UPDATE: New WidgetBucks publishers are no longer being accepted at this time.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: WidgetBucks may be a scam. They erased their publishers’ accounts without paying the publishers’ earned money. (so I’ve removed all links to their site). Sign up at your risk.
RECOMMENDED: Sign up at SponsoredReviews instead if you haven’t already.
Widgets are rich and interactive media applications that are easy to build, customize and add to a blog or site. Widgets are usually javascript powered or flash apps. Widgets are so popular nowadays. So popular that web advertising companies turned them into advertising delivery systems or simply called ‘advertising widgets’. Widgets may be the next revolution in online advertising. Even Google is now offering rich media advertising via their Google Gadget Ads. But the buzz is currently loud on the newcomer WidgetBucks.
WidgetBucks is a new advertising option for bloggers and site owners. WidgetBucks offers attractive ad widgets that bloggers and web masters can add to their blogs and sites. It was launched last October 2007 by the Seattle-based Mpire. Just two months after its launch, these widgets have already gained popularity among web publishers especially among “pro” bloggers. Like Chitika eMiniMalls, a WidgetBucks widget is an interactive ad unit that flashes through different purchasing options for readers for different products. Thus helping readers to find the best deals online.
The Widget
Just like the Google Adsense ads, you can choose a size (skyscraper, rectangle, full banner, leaderboard, horizontal banner, vertical banner for blog sidebar) and color for your widget. WidgetBucks lets you choose products to display from 16 different categories. Each category has sub categories so you can customize what kinds of consumer items you want to appear in the widget (movies, cameras, computers, musical instruments), then you grab some code and put it on your page. But if you prefer the ads to be more contextually relevant, you can choose the MerchSense option. MerchSense is a contextual algorithm engine that detects and analyzes the content of your website or blog to determine what product offers are most relevant to your readers or audience. These relevant products would then be automatically included in your widget.
Three Ways To Make Money
There are three ways to make money from WidgetBucks: PPC, CPM, and Referrals. The PPC (or Pay-Per-Click) basis lets you earn revenue each time a user clicks on a WidgetBucks ad widget on your site. On the CPM (Cost-Per-Thousand Impressions) basis, you earn revenue when users view your pages that contains a CPM ad from one of WidgetBucks’ ad partners. You can also get paid every time you refer a new WidgetBucks user with their referral program. They will give you a 10% referral fee based on the commissions earned by the people you refer. That’s $10 for you when the people you refer reaches a commission of $100.
$25 Sign-Up Bonus
When I signed up for WidgetBucks, they gave me a $25 initial balance posted in ‘My Bucks’ (where earnings and commissions are posted, a report page) . Now all I have to do is get my balance reached $50, as the minimum payout is $50. Payment method is by check or Paypal.
Testing WidgetBucks
I just started using WidgetBucks on my other sites. The ad widget looks attractive and very clickable. Some bloggers who have already tested it say that it even outperforms their best money making ads, including Adsense ads. By the way, according to their FAQ, WidgetBucks ad widgets are compatible with all other ad systems. So there shouldn’t be any problem running it with Google Adsense. If you want to confirm it with Google, you can ask their Adsense support via email. But you may have to wait for a month before they can reply your inquiry.
What do you think of WidgetBucks?
Have you already tried WidgetBucks? Running some tests? If so, I would appreciate it much if you share what’s your observations or impressions, both positive and negative, on this new shopping ad widget. If you haven’t tried it yet, go to WidgetBucks and sign up for free. Upon approval of your application, a $25 bonus will be instantly credited to your account.
I have had widget bucks for two solid month and to date there has been not sales revenue and the revenue from clicks is less than $5. Oh of course there is the $25 signup bouns but I’ll never get that because I have a revenue balance of $50 or more for pay out. I’ll be pulling Widget buck at the beginning of the new year.
Good luck to you though.
I meant to say I have to have a $50 balance in order for pay out not that I have a $50 balance.
http://freemanscreams.blogspot.com/ You know I try this and it won’t let me sign in, its making me frustrated, anyhow, I placed your link into my blog and here is mine, thanks so much for the link exchange…;) WinK*
Debo Hobo — Thanks for sharing.. Merry Xmas!…
mee mOe — Hmm?… Have you already confirmed your email or activated your account?…
By the way, thanks for adding MadTomatoe.com on your blogroll. Added you, too. Merry Xmas!…
Hi Tom!
how long did it take before your widgetbucks account became approved? It’s been 2 days since I registered, and still pending approval.
Cheers! :)
Hi topSPINme,
It only took a day for mine. Might be that they’re off for the holidays?
Merry Christmas! :)
the problem is you don’t receive a commission off of any purchases made through your widget. apart from it being an attractive interactive ad, i may be better off creating my own widget via amazon since all the items can be found there too. you have to have a gazillion clicks to make a penny off of widgetbucks. i think i will be pulling it in the next couple of months.
I’m wondering if they even credit you for your referrals. It doesn’t show a earning for my one referral, but I have a feeling I have more then one referral. As for clicks, they don’t even show up.
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
still no luck with widgtbucks
Widgetbucks is gone. And so its publishers' earned money. Widgetbucks is a scam!
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I agree with Mad Tomato!
A few days ago I got 100$ for FREE!
First I didn´t trust that site but I really have to say it´s worth to try your luck there..
They also use a Widget to fincance their site!
I am a freelance for nearly half a year, I want to try oDest.I used to be a soft developer, don’t know if I could handle this type of service.Hope you can share something more