Custom widgets are personalized or specially developed components that can be added to a website or community platform to display specific content or provide particular functionality. Unlike standard widgets, custom widgets are tailored to meet the unique needs of a community, such as displaying custom data, integrating third-party services, or creating interactive features that align with specific business objectives.
Popular community widgets include:
• Activity Feed: Displays the latest community activity, such as posts, comments, and updates.
• Member Directory: Allows users to search and browse community member profiles.
• Discussion Forums: A space where members can start and participate in discussions.
• Event Calendar: Showcases upcoming community events, webinars, or meetings.
• Polls and Surveys: Engages members with polls and surveys for feedback or opinions.
• Task Management: Helps members keep track of tasks and deadlines within the community.
Common third-party tools that can be integrated with a community include:
• CRM systems like Salesforce for managing customer relationships.
• Project management tools like Trello, Notion, Monday.com, ClickUp, Confluence, Jira or Asana for task tracking and collaboration.
• Chat and communication platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Discord.
• Survey tools like SurveyMonkey or Typeform for collecting feedback.
• Analytics platforms like Google Analytics or Amplitude to track user engagement and behavior.
• E-commerce tools like Shopify, Square or WooCommerce for managing product sales within the community.
Custom development services are often available for major community platforms like Higher Logic, Khoros, Verint, Salesforce Experience Cloud, Discourse, and Mighty Networks. These services can include custom widgets, integrations, or functionality to tailor the platform to specific business needs.
The time to build an integration can range from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the systems involved and the level of customization required. Simple integrations, such as connecting a CRM or chat tool, may take 2 to 6 weeks, while more complex or highly customized integrations can take 3 to 6 months to complete, including testing and deployment.