Lately, I’ve gotten a bit fatigued with installing widgets on my various social networking pages. But what I have found very intriguing is the revitalization of an old concept – the browser sidebar. There are a number of services that I use where the content is of personal interest to me and very dynamic. I’ve installed TwitBin to track the friends I have on Twitter as well as the Meebo sidebar. I wish the Facebook sidebar worked better as I think that would be quite useful.
For highly dynamic and engaging services (instant messaging and social networking come to mind immediately), I’m willing to allocate a small portion of my browser real estate to the ability to keep abreast of what’s going on as I browse the web. Not surprisingly, it also increases my interaction with those services because they are now less than a click away – it’s even better than a toolbar as it has persistent visibility.
I think more folks are going to start revitalizing this sidebar concept as it’s a great way to stay in front of your users as they navigate the web.
Not sure if you remember SideStep (http://www.sidestep.com), which was perhaps the most well-known such sidebar add-in. Microsoft and many others of course followed with different apps.
Interestingly, SideStep has done very well since, but has emphasized its website. If I think about what it takes to drive interactions with a service, a sidebar requires:
1) find and install (properly)
2) use
3) deliver some sort of revenue-producing activity in some portion of the sidebar, in addition to my content (unless, like SideStep, the content itself is links to commissionable
By contrast a website:
1) doesn’t require an install, so fewer steps between acquiring and driving queries
2) you can drive people to a destination via web media purchases (you can with a sidebar, but it requires an extra step to install and use)
3) much more screen real estate to dedicate to revenue-producing activities as well as content
For me, the “bar” to installing something in my browser (other than unobtrusive Firefox add-ins that live in the top or bottom bar) is very high, and I have yet to find one that I didn’t tire of–I’d just rather have the screen real estate.
Not sure if you remember SideStep (http://www.sidestep.com), which was perhaps the most well-known such sidebar add-in. Microsoft and many others of course followed with different apps. Interestingly, SideStep has done very well since, but has emphasized its website. If I think about what it takes to drive interactions with a service, a sidebar requires: 1) find and install (properly) 2) use 3) deliver some sort of revenue-producing activity in some portion of the sidebar, in addition to my content (unless, like SideStep, the content itself is links to commissionable By contrast a website: 1) doesn’t require an install, so fewer steps between acquiring and driving queries 2) you can drive people to a destination via web media purchases (you can with a sidebar, but it requires an extra step to install and use) 3) much more screen real estate to dedicate to revenue-producing activities as well as content For me, the “bar” to installing something in my browser (other than unobtrusive Firefox add-ins that live in the top or bottom bar) is very high, and I have yet to find one that I didn’t tire of–I’d just rather have the screen real estate.
David,
I do remember SideStep – that’s a great product. I don’t think sidebars are a good standalone business – and I feel the same way about widgets for that matter. Nowadays there are a few services that I don’t mind having with me on a persistent basis. To your point, there are very few services that cross that threshold. But I don’t think that means that other folks won’t compete for that real estate. I’d expect casual games, social networks, feed readers, and email service providers to look to get you to install sidebars.
David, I do remember SideStep – that’s a great product. I don’t think sidebars are a good standalone business – and I feel the same way about widgets for that matter. Nowadays there are a few services that I don’t mind having with me on a persistent basis. To your point, there are very few services that cross that threshold. But I don’t think that means that other folks won’t compete for that real estate. I’d expect casual games, social networks, feed readers, and email service providers to look to get you to install sidebars.