Though the word “widget” has often been used to invoke atype of gadget that may not even exist, widgets are big business for McLean-based Clearspring.
The firm works with companies to help them create custom widgets — bits of specialized software that can create an interface or application on someone’s desktop or be incorporated into a Web site.
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More than 13 billion people have downloaded or shared Clearspring widgets. That is a substantial jump from May when “only” 3 billion had used one of its applications.
Client MyItThings.com, a Web community targeted at fashion and pop culture fans, worked with Clearspring to build an application people can use to set up holiday wish lists.
“With the holiday season coming up, if I’m looking at a new leather coat, I can put this widget on my home page to show them exactly which one I want,” MyItThings founder Yuli Ziv said.
Clearspring raised $5.5 million in its second round of venture capital in 2006 and debuted its widget platform in December of that year. All the revenue now comes from customized widget-building, but the firm plans to eventually shift to an advertising-based model for revenue, said spokesman Bill Rubacky. On Monday, Clearspring announced an application called Launchpad, which allows individuals to set up simple widgets for their Web sites at no cost, Rubacky said.
Widgets are gaining popularity as an advertising medium, particularly for the music industry, which uses them to embed MP3s, according to Denise Shiffman, a marketing industry veteran and author of “The Age of Engage: How the Live Web Has Reinvented Marketing and What You Should Do About It.” The tool can be effective because if the widget is popular, it tends to spread quickly.
“It has this opportunity to be viral, as long as it is done in a creative and entertaining way,” Shiffman said.
Clearspring has worked with many companies to build widgets for advertising campaigns, said Rubacky. Ithas helped promote television shows like the CW Network’s “Gossip Girl,” and the movie “Superbad.” Fans of the latter could embed clips of funny scenes from the film into their Web sites.
