I recently learned of Vizu, a company that allows you to add custom polls to your websites. I used their "Power Polls" system to create and add surveys about women's sports to my WhyPark site:
www.SportsQueens.com
Click the links at the top of the page (either "For Women" or "For Men") to go to the pages with the Vizu-generated surveys.
You can also make money with Vizu if you allow marketing researchers to put their surveys in the Power Polls on your websites. Here is a WhyPark site for which I added a poll, but did not specify my own questions:
www.GameQueens.com
The questions that you see on GameQueens.com are either from Vizu or from marketers who are using Vizu to collect consumer data (and paying for the privilege).
[Update 8.10.08: I removed the marketing research survey from GameQueens because I'm now using that pol for visitors to review the games that are available on that site. If your want to see a Vizu-generated Power Pol, there is one at the upper right of www.MemoryTheater.com .]
Vizu Power Polls is currently a free Beta. They might start charging to use this service. However, based on their FAQ, fees will probably only apply to high volume sites. Below is an example of a Vizu Power Poll.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
123RF Images for Content and Referral Income
123RF is a source of free images and referrals that you might find useful. I've used one of their free images at my WhyPark site:
www.EarthTheater.com
To the left of the image is a 123RF referral banner. Clicking this banner will take you to their site (or go to 123RF dot com).
BTW, when you open a 123RF account, you get a free credit to purchase one "blog" quality image. I used my credit on a great photo related to one of my UNESCO World Heritage names:
www.MirCastle.com
Nice quality and relevant content, IMO. Below is an example of a free image from 123RF and a small banner ad.
www.EarthTheater.com
To the left of the image is a 123RF referral banner. Clicking this banner will take you to their site (or go to 123RF dot com).
BTW, when you open a 123RF account, you get a free credit to purchase one "blog" quality image. I used my credit on a great photo related to one of my UNESCO World Heritage names:
www.MirCastle.com
Nice quality and relevant content, IMO. Below is an example of a free image from 123RF and a small banner ad.
First Impressions of Google Lively
I spent some time checking out Google Lively. This is a new program that allows you to create shared 3D spaces and embed them in your web sites. Google provides a catalog of avatars and objects to inhabit and accessorize your spaces. Among the the objects you can place in your 3D spaces are picture and (YouTube) video viewers.
I have a WhyPark site with photography content. And, my initial thought was that it would be neat to provide visitors with a 3D space containing interesting photos. So I created a space and dropped in some photo frame gadgets from the Lively Catalog. The gadgets were able to display photos hosted by ImageShack. However, when I placed the photo frames where I wanted them in my space, the picture images were rather small and unimpressive. Not the photo gallery experience I was hoping for. However, maybe the space template I was using (an island) wasn't optimal for my purposes.
While my 3D photo gallery is still a work in progress, there is another approach for using Google Lively with WP sites. Simply select an appropriate popular public room and embed it in your WP layout. As Lively users move around, chat, and change the objects in the room, they will be making your WP site more interesting.
Here's my photo site with an embedded Lively room:
www.MemoryIsland.com
Note:
To enter the 3D space you'll need to download Lively, which currently only runs on Windows XP and Vista.
You can tell by the domain name why I wanted to try out an island template for my photography 3D space. Below is an example of a Lively room.
I have a WhyPark site with photography content. And, my initial thought was that it would be neat to provide visitors with a 3D space containing interesting photos. So I created a space and dropped in some photo frame gadgets from the Lively Catalog. The gadgets were able to display photos hosted by ImageShack. However, when I placed the photo frames where I wanted them in my space, the picture images were rather small and unimpressive. Not the photo gallery experience I was hoping for. However, maybe the space template I was using (an island) wasn't optimal for my purposes.
While my 3D photo gallery is still a work in progress, there is another approach for using Google Lively with WP sites. Simply select an appropriate popular public room and embed it in your WP layout. As Lively users move around, chat, and change the objects in the room, they will be making your WP site more interesting.
Here's my photo site with an embedded Lively room:
www.MemoryIsland.com
Note:
To enter the 3D space you'll need to download Lively, which currently only runs on Windows XP and Vista.
You can tell by the domain name why I wanted to try out an island template for my photography 3D space. Below is an example of a Lively room.
Planet MiniBox Discussion Widget
I've used Planet MiniBox to add a discussion areas to some of my WhyPark sites. Here's one with a Planet Minibox:
www.UnconferenceNews.com
The Minibox width is set to 590 pixels. I've also enhanced this site with a Google map, news feed, and custom content (unconference bibliography).
I've repurposed these features and content by placing them on separate pages at:
www.UnconferenceForum.com
It will be interesting to see which of these sites yield better traffic performance.
