Squidoo: the almost-was web2.0 version of about.com
I’ll admit that I loved the initial idea behind Squidoo – create an open network of experts on millions of topics by giving them easy to use tools to build mini-sites that showcase their expertise and create value user value.
I had trialled Squidoo when it first launched (I think my first lens was deleted due to lack of activity), but it has been a while since I experimented with it. I recently returned and developed a Mt Rainier lens, since I had developed a fair amount of knowledge while researching and planning a group climb of the mountain. A few of my quick thoughts on using Squidoo:
- A very easy tool for generating niche-expertise web pages.
- Product list integration was incredibly slick. They have one of the best interfaces for creating product lists that I’ve seen.
- The user experience is still rough around some of the most basic items. It took me several attempts to upload a photo, with it failing silently several times. I later figured out that I needed a smaller photo. No messages – just trial and error. I experienced a few similar issues while using the product. They’re suffering from featuritis, and need to take a step back and make sure the basics are easy/enjoyable to use.
The business:
- Traffic is clearly up. They have just under 50,000 lenses. The lens that I created has received 6 visits in the last week, ranking it at roughly 10,000. So, the vast bulk of their lenses are untrafficed, and a top percentage receive all of their traffic. I presume this to be largely SEO driven.
- Expertise? I expected a small cadre of high quality lenses to dominate the top 100 (by traffic). I found a very mixed bag. The lenses I discovered fell into several categories:
- Experts/enthusiasts producing high quality lenses. Examples: Interior Paint, Myspace overlays, Stewie Griffin
- People promoting their own blog/website/ebay store. Examples: Plasma Lifts, Landscapes, Moussavers
- Lists of stuff to buy. Examples: Halloween Costumes, Handbag deals, Startup CEO
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