Using a Widget to Get Links and Increase Your Website's Exposure

Nearly every website owner I know wants his website to reach a broader market, to have more exposure to relevant users, and, quite simply, to generate more profits. Traditional online marketing experts will suggest using a combination of pay-per-click marketing and social media campaigns to increase your website's exposure across a plethora of mediums. If you have a large enough budget, embarking on a link-building campaign can also ensure that your website climbs the ranks of organic search and, if you're lucky, that your website or product is publicized to a new base of potential users.

But what if, instead of paying Google, Yahoo! or Bing to advertise your website, you could do it yourself? What if you could attract a relevant visitor base and an infinite number of links naturally, without paying someone to link to you? I'd like to suggest that you can, and that creating a widget is the way to reach these goals.

Widget marketing is considered by some to be the 'next big thing', though many traditional website owners still don't understand the benefits of this form of campaign. In short, a widget is an application that a webmaster creates that can be shared on other websites, computer desktops or mobile phones. Widgets can be games, videos, quizzes, or even just a content feed that can appeal to different websites. If, for example, your website sells clothing, you can create a widget to help users match different styles, or a content feed that shares your articles about the latest in celebrity fashion.

When using your widget, consumers will be automatically introduced to your website and services, and will become familiar with your brand so that even if they're not interested in your services right now, they may refer to you at some point in the future. And, if users like your widget, they will want to share it with friends, which will offer additional brand exposure. It can be argued, therefore, that by using widget marketing, your company will avoid having to 'pull' users in, but will empower consumers and other website owners to 'push' their friends to your website, a form of peer-based marketing which is often more successful than traditional marketing efforts.

There's no question that creating a widget requires a modicum of technical knowledge and that spreading your widget virally will require some legwork, and, perhaps, the services of a professional with widget marketing experience. However, it stands to reason that widget marketing can afford an excellent ROI and that unlike a PPC campaign or an uncontrollable SEO campaign, a great widget will offer long-term exposure that will continue to benefit your website for years to come.