At SignalFive, we are always looking out for cutting-edge ways to deliver marketing solutions to our clients. One such solution is the widget. A widget is a small app, usually written in a language such as Flash, that can be used to promote a company’s service or product. We recently finished work on a widget for a popular DJ, and are eager to flex our muscles and work on more of these social, mini-apps….And now that Facebook is the stickiest site out there on the web, why not distribute your content on it in the form of a widget?

What are some considerations to use when building a widget? Here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

1 ) Integrate advertising that is relevant and unobtrusive. The “message” has to be seamlessly integrated to appear natural with the rest of the content, as well as the medium (video, audio, static).

This should be pretty clear: Your widget should be a reflection of your brand, your culture, and offer users an insight into what your company does, and what it can offer. Look, for example at Trulia’s TruliaMap, a widget that you can use to show your Real Estate listings. Integrating relevant content can yield amazing results.

2 ) Making your widget stand apart from existing ones is the ability to make “native widgets” that fit the look of any site you want to put it on.

This is a no-brainer to us, but some people still think “inside the box” when it comes to the design of their widget. You are only limited by your imagination. If you are a high-fashion retailer, why not create a unique widget, with beautiful rounded corners and transitions, fades, and transparencies. You don’t have to make something boxy and square like this. Create something as engaging as your brand.

3 ) Make your widget small enough to fit in someone’s right hand column and make the code easy to copy and paste.

This technical consideration can make-or-break widget adoption. For instance, Facebook’s Profile column is 200px wide. If you are creating a widget intended to be placed within a user’s sidebar column, it does you no good to create a widget that is 350px wide. On the flipside, don’t skimp on size either. 150px could work, but how does it look? We find 200px to be an ideal width for a sidebar widget.

4 ) Widgets can outperform traditional advertising. For example, why not use the ad space you bought and turn it into an extension of your website?

This is a really interesting point. The ability that other websites provide you with is no less than allowing a miniature version of YOUR WEBSITE on THEIRS. Think about it. Let’s say you have a 5 page site. Why not shrink it into a Flash-format, put some interesting content on it and allow others to share and embed it? Think of it as hot-wiring your content to travel across the Interwebs FOR FREE. (Just don’t forget to put a link back to your original site).

5 ) Solve one user problem. Widgets work best when they have a single focus.

Widgets, just like iPhone apps, are usually best when they do one thing, and do it well. Remember iFart? How about NightStand? Guess what, these apps do one thing. And guess what? They do it well. Try to distill the essence of your product or service into your widget. Do you offer stock photography? Why not create a widget that serves up a new stock photo every time you visit. Maybe you offer personal financial services? Create a widget that allows users to enter some personal portfolio information with a callout to how you can help them. If you are in media it’s easy: Embed a snippet of video and audio from some of your upcoming content. Give users a teaser, then provide a link back to your microsite.

6 ) Post on sites that aggregate widgets, such as Google, Yahoo, Pageflakes, and Netvibes. Post and promote widgets at all customer touch points to expand usage.

Once you have a brand new shiny widget, promote the living daylights out of it. Put it up on Netvibes, post it to Yahoo widgets.  Tweet about it. Tell your friends to add it. Tell them to tell THEIR friends to add it. Blog about it. Offer ad space on your widget to your partners. Basically, let people know it’s out there and why they should embed it.

7 ) Promote widgets on your Web site, including on the home page, in footers, and across the site.

Did we mention you should promote your widget on your own website?

8 ) Use Clearspring to track your widget

Clearspring rocks. They provide you with Analytics, similar to Google Analytics, for your widget. They let you know who embedded your widget, and onto which sites. This is useful for gathering key demographic information. They track widget clicks. They also offer tools that allow you to turn your widget into a Facbook, Myspace, or Hi5 app with a few steps. We use them. We like them.

9 ) Use Gigya for widget distribution

We haven’t used Gigya (yet), but they look promising. They have some great case studies on how important brands use widgets to distribute content. They also have a cool Creative Best Practices guide for widget creation.

10 ) Have fun

This is the final step. Have fun. Making a widget should be an enjoyable experience that provides you with new insight into your target audience. Make something that is cool, fun, and memorable, and your ROI will be more than just percentage points on a chart. A diamond might be forever, but a widget should be able to last for a while…

Thanks, and be sure to contact us with any questions you have about widgets, or other things, like iPhone apps. We would love to talk to you.

Tags: marketing, strategies, widgets

This entry was posted on Monday, July 20th, 2009 at 3:07 pm and is filed under Big Picture, SignalFive News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.