Launching WebAsyst widgets!

Widgets are the latest addition to WebAsyst functionality. They are powerful, yet very simple to use. You can add content or a tool to your website or a blog in a matter of seconds by placing a generated link on a webpage. Widgets cover a wide range of applications; e.g., calendars, clocks, web searches, sign-up forms, news and headlines, etc.

Sign-Up Form widgets
In the new WebAsyst version we are introducing our first widgets - Contact Manager Sign-Up Forms. Each widget is a sign-up form that can be added to your website, blog, newsletter, or email – any source that can be used to collect subscribers to Contact Manager. Information entered by visitors will be automatically added to your Contact database.

The Sign-Up Form is not a new feature in Contact Manager. In previous versions users were able to create a sign-up form and place generated HTML code on a webpage. What makes it different this time is widget technology. Now, instead of generating large amount of code every time a sign-up form is needed, a user can simply select a form from the list, customize and format it, and insert a generated URL (rather than large chunk of code) into a webpage. Here’s a sample of a sign-up form widget added on a blog page:

All generated widgets can be saved and modified/used later. Among the formatting options are background color, widget content, size, and double opt-in option for subscription confirmation. We’re also providing an option for users with a TypePad account: clicking on “Install Widget on TypePad” will insert that widget into a TypePad blog.

Here are the four Sign-Up Form widgets:

• E-Mail only – very simple sign-up form with a field for visitors’ e-mail addresses and Submit button.
• Name and E-Mail – includes fields for visitors’ names and e-mail addresses.
• Name, E-Mail and Photo – a form that allows subscribers to include a photo in addition to name and email.
• Custom – place any number of fields from your Contact Manager database; e.g. name, address, birthday, phone number, website address, etc.

The following picture is the “Name, E-Mail and Photo” widget, and a snapshot of Contact Manager contact list, which includes the contact added thru the widget:

New look of Contact Manager main window
To allow easier access to widgets within an account, we have redesigned the look of Contact Manager main window. The Service and Reports menu items accessed from the Contact menu are now represented as Tools and Reports buttons in the Contact Manager main window and placed alongside other Contact Manager function buttons. Tools menu button replaces old Service menu item and allows you to select your Sign-Up Form widget.

With widget technology in hand we are developing many different widgets for all WebAsyst applications. Not only will widgets enhance WebAsyst functionality, they will be available even outside your WebAsyst account.