Whosa Whatsa Widget??
The mysterious widget. It sounds like something right out of a conversation between Piglet and Pooh, doesn’t it?
Piglet: Oh, d-d-d-dear. I think I just saw a widget flying by my window!”
Pooh: Was it holding my missing honey jar, perchance?
Despite it’s strange name, however, the widget (also called a “gadget” by Blogger users) is a quite important piece of the blog puzzle. Whereas blogs might be thought of as simply websites containing scrolling pieces of writing from most to least recent, the truth is that today’s blogs are so much more.
HTML and Javascript coding have introduced all sorts of possibilities for blogs – - even those hosted on free blog hosts! As long as a blogger has access to blog settings, he or she can add any number of things to their sidebar.
Here are some popular options for sidebar widgets:
- Picture of the blogger or a graphic representation of the blog
- “About Me” information to get more background on the blogger
- Subscription information, such as how to subscribe to the blog via email or RSS
- Blog Archive – a history of the posts from most recent backwards, usually organized by month
- Search box for being able to search the blog by keyword
- Category listing for grouping blog posts by topic
- Advertisements such as Adsense ads or individual ads
- Links to blogs the blogger enjoys reading or wants to promote – - often called a “blogroll”
Depending on the blog software you use, inserting a widget into the sidebar, can be as simple as clicking on a box and typing in some text, or as complicated as completely coding every line of CSS script. Most of the mainline blog hosts make it a very easy process, though.
This ease of use DOES have a downside, however. Newbie bloggers can often make the mistake of OVER-using widgets and cluttering up their sidebar so much that they detract from the blog posts themselves. Be wise with your use of widgets and make sure they are inherently tied to the theme of your blog, and not so graphically “tacky” that readers are turned off by the visual clutter. Try to find a balance between providing helpful information and remaining aesthetically pleasing.
So go ahead…have some fun with those widgets. That’s what Pooh would do!
Until next time,
