Building My First Squidoo Lens

I finished and published my first Squidoo Lens this afternoon:

Best Small LED Flashlights

It took 2.5 days of intense work to get the first one done, but any others will be a little easier. I used a proprietary guide that I purchased online, which came with pre-made HTML templates, but you still had to add your own content to the templates and make the HTML work. If the HTML is off by a single space, it can throw the whole thing off. I got frustrated here and there, but eventually figured it out.

Now I have to work on SEO and getting this page ranked by Google. A science that is in its own world.......

I plan on doing more lenses like this one linked to products sold at Amazon.com. Fun, fun, fun---and hopefully, you make a few sales, too. I was making steady small sales from June-September, but October has been dry so far. Got to rethink some of my strategies, and start working on more Squidoo lenses!

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:

...and start working on more Squidoo lenses! [/color]

Z, a couple of questions...

1. Why do they call web pages "lenses"?

2. Off the top of your head, where should I look for LED bulbs for my fixtures on either side of the garage door. They use standard sockets for 60-watt bulbs, not floods. They keep burning out... even Compact Florescents.

Eric wrote:

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:

...and start working on more Squidoo lenses! [/color]

Z, a couple of questions...

1. Why do they call web pages "lenses"?

2. Off the top of your head, where should I look for LED bulbs for my fixtures on either side of the garage door. They use standard sockets for 60-watt bulbs, not floods. They keep burning out... even Compact Florescents.

Good questions, Eric. I think Squidoo differentiates its "Lenses" from regular webpages, because a lens has every trait of a web page, but you don't have separate web hosting. I did not pay for any web hosting to make that page, and in fact, I will be paid for having it (Squidoo makes its money from hosting Google adsense ads on member's lenses, and shares half the revenue with the lenscrafter). I am definitely going to make more Squidoo lenses connected to my Amazon Associate's account; especially if I can get traffic from this first lens.

Now, about your quest for LED bulbs. For 60-watt incandescent bulbs I use 7-watt LED bulbs. Most manufacturers claim their 6 and 7 watt LED bulbs are meant to replace 40-watt incandescent bulbs; however, I have found that 7-watt LED bulbs shine much brighter than 40-watt incandescents, and are perfectly acceptable to use as 60-watt incandescent replacements.

Now, where to get them.... I bought most of my LED bulbs from online sources, with some also purchased at Home Depot when I could find a good deal. Amazon.com now has a whole slew of 6 and 7-watt LED bulbs in the price range of $8-$10, which is a very good price in 2012. And, if you buy $25 worth from Amazon, you will get free super-saver shipping.

You can search for these yourself at Amazon, or you can visit my LED Lightbulb Reviews website, where I list and review every LED bulb Amazon sells for $10.00 or under. I also review other LED bulbs as well. You need to look for bulbs with A19 form (standard light bulb shape) and either an E26 or E27 base (standard screwbase) and you are there.

I must warn you though, if you visit my website and click through to Amazon, a cookie will be placed on your computer and anything you purchase there over the next 24 hours, I will get a 4% commission on...... (that is how affiliate marketing works). If you don't want the cookie, just link to the product from outside my website....

Thanks.

Thanks for sharing this, Z! You've built a good site, AND you've given me a marvelous idea.

I had never heard of Squidoo before!

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:

I finished and published my first Squidoo Lens this afternoon:

Best Small LED Flashlights

It took 2.5 days of intense work to get the first one done, but any others will be a little easier. I used a proprietary guide that I purchased online, which came with pre-made HTML templates, but you still had to add your own content to the templates and make the HTML work. If the HTML is off by a single space, it can throw the whole thing off. I got frustrated here and there, but eventually figured it out.

Now I have to work on SEO and getting this page ranked by Google. A science that is in its own world.......

I plan on doing more lenses like this one linked to products sold at Amazon.com. Fun, fun, fun---and hopefully, you make a few sales, too. I was making steady small sales from June-September, but October has been dry so far. Got to rethink some of my strategies, and start working on more Squidoo lenses!

Z - if you want to learn about HTML in more depth, I recommend the Nutshell series by Lusciano and Kennedy. They are technical but easy to understand. The authors even wax into humor from time to time.

Back when I was learning HTML in '98 or so, I was having a heck of a time until I picked up this book on a whim at BooksAMillion:

HTML: The Definitive Guide, by Lusciano and Kennedy

It's well worth the investment if you are going to start building more sites that require HTML knowledge.

My brain was swirling after I read your first paragraph, Z. My what can do what for my what?

I took an online course for internet marketers a few years ago when I had my online seed business on EBay. I never finished the course, much to my chagrin. Perhaps if I had, I would understand what you are writing about.

I can look at Amazon through a Squidoo lens....yup, that's it. Got it now. All set to go!