The Lensmaster Lounge

thefluffanutta · 08/31/2009 3:38 pm

For more than 2 years, SquidUtils has been providing unqiue tools and utilities for Squidoo. The site has always been free, funded only by the generous donations from Lensmasters.

There are a handful of new features that could be added to SquidUtils; more powerful that anything that has been released so far. These include such things as automatic pinging of new lenses, detailed tracking and analysis of Lensrank, and a sophisticated tag suggestion tool. More tools can be added to this list in the future, maybe even advanced level training.

However, the development of these new tools is not cheap. They will require a considerable amount of time and resources to implement them. Therefore, it's necessary to consider what the community will consider to be a fair price for them.

> How much would you pay for premium tools? < Vote here!

Last edited by thefluffanutta (09/07/2009 2:14 am)

susannaduffy · 08/31/2009 4:07 pm

This is an interesting question, Mr Fluff.

How much is access to the tools worth? I would pay an annual sum, just like I pay for other tools I use on the web. $60 p.a is my top tool expense though I have others which cost me less - a WP template site for $19 a year, a secure form service for $40 a year and there are more but none over $60

Were you considering a one-off payment for access? Or a subscription, an annual recurring payment?

I have a membership site (for seniors) who have a choice of paying $5 a month or $50 a year. Overwhelmingly they choose the annual (it's a fraction cheaper but nothing to write home about). The point is I have to keep churning out tutes for them to make it worthwhile for members. They can see the value.

If I were to pay you for your most excellent tools, would you be creating more? Would I also get encouraging posts/emails/whatever with squidoo tips ?

Or are you talking just about the ability to use your tools?

(Don't get me wrong, I believe in paying people for their work)

Twobit · 08/31/2009 4:13 pm

Hmmm... What would be the difference of using your tag suggestion tool over Google Adwords/Trends? Right now I'm on the fence, the thing that would keep me away personally is the monthly billing. If it were a 1-shot purchasing deal, or perhaps a year for only $12-18 or so I may do it, and then it expires after the year until you opt to renew.

mysticmama · 08/31/2009 4:45 pm

Twobit wrote:
Hmmm... What would be the difference of using your tag suggestion tool over Google Adwords/Trends? Right now I'm on the fence, the thing that would keep me away personally is the monthly billing. If it were a 1-shot purchasing deal, or perhaps a year for only $12-18 or so I may do it, and then it expires after the year until you opt to renew.

Squidutils does a lot more than give tag suggestions and a lot more that the google tool

JaguarJulie · 08/31/2009 5:21 pm

Fluff, I've donated to your fund previously and would consider an annual premium, or quarterly perhaps. Remember, I asked CaptainSquid about providing us with a batch lens backup utility -- if you can throw that in with the subscription, I'll pay for an annual subscription. You've provided quite a lot of stuff for free already! I'm in!

mysticmama · 08/31/2009 6:01 pm

JaguarJulie wrote:
Fluff, I've donated to your fund previously and would consider an annual premium, or quarterly perhaps. Remember, I asked CaptainSquid about providing us with a batch lens backup utility -- if you can throw that in with the subscription, I'll pay for an annual subscription. You've provided quite a lot of stuff for free already! I'm in!

Yes, your tools are so much more helpful than other tools out there, I would also subscribe

Ener-G · 08/31/2009 8:51 pm

Hi Fluff,
I am well aware of the amazing services you have provided for us. I would definitely pay for an annual service...

I'd like to think that Squidoo is paying you also for the added value you provide for our lenses...such as a decent search engine!

Twobit · 08/31/2009 11:09 pm

mysticmama wrote:
Squidutils does a lot more than give tag suggestions and a lot more that the google tool

I was just asking specifically about the tag suggestion tool, I know that Squidutils does more than just suggest tags. I just wondered because I may be new to Squidutils, but I'm not new to using other online SEO tools, I was just wondering what the differences were.

Last edited by Twobit (08/31/2009 11:27 pm)

lou16 · 08/31/2009 11:52 pm

I'm not sure I'd want to be paying something every month, but a quarterly or annual subscription would be good.

