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Widgets 101 : Picture-In-Picture Web

A look at Widgets, Micro Applications and Portable Content

Blog: http://joannapenabickley.typepad.com

By: Joanna Peña-Bickley | SVP, Group Creative Director | Wunderman, New York

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What is a Widget?

• A widget is a web based application that can live on web page, your desktop or on your operating system.

• A widget can facilitate:– Portable content– Sharing content with friends through viral

functionality such as: Send to a Friend Code Posts Or direct install into social networks or platforms

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Two Types of Widgets

There are two major categories of Widgets: • Web Widgets

– Web Widgets run inside a web page and are also known as “modules” or “badges”. Web Widgets allow anyone to create their own website “mash-ups” by embedding content from one site into a page on another site. These types of Widgets are completely based on browser technologies — HTML, Flash, etc. And while they have been around in various forms for a while, the use of the term “Widget” to refer to these web page modules is relatively new.

• Desktop Widgets – Widgets have conventionally meant a desktop-based mini-

application that shows discreet information, often connected to the Internet.

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What Are Widgets Used For?• Distribute Information…answers, events, places, prices,

people• Integrate information, analyze it and present it in interesting

ways… network for members, finding the right job, e-learning• Communicate… people to people by text, images, audio

video or virtual reality; through computers, phones or cell phones for learning, advertising, sales, support, fun or friends

• Create personalized, secure and self-serve experience • Scheduling for events, facilities or services such as rooms,

meetings, transportation and people• Shopping…From product/service research to inventory

selection to purchase to payment to shipping and delivery• Community building for affinity or loyal groups, companies,

associations, fans, neighborhoods, schools or churches

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Why Use Widgets?• Why Use a Desktop Widget?

– The advantages of a desktop widget over a web widget include: Lives outside of the browser Access to local resources Potential for offline use & background downloading Greater interaction with the rest of the system through standard desktop

interaction Desktop widgets blur the line between the web and the desktop by

pulling the content out of the browser and integrating it into your desktop

• Why Use Web Widgets?– They provide clear communications (without spam)– Extend brand beyond website– Powerful search engine optimization tool– Placed by the user where it will be seen frequently– They give you presence on home pages, blogs, Google strategy page,

MySpace, Facebook and cell phones– They can present results to the user

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Widgets & Social Media

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Examples of Widgets - Web Widgets

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Examples of Widgets - Web Widgets

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Examples Of Widgets - Desktop Widgets

YouTube - Apple Widget

HBO

Apple: Retail

U2 Fan Widget

Spa Finder

Harry Potter Release Countdown CNN News Feed

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Who Makes Up the Widget Landscape?

• Widget Box• Spring Widgets• Wdgty• Clear Spring

• Gigya• Gizmoz• FreeWebs• SnapVine• Widggipedia

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How are they relevant?

• Widgets allow us to create and share content, making it portable across the web, mobile devices and television.

• They may it easy for us to share our favorite content with our friends, family and colleagues.

• We can wear our brands, communities and special interests like a badge of honor.

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Measuring a Widget’s success: ComScore

Last June, ComScore announced that it would begin measuring widgets.

Widgets reached about 21% of the worldwide Internet audience in April, ComScore found. About 40% of widget use, or 81 million of those people, came from North America. Slide had the largest reach, followed by RockYou, Picturetrail and Photobucket.

• Widget Penetration Highest in North America– As more and more sites across the Internet employ Web widgets, the worldwide

penetration will continue to grow. In April, widget penetration was highest in North America where 40.3 percent of Internet users visited a website with an embedded widget, followed by Western Europe (24.3 percent) and Latin America (17.5 percent).

• Widget Measurement Definitions– The current universe of widgets is defined as embedded flash (.swf) objects. The

ComScore Widget Metrics service will evolve in its tracking of widget file types as the market dynamics and content delivery systems change. The report currently focuses on the individual widgets, and not the platforms that deliver them.

– Desktop widgets are also not included.

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Measuring Your Widget’s Success

• There are a number of ways to track the distribution of your widget.– You can track

the number of impressions served if you are serving video, the number of full views consumer data if you are selling something, purchases if you are a game, how many people played you if you are a toll,how many people used you how many people passed it on of the people who received it, how many of those

people posted it which social networks you are distributed in whose page you are appearing on

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Best Practices

• Use the widget to push information

• Allow consumers to customize your widget to their liking

• Make sure that your widget can be distributed and is portable to all social networking applications

• Keep it Simple!– One thing at a time

• Give it one objective• Make multiples if you can

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More On Widgets @ http://joannapenabickley.typepad.comBy: Joanna Peña-Bickley | SVP, Group Creative Director | Wunderman, New York

Widgets 101 : Picture-In-Picture Web

A look at Widgets, Micro Applications and Portable Content