What in the World is a Widget?

When you hear the word “widget” what do you think of? I think it sounds like the name of a mythical creature that could have appeared in the Lord of the Rings series. Do you know what a widget is?

Here is a general definition:
A widget is anything that can be embedded within a page of HTML, i.e. a web page. A widget adds some content to that page that is not static. Generally widgets are third party originated, though they can be home made. Widgets are also known as modules, snippets, and plug-ins. Widgets are written in JavaScript, flash or any other scripting languages that will be run when the page is called.

Here is an example of a widget.



Basically, a widget is a box that you can put on your website, blog, iGoogle page, MySpace, Facebook page, etc., that allows you to add content from another website and interact with it. In the example above, I downloaded a widget from The Office website on NBC.com and added it to my Blog, so I can watch clips from The Office whenever I want.

How Widgets Affect Marketing
If you are a Facebook, MySpace, or iGoogle user, you are probably already familiar with how marketers are using widgets. Companies such as Slide (a popular picture widget) create applications for websites and are allowed to generate revenue from them however they want. There are two basic ways that widgets are used for advertising. One such way is through selling ad space or sponsorships that will show on the widget. Another option for using widgets to advertise is to follow the example of companies, such as Google and NBC, who use widgets as media to advertise themselves. With our society becoming more and more tech-friendly, using widgets could be a very good way to generate exposure, especially if you advertise on popular social-networking sites.

It would be a good idea to look at both ways to use widgets when considering how your advertising dollars should be spent. Think of widgets like you would think of a website. What type of people would use your widget? How much time do they spend? Asking these types of questions can help you to determine if a widget already exists that reaches your target market, so you can consider buying ad space or sponsorship there. If there is not already an appropriate widget for the target market you are trying to reach, you may need to create your own. Though widgets are not a MUST in internet marketing right now, as they become more and more popular, they have the potential of being major players in the internet marketing game.