Jimmie · 09/01/2009 12:12 am

$10 per year. Maybe $12 max.
The tools are great. Absolutely. But free is really great too. :-)
Thank you Fluff for offering them free to us for all this time. If things have to change, I understand.

Kate-Phizackerley · 09/01/2009 1:27 am

At present there is nothing provided by SquidUtils I would consider paying for. The only thing I use is the dashboard enhancement and I'm in two minds about that - I dislike what it does to the Groups page for instance.

I'd certainly not pay for automatic pinging. I have that already via Feedburner. I also see no reason to get anal about tracking LR - it's what it is. So for me there's little I feel I need for Squidoo that isn't part of the core provided by Squidoo itself. If tools are available free I'll lok at them, but anything else would need to justify itself ie would the earnings from writing lenses in the time saved exceed the cost. My Squidoo earnings last month were $1.68 so it's hard to see a cost case for any tools. This month I'm hoping will be better and on an upwards curve, but still I'm a long way from feeling investment in Squidoo tools would be financially justified. I appreciate that you have made them available free of charge and understand if that has to change. I'm not carping, just saying that I wouldn't anticipate becoming a paying customer.

The one tool I did buy was a decent text editor. That has made a very significant time saving.

Kate

Last edited by Kate-Phizackerley (09/01/2009 1:27 am)

EditionH · 09/01/2009 1:32 am

I have to admit that I don`t use Squidutils, (I suppose those are outside of the dashboard ?) somehow all those seemed cryptic to me.
As things are now I would not pay for such extras, I would rather expect that Squidoo as company would have an interest to provide sufficient data to guide lensmasters.

Last edited by EditionH (09/01/2009 1:32 am)

mysticmama · 09/01/2009 9:07 am

Kate-Phizackerley wrote:
At present there is nothing provided by SquidUtils I would consider paying for. The only thing I use is the dashboard enhancement and I'm in two minds about that - I dislike what it does to the Groups page for instance.

I'd certainly not pay for automatic pinging. I have that already via Feedburner. I also see no reason to get anal about tracking LR - it's what it is. So for me there's little I feel I need for Squidoo that isn't part of the core provided by Squidoo itself. If tools are available free I'll lok at them, but anything else would need to justify itself ie would the earnings from writing lenses in the time saved exceed the cost. My Squidoo earnings last month were $1.68 so it's hard to see a cost case for any tools. This month I'm hoping will be better and on an upwards curve, but still I'm a long way from feeling investment in Squidoo tools would be financially justified. I appreciate that you have made them available free of charge and understand if that has to change. I'm not carping, just saying that I wouldn't anticipate becoming a paying customer.

The one tool I did buy was a decent text editor. That has made a very significant time saving.

Kate

OMG!
Kate you have been with Squidoo for almost a year, you have over 100 lenses... if you are only making $1.68 then somethings wrong???
I was making more than that a month in with just a handful of lenses...
are you utilizing e-bay & amazon modules?
Are you updating & pinging your lenses
that amount just doesn't seem right
if you need some help, please e-mail me

jptanabe · 09/01/2009 9:21 am

I agree that good work deserves pay. So I think it's fair if you ask for subscriptions. I thought an annual payment would be better too, but now I realize that since Squidoo pays monthly it might make sense to just move the money right along through the paypal account. Now all I need is to actually get paid for my lenses so I could pay for the tools to make the money to pay for the tools!

SimeyC · 09/01/2009 9:31 am

mysticmama wrote:
Kate-Phizackerley wrote:
At present there is nothing provided by SquidUtils I would consider paying for. The only thing I use is the dashboard enhancement and I'm in two minds about that - I dislike what it does to the Groups page for instance.

I'd certainly not pay for automatic pinging. I have that already via Feedburner. I also see no reason to get anal about tracking LR - it's what it is. So for me there's little I feel I need for Squidoo that isn't part of the core provided by Squidoo itself. If tools are available free I'll lok at them, but anything else would need to justify itself ie would the earnings from writing lenses in the time saved exceed the cost. My Squidoo earnings last month were $1.68 so it's hard to see a cost case for any tools. This month I'm hoping will be better and on an upwards curve, but still I'm a long way from feeling investment in Squidoo tools would be financially justified. I appreciate that you have made them available free of charge and understand if that has to change. I'm not carping, just saying that I wouldn't anticipate becoming a paying customer.

