Blog Widgets for More Traffic

Torie writes…

i was just wondering if you had any cool free add ons that i could put on my blog to make it get more traffic.

Hmmmm…free add-ons that lead to more traffic..let’s talk that one through.

“Widgets” (those cool little add-ons) are all the rage these days because they allow you to add some really cool functionality to your site with very little effort. Sites like Widgetbox list thousands of different widgets in a variety of categories, and you can see the Meebo widget in my sidebar right now.

Will any of the lead to more traffic for you blog, though? They could, but the effects are largely indirect.

The widget with the most direct effect would probably be MyBlogLog. Add their widget to your site, and you instantly plug yourself into a community of bloggers that is growing at an accelerated rate. It won’t create a flood of traffic by any means, but it’s definitely one way to get the stream flowing.

Everything else, though, really comes down to how compelling your blog is. Widgets can definitely make for a better user experience, which leads to people coming back more often and telling more of their friends. Without interesting content, though, all the widgets in the world won’t give you a successful blog. If your content stinks, you’re just putting lipstick on a pig, as we say here in the U.S.

Definitely play around with some and see what works for you and what doesn’t, but focus on making your content the best it can be and you’ll find that that’s the real key to driving more traffic.