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The widget. It’s that useful, colorful, interactive and usually free scrap of code that’s appearing on more and more web sites, blogs and Facebook pages everywhere. Sometimes also known as a badge, an applet or a module, the widget is designed to provide visitors to your site with useful information or even a little entertainment. It may take the form of a profile, photo slideshow, or on-screen tool such as clocks, calendars or local weather. It may also be used for ecommerce, for news feeds, or even to promote your blog or website or someone else’s.

These are not to be confused with the handy mini-apps known as ‘Dashboard Widgets’ on Macintosh OS or ‘Gadgets’ for Windows Vista. Hundreds, even thousands, of this freeware is available for desktops. Nor should they be confused with the growing number of browser-based widgets, like those available for Opera or Firefox. No, the types of widgets I’ll focus on here briefly are web-based or those developed for mobile devices like the iPhone or BlackBerry. These typically use JavaScript or Adobe Flash and rely on HTML code which can be copied and embedded easily into a blog or site.

So fun and games aside, how can a web widget benefit your site or blog? Here are a few suggestions:

• Create Content: Besides easily adding news feeds from a wide variety of sources (BBC, Forbes, etc.), you can add video and music (Sirius, Pandora), finance, politics and any number of other categories. You can also generate unique content with online surveys, quick polls and maps adapted to your audience and special interests.
• Enhance Content: A wide variety of pre-formatted widgets – countdown clocks, calendars, and custom searches of your site or blog – can be easily customized as needed. Widgets may also be used to add value to your existing content; for example, the Evri Skyscraper Widget or AdaptiveBlue SmartLinks intuitively provide readers with more information about the text, images and other dynamic content within your site. A Youlicit More plug-in automatically looks at links on your blog to generate links to the most recommended sites on the web.
• Make Money: The list of ecommerce widgets keeps growing as well. These include PayPal Storefront, eBay To Go and a whole host of variations for Amazon.com. Become part of an ad network as a ‘publisher’, using tools available through Tumri, Google AdSense, or other advertising platforms such as WidgetBucks. It’s also easy to do some fundraising for your favorite cause or charity through DonorsChoose, GlobalGiving and dozens of others.
• Drive Traffic: The opportunities here just keep getting better. In addition to social bookmarking (Share This, etc.), you can insert widgets for Add to Google, Add to My Yahoo, FeedBlitz, and FeedBurner (so readers can subscribe via RSS or email). Also create quick links to Twitter, Facebook or Technorati. And, you can even create your own widget called a ‘blidget’.

Interested in more information about the wonderful world of widgets? Check out SpringWidgets, Widgetbox and, of course, Widgipedia. What’s your favorite widget? Have an idea for a new widget you wish existed? Send us your comments!