Here is a list of 10
things to consider. The
items are not in any
particular order (hence
no numbering) and it
does not necessarily
mean you have to meet
each item. However, we
do believe that each
item should be
considered and conscious
decisions should be made
regarding each point.
Each widget, project has its own set
of requirements and time
lines, so as long as
though was put into the
process, a widget can
meet your goal without
delivering on every
element listed.
-
Compelling
content for reader
and publisher
If the content is
not interesting for
anyone, then why
would anyone bother
to use or spread it?
It’s not just about
RSS feeds and cute
badges, the
possibilities are
endless.
-
Remember it’s a
three way
relationship; engage
the reader, benefit
the publisher and
brand yourself
Many forget that
this is a complex
relationship. Not
only do you have to
brand yourself
through the widget,
but you also have to
give a reason for a
publisher to use the
widget. Are they
getting cool
content, new
features or
something unique?
What do the readers
get out of this?
-
Customizations,
the more the better
Beyond branding
for yourself, keep
in mind that widgets
live outside your
domain. This means
that the more
customizations
available the more
seamless publishers
can integrate the
widget with their
own site, brand and
design. Whether it
be size, color or
headers, flexibility
is the key.
-
Distribution
mechanism,
embeddable
everywhere
Why limit your
audience? As
technology barriers
are lowered, more
and more people
become potential
“publishers.” This
can be anyone with a
profile page, blog
or full fledge site.
-
Internalize
functions, keep as
much in the widget
as possible
While your brand,
product and site are
important, so is the
publisher’s. It’s a
fine line and a
balancing act, but
if you can strike a
mutually beneficial
feature set that is
able to keep the
readers attached to
the publisher while
driving traffic home
as needed, then you
have a potentially
successful widget.
-
Remote updates
The ability to
update widgets in
the wild remotely is
important. Widgets
must be able to
evolve as conditions
change and if you
are not able to push
updates remotely,
you risk hurting
your brand with
outdated or broken
widgets.
-
Performance
Everyone is vying
for everyone’s time.
The web is no
exception. The
widget must perform
without delay for
both the reader and
the publisher. The
reader will not wait
for content and the
publisher will not
tolerate a widget
that bogs down their
entire page.
-
Tracking and
analytics
You do know where
your widgets are and
how they’re doing,
right?
-
Business and
marketing goals
What was the
purpose for the
widget? If you
didn’t know that to
begin with, how can
you we start to measure
the usefulness or
success of the
widget? Or, even
build a widget in
the first place…
-
Lastly, don’t
forget about the
users
We mentioned this
earlier, but it’s
worth stating again.
Don’t forget about
the users. In this
case, the user is
anyone that will
have anything to do
with the widget,
publishers and
readers.
