I was just reading PotpieGirl's blog and she mentioned how her blog ranked as far as Alexa goes. She is in the top 100K for websites, so kudos to her for doing well. It makes me want to emulate her success, so I thought I would take a look at how this blog rates. Alexa gives you information about how many page views you get and your overall ranking.
According to Alexa, my blog, Squidoo Land, my three month average ranking is 4,351,104, which is an increase from 6,021,254. The "reach" of my blog is getting better too. According to Alexa, the reach of Squidoo Land has increased 400 percent.
This blog about how to do better at Squidoo was started in late August 2008 and I didn't know what I was doing (some may say I still don't know what I'm doing!) I've started making a tiny trickle of money from this blog and obviously I hope to increase that into a river. Combined with what I make from my Squidoo lenses, I believe I can expect much better results in 2009. Sure, my blog is only ranked at 4.3 million. That's better than I was doing 6 months ago when I didn't have a blog at all and I am beginning to get visitors who seem to enjoy what I write. I just wish they would leave more comments! I really like having the chance to respond to comments on my blog and hey, it's another chance to get a link to your blog or Squidoo lens or Hubpage from a blog with a Google rank of 2. Every little bit of Google juice helps with your own lens ranking.
The rankings for this blog are admittedly not stellar, but I am seeing a continual increase in my visitors, page views, and this is after only about 4 months. Let's see how I am doing after 6 months or maybe after a year. I am doing better than I was monetarily, and I'm seeing increases in all important categories month over month. Three months ago my blog was ranked around 6.5 million with no readers, no pagerank, and no money. Now Squidoo Land is ranked at 4.3 million on Alexa, has regular visitors, a Google Pagerank of 2 (this will likely go up over time), and I am starting to see a small amount of money from my blog. Isn't that what were are doing this for? I can hardly wait for tomorrow, next month, next year!
AnnaLynne McCord Lens In Top 100 Of PopCulture
My squidoo lens, AnnaLynne McCord is ranked number 62 in the Top 100 of the Squidoo category PopCulture. Here is a list of the current Top Ten of this category:
Top 10 Pop Culture & Celebs
1. Sarah Palin's Glasses by JJNW
2. Why Did Robert Pattinson Cut His Hair & How to Send a Letter to RPattz by AdrienneJenkins
3. Webkinz World by Christene
4. Megan Fox's Tattoos by BigGirlBlue
5. Aaliyah | American Rhythm and Blues Singer, Dancer, Model and Actress by SemperFidelis
6. Diana Rigg by JustBon-Crochet-Designs
7. Robin Meade Of CNN's Morning Express: The Sexiest Newsanchor Ever by JerryK
8. Tina Fey - Actress, Comedian, Writer by xtnshun
9. Miranda Cosgrove by SusanVillasLewis
10. The Roaring 1920's: Fashion, Celebrity, Craziness!!! by Recession-Proof
What I want to do is get my Squidoo lens about AnnaLynne McCord into this group. I realize increased lensrank is not the best goal to have, I want to teach myself how to get this particular lens to rank higher. Whatever I learn from these efforts may help me become a bit better lensmaster. I'll study these 10 or so lenses to see how I can increase my lens rank for this and other lenses.
Just A Little House Cleaning At Squidoo Land
First off, I would like to say happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all who stumble by my little blog. It's Christmas day today and I thought I'd sneak away from the family for a few moments and wish all seasons greetings. This gives me a chance to review my blog, Squidoo Land and start making plans for the new year.
I started this blog in August and although I don't have an opportunity to write every single day, I do plan on writing more in the new year and hopefully with something more concrete to help those struggling with Squidoo and other platforms. I still believe Squidoo is one of the best ways of establishing a web presence and even though I've only been a member for about 4 months, I feel that I've been welcomed for the most part with open arms by the members of Squidoo. If you are unfamiliar with Squidoo, you can join for free and make some money by putting up a webpage (called a lens), including some unique content, and get some sales from the Amazon, Cafepress and eBay modules that you include on your lenses. There are a myriad of tutorial lenses like my Squidoo Newbie Landing Page, which shows you, step-by-step, how to make a lens at Squidoo.
