NewsGator tracks a veritable ton of data every day.  That data, among many other applications, helps us to track how individual clients are doing in terms of their widget strategy and performance.  Every month several of us sit down and go through the past month's "numbers." 

Earlier in the month we reviewed our December numbers.  We put particular focus on widgets that experienced noteworthy upward movement in some of the metrics we track -- such as views, interaction, click throughs, etc.  Then we complied a list of best practices that reflect the basis for the positive changes we noticed in these particular widgets. 

Below, the list:

• put your widgets on article pages and areas to which they are related
• keep it simple; don't make widgets that try to do 'everything'
• plan ahead when launching time sensitive or seasonal widgets
• don't hide your widgets -- or content -- in your widget
• if the widget has tabs for different areas of content, consider an auto-rotate
• use animation conservatively and thumbnails liberally
• give your inheritors more than they expect
• if you have a network, use it