What are Web Widgets and Gadgets?
Web gadgets (or widgets) are portable chunks of the Web that can be easily embedded into a webpage and adds some content to that page that is not static. This portable chunk of code can be installed and used in a HTML-based web page by an end user. Widgets are derived from the idea of code reuse. You can use them to get or promote news, information, entertainment, decoration, or whatever else you can think of for your blog, profile page, personal home page, or web site. Visit our FAQ page for more information about usage. Below are some examples of where you can use widgets.
Web Widgets and Gadgets for Personalized Web Portals
For customized web portals like iGoogle and Netvibes, widgets deliver to you exactly what you want, when you want it. No more pop-ups, pop-unders, and annoying flash banner ads that can considerably slow down or interrupt your web experience. Your page of web widgets can deliver to you all the important content you want in just one screen rather than hunting through numerous websites and search results. Use these gadgets to keep up to date on news, celebrity gossip, airfare and hotel rates and the weather. You can also play games, solve puzzles, listen to music, play with your own virtual pet, receive daily humor, create a photomontage and so much more. Web gadgets allow you to personalize your very own web portal/start page.
Web Widgets and Gadgets for Personal or Business Web Sites and Blogs
For web site or blog owners, using widgets can help keep your visitors engaged and entertained. People love using all sorts of web widgets and gadgets. In fact many sources have web widget usage on the rise as we move beyond Web 2.0. A widget is typically not an ad since consumers can interact with it to find the content they want, not what a brand is pushing. Your visitors interact with various products, services, news, pricing and commentary without leaving your content and searching for it elsewhere. The most effective way to use a widget is to find one that is complimentary - use the Yahoo Finance widget to show up to date stock prices and financial information or a CNN gadget for the latest national and world news. You can also post various retail widgets which can be a compliment to what you are selling or blogging about or post others that promote various lifestyle interests like parenthood or techno gadgets. Outfitters can post travel widgets to make airfare/hotel travel easier to that particular area or post weather widgets to help people plan their travels. Web gadgets can help keep your visitors interested with your content longer and can also help keep your visitors coming back for more interesting and fun interaction.
Gadgets and Widgets for Social Community Pages such as Facebook, Bebo and MySpace.
Have a Facebook page or involved in some other online community? Post these widgets as applications directly onto your page to not only express your unique self and interests to the community, but to also share your experience among your friends, family and colleagues. Want to let your friends know about a pair of shoes that are on sale that week? Looking for a great deal on travel for a trip you are interested in taking with some friends? These gadgets will allow everyone to constantly check prices and in-stock items and keep everyone in the know. Promote your self interests with widgets that deal with political commentary, great YouTube clips, entertaining games, humorous cartoons and classic quotes by the world’s most famous characters. You’ll find that these gadgets and widgets can spur great conversations among your peers and family about a recent customer experience, limited time deals, political developments or the newest song you want everyone to hear.