The one tool I did buy was a decent text editor. That has made a very significant time saving.

Kate
OMG!
Kate you have been with Squidoo for almost a year, you have over 100 lenses... if you are only making $1.68 then somethings wrong???
I was making more than that a month in with just a handful of lenses...
are you utilizing e-bay & amazon modules?
Are you updating & pinging your lenses
that amount just doesn't seem right
if you need some help, please e-mail me

There's a lot of people only earning pennies on Squidoo for varying reasons. You've pointed me in the right direction - *hugs* - but for a lot of people they simply don't have the time to blog etc to promote their sites - I know my real work is really interfering with it for me LOL - then when you post to other sites (such as hubpages and ehow) and see more earnings you wonder what you're doing wrong! One of my ehow articles earns between $10 and $20 - I have never promoted it and never will!

As for the original thread - the key for most people is ROI - if I can invest $10 and see my earning rise by 15% then I'd go for it - I'd recoup my money back. Like anything, if after one year of subscription I saw no benefit then I probably wouldn't re-subscribe....

Last edited by SimeyC (09/01/2009 9:33 am)

Loyalis · 09/02/2009 1:45 am

What if it was combined with a process that would guarantee the cost of the subscription within a certain time period could be recouped in earnings?

How would you guys feel about that?

or private webinars on using affiliate links and tips on what programs actually work?

Actual sample lenses that make more than $100.00 / mo. consistentently?

@ twobit - the tag suggestion tool is used to maximize the effectiveness of your tags on squidoo in a linking structure framework, not necessarily in a search popularity framework.

Jimmie · 09/02/2009 6:42 am

Loyalis wrote:
What if it was combined with a process that would guarantee the cost of the subscription within a certain time period could be recouped in earnings?

Guarantee? Wow. That's quite a strong word.
My first reaction would be to disbelieve such a claim.

eclecticeducation · 09/02/2009 11:42 am

I would consider it, especially if it came with a money back guarantee. It truly would depend on how much was being charged because I'm still not making too much here.

spirituality · 09/02/2009 12:01 pm

Hi Fluf,

Well the things you mention aren't things I'm actually looking for. So, I'm sorry, but I would not be paying for them. I am going to be donating money to several of the geeks whose free work have helped me make a living the past few years, and you're on that list. If I were to pay for premium services, I'd rather it was a yearly thing so I don't have to think about it too often. So far I mostly use your tools to make it easier to be social on squidoo, and while I appreciate that, I don't think I'd pay for it. Perhaps everybody whose lens I rate because of it should thank you personally I love the groups tool a LOT and think the features should become standard, but with groups no longer being editable that's no longer an issue.

SimeyC,
The weird thing about Kate not making money off squidoo is that she's promoting herself as an SEO and promotion expert. But SEO and promotion should be able to get her at least one lens into the top 2000 long enough to get top tier payout. Of course it could be that she really does believe SEO is dead.

Oh - and totally off topic, but freaks are part of this game. I'm sure most successful lensmasters stumbled on their top performing niches by chance. It would prove something if you had a very similar lens on squidoo that did not perform at all, without the content being copied.

Last edited by spirituality (09/02/2009 12:07 pm)

thefluffanutta · 09/02/2009 12:41 pm

Thanks to everyone who's posted their thoughts here - it's really helpful to see what a cross-section of the community thinks about this.

First of all, let me explain what's going to happen to the current toolset: they will remain free to any Lensmaster that wants to use them, and everyone has the opportunity to send in a donation if they feel that SquidUtils has been worthwhile to them (or not as the case may be, which is fine). I don't want people to pay more than they are getting in revenue from their lenses.

There are some new tools that I have thought of, and I have working prototypes for a few of them. There's potential for new modules too, that can be plugged directly in to any lens. JaguarJulie has requested a way to backup all her lenses, and Loyalis has suggested that I (we) provide additional tutorials and private mentoring. I'm open to any other ideas you guys may have.

The thing is, all this takes a lot of time and effort on my part, not to mention the server costs. So I'm considering that I might charge for the new tools, but only if I think that it's something that people will want to pay for.

