You’ve probably already used a widget without even realizing it was one.
Most websites have them—it can be in the form of a social media feed, pop-up calendar, form builder-built survey, or chat button.
These software applications are independent features that website owners and developers can add to their websites to enhance customer experience and boost marketing efforts.
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What Exactly Is a Widget?
People with no background in coding or web development often have many questions when starting out: “What is a web form?”, “How do I customize my website?”, and “How do I integrate payment channels securely?”
Another common question tackles widgets—what are they exactly?
In any case, you can ask for help from a reliable software development partner, such as Volpis.
A widget is a simple software block that can be easily embedded into a website. They function independently, working with real-time website data.
This allows them to work on-screen on a page without affecting anything else on the page or redirecting users to a separate link. They’re small but powerful, and you can easily install one on your website with Powr.io, even if you don’t know how to code.
Benefits of Widgets
Widgets can enhance the overall user experience by providing more ways for users to interact with a website. It enhances page functionality, letting website owners add more engagement points and allowing customers to do more without having to move from page to page, helping them complete tasks on the site with ease.
Website widgets can also be used to gather customer insights, helping boost marketing efforts.
Widgets vs. Apps
Widgets and apps are not the same thing, though many people often lump them together.
Apps, on the other hand, are full-fledged programs that serve multiple purposes. Users must open and run them to use them.
Examples of Widgets
There are hundreds of different widgets that you can add to your website. Here are just a few examples:
Social Media Widgets
Social media widgets are designed to display your social media feeds, such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, on your website.
This allows users to see the latest news from your channels and even encourages them to like or follow your pages to keep updated.
Customer Service Widgets
Customer service widgets are useful for websites that receive many customer queries.
You can configure them to include a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for users to browse, or to redirect people to a dedicated customer service representative.
Marketing Widgets
Marketing widgets help with lead generation and often include a call to action for users to enter their contact details (usually an email address) to subscribe to a newsletter or similar subscription.
These can pop up at first visit, then minimize into a tiny banner at the corner of the screen.
Media Widgets
Media widgets allow website owners to add photos and videos to their pages.
These can help customers get clearer visual images of products or give them access to more information that can’t fit on a page (e.g., when it’s just full of text).
Alternatively, media widgets can enhance customers' website experience. For example, you can install music widgets so people can listen to songs while browsing your page.
Booking Widgets
Many websites that offer services requiring appointments or meetings use booking widgets to give customers easy access to their calendars. With these, users can see available dates and schedule their slots without having to navigate to another page.
How to Add Widgets to a Website
Widgets are easy to add to a website. You don’t need prior knowledge in web development or any advanced coding skills to do it.
If you’ve built your website through a powerful website builder, you may even be able to do it right there. However, if you want to add widgets that have more functionality and customizability, you can browse through Powr.io’s plug-in library to find just what you need.
With just a few clicks and a couple of taps on your keyboard, you can add as many widgets as you need to create a better website—one that works to give users a better experience while helping you achieve your business goals.
