World of Widgets #2: Widgets for Your Blog

Add some Widgets to Your Blog

In an earlier lab, we explored widgets that you can add to individual blog posts to embed video, audio, etc. Now we'll look at widgets that you can add to your blog. You can use widgets to make your blog more professional, to make it more functional, and/or to 'advertise' your interests. Feel free to delete these elements from your blog after experimenting with these features.

Need a refresher on Widgets? Watch the following videos:

What are Web Widgets? (1/5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRAmQ_m2asg
What are Web Widgets? (2/5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoeHy40qjEs

Don't Like the "SnapShots" Widget?

1. Go to blogger, click 'layout', "edit" the snapshots widget, and remove the page element.

Check out the "Built-in" Blogger Page Elements

1. Go to blogger, click 'layout', and read about each of the page elements available. New elements include a "video bar", photo slideshow, and polls.

Add "Subscribe by Email" Option (RSS to Email)

http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?AddBloggerWidget
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/publishers/fbemail

Add "Recent Comments" widget

Just fill in a the form to add a new page element to your sidebar
http://blogger-templates.blogspot.com/2007/03/recent-comments.html

Add a Slideshow from Picasa, Flickr, etc.

1. Logon to your favorite photo website
2. Choose the "album" you want on your blog
3. Look for a button/link that says "EMBED"
4. Copy the code
5. Go to blogger, click 'layout', and add a new page element in your sidebar (html/javascript)
6. Paste code in new page element
7. Save & Preview

We're going to talk about mobile & mapping in a few weeks. Get a head start by checking out Yelp. The widget displays a map with your reviews. ("Shout out" to Jessica who is a big Yelp fan.)

1. Sign up for Yelp at http://www.yelp.com
2. Write a few reviews
3. Grab the widget here: http://www.yelp.com/bling

Add "Recent Readers" Widget

Check out what it looks like here: http://www.vibrality.com/2007/02/mybloglog-recent-readers-widget-45.html
Steps to add this widget to your blog:

1. Go to http://mybloglog.com
2. Sign up for an account
3. Add your blog
4. Add the tracking code to your blog (like we did for Google Analytics)
5. Go to your blog "community"
6. Click on "widgets"
7. Copy the code
8. Go to blogger, click 'layout', and add a new page element in your sidebar (html/javascript)
9. Paste code in new page element
10. Save & Preview

Add a "Search" box

Use Google's "draft" blogger site to add widgets that are not yet on the blogger site.

1. Logon to http://draft.blogger.com/ (instead of http://www.blogger.com
2. Go to blogger, click 'layout', and add the new "search" widget/gadget to your blog.

Like to Play Sudoku? Add Sudoku Widget

http://blogger-templates.blogspot.com/2007/04/sudoku-widget.html

Add Interactivity by creating a Poll with more functionality than the blogger poll element

http://www.polldaddy.com/

Find Your Own Widgets

WidgetBox
Google Gadgets