A downside to Planet MiniBox is that you can only create one per account. Below is a reduced version of my unconference shoutbox. Click "Pop" to open it in an expandable window.
www.UnconferenceNews.com
The Minibox width is set to 590 pixels. I've also enhanced this site with a Google map, news feed, and custom content (unconference bibliography).
I've repurposed these features and content by placing them on separate pages at:
www.UnconferenceForum.com
It will be interesting to see which of these sites yield better traffic performance.
A downside to Planet MiniBox is that you can only create one per account. Below is a reduced version of my unconference shoutbox. Click "Pop" to open it in an expandable window.
Amazon Slideshow Widget
I use Amazon Slideshow widgets to improve the relevancy of the images on my WhyPark sites. Here are a few examples in which I've replaced the stock image with selected product images from Amazon:
www.GroupMashup.com
www.InnovationEducation.com
www.CastlesofJapan.com
I'm not sure whether these slideshows will lead to Amazon referral fees, but I figure that providing more relevant content could improve visitor interest. Below is an example of an Amazon slideshow widget.
www.GroupMashup.com
www.InnovationEducation.com
www.CastlesofJapan.com
I'm not sure whether these slideshows will lead to Amazon referral fees, but I figure that providing more relevant content could improve visitor interest. Below is an example of an Amazon slideshow widget.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Why WhyPark?
Before answering "Why WhyPark?," perhaps we should first explain what WhyPark is. WhyPark is a web site hosting service that provides articles, images, and page layout templates for your domains. WhyPark makes it very easy to set up a website. You simply choose a page layout and keywords for the articles that will appear.
WhyPark is an outstanding platform for experimenting with widgets. You simply cut and paste widget code into your page layouts. You can easily explore the ever-expanding world of widgets to increase the interactivity, income, and relevant content of your WhyPark sites.
Consider the size of a widget before adding it to a WhyPark site. Most WhyPark layouts have a main column and a narrower side (or "related") column. You should select the column that best fits your widget's dimensions. Then paste your widget code above or below the [[mainbody]] or [[related]] placeholders in your WhyPark page layout. Easy web site enhancement, no programming required.
Make sure you understand the terms of service (TOS) of the advertisements you place on your WhyPark sites. The articles that come through WhyPark's templates can appear on multiple websites, and placing ads on the same page as this content is inconsistent with the TOS of some ad services. The good news is that WhyPark also provides their own advertising feed. So if you are unsure whether your ad service's TOS is consistent with the content of your WhyPark site, just use WhyPark's ads. That's what we do.
WhyPark costs $100 for 100 domains. This is a one-time-only payment, not a monthly or yearly fee. And WhyPark pays a generous referral fee when new customers sign up from your sites. So you'll have our sincere gratitude if you click the WhyPark graphic on the right and enroll.
WhyPark is an outstanding platform for experimenting with widgets. You simply cut and paste widget code into your page layouts. You can easily explore the ever-expanding world of widgets to increase the interactivity, income, and relevant content of your WhyPark sites.
Consider the size of a widget before adding it to a WhyPark site. Most WhyPark layouts have a main column and a narrower side (or "related") column. You should select the column that best fits your widget's dimensions. Then paste your widget code above or below the [[mainbody]] or [[related]] placeholders in your WhyPark page layout. Easy web site enhancement, no programming required.
Make sure you understand the terms of service (TOS) of the advertisements you place on your WhyPark sites. The articles that come through WhyPark's templates can appear on multiple websites, and placing ads on the same page as this content is inconsistent with the TOS of some ad services. The good news is that WhyPark also provides their own advertising feed. So if you are unsure whether your ad service's TOS is consistent with the content of your WhyPark site, just use WhyPark's ads. That's what we do.
WhyPark costs $100 for 100 domains. This is a one-time-only payment, not a monthly or yearly fee. And WhyPark pays a generous referral fee when new customers sign up from your sites. So you'll have our sincere gratitude if you click the WhyPark graphic on the right and enroll.
About Widget Wonk
This blog is about increasing the interactivity and relevant content of your web sites through widgets. We also focus on widgets that can generate income.
Some will look down on those who construct their sites via copy and paste. How 2005. Keeping up with the latest and greatest widgets is demanding. And selecting the right mix and placements for widgets on your website is an art and a science.
We mainly use WhyPark for implementing our web sites. However, the tips and techniques we write about should work on other standards compliant delivery platforms.
Happy Widgeting.
Some will look down on those who construct their sites via copy and paste. How 2005. Keeping up with the latest and greatest widgets is demanding. And selecting the right mix and placements for widgets on your website is an art and a science.
We mainly use WhyPark for implementing our web sites. However, the tips and techniques we write about should work on other standards compliant delivery platforms.
Happy Widgeting.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Privacy Policy
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