Squidoo Tips - How & Why You Should Use Squidoo - For Fun and/or Profit

I believe Squidoo is set to explode in the near future. There are already many thousands of users there, and since most of these people are either in business or honestly looking for answers and solutions the caliber of people you can meet through this social site is superb.

It is so easy to update - anyone who can type can build their lens regularly. No domain name is needed and you need no web hosting.

I mean c'mon. You can actually start a website business and have nothing invested but time. As you start making money, you begin to expand, eventually adding a website.

Squidoo is a no brainer!

There are plenty of options, but two things I definitely recommend in addition to your text modules are the RSS modules and the link modules.

The RSS module allows you to plug in the RSS feed from your blog, so each time you post on your blog your Squidoo lens will be updated. This will keep fresh content coming into your lens, create links back to your blog posts, and bring targeted traffic from Squidoo to your blog.

And the link module allows you to post links to your favorite resources. You can give your link module a title like "Check Out My Websites For More Quality Information" or "Have A Look At Some More Cool Resources" or whatever, and then add the links to all of your sites, blogs, ezines, and affiliate programs. This will generate quality visitors to your sites, and give you link backs from a high PR site to help with your SEO.

OK. Keep this in mind. In order to move up in the rankings, you will need to update you Squidoo lens on a regular basis.

Start out by creating your bio and your introduction, then add 3 modules. No more to begin because you want to add more modules on a regular basis for your updates. Create a huge lens on the first day and you may find you cannot update it.

On search terms, choose only what you put when you was creating your new lens. You will add relevant search terms, but each time you add a search term and click the publish button, guess what? You updated your lens.

So after you create your 3 modules, publish the lens. Then begin adding to it regularly and, in no time, you will begin getting traffic.

Although not usual, I have started getting minimal traffic on a couple lens the day I published them. But most of my lens began moving up in the ranks and drawing traffic in a week or 2.

First, to learn more about what plr is, take a gander at PLR lens, then return.

OK, no one knows everything there is to know about a subject, except maybe the Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory". :-) In order to make your site as informative as possible, you need to research. PLR products provide the research.

You read the article and use what you want, adding your own insight or correcting what you don't want.

Your audience benefits because the more good information you can give them the better.

Don't use plr all over your Squidoo lens, or your website or blog, or people will never get to know the real you and what your ideas are. But definitely, if used wisely, I think plr products are great.

Adding some pictures will take your site from blah to "Oh Yeah!". Who doesn't want to look at pictures? I prefer cartoon types when possible as they add a little pizazz.

If you are selling an ebook or pretty much anything, a picture is a must. I know - an ebook is simply a pdf file or such, but a picture makes it real to your visitor.

Although I haven't tried it yet, I have seen some lenses make the different blocks of text with different background colors, sometimes a border. They are really cool to visit.

Write so your readers understand what you are trying to say. Yes - you want to be an expert in your chosen niche, but if no one can understand what you are saying, you may as well be making a lens for yourself.

OK. Having said that, there is a way for you to use Squidoo to make money online without having a website. You use Squidoo in conjunction with affiliate programs.

There is a lot of information on the web about what affiliate programs are, so I won't go into this except to say basically you make money selling other peoples products.

On Squidoo, you would give plenty of information, then you would refer people to an affiliate site, where they could buy a digital book, CD, or something that will expand on what you are saying.

Make absolutely certain what you are promoting is good. It's essential as your reputation is on the line.

Your Squidoo site should give good, solid information and not simply be a sales pitch.

I still strongly believe you should have a website of your own. However, this is a proven method of making money online so you should give it a try. Use the profits to develop a website.

Let's face it. Not everyone wants to take the time to build a Squidoo lens. In reality, maybe there is something you would like to do a lens on, but you simply don't have content to get it started.

Possibly once you get a start, updating it will be easier.

No problem. Buy a ready to go lens. I have a Squidoo lens on this at Buy a Squidoo Lens, You can buy a lens ready made or even ask me to make one for you.

I may be able to make a lens for you in the niche you choose as I have a lot of plr articles available. It doesn't hurt to ask and, actually, it may be your cheapest alternative as this lens will not have been promoted or anything.

Stop by and check it out.

There's nothing wrong with having a lens made for you. It does give you a start and it will be your own lens to do with as you please.

I use clipart on my websites and on my Squidoo lenses. It adds a nice touch and breaks up the text. Your visitors will love the pizazz it creats.

Click on this picture to go to the site where I get my clipart. Listen, you can find a lot of good clipart for free online, but it takes time, you need to make certain it is not copyrighted, and some of it leaves a bit to be desired. But if you are starting out, that may be the way to go.

But as your sites and lenses grow, you need more. You need the clip art offered here and the price is unreal. Check it out!