My plans for the new year are pretty much the same as what I've had since I started at Squidoo, more, more, MORE! I currently have 126 lenses and I plan on increasing the number of lenses I have published to at least double that number by the end of next year. I have about 30 more unpublished lenses that I have been working on for a while. There are so many topics that captivate my interest and that I want to do a lens about that 250 lenses by year-end 2009 may be a conservative assessment. Not only will my little school of lenses expand, so will the potential amount of revenue increase, exponentially. I am losing interest in just focusing on lensrank and I'm moving towards creating more lenses which may generate a sale or three. I am not planning on creating more lenses just for the sole purpose of making money online at Squidoo. I want to make more money, but that is not my only goal.
So far I've been a little greedy. All of the lenses I've created have been for the purpose of generating a profit for me. There's nothing wrong with that and I don't think as though I should feel somehow guilty about trying to make money with websites. I am making some money at Squidoo, and I plan on increasing my efforts in this area, but I do plan on making a portion of my new lenses as charity lenses, because that means I am giving some to those who deserve it and that's all well and good. Remember, Squidoo takes a portion of all the money generated from your lens before you see your cut of the profits, so each lens already generates some fundage for worthy charities. I just want to give a little bit more to certain other charities over and above the usual Squidoo share. It's just good karma.
Okay, okay, maybe I am a little bit greedy. What I want to do is continue to increase the income I generate through affiliates (and other methods). There is such potential waiting to be captured in the internet, that seeing what I've done with just a little effort makes me want to re-double my efforts to increase my return.
The Web offers so many options, platforms and other ways of making a buck here and there, I just don't see how anyone can resist it's siren call. "Start a blog and become a millionaire!", "I made XXX dollars, and I'll show you how you can too!" All that stuff is garbage in my opinion. There are no shortcuts to working hard and using your head. If someone were to find a way to make a mountain of money, it is very doubtful they would be offering to show you how to do it for a low, low price. If you want to make a fortune, you have to find a way to have someone pay you more money for your efforts than it took you to get them to pay you. Then you do it again. And again. And again. You get the idea. Do the work, get paid, do the work again and get paid again.
Okay, I'm starting to rant, so I'll stop there. Besides, the turkey needs to be carved and I want to get my belly stuffed and then I can kick back and talk with my family and relax. You should too.
I started this blog in August and although I don't have an opportunity to write every single day, I do plan on writing more in the new year and hopefully with something more concrete to help those struggling with Squidoo and other platforms. I still believe Squidoo is one of the best ways of establishing a web presence and even though I've only been a member for about 4 months, I feel that I've been welcomed for the most part with open arms by the members of Squidoo. If you are unfamiliar with Squidoo, you can join for free and make some money by putting up a webpage (called a lens), including some unique content, and get some sales from the Amazon, Cafepress and eBay modules that you include on your lenses. There are a myriad of tutorial lenses like my Squidoo Newbie Landing Page, which shows you, step-by-step, how to make a lens at Squidoo.
Onward And Upward In 2009 At Squidoo
My plans for the new year are pretty much the same as what I've had since I started at Squidoo, more, more, MORE! I currently have 126 lenses and I plan on increasing the number of lenses I have published to at least double that number by the end of next year. I have about 30 more unpublished lenses that I have been working on for a while. There are so many topics that captivate my interest and that I want to do a lens about that 250 lenses by year-end 2009 may be a conservative assessment. Not only will my little school of lenses expand, so will the potential amount of revenue increase, exponentially. I am losing interest in just focusing on lensrank and I'm moving towards creating more lenses which may generate a sale or three. I am not planning on creating more lenses just for the sole purpose of making money online at Squidoo. I want to make more money, but that is not my only goal.
Maybe I'll Make Some Charity Lenses
So far I've been a little greedy. All of the lenses I've created have been for the purpose of generating a profit for me. There's nothing wrong with that and I don't think as though I should feel somehow guilty about trying to make money with websites. I am making some money at Squidoo, and I plan on increasing my efforts in this area, but I do plan on making a portion of my new lenses as charity lenses, because that means I am giving some to those who deserve it and that's all well and good. Remember, Squidoo takes a portion of all the money generated from your lens before you see your cut of the profits, so each lens already generates some fundage for worthy charities. I just want to give a little bit more to certain other charities over and above the usual Squidoo share. It's just good karma.
Increasing My Affiliate Income
Okay, okay, maybe I am a little bit greedy. What I want to do is continue to increase the income I generate through affiliates (and other methods). There is such potential waiting to be captured in the internet, that seeing what I've done with just a little effort makes me want to re-double my efforts to increase my return.
