed_c%%%%variable%%%%variable_c%%%%introductory%%%%introductory_c%%%%discount%%%%discount_c%%Business, Personal, Margin, and Transactional Products
%%businessloan_f%%%%businessloan_f_c%%%%businessloan_v%%%%businessloan_v_c%%%%personalloan_f%%%%personalloan_f_c%%%%personalloan_v%%%%personalloan_v_c%%%%autoloan_f%%%%autoloan_f_c%%%%autoloan_v%%%%autoloan_v_c%%%%smsfloan_f%%%%smsfloan_f_c%%%%smsfloan_v%%%%smsfloan_v_c%%%%transsavings_f%%%%transsavings_f_c%%%%transsavings_v%%%%transsavings_v_c%%%%transsavings_smsf_f%%%%transsavings_smsf_f_c%%%%transsavings_smsf_v%%%%transsavings_smsf_v_c%%%%equipmentloan_f%%%%equipmentloan_f_c%%%%equipmentloan_v%%%%equipmentloan_v_c%%%%constructionloan_f%%%%constructionloan_f_c%%%%constructionloan_v%%%%constructionloan_v_c%%%%creditcard_transfer%%%%creditcard_transfer_c%%%%creditcard_intro%%%%creditcard_intro_c%%%%creditcard_purchase%%%%creditcard_purchase_c%%%%termdeposit%%%%termdeposit_c%%Each placeholder is replaced with a float value and percentage sign, and in the case of a comparison rate, we’ll also include the small asterisk that directs a user to your general disclaimer and comparison warning. For example, the lowest home loan rate made available via our listed accredited lenders (of which we have none, obviously) is 4.69% (4.63%*). Shortcode used to return the rates was [rates_replace]%%rate%% (%%comparison_rate%%)[/rates_replace]. Note that any text may be included in the shortcode, but only the placeholders are evaluated for a replacement.
Sorting on the lowest interest rate of comparison rate is a user option, and the attribute of sort_on_lowest="interest" (or ‘comparison’) should be used. Additional options will made available soon.
Shortcode Attributes & Placeholders: Available shortcode attributes and the various placeholder needn’t be remembered. In a forthcoming update to our plugin we’ll be including the information via a tab in WP’s content creation editor.
At this stage, and unlike some of our other tools, the rate does not link to the relevant product page. However, that feature is forthcoming.
Elementor Widget
The Elementor Widget options is most suitable when creating pages, or altering existing pages.
Pictured: Search for the ‘BM Lender Rate Textbox’ in Elementor, drag into Elementor, and apply the text. Optional text styling may be applied.
Optional styling may be applied by selecting the ‘Apply Typography’ toggle switch. The option applies basic styling for those cases where the text is to be used in large call-to-action areas. If not selected, the text takes on the shape of other standard (default) text on your page.
Conclusion
All text created via the shortcode or widget is cached for around 36 hours. This is done so to ensure the content is served quickly, but also to avoid repeated requests to the API. Whenever text is altered in any way a new request is made. All the cached files are located in the same directory as standard rate data, so if required, updating the Rate Cache in Yabber will purge all data.
The system is still undergoing some updates. Green Home Loans, for example, are often returned with standard home loan products, and this seriously compromises the accuracy of results. We’re in talk wit the banks, and we review product data daily in order to identify these products and relegate them to green-only searches.
We understand that the feature we’ve described is simple. However, the mechanics of the system will change soon, and this will include the facility to link to product pages (generally only excluded at this point because we needed to avoid options and complexity).
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