Would love your feedback about a third-party toolbar

[Eric Suesz]

Some Network Creators use third-party apps and widgets on their sites. Maybe you use a few or have tried a few over time. Some are undoubtedly better than others. These toolbars and  can help you offer members an alternative to functionality that Ning provides, provide something Ning doesn’t provide, or maybe offer unique ways for your members to connect around your community. 

I was doing some research into a few of these, and I am curious what you think about Conduit. It’s a toolbar that you can customize and offer to your community as a way to extend the reach of your site or just keep your core members more connected. I want to get some feedback from people here on Creators about what this toolbar is, what it does, and whether or not you think it would be something that would interest you and your members. If you’ve used Conduit before, I’d love to hear your thoughts about it. If you haven’t, I’d still love to hear your thoughts. 

What is it, exactly? It’s a toolbar that you can customize for your community. You can add links, RSS feeds, games, gadgets and apps to the toolbar. These can point back to your community, or you might even put affiliate links in them if you think that is something your members would use. The idea is to create an extension of your community that perhaps your most fervent users would want to use. They talk about their toolbar here.

What do you think?

• Have you ever used something like this with your network? 
• If you have, did you see increased activity or engagement? 
• Did you ever make any money? 
• Do you see it as something for money-making potential or something that’s more geared toward boosting activity?
• Do you think your members would be interested in using something like this? 
• Are there any similar toolbars you would recommend like this one?  

We created a very basic, rudimentary toolbar just to show you a stripped down example you can check out here.

So, what do you think? Is Conduit something that sounds interesting to you and your members? 

[Illya]

I'm a Conduit user... And thugh I haven't officially lunched my toolbar, I love the features it offers. What I like most about it is the ability to create a Browser Toolbar that your members and even non members can download... It offers feeds and notifications from your network that can be viewed by users even when they are currently on another site, you can send notifications to members and non members alike no matter what site they are on. This is especially good for selling ads to clients.

No longer do visitors need to be on your site to see your clients' ad campaigns. This is a great service and I'd be thrilled of Ning integrates this service with our Platform.

I've already told my members that they can expect toolbar to come online in late Nov. and they are eger for it. So yes I'm sure our members would love it as much as we would. The power of never really leaving our networks but the stealth of visiting other sites.

[M]

I have used it for two years and the clicks to the bar was just very minimal and not worth the load time in the end.

I did not notice a increase in engagement. I think it was more of a "wow"/"cool" factor at first but after that wore of in 10 sec's it was just another bar that seems like a internet tool bar.

Never made money from it.

Do not see it boosting activity. Over a month span with a network that gets 600k/700k page views a month I think the tool bar in total got maybe 200 hits max on it... laughable really.

Member just did not use it.

Just don't use tool bars. I feel they are like internet tool bars. :( /sadly

 

I really wanted the tool bar to do well as I thought they were cool but the stats say other wise.

 

Ning trust me. Don't waste your resources into this.

[Jordon McGee (Jords)]

Agree. Use the resources elsewhere.

[Eric Suesz]

Okay, that's good feedback, too. Thanks for the pageview stats. That's helpful. Thanks. 

[Patrick Sullivan]

no no no

[Jordon McGee (Jords)]

Conduit's browser toolbar not interested in. Now the Wibiya bar that was acquired by conduit that would be an awesome integration.

[Patrick Sullivan]

where getting to the point of over kill

[Jordon McGee (Jords)]

Various clubs and organizations within my community college have used it with little response and eventually abandoned it. Not worth the time. Wibiya is more effective.

[sho allan]

It's nice tool. I consider how to use the tool much better...

I think most user bother to add more the Browser toolbar.

Eric is right, core member will use the tool with CLOSED COMMUNITY.

if we can select user to send notifications, we use in EDUCATION, BUSINESS, and PROJECT community :D

[soaringeagle]

i creatted a custom alexa toolbar (see it here) 

the reason i used alexa is alexa ranking has some effect on google ranking and other search engines  also a better alexa ranking can mean higher ad value

alexa toolbars are the way alexa rankings re determined so making a alexa toolbar that has the latest activity and links to important parts of the site as well as a site search (monitized) make the tooolbar useful and having just a dozen in use is getting our ranking much closer to that all important 100k mark

[Patrick Chappelle]

Now an Alexa toolbar sounds more like it! Meant to look into it a month back, but forgot. I'll have a look at it now.

[Speed Racer]

im going to have to check out this one myself.