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We’re always on the lookout for new ways to monetize a website. We’ve covered multiple ad-networks in the past, but Widgetbucks is an up-and-comer that really deserves a close look. Why?

Well, for starters Widgetbucks ad-units yield 50% to 300% more on average than most traditional ad networks. But that’s not all we liked. Read on for our in-depth review of this promising advertising network.

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WidgetBucks Review: What is WidgetBucks?

Their model is similar to Chitika’s eMiniMalls (covered in our recent Alternatives to AdSense article) with context sensitive ads that feature consumer products in embedded interactive ads. But the WidgetBucks platform stands on its own in a number of interesting ways.

These ‘pay-per-click Shopping widgets’ display popular consumer products (think DV cameras, cool footwear, DVD’s and more) using a unique algorithm which uses data gathered from millions of shoppers and selectively displays products based on your site content. We like this hybrid of a contextual ad and a micro-site. And the fact that the products are displayed with an eye on contextual relevance looks like a solid way to increase click through. (Although we’re not 100% sure how WidgetBucks matches products to site content on a site that doesn’t discuss any consumer products. If anyone tries that, we’d appreciate some details). WidgetBucks widgets also display both CPM and CPC ads, depending on what’s best for the site they’re appearing on..

The Setup

Setup was a snap. One of the things we like about WidgetBucks ad units is the vast selection of configurations to choose from: There are over 300 to pick through, and 256 color schemes to boot. Ads are embedded the usual way, with a small snippet of javascript code embedded in your site. In the account creation phase WidgetBucks offers two methods of payment: check and PayPal. Payments are made at a standard $50 minimum.

First Impressions

One slightly unexpected thing about WidgetBucks ads was the dynamic nature of the ads. The ads continuously cycle through a selection of products The ads are also interactive, allowing your site visitors to explore the ads, which are actually fully fledged sites squeezed into a very small amount of space. The one we embedded included multiple vendors, product ratings, top 10 lists and buying trends. Pretty cool considering it was all squeezed into a tiny space.

But I already use AdSense…

No WidgetBucks review would be complete without mentioning it’s ‘compatibility’ with AdSense: The ads aren’t contextual in the same way that AdSense ads are, and they look nothing like AdSense ads — so using WidgetBucks alongside (or on the same page as) AdSense ads isn’t a problem at all. (WidgetBucks ads are used frequently on the same page as AdSense ads - Ed)

A couple things to keep in mind

Now before jumping on the WidgetBucks bandwagon (and we suggest at least giving WidgetBucks a try, as the network looks like it’s got great potential, and setup was so quick) there are a couple of things we have to mention to make this WidgetBucks review complete:

1) It’s not ok to place widgets on non-English sites.

2) It’s also against the rules to place the widgets on a page just containing a bunch of ads (who would want to look at that page anyway?)

3) Adult content is no-bueno.

4) You must provide a valid domain name for the widgets you create.

5) Click fraud of any kind will get you booted (Duh.)

A possible problem?

Well, you knew there had to be something. (We don’t want to sound like cheerleaders after all). One problematic issue that we see is #4 above. We’re not 100% sure on this yet, and we’ve sent a question to their people to get some clarity on what it actually means. It looks to us like each widget needs its own static URL — which might create problems for dynamically generated pages — and it would certainly be a nightmare for webmasters with larger, established sites containing hundreds or thousands of pages.

Verdict

We like WidgetBucks! It’s certainly a sophisticated network, and the ease of setup combined with the promise of higher advertising earnings (plus the fact that it makes a “good neighbor” to AdSense ads) makes it a no brainer for us. Usually we’re forced to ask the question: Is it better than AdSense? But in this case it doesn’t matter.  Using them both isn’t a problem.  WidgetBucks has got fantastic promise for anyone blogging on electronic and/or consumer products — where the context sensitive nature of the widgets should make for well-blended ad units

Here’s the link:

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