Simply put, a widget is a self-contained, portable “chunk” of code.  It can be easily copied and embedded into your site’s code to provide some additional level of functionality.  There are literally hundreds of thousands of different widgets, most of them available for free.  Widgets frequently appear in the form of on-screen tools which run the gambit from clocks and event countdowns to updated stock market tickers and daily weather.  With the increasing popularity of user-generated sites such as Twitter and Facebook, large public and private accounting outlets have begun to follow suit, making it easy for an accountant to find widgets relevant to their practice.

Widgets enhance the user experience, as they allow you to broaden web pages that are easier for people use, make websites more understandable, and “modernize” them easier than web pages in plain html.  Widgetbox and Yahoo! Widgets are two sites that let you sign up and obtain widgets that can be simply for fun, or to add information to your practice’s site.  Ask your website provider about the availability and feedback of certain widgets within the profession, and which ones have gained popularity among your peers.  If you do not have a website and are weighing the option on obtaining one for your practice, consider widgets as another way to both increase traffic through your door, or keep your current clients on top of the latest in relevant accounting news.