Widgets - Latest Trend

The latest trend on the web are widgets that let you monetize your website. Examples include Widgetbucks and SmartLinks. Some of these services operate under a PPC scheme, others behave like text link ads, others yet leverage affiliate links.

Their main differentiator, however, is the fact that they work as web widgets, making it easier for the user to plug and play the service on its website.

The web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation. They are derived from the idea of code reuse.

Other terms used to describe web widgets including: gadget, badge, module, capsule, snippet, mini and flake. Web widgets often but not always use DHTML, JavaScript, or Adobe Flash.

Embeddable chunks of code have existed since the start of the World Wide Web. Web developers have long sought and used third party code chunks in their pages. It could be said that the original web widgets were the link counters and advertising banners that grew up alongside the early web. Later, ad and affiliate networks used code widgets for distribution purposes.

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.

Rich media, interactive entertainment widgets were first syndicated in large volume in 2001 by miniclip. Widgets are now commonplace and are used by bloggers, social network users, auction sites and owners of personal web sites. They exist on home page sites such as iGoogle, Netvibes, Pageflakes, SpringWidgets and yourminis. Widgets are used as a distribution method by ad networks such as Google AdSense, by media sites such as Flickr, by video sites such as YouTube and by hundreds of other organizations.

Applications can be integrated within a third party website by the placement of a small snippet of code. This is becoming a distribution or marketing channel for many companies. The code brings in live content - advertisements, links, images - from a third party site without the web site owner having to update.

List of companies that provide monetization widgets:

WidgetBucks
With WidgetBucks, you can start earning more money today - and keep your focus on publishing.

ScratchBack
Have A Website Or Blog? Accept Tips From Your Readers! Let Them Scratch Your Back!
ScratchBack is an online "tipping" system. It allows you, the blogger, to accept tips and "give back" links* or images* in return on your blog or website.

SmartLinks
SmartLinks.org - A Web Reference/Resource Directory organized by Topics into Categories. There is a cool new plugin out that automatically gives your readers extra information about some of the items you link to. It is called SmartLinks, and basically what it does is analyze the links in your posts and brings contextually correct information directly to the blog. When the reader clicks on the little blue square next to your link, a small window opens up: