Widget Metrics Standards
From Widget Standards
Intro
A widget metrics standard may be the most urgent set of standards that the online community needs to determine. This page deals with relevant ways in which to measure the effectiveness, reach and use of widgets.
Everything flows off of metrics, including design and monetization. Widgets should not be tracked like webpages. Overall impressions of the page that the widget is on SHOULD be added to the widget’s metrics, but that should be a SEPARATE metric.
Widget metrics should determine reach and effectiveness. Widgets with video should be tracked as video + the other features that a widget offers. The effectiveness of a widget should go beyond the 1+1.1 equation for virility (i.e. if a widget is viral it is effective – this doesn’t necessarily follow).
Placement of the widget on the page should be a VITAL metric. A widget placed directly in the content should get more weight. A widget at the top of the page/sidebar should get more weight. Effectiveness should be measured against placement (i.e. if a widget at the top gets lot of interaction, that would certify it as a great widget, but if a widget at the bottom of the page gets strong interaction, then that’s good, but it’s not as great as the widget at the top).
Both widget platforms and web analytics companies are working to provide better widget metrics/analytics.
The Web Analytics Association (WAA)'s Social Media Standards group (the editor of this wiki is a member) is currently developing widget metrics standards, including widget metrics definitions.
