As an artist, I tend to think visually. This means that I like color, and visual interest when I am looking at something. So when I started to write on Squidoo, and I learned that we could add color to our pages using modules and html, I was very excited. For quite a while, I created Squidoo pages with all the bells and whistles. This page, Confessions of a Giant Squid, is one of those pages. I made the page after I became a Giant Squid, which at that time, required a minimum of 50 quality lenses. It is still an eye pleasing page.
But since that time, I have learned more about the internet, and while I still include pictures on my pages, I have stopped including most of the bells, and all of the whistles.
Here’s why.
Over the last few years, I have learned that what most people want from the internet is speed. They want fast loading pages, and to find the information that they are searching for as quickly as possible. When I think about the way that I search online, I have to admit that I am in that crowd of impatient searchers. I want it, and I want it now. So, that thinking has led me to change the way I build pages online, not only on Squidoo, but in most other places as well.
When I build a Squidoo page now, I only include elements that add value to the page, and preferably do not slow down loading speed. That means a page has mostly text, minimal html, and a few pictures. Often the pictures are the ones that are part of a sales module. Therefore, the page loads as fast as Squidoo’s system will allow.
I rarely include too many types of modules on a lens. What I include primarily are text, Amazon, Ebay, and link modules, and sometimes, the text and big picture modules. Other than that, I use the featured lens module, video module when apropos, and the comments module at the end. I give the reader the information on the topic I have chosen, where they can get more or buy the item I am referring to, and then a chance to give me feedback. Pure and simple. This page, The Rio Grande, is typical of how I set up a page now.
I can tell you that setting up a page simply is faster than including a lot of bells and whistles. I think that it provides a better interaction with the reader, and gives them what they want faster, and therefore, more satisfactorily. There is less distraction, and I believe that I get more sales. How do you feel about this?
About lakeerieartists
Paula, I am one of the guilty ones; I love making things look beautiful, but of course, you are right; I want speed as much as the next person when browsing. It takes me ages to prettify my lenses, and that in itself is not very constructive…so this is quite an important post for me to read and take in properly. Thanks!
I have changed my ways to focus on making the pages streamlined, easy to read, and easy to load. That saves both me and the reader time. And I can make more pages.