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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People with no background in coding or web development typically have a lot of 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?
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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 around it 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.
Widgets can improve the overall user experience as they provide users with more ways to interact with a website. It increases the functionality of pages, letting website owners add more points for engagement 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 insights about customers, helping boost marketing efforts.
Widgets and apps are not the same things, though many people often lump them together. A widget is a self-contained mini-program that lives and runs on-screen. They’re designed to perform simple, singular functions, usually just to provide data to the user. Apps, on the other hand, are full-fledged programs that serve multiple purposes. Users must open and run them to be able to use them.
There are hundreds of different widgets that you can add to your website. Here are just a few examples:
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 are useful for websites that get a lot of customer queries. You can configure them to include a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that users can just browse through or to redirect people to a dedicated customer service representative.
Marketing widgets help with lead generation and often come with 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 allow website owners to add photos and videos to their pages. These can help customers get better visual images of products or give them access to more information that can’t be included in a page (e.g. for when it’s just full of text). Alternatively, media widgets can be used to give customers a more entertaining website experience. For example, you can install music widgets so people can listen to songs while browsing your page.
Many websites that offer services that require booking appointments or meetings use booking widgets to provide customers with easy access to their calendars. With these, users can see what dates are available and schedule their slots without having to navigate to another page.
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 that you need to create a better website—one that works to give users a better experience while helping you achieve your business goals.