Widgets and their Benefits

Widgets come in many different forms and can either appear on a user’s desktop or can be viewed on the web. They either provide real time information like the weather forecast or some type of functionality, for example a calculator. It’s usually a portable chunk of Javascript code that can be easily implemented by the user. The term generally is used interchangeably with gadgets . This post gives you an overview of the different types of widgets and their benefits.

Web Widgets

These widgets are web based and are generally used by webmasters to enhance their websites. When users see YouTube videos displayed on other websites they are seeing an example of a web widget . Web widgets have been used in affiliate marketing for a number of years. Amazon is an active user of web widgets which they distribute as creative for other webmasters to use.

Desktop Widgets

Desktop widgets are similar to web widgets but they can be put on a user’s desktop. The widget accesses the internet to provide users with information right at their desktop. For example, BBC provides users with a widget that they can put on their desktop relating to the different news section of their website. Desktop widgets are generally used to check out the weather forecast.

Social Media Widgets

Lately, Social Media widgets are probably the most common types of widgets used. These are web widgets but are generally used for sharing and bookmarking purposes. Some examples of social media widgets are Twitter , Digg and Delicious.

Mobile Widgets

Mobile Widgets are like desktop widgets but on a user’s mobile phone. These widgets are a quick way to access relevant information.

Google Gadgets

These are widgets or gadgets created by Google users offering dynamic content that can be placed on any website. An example of the type of Google Gadgets available can be seen below.

There are various other types of widgets but most of them are generally based on the above type of widgets.

Benefits of using Widgets

Widgets are good for online PR, brand awareness and also for direct sales through affiliate marketing. Some general benefits of widgets can be seen below:
• Improves audience experience.
• Relatively low cost for developer.
• Interactive and engaging content for users, ultimately helping with search engine optimisation.

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