Technorati is the go-to search engine for bloggers. It shows you every single link to posts made about you in other blogs, along with an authority rank that tells
you how important that blog is. This widget enables you to display in real-time the number of links/discussions happening about your posts, which they call
"reactions." Of course, your blog should be very active in order for this widget to be meaningful. :) There are many other interesting widgets at the site.
Triggit is an affiliate and ad management tool that is integrated with AdSense, Amazon and other major networks. Website publishers who join the Triggit network can
use the Triggit widget to basically drag and drop content (such as Amazon products or an advertisement) right into their site.
Triggit does everything from aggregating advertising inventory and choosing the right ads for your site (or you can do this yourself, if you like) to tracking,
analysis and payment to the website owner.
If your blog is published using one of the major publishing platforms, you will find that the platform has a gallery of widgets for you to use. These widgets have
been specifically designed to integrate with your platform. One example on TypePad is the "Feedjit Collaborative Filter Widget," which suggests interesting
pages on your blog for readers based on what they are reading at that time. Another is a widget that enables people to search for a home in the ForSaleByOwner.com
database directly from your blog page.
Tip: If you use TypePad to publish your blog, you can go here to see the widgets available. If you use Blogger or Wordpress, then go to those respective sites to
see what cool tools are available for your particular platform. Many of these are similar from one platform to the next, but you will also find some that are unique.
VentureBeat is an excellent resource if you're interested in keeping on top of the latest widget news and the business angle of how widget companies are making
money. It also covers social media, since widgets are often designed to take advantage of social viral and sharing tendencies.
At the time of writing, trends in the business of widgets were ad networks, entertainment and smartphone applications. The helpful angle of this site is that it
shares information about venture funding and who's behind widget companies so you get a sense of how "real" their potential is.
Widgipedia is an enormous directory of all things widget. It includes a widget gallery, lists of widget developers, a "Request a Widget" marketplace that
connects developers with people who want specific projects done and more.
The extensive list of widgets ranges from those employed by major sites (a syndicated store offered by NBC that you can put on your site so visitors can buy products
from the shows that you write about) to the whimsical (a desktop widget that is a live cam of the flamingos in the Smithsonian's National Zoo).