The Web offers so many options, platforms and other ways of making a buck here and there, I just don't see how anyone can resist it's siren call. "Start a blog and become a millionaire!", "I made XXX dollars, and I'll show you how you can too!" All that stuff is garbage in my opinion. There are no shortcuts to working hard and using your head. If someone were to find a way to make a mountain of money, it is very doubtful they would be offering to show you how to do it for a low, low price. If you want to make a fortune, you have to find a way to have someone pay you more money for your efforts than it took you to get them to pay you. Then you do it again. And again. And again. You get the idea. Do the work, get paid, do the work again and get paid again.
Okay, I'm starting to rant, so I'll stop there. Besides, the turkey needs to be carved and I want to get my belly stuffed and then I can kick back and talk with my family and relax. You should too.
Why Not Apply For Greeter Status At Squidoo?
With all the hoopla surrounding the current race to obtain Giant Squid status at Squidoo, a lot of folks are missing out on another opportunity to contribute to life at Squidoo. There's another position open for application that you might be interested in called Greeter. You have to be a Giant Squid already to apply, but it's another feather in your cap if you get chosen for this position.
Basically, it's temporary - a 3 month term of service. It's pretty easy, and just takes a three to five hours per week. You welcome new lensmasters who announce their presence in the ocean of Squidoo Lensmasters over at the Squidu Forum and encourage them to contribute and visit their lenses. I remember getting my first few visits to my feeble attempts when I first started and there is nothing quite like a few words of encouragement from some of the more established lensmasters to stoke the fire.
You also get to keep an unofficial eye on new lensmasters who you think might develop into Giants themselves. Helping others with a kind word here and there might be all they need to become first-class citizens of Squidoo. Also, according to the powers that be, there may be some "projects" that the greeters can contribute too. I dunno what that means, but you never know. Squidoo is always changing and adapting itself with new features, modules and such. We recently got a new improved editing page that simplifies how we add modules (all on one page! Yes!). Who knows what's coming down the pike? Maybe you'll get a heads up as a greeter so you can alert newer folks with timely answers, and it'll help you out as a lensmaster too. Basically it's a win-win.
Remember, it's only for a 3 month term, but it's another way of giving back and helping out others which is always a good idea. If you are interested, you can fire off an email to beagreeter@squidoo.com saying why you might like to do it. At least give it a shot. You might have fun and you get a Greeter Badge as well!
Basically, it's temporary - a 3 month term of service. It's pretty easy, and just takes a three to five hours per week. You welcome new lensmasters who announce their presence in the ocean of Squidoo Lensmasters over at the Squidu Forum and encourage them to contribute and visit their lenses. I remember getting my first few visits to my feeble attempts when I first started and there is nothing quite like a few words of encouragement from some of the more established lensmasters to stoke the fire.
You also get to keep an unofficial eye on new lensmasters who you think might develop into Giants themselves. Helping others with a kind word here and there might be all they need to become first-class citizens of Squidoo. Also, according to the powers that be, there may be some "projects" that the greeters can contribute too. I dunno what that means, but you never know. Squidoo is always changing and adapting itself with new features, modules and such. We recently got a new improved editing page that simplifies how we add modules (all on one page! Yes!). Who knows what's coming down the pike? Maybe you'll get a heads up as a greeter so you can alert newer folks with timely answers, and it'll help you out as a lensmaster too. Basically it's a win-win.
Remember, it's only for a 3 month term, but it's another way of giving back and helping out others which is always a good idea. If you are interested, you can fire off an email to beagreeter@squidoo.com saying why you might like to do it. At least give it a shot. You might have fun and you get a Greeter Badge as well!
I Applied For Giant Squid Status
I have taken the plunge. Yesterday I sent off my application to Squidoo HQ for Giant Squid status. Of course, I don't think I'll get it. I have the numbers (you need 50 to apply) but as always I'm concerned about quality. You need to have 50 quality lenses, not 5-6 really great ones and the rest only so-so. I think I might get it but of course I just dunno. If you want to take a look at all my lenses (remember, I have 126 published, plus a mittful of unpublished ones) here's a link to my lensmaster page.
