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Gizmos, or nifty add-ons inside a Web page, provide an easy way to spice up a simple Web site or auction description. Gizmos give visitors a new way to communicate with you or interact with your Web page. Fitting right inside a Web site, gizmos are easy to add and don't require technical expertise.
Web page gizmos consist of two parts, the stuff you see and the stuff you don't see. The part you see is the actual gizmo, whether it's a shipping calculator, advertising banner, or page view counter. Web code, called a script, works in the background to make the gizmo work. Scripts fit into the HTML that makes up the Web page. Web pages and auctions can include many gizmos.
Gizmos, like kitchen appliances, come in a variety of shapes and kinds. Some, like a toaster, are easy to use; just plug them in and go! Others require more expertise and some setup (think of an oven). Best of all, you have lots of options to choose from. When you find a gizmo that displays a photo slide show, chances are that several other scripts out there can do the same thing (and maybe add some neat features).
Web sites offering free gizmos are plentiful. A quick search for JavaScript or DHTML turns up countless entries. Most sites include categorized lists of scripts and a search tool. Take a look through the listings to get an idea of what's available.
 | Although most scripts are free to use, many include a copyright notice that you must not remove from the HTML code. (Scripts include clear warnings inside the code's comments when the author requires a copyright notice.) Using a script author's code without including the copyright notice is stealing; don't do it. Many authors spend countless hours on their scripts, so give them the credit they deserve. |
Tech-savvy individuals aren't the only ones posting nifty Web components. Many businesses that you already partner with make their code collections available. For example, PayPal publishes an extensive array of Web code for you to use.
You may run across sites that offer paid gizmos. Although you must pay a one-time or subscription fee, typically these scripts offer technical support and better quality. Most site operators test the scripts carefully before putting them up for sale. Paid scripts often utilize a special program running on the company's servers. This gives the script more flexibility and power, providing you with more options for your auctions.
 | As with many things, you can get carried away with scripts. Many of the options available are cool but can be downright annoying to users. Remember to take a moment to think about your customers. Always ask the question, "Will this help my customers learn about and buy my products quickly and easily?" If the answer is no, think twice about adding the latest nifty script to your auction. |
Although popular, the dreaded Snow Flake script is a great example of what not to do. The script displays falling snow across the entire page. It appears to be a cute effect, but it distracts your customers from what's most important: your item! Stay away from scripts that don't help your bidders.
Getting started with scripts
How do you harness all this free code? Many times, you can simply copy a script from an online directory, then drop it right into your auction or Web site. Each gizmo includes a script (often computer code and HTML) that, when added to your auction or Web site, activates the gizmo. Add the code into your auction description where you want the gizmo to show up.
Scripts come in many flavors, from pure HTML code to hybrid scripts that mix programming code with HTML. However, understanding how a script works is not a prerequisite for using it. Someone else took the time to develop and test the gizmo, and you get to reap the benefits.
Scripts fall into two main categories:
- No changes necessary: With these scripts, you can just copy the code exactly as you see it into your Web site or auction description.
- Some assembly required: Although the author has done all the work, a few pieces require some customization. For example, if you're adding a shipping calculator to your Web site, you may have to add your zip code to the script.
The no changes necessary gizmos are the easiest to use, requiring no modifications before putting them to work. Just add the code to your Web site or auction where you want the gizmo to appear, and you're done.
| When using a some assembly required script, don't forget to perform the necessary customization; otherwise, the script won't work as expected. Although some of the most useful scripts require some simple changes, they usually aren't difficult to perform. The changes are usually clearly spelled out in the script instructions. Some Web sites (PayPal is a great example) even provide a Web-based tool to automatically create the script with all the customizing done for you. |
Dealing with eBay's JavaScript limitations
Unfortunately, not every script works within eBay auctions. Scripts have two issues to contend with in an eBay auction: technical code limitations and eBay's JavaScript policy. Each limit the use of JavaScript, a programming language used in many gizmos.
Because eBay allows sellers to put HTML only in the body of the Web page, the <HEAD> area of the HTML isn't available. Although many scripts instruct you to put code into the <HEAD> section of the HTML page, you can often include the code in the body without experiencing any problems. Most times, the script must appear before the HTML that calls it. If a script instructs you to put some code in the <HEAD> section, just add it to the top of your auction description. That way, all your description HTML code follows, making the script happy.
eBay's HTML and JavaScript policy offers another hurdle to overcome when adding JavaScript to your auctions. eBay designed its JavaScript policy (go to pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-javascript.html or search for JavaScript inside eBay's help area) to protect eBay members from malicious JavaScript scripts (yep, they're out there). If you attempt to use a banned JavaScript code in your auction description, eBay returns an error.
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