Any more comments?

PS: @Kate - what specific "improvements" to the Group pages do you not like?

JenOfChicago · 09/02/2009 1:36 pm

I don't make enough money here to pay anything for extra tools, but what about creating a non-profit organization for yourself and allowing us to designate something like "Fluff's Foundation For Better Squidooing" or whatever as our charity for lens royalties? Since you are not making money off all the work you do, you kind of are a non-profit, and this would help you get some $ to cover your server costs and other expenses, plus maybe a tiny salary for yourself for your time spent. I know that the paperwork might be annoying, but just a thought...

a_willow · 09/02/2009 2:08 pm

Fluff? What exactly you mean by 'detailed tracking and analysis of Lensrank'? Could you elaborate a bit?

LR is important but not as much as I would like to know from where is my traffic coming... I would be really pleased to know where are my visitors from... to some of our lenses that could make a huge difference in sale. For instance... most of our lenses are using affiliate programs available for US market... but maybe a lens does most of traffic from UK or Spain, or where ever... If we knew this, we could tweak it a bit...

Dkprincess6 · 09/02/2009 2:18 pm

If I was in a position to pay for extra tools, I guess I would. I have no job in the real world, and I'm not making much here, so I really appreciate that that are free. If I was to pay, I would prefer a yearly amount as well. My big thing, though, is that most of the utils only work with Firefox, and I prefer to use IE.

Cinetech · 09/02/2009 3:30 pm

Loyalis wrote:
@ twobit - the tag suggestion tool is used to maximize the effectiveness of your tags on squidoo in a linking structure framework, not necessarily in a search popularity framework.

That sounds to me what the Discovery Tool was supposed to do, but failed to do it.

Re: paying for tools sounds like a catch22.
If your lenses are doing well why would you need those tools?
If your lenses are not doing well how are you going to pay for those tools?
Btw Fluff, do not take it personal

Last edited by Cinetech (09/02/2009 3:33 pm)

susannaduffy · 09/02/2009 3:59 pm

If the Cap'n is also involved, it's sounding more enticing

I'm unsure about

Loyalis wrote:
What if it was combined with a process that would guarantee the cost of the subscription within a certain time period could be recouped in earnings?

That would be great, naturally, but a big promise to give all the same. Buyers are usually only guaranteed with obese and heartbroken acai berries trying to cure their toe fungus and acne by trading forex to get their ex back.

But you've lured me with talk of webinars and case examples

thefluffanutta wrote:
The thing is, all this takes a lot of time and effort on my part, not to mention the server costs. So I'm considering that I might charge for the new tools, but only if I think that it's something that people will want to pay for.

I wait for the opportunity to sign up. (Hopefully the fee won't be beyond me. I have a big server fee too)

SquidU

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Announcement

#1 08/31/2009 3:38 pm

POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

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Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

#3 08/31/2009 4:13 pm

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

#4 08/31/2009 4:45 pm

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

Twobit wrote:

#5 08/31/2009 5:21 pm

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#6 08/31/2009 6:01 pm

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

JaguarJulie wrote:

#7 08/31/2009 8:51 pm

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Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

mysticmama wrote:

#9 08/31/2009 11:52 pm

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#11 09/01/2009 1:27 am

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#12 09/01/2009 1:32 am

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#13 09/01/2009 9:07 am

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

Kate-Phizackerley wrote:

#14 09/01/2009 9:21 am

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

#15 09/01/2009 9:31 am

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

mysticmama wrote:

Kate-Phizackerley wrote:

#16 09/02/2009 1:45 am

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

#17 09/02/2009 6:42 am

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

Loyalis wrote:

#18 09/02/2009 11:42 am

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#19 09/02/2009 12:01 pm

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#20 09/02/2009 12:41 pm

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

#21 09/02/2009 1:36 pm

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#22 09/02/2009 2:08 pm

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#23 09/02/2009 2:18 pm

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#24 09/02/2009 3:30 pm

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

Loyalis wrote:

#25 09/02/2009 3:59 pm

Re: POLL: Would you pay for premium tools?

Loyalis wrote:

thefluffanutta wrote:

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