Weird that my lens about Benedict Arnold is now my number one lens. It seems to get a fair bit of traffic week in, week out. I think I have too many "Who Is..." Squidoo pages, lots of hockey players, celebrities, that sort of thing. But I do have a lot of other types of pages. I've read that the folks who make the decisions about who they let into the select group of Giant Squids don't like too many of that type of lenses, but they are only a part of my output. And just about all of them have a fair bit of work done on them, modules added, lots of photos, lots of content (I'm always trying to add more content).
Still, is this enough? Hope so. If not, I'll re-apply for the March 31st deadline and re-double my efforts. Even if I were to get a Giant Squid badge added to my lenses, that's only one step. You can't rest on your laurels around Squidoo. I'm one of those "onwards and upwards" type of people and I'll probably double my output by the next deadline, just to give those selecting new Giants a little wider choice.
Still, I'll report here at Squidoo Land how I do. Hopefully my efforts will spur others on to apply. Wish me luck.
Weird that my lens about Benedict Arnold is now my number one lens. It seems to get a fair bit of traffic week in, week out. I think I have too many "Who Is..." Squidoo pages, lots of hockey players, celebrities, that sort of thing. But I do have a lot of other types of pages. I've read that the folks who make the decisions about who they let into the select group of Giant Squids don't like too many of that type of lenses, but they are only a part of my output. And just about all of them have a fair bit of work done on them, modules added, lots of photos, lots of content (I'm always trying to add more content).
Still, is this enough? Hope so. If not, I'll re-apply for the March 31st deadline and re-double my efforts. Even if I were to get a Giant Squid badge added to my lenses, that's only one step. You can't rest on your laurels around Squidoo. I'm one of those "onwards and upwards" type of people and I'll probably double my output by the next deadline, just to give those selecting new Giants a little wider choice.
Still, I'll report here at Squidoo Land how I do. Hopefully my efforts will spur others on to apply. Wish me luck.
Link Exchanges Are A No-No At Squidoo
I was just at the Squidu Forum and there's quite the hub-bub being raised (rightfully so, IMHO) about so-called "ratings exchanges" that seem to be popping up with some regularity. Don't use them. I repeat: DO NOT USE RATINGS EXCHANGES!
A ratings exchange is one of those, "you rate mine and I'll rate yours" deals. It is an artificial method of getting your lenses noticed. The more stars you have, presumably the higher your lens might rank. Obviously everyone wants to have their lenses ranked highly, but this type of thing is heavily frowned on by the powers that be at Squidoo. It is expressly stated in the Squidoo "Terms of Service" that this is not acceptable behaviour. If you are unclear, READ THE TERMS. They are there to clear this sort of misunderstandings up. There's nothing wrong with encouraging people to visit your work and commenting on what they think about your efforts, but this you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours is against the rules.
A lot of new members at Squidoo fall prey to these schemes from time to time and they risk getting themselves banned or at the very least, having their lenses locked, preventing visitors from finding their hard work (which is what you want in the first place: outside traffic who are actually interested in your content). You will get far more visitors to your lenses by creating unique, interesting content than by using methods like these to inflate your status at Squidoo. Don't do it. Don't encourage it. There are far more legitimate ways of getting people to visit you than trying to take shortcuts like this.
You can find a good thread about this at Squidu called Ratings Swaps Round 2?. The thread is already up to 3 pages long with 50-plus posts. Very illuminating for those unclear about the concept. Once again, you should read the forum at Squidoo from time to time because there is always something being discussed that will help you do better. This is one of those times.
A ratings exchange is one of those, "you rate mine and I'll rate yours" deals. It is an artificial method of getting your lenses noticed. The more stars you have, presumably the higher your lens might rank. Obviously everyone wants to have their lenses ranked highly, but this type of thing is heavily frowned on by the powers that be at Squidoo. It is expressly stated in the Squidoo "Terms of Service" that this is not acceptable behaviour. If you are unclear, READ THE TERMS. They are there to clear this sort of misunderstandings up. There's nothing wrong with encouraging people to visit your work and commenting on what they think about your efforts, but this you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours is against the rules.
A lot of new members at Squidoo fall prey to these schemes from time to time and they risk getting themselves banned or at the very least, having their lenses locked, preventing visitors from finding their hard work (which is what you want in the first place: outside traffic who are actually interested in your content). You will get far more visitors to your lenses by creating unique, interesting content than by using methods like these to inflate your status at Squidoo. Don't do it. Don't encourage it. There are far more legitimate ways of getting people to visit you than trying to take shortcuts like this.
