Digg has launched an installation-free toolbar dubbed “DiggBar,” an impressive helper that could change your web business. First, it changes the way you surf. Launch the service just by entering “digg.com/” in front of any URL, such as “digg.com/https://www.pcworld.com”. Try it here; I’ll wait.
Do you really need another toolbar? In this case, yes. The DiggBar has its pulse on a huge Internet community. And it easily appears and disappears on a whim, unlike a permanent toolbar. Here’s why it’s significant and how you can use it.
See What They Really Think Even if your site has a commenting system, the DiggBar can instantly tell you more. And especially if it doesn’t, you can see messages from Digg users. The comments link drops down the most recent, popular, and controversial notes as rated by Digg readers. Readers can also digg your content right away, even if you don’t have those links built-in.
You can instantly see how many people have viewed your site through Digg. That might not be impressive compared to your own traffic statistics, but it could tip you off to competitors’ popularity.
Instantly Identify a Site’s Popular Pages Click the Source button to see a list of popular Digg pages within the same domain. This feature is much more convenient than having to surf through Digg. (Although, technically with the DiggBar engaged, you’re browsing there anyway.) Again, you can keep an eye on competitors, too.
See Related Content Digg can identify related content on other sites. From the DiggBar, just click Related. The toolbar will show popular, similar items from all over the web. You might stumble into a competitor–or ally–through this matchmaker.
No matter your content, the DiggBar will create waves on the web. Ride along, with a push from the Digg community.
Zack Stern is a freelance writer and editor who didn’t realize that URLs could contain colons.