Consumer review site Rate It All explains the Long Tail is getting longer, making it increasingly important to deliver your Web service to consumers where they are. Enter widgets. Newsweek predicted 2007 would be the year of the widget, and they certainly garnered a lot of attention with over 87 million people using 239 million widgets during the month of June alone. According to Jay Adelson, CEO of social network Digg, in 2008, corporations are now viewing widgets as business tools to boost traffic and ad revenue on their sites. Adelson says:
Six months ago, the thought of someone altering his or her homepage to incorporate someone else’s widget into their brand [was considered] dilutive. There’s been an acceptance by traditional media that widgets give them some reciprocal benefit. In 2008, you’ll see traditional brands that have controlled every element of their page open up.
CIO 100 notes the widget economy is not just a microcosm for another Web bubble; widget makers are earning a ton of money through ads. But if there’s anything to be learned from the Sony SnowGlobes failure (1 percent impression rate!) it’s that you must follow basic rules if you want to create a successful business widget.