You can find a good thread about this at Squidu called Ratings Swaps Round 2?. The thread is already up to 3 pages long with 50-plus posts. Very illuminating for those unclear about the concept. Once again, you should read the forum at Squidoo from time to time because there is always something being discussed that will help you do better. This is one of those times.
Squidoo Land Garners Google Page Rank!
Hey! I just checked and the little blog that could (yeah I'm talking about Squidoo Land) is now a page rank 2 blog according to Google. That means I'm considered something of an authority on Squidoo, but don't tell anyone. I'm still getting my feet wet at Squidoo (my tentacles wet?)
I started this blog in September to let people know about Squidoo and why they should join up with this great website. You can join here and begin your own journey on Squidoo. Hey, you can make money and some can make a lot of money. Besides money, there's the fun aspect. I like writing about various topics and posting on the Squidu forum and reading and conversing with other lensmasters about how they're doing and what they are doing to get better.
As far as getting higher page rank, obviously this is very pleasing to me, and makes me want to push it even higher to the next level. I'm starting to get some notice for what I'm writing which I love to do, and I'm getting some readers (very important) and slowly but surely, I'm starting to make a little bit of money off of my blogging. All I can say is:
"Google loves me this I know...
For my pagerank tells me so."
I have other blogs I'm working on and now I see that eventually if you keep at it that positive things start happening. Maybe I can leverage my love for writing into a couple of dozen blogs, each producing a dollar here and there. I'm always reading about how to make your blogging better. A monetization here, a little there...
I started this blog in September to let people know about Squidoo and why they should join up with this great website. You can join here and begin your own journey on Squidoo. Hey, you can make money and some can make a lot of money. Besides money, there's the fun aspect. I like writing about various topics and posting on the Squidu forum and reading and conversing with other lensmasters about how they're doing and what they are doing to get better.
As far as getting higher page rank, obviously this is very pleasing to me, and makes me want to push it even higher to the next level. I'm starting to get some notice for what I'm writing which I love to do, and I'm getting some readers (very important) and slowly but surely, I'm starting to make a little bit of money off of my blogging. All I can say is:
"Google loves me this I know...
For my pagerank tells me so."
I have other blogs I'm working on and now I see that eventually if you keep at it that positive things start happening. Maybe I can leverage my love for writing into a couple of dozen blogs, each producing a dollar here and there. I'm always reading about how to make your blogging better. A monetization here, a little there...
Payday At Squidoo
Today is the day every Squidoo lensmaster looks for to (some with a certain dread). It is payday at Squidoo. Today's the day that you get paid for the lens ranking of your work for the month of October because it is always paid 2 months behind. In case you don't know, there are tiers to the payout structure, 1st tier, 2nd tier and 3rd tier.
This is the 3rd time I've received something from Squidoo, and it has gone up again! I did recieve $0.08 on the first payday that I was eligible for, but even that surprised me. That was back in October and was the payment for August. I had joined Squidoo August 14th, so having received even 8 cents was a bit of a surprise. This time my payday is tipping the scale at $6.94. Still not much, but an increase from last time, nonetheless.
There are plenty of lensmasters who make much, much more than I've received and kudos to them. The way things are going, I should break the $10 per month barrier either next month or the month afterwards, which would be cool. I am just now starting to experiment with my own affiliate links. Lots of lensmasters use their own links to supplement their online incomes. Some make a lot (from what I've heard around the watercooler), and I know it is one method available for those of us who want to increase what we get from our Squidoo misadventures.
Here is a list of what the various tiers pay out per lens at Squidoo on a month by month basis:
This is just for the last 4 months. Others have longer lists, but they've been keeping track longer than I have. Still $12 per lens is nothing to sneeze at. The tiers are broken down as follows:
Tier One: 1-2000
Tier Two: 2001-about 8000
Tier Three: 8001-about 60000
It is still very easy to get ranked in the 3rd tier. Basically all you have to do is to show up with good content. Tier 2 is tougher. Your content needs to be really good, a little more traffic, more links to your work, and having your lens rated well with lots of 5-stars definitely helps. Getting into the top tier is what everyone at Squidoo shoots for. Some seem to do it relatively easily, while others (including me) have a tougher go of things. You need to have unique, interesting content, loved by other Squids who rate the lens a 5. Having some Squid Angels bless your work is definitely helpful too. A lot of the top rank lenses also draw a ton of visitors, 200-300 a day. That's something you must shoot for not just to increase your lensranking, but to get sales on your pages as well. It is very difficult to maintain a top ranking. I've had a couple of lenses go into the top tier, but then they slip out again, but others have had the same experience I'm sure. Others just are great lenses and it would take herculean efforts to dislodge them. But Id like to think I'm up for the challenge. Are you?
This is the 3rd time I've received something from Squidoo, and it has gone up again! I did recieve $0.08 on the first payday that I was eligible for, but even that surprised me. That was back in October and was the payment for August. I had joined Squidoo August 14th, so having received even 8 cents was a bit of a surprise. This time my payday is tipping the scale at $6.94. Still not much, but an increase from last time, nonetheless.
There are plenty of lensmasters who make much, much more than I've received and kudos to them. The way things are going, I should break the $10 per month barrier either next month or the month afterwards, which would be cool. I am just now starting to experiment with my own affiliate links. Lots of lensmasters use their own links to supplement their online incomes. Some make a lot (from what I've heard around the watercooler), and I know it is one method available for those of us who want to increase what we get from our Squidoo misadventures.
Here is a list of what the various tiers pay out per lens at Squidoo on a month by month basis:
Month
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
October
$12.00
$1.94
$0.08
September
$11.75
$1.96
$0.08
August
$10.75
$1.81
$0.08
July
$11.04
$1.72
$0.08
This is just for the last 4 months. Others have longer lists, but they've been keeping track longer than I have. Still $12 per lens is nothing to sneeze at. The tiers are broken down as follows:
Tier One: 1-2000
Tier Two: 2001-about 8000
Tier Three: 8001-about 60000
It is still very easy to get ranked in the 3rd tier. Basically all you have to do is to show up with good content. Tier 2 is tougher. Your content needs to be really good, a little more traffic, more links to your work, and having your lens rated well with lots of 5-stars definitely helps. Getting into the top tier is what everyone at Squidoo shoots for. Some seem to do it relatively easily, while others (including me) have a tougher go of things. You need to have unique, interesting content, loved by other Squids who rate the lens a 5. Having some Squid Angels bless your work is definitely helpful too. A lot of the top rank lenses also draw a ton of visitors, 200-300 a day. That's something you must shoot for not just to increase your lensranking, but to get sales on your pages as well. It is very difficult to maintain a top ranking. I've had a couple of lenses go into the top tier, but then they slip out again, but others have had the same experience I'm sure. Others just are great lenses and it would take herculean efforts to dislodge them. But Id like to think I'm up for the challenge. Are you?
3 Weeks Left For Giant Squid Race!
Okay, it's coming down to the nitty-gritty as the race for Giant Squid status is entering it's final three weeks. You can see the post I made a while back at Squidoo Land here at Wow! The Race For Giant Squid Status In On!.
I'm still not ready yet myself and the number of other squids cranking out great work is reaching a feverish pace. The thread over Squidu is now at 17 pages and 408 posts! I haven't seen a topic generate so much excitement, not even the last challenge that ended September 30th. Are you ready? Do you think you will have 50 great lenses ready? You have until December 31st to create 50 great webpages but make sure you apply NOW! You also have to give the folks at Squidoo a chance to review them, so don't wait until the last minute to put your name in the hat!
I'm still not ready yet myself and the number of other squids cranking out great work is reaching a feverish pace. The thread over Squidu is now at 17 pages and 408 posts! I haven't seen a topic generate so much excitement, not even the last challenge that ended September 30th. Are you ready? Do you think you will have 50 great lenses ready? You have until December 31st to create 50 great webpages but make sure you apply NOW! You also have to give the folks at Squidoo a chance to review them, so don't wait until the last minute to put your name in the hat!
Uh, Oh. The Big Blue Box Arrived On My Squidoo Dashboard
It appears to be that time again. Payday at Squidoo. I logged into Squidoo and there it was again, the big blue box, signifying the announcement of what I earned for the month of October. As we are always paid about a month and about a half after the end of the month, I can expect a little something, something in my PayPal account in the next few days.
As for me, my lenses took a bit of a tumble in the rankings all through October with none in the top tier. I don't expect much if anything at all for October, just my 2nd full month having lenses on Squidoo. November was slightly better and December better still, but I don't believe I'll have made enough to pass the $10 threshhold. Other will have been a bit luckier, some earning upwards of $1,000, but many less. My goal remains unchanged to have $1,000 a month from Squidoo and I'm putting in my efforts to increase the number and quality of my lenses. Still a long haul before I reach my mark, but I will get there eventually. I'll again announce my earnings at Squidoo Land (hopefully tomorrow). Wish me luck! I congratulate those who have done well. Those that haven't met your goals at Squidoo yet, carry on and continue working towards them.
As for me, my lenses took a bit of a tumble in the rankings all through October with none in the top tier. I don't expect much if anything at all for October, just my 2nd full month having lenses on Squidoo. November was slightly better and December better still, but I don't believe I'll have made enough to pass the $10 threshhold. Other will have been a bit luckier, some earning upwards of $1,000, but many less. My goal remains unchanged to have $1,000 a month from Squidoo and I'm putting in my efforts to increase the number and quality of my lenses. Still a long haul before I reach my mark, but I will get there eventually. I'll again announce my earnings at Squidoo Land (hopefully tomorrow). Wish me luck! I congratulate those who have done well. Those that haven't met your goals at Squidoo yet, carry on and continue working towards them.
Christmas Shopping: Easier Online?
Do you feel it? The sense of urgency has cranked up a bit as Christmas edges closer and closer. I haven't posted on Squidoo Land for a few days because I've been out there in the trenches looking for those special gifts for my loved ones. I saw the panic in the eyes of some, the weariness in others. Sitting at the food court I overheard a couple of people discussing their Christmas plans and how every year they don't have enough time to shop for everyone they want to buy for. One woman mentioned how she had picked up a number of things shopping online at Amazon and other websites and how relieved she was that she now only had to brave the malls for a short period of time. The other women traded stories of how they were checking out other online shopping websites (I should have chimed in about Squidoo), and how they had looked at this item online and the price of that item. I thought what a good idea for a blog post!
It seems that shopping online for Christmas gifts is becoming a larger option for more and more people. Not just because of the time factor (you can shop even when the malls are closed) but because you can look at items that are not readily available at the local mall. One woman I work with was DONE before December even started. Knowing her, she will still go out a few times more to pick up some odds and ends. Me, I am one of those guys who always seems to be hanging around the mall a day or two before the big day with that exhausted look and a number of packages in my tired arms. "Not next year" I pledge, and there I am again.
What I hate is the number of people. Don't get me wrong, I am a people person and I do love the season. It seems that Christmas shopping brings out the worst in some people. It's almost as if they have never been to the mall before! They slowly shuffle down isles and stop walking to look around in awe. Move it people! I have to get to the toy section before they run out of Tickle Me Elmos! And don't get me started about the roads and parking lots. I'm starting to see the HUGE advantage of sitting on my duff in front of my computer going through Amazon and eBay, and Barnes and Noble and Sears online.
By checking out various stores and individual websites, I can decide what I want to purchase before I go to the store. I can see if something is available at the store I want to shop at. If I want to, I can order it online and have it delivered. If I want to, I can have something delivered across the country to friends and loved ones. Remember back in the day having to line up at the post office after spending all that time wrapping presents and paying for postage? You can get free delivery on certain purchases through Amazon.com and others.
I know I'm only scratching the surface on the benefits of online shopping. I just hope you don't have the sore feet, aching back and other assorted ailments I get when I get home after a day shuffling through the stores. Sit back, put your feet up and do some online shopping. You won't regret it and you might save some money. And have Merry Christmas!
New Zazzle Module Now Available On Squidoo
If you are already a Zazzle member, you now have an option that may help you to increase your sales. Squidoo just unveiled their new Zazzle module which allows people with Squidoo lenses to showcase items they have for sale on Zazzle. Even if you don't sell stuff on Zazzle, you can still use this cool new mod. The layout is pretty slick and you can choose from a list of 22 categories, or choose all and display a selection across all 22 categories.
This new mod gets the Squidoo Land thumbs up. I am going to prowl around Zazzle looking for cool items to list on my various lenses. There are already some members of Zazzle who have put together Squidoo lenses to highlight items they sell on Zazzle. Here's a couple:
Zazzle 101
Zazzle Blog
The first link is to an excellent lens outlining how to use Zazzle for those unfamiliar with the site. The second is a link to the Zazzle blog, where people selling on Zazzle write about their tips etc.
This new mod gets the Squidoo Land thumbs up. I am going to prowl around Zazzle looking for cool items to list on my various lenses. There are already some members of Zazzle who have put together Squidoo lenses to highlight items they sell on Zazzle. Here's a couple:
Zazzle 101
Zazzle Blog
The first link is to an excellent lens outlining how to use Zazzle for those unfamiliar with the site. The second is a link to the Zazzle blog, where people selling on Zazzle write about their tips etc.
Facebook Groups: Do They Draw Traffic? Squidoo Land Says Yes and No
Yup. You will get some traffic from Facebook groups, but not the type you want. I'm not knocking Facebook or the groups set up there. I have a number of small groups I have put together myself. They are garnering some members and some of the others I am a member of have some lively debate. It's almost like the old chat rooms that were so busy for so long years ago. There's a lot of "You suck" comments and "we're number one!" type of conversations. Not exactly highbrow dialog goes on for very long.
And that's the problem. These groups draw a lot of people. Some groups have a torrent of traffic dropping by leaving comments about President Obama, or their favorite sports team after a big win. By siphoning off some traffic from these groups to go to your website or Squidoo lens you may luck out and make a sale or click. Sure it's great to see the number of visitors go up. But if they are not interested in what your selling, what's the point? Like I said, traffic is traffic, some converts but other visitors don't. Maybe you can get a sale of a hat or jersey from a visitor once in a while, but the bottom line is if you are in this to make some money, most of the Facebook crowd are not coming to you with money in their hot little hands to buy stuff. They want to read. They want to look at cool pictures. Maybe they'll click on a link for more info. But the majority won't convert.
But Some Facebook Traffic Does Convert! Doesn't It?
Yup. After slamming Facebook traffic above, I want to state yes they do convert. I get some traffic and a regular percentage buy stuff and click to see more information about what I'm sellin'. What is needed is MORE TRAFFIC! You won't convert all your visitors into customers with any source of online traffic. That's an obvious pipedream. What you want is to increase the number of visitors to your lenses, right? So you don't sell all of them a poster or new set of gardening tools. A tiny percentage of a increasingly larger group buys stuff. That means your total number of sales increases.
You are getting people to see your work. Some buy, some don't. Facebook is a source of traffic. Get more. Get more traffic from Facebook, from MySpace, from the forums you post in. Some traffic converts better than others and the point is some traffic converts! Sure the folks dropping by from Facebook don't all make the big plasma TV purchase, but some buy stuff. That's what you want. A regular source of traffic that purchases a little something and comes back again. What more could you ask for?
And that's the problem. These groups draw a lot of people. Some groups have a torrent of traffic dropping by leaving comments about President Obama, or their favorite sports team after a big win. By siphoning off some traffic from these groups to go to your website or Squidoo lens you may luck out and make a sale or click. Sure it's great to see the number of visitors go up. But if they are not interested in what your selling, what's the point? Like I said, traffic is traffic, some converts but other visitors don't. Maybe you can get a sale of a hat or jersey from a visitor once in a while, but the bottom line is if you are in this to make some money, most of the Facebook crowd are not coming to you with money in their hot little hands to buy stuff. They want to read. They want to look at cool pictures. Maybe they'll click on a link for more info. But the majority won't convert.
But Some Facebook Traffic Does Convert! Doesn't It?
Yup. After slamming Facebook traffic above, I want to state yes they do convert. I get some traffic and a regular percentage buy stuff and click to see more information about what I'm sellin'. What is needed is MORE TRAFFIC! You won't convert all your visitors into customers with any source of online traffic. That's an obvious pipedream. What you want is to increase the number of visitors to your lenses, right? So you don't sell all of them a poster or new set of gardening tools. A tiny percentage of a increasingly larger group buys stuff. That means your total number of sales increases.
You are getting people to see your work. Some buy, some don't. Facebook is a source of traffic. Get more. Get more traffic from Facebook, from MySpace, from the forums you post in. Some traffic converts better than others and the point is some traffic converts! Sure the folks dropping by from Facebook don't all make the big plasma TV purchase, but some buy stuff. That's what you want. A regular source of traffic that purchases a little something and comes back again. What more